Guy Dads

Theatre Recap: Top Shows Seen in 2011

2012-01-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

This past year (2011), we saw about 133 plays, musicals, andoperas (give or take one or two). Wevisited stages throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and attended localtheatre on our trips to New York, Ashland OR, Nashville TN, Mendocino CA, MiamiFL, Glasgow Scotland, and Edinburgh Scotland. We rated 68 of those productions “5” on a 5-point scale. Clearly, it was a good year, we are oftenvery happy with what we see, and we also tend to study and choose wisely (asmuch as possible) before attending. Our complete list of shows we saw can be found HERE.

Below are our lists of the top-ranked, prioritized shows aswe look back over the year.

OUR 2011 TOP 10 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

PLAYS & MUSICALS

1.The North Pool - Rajiv Joseph, TheatreWorks

The truth shifts constantlyas a suburban Vice Principal confronts a Syrian student in this rivetingcat-and-mouse thriller that takes place in the VP's office on a Fridayafternoon after class.

2.No Exit - Jean-Paul Sartre, A.C.T. (The Virtual Stage & Electric Company Theatre production)

A live-cinematic production.A mysterious valet ushers three people into a shabby hotel room, and they soondiscover that hell is other people arguing about their lives.

3.Clybourne Park - Bruce Norris, A.C.T.

Takes Lorraine Hansberry's"A Raisin in the Sun", of ablack family moving up to an all white neighborhood, as a jumping off point fora clever refocusing on the politics of race, class, and real estategentrification.

4.How to Write a New Book for the Bible - Bill Cain, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Every family creates asacred story out of love. The writer moves in with his mother when she becomestoo sick to care for herself. Their reunion heals old wounds, opening aheartfelt and humorous new chapter in their relationship.

5.The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams, Marin Theatre Company

Aspiring poet Tomreluctantly works in a warehouse to support his overbearing mother anddebilitatingly shy sister, Laura. Pushed by his mother, he finds Laura agentleman caller to try to coax her from her fragile private world.

6.Ruined -Lynn Nottage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

A look at the lives of womenin a land ruled by whiskey and bayonets. As civil war ravages the Congo, thelucky ones find a home—and a regular meal—in a building that serves as bothbrothel and refuge.

7.Reborning - Zayd Dohrn, San Francisco Playhouse

A chilling yarn of a youngartist who crafts custom made dolls begins to suspect that a demanding clientmay be the mother who abandoned her at birth.

8.Tigers Be Still - Kim Rosenstock, San Francisco Playhouse

The spectacularmisadventures of Sherry, an art teacher who, in the midst of mentoring atroubled teen and dealing with a tiger on the loose, faces her biggestchallenges at home … getting her sister to sober up and her mother to come outof the bedroom.

9.Nymph Errant - Cole Porter, Rommey Brent, 42nd Street Moon

A young Englishwoman sets off to experimentwith life, and travels the Continent in search of adventure, romance and sex!While her escapades are zany, bizarre and outrageous, a torrid affair eludesher.

10.The American Clock: A Vaudeville - Arthur Miller, A.C.T. M.F.A.Program in Acting

A story based on Miller'sown family during the Great Depression. He connects his history to thestruggles of the rest of the nation by integrating material from Stud Terkel's Hard Times: An Oral History of the GreatDepression.

HONORABLE MENTIONS of SF BAY AREA SHOWS

-->[Title of Show] - Jeff Browen, Hunter Bell, TheatreWorks

A musical by a pair oftalented writers about a pair of talented writers writing a funny new musical.

-->Honey Brown Eyes - Stefanie Zadravec, San Francisco Playhouse

Inspired by actual events,the play contrasts the everydayness of domestic settings with the ravages ofthe Bosnian War. Set in two kitchens, it follows two soldiers that were once ina band together caught on opposite sides of the war - one who has to face theconsequences of his own brutality, and another who comes to terms with his owncowardice.

-->Period of Adjustment - Tennessee Williams, San Francisco Playhouse

Christmas Eve in HighPoint,TN 1958. George takes his new bride to meet friend and fellow soldier,Ralph, for the holiday celebrations. As snow settles outside, the idyllic scenebegins to dissolve. While past hopes and dreams are recounted, the bittersweetreality of their marital relationships surface with comical and poignantresults.

-->The Temperamentals - Jon Marans, New Conservatory Theatre Center

The story of two men - the communist Harry Hayand the Viennese refugee Rudy Gernreich - as they fall in love and build thefirst gay rights organization in the pre-Stonewall United States.

-->Fly By Night - Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick, Kim Rosenstock, TheatreWorks

A musical about a haplesssandwich maker, torn between his feelings for his wife and her sister, whodiscovers romance during the 1965 NYC blackout.

OUR 2011 TOP 5 ONE-PERSON SHOWS

1. The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs - Mike Daisey, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Monologuewhose subject is the moral health of a society hooked on the products of Jobs'company and with the physical health of the labor that produces them.

2. Hugh Jackman in Performance, Curran Theatre - Best of Broadway

Anevening of song and dance. Big tribute to Peter Allen's Boy From Oz.

3. Shylock – Gareth Armstrong, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Adazzling dissection of Shakespeare's Merchantof Venice. Guy Masterson gives a comedic, deeply moving performance,celebrating the richness of Shakespeare's language and conjuring a host ofcharacters from Portia to Pontius Pilate and confounding the stereotypes.

4. Loveland - Ann Randolph, The Marsh

FrannyPotts faces up to the loss of her mother while flying from LA to Ohiosurrounded by strangers.

5.The Real Americans - Dan Hoyle, The Marsh

Fleeingthe liberal bubble of SF and hipster friends, Hoyle spent 100 days travelingthrough small-town America in search of some tough country wisdom and a way tobridge America’s urban/rural divide.

OUR 2011 TOP NEW YORK SHOWS

1. The Book of Mormon - Trey Parker, Matt Stone, RobertLopez, Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Fromcreators of South Park and Avenue Q. Two young Mormons embark on amission to spread the gospel in Uganda.

2. The Normal Heart - Larry Kramer, Golden Theatre (JoeMantello, Ellen Barkin)

Thestory of a city in denial unfolds like a real-life political thriller — as atight-knit group of friends refuse to let doctors, politicians and the press burythe truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. Ahead of its timeon many of the core issues it addresses — gay marriage, the healthcare systemand, of course, AIDS.

3. Jerusalem - Jez Butterworth, The MusicBox (Mark Rylance)

TheRoyal Court Theatre's production is a modern mythic tale of the death of a god.In the woods of southwest England, Johnny "Rooster" Byron, formerdaredevil and modern-day Pied Piper, is a wanted man. The council officialswant to serve him an eviction notice, his son wants to be taken to the countryfair, a stepfather wants to give him a serious kicking and a motley crew offriends wants his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.

4. Unnatural Acts -Tony Speciale and members of Plastic Theatre, Classic Stage Company

Inspiredby events at Harvard University in 1920, when a student's suicide sparked acampus-wide investigation by a secret court of administrators who convened toinvestigate, expose and ultimately expel a group of homosexual students.

5. Anything Goes - Cole Porter, Timothy Crouse, John Weidman,Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, Guy Bolton, P.G.Wodehouse, Stephen SondheimTheatre (Sutton Foster, Joel Grey)

Thepassengers on this luxury cruise include an evangelist turned nightclub singer,a gangster disguised as a minister, hopeless romantics and stowaways. The ColePorter score include "I Get a Kick""You're the Top," "Friendship" and "Easy to Love."

6. Catch Me If You Can - Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, TerrenceMcNally, Neil Simon Theatre (Norbert Leo Butz)

FrankAbagnale, Jr., a world-class con artist, creates an array of identities -airline pilot, doctor, lawyer - with no qualifications. He's got thestraight-arrow FBI agent Carl Hanratty on his trail. Based on the LeonardoDiCaprio, Tom Hanks movie.

--> AndOur Most-Talked About Show…But the one we least liked at the time of the 14 showswe saw that week:

Sleep No More - Felix Barrett, Maxine Doyle, and TheCompany of Punchdrunk

Animmersive dance and mime production inspired by Macbeth, told through the lens of a Hitchcock thriller. Theaudience, wearing white bird masks, randomly roams through 6 floors/100 roomswith no guidance and experiences a sensory journey.

OUR 2011 TOP NON-SF/NY SHOWS

1. From the Fire - Elizabeth Swados, Cecilia Rubino,Paula Finn; Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Ahaunting dramatization/oratorio of the uprising of 20,000 young women in NewYork City and the infamous Triangle Factory Fire of 1911, which galvanizedsocial change.

2. Measure for Measure - William Shakespeare, OregonShakespeare Festival

Wholegislates morality? The Duke's deputy is hell-bent on stamping out moraldecay. He reactivates outdated Draconian laws and aims his arrogant crosshairsat a young man whose fiancée is pregnant, sentencing him to death. The deputyis sternly incorruptible—until he meets Isabela, a beautiful religious novicewhose desirability arouses him. A modern production flavored with live music bythe mariachi band Las Colibri.

3. Anton's Uncles - Richard Alger,Tina Kronis, Theatre Movement Bazaar; Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Anadaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Adeconstruction of the original where only the men remain. The text is adistillation of the original with new material added. The movement scoreemphasizes the unspoken, unseen, and unexpressed for a fresh, physical, andfunny impression of Chekhov's classic.

4. The Pitman Painters – Lee Hall, National Theatre,Glasgow, Scotland.

In 1934, a group of Ashington minershired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Abandoning theoryin favor of practice, the pitmen began to paint – prolifically. Within a fewyears avant-garde artists became their friends and prestigious collectorsacquired their work; but every day they continued to work, as before, down themine.

5. Memphis, the Musical - Joe DiPietro, David Bryan, TennesseePerforming Arts Center, Nashville, TN

Sexand race and rock ’n’ roll: a white radio DJ whose love of good music and atalented songtress transcends race lines and airwaves in the turbulent south inthe 1950s.

6. The Boy James – Alexander Wright, Belt Up Theatre, EdinburghFringe Festival

Inspired by Peter Pan and its author J.M. Barrie, it shows a battle of theimagination between James' older and younger selves; a mental tug-of-warbetween the inevitable onset of adulthood and the eternal appeal of Neverland.

7. The Pirates of Penzance - Arthur Sullivan, W.S. Gilbert, OregonShakespeare Festival

Aday at the beach for the daughters of a modern Major General provides Fredericand his pirate mates with a chance encounter and a first-rate opportunity tomarry with impunity. Punchy musical references to modern pop-music styles(doo-wop, gospel, Broadway show tunes) are woven into many numbers.

8. Ghost Light - Tony Taccone, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

JonathanMoscone (based on his own experiences), a gay stage director, is forced to cometo terms with a loss that shattered his youth: the assassination (1978) of hisreal-life father, Mayor George Moscone. As he prepares to direct Hamlet,the parallels between Shakespeare's drama and his own experience overwhelm him.In dreams, and anxious talks with his close friend Louise, he gradually unknotsthe trauma, and the later guilt and bitterness.

9. The Imaginary Invalid - Molière, Oded Gross, Tracy Young, OregonShakespeare Festival

A1960s French pop culture is overlaid on this 17th-centary play. The wealthy Arganis a housebound hypochondriac with every disease in the book. Lurking aroundare quacks only too happy to (mis)treat him. Family troubles, including amoney-grubbing wife and two headstrong daughters, add to Argan’s miseries.

10. Ovid’s Metamorphosis – Peter Bramley, Lucy Egger, Pantson Fire, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Transposes the epic Roman poem to a musicalset in 940s wartime England, a time when heroes were a real-life concept andmovie stars were like gods and goddesses.

OUR 2011 TOP OPERAS

1. The Ring Cycle (4 operas, 17.5 hours over 6 days)

Das Rheingold - Richard Wagner, San Francisco Opera

Thelust for power, the lure of gold, the sacred beauty of nature, the destructiveimpulses of man: These timeless themes dominate both American history andWagner's Ring. The dwarf Alberich futilely attempts to seduce the maidenswho guard the Rhine River’s gold. If forged into a ring, it would give itswearer universal power, as long as he renounces love. Alberich steals the goldand fashions the ring. Meanwhile, Wotan, king of the gods, must find a way topay the giants Fasolt and Fafner for the construction of Valhalla, theimmortals’ opulent new home. Using trickery, he steals Alberich’s ring tosettle his debt. The bitter dwarf places a curse on the ring and anyone whopossesses it.

Die Walküre

Anepic tale of an emotionally volatile father and his disobedient children(Siegmund & Brünnhilde) done with a distinctly American touch whilehonoring its mythic roots. Wotan, king of the gods, strives to undo the curseof the ring by fathering a pure-of-heart hero by a mortal woman. But he findshimself torn as events spin out of control and his offspring defy his will.

Siegfriede

Acoming-of-age story in which a fearless young hero discovers his destiny.Wotan's hope for recovery of the ring now rests with his grandson Siegfried,who must reject his adoptive father, forge a magical sword and slay a fearsomedragon to prove himself worthy of its mighty power—and the extraordinary womanwho awaits him.

Götterdämmerunge

Thesacred union of Siegfried and Brünnhilde is threatened by three schemingsiblings, one of whom was sired by Alberich to take possession of the ring.Driven by greed, their actions inevitably lead to chaos and destruction, untilBrünnhilde—wise, pure of heart, heroic—steps forward to return the universe toits natural order in an act of self-sacrifice.

2. Heart of a Soldier - Christopher Theofanidis, Donna Di Novelli, San FranciscoOpera

Basedon the book by James B. Stewart on the life of Rick Rescorla, aBrit-turned-Yank who left a military career to become head of security for acompany with offices in the World Trade Center. On Sept. 11, 2001, he safelyevacuated the company's 2,700 employees from the south tower and returned for afinal sweep. The tower collapsed shortly thereafter.

3. Carmen - Georges Bizet, San Francisco Opera

CorporalDon José deserts his fiancée and his regiment to run off with the bewitchingGypsy, Carmen. But when she shifts her affections to the dashing toreadorEscamillo, Carmen meets her fate in the form of Don José’s knife blade.

4. Turandot - Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Adami, RenatoSimoni, SanFrancisco Opera

The icy restraint of PrincessTurandot is finally melted by the passionate love of her suitor, Calaf. Hecorrectly answers her three questions and keeps his name secret for a night towin her and keep his head. The opera score includes Nessun Dorma ,one of the world's favorite tenor arias.

Cell phone in the theatre

2012-01-12T08:17:00.001-08:00

CellPhoneSign.JPG, a photo by ed and eddie on Flickr.

Saw this lobby sign at a theatre in Miami, FL. "Celebrating 9 straight shows without a text or cell phone interruption! Help keep the streak alive!"

A Sexy Birthday Greeting From Elvis

2012-01-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, January 8th was Elvis Presley's birthday. Today, January 9th is my birthday. Elvis was 23 years older then me. I love this cool, sexy picture of him. He could be singing to me in this photograph.

This YouTube video is a bootleg, home recording of Elvis singing 'Happy, Happy Birthday Baby' in 1958, the year I was born!

Link: http://youtu.be/qi5JctA4uGg

Eulogy for My Distant Father

2012-01-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Son and father

Family Background

Below isa version, with some additions, of remarks I made the last week in December atmy Dad’s funeral in Paris, Tennessee. Myintentions had been not to give a eulogy; but when the African-American leaderof his funeral service asked for folks to come up, no one else was forthcoming;and I felt his 84-year-life should not pass without some summary by someone whodid know him much of that time.

Myfather owned a furniture store where he worked 6+ days a week for almost 65years; and he was still there daily within a week of his death. The store was a large portion of hislife. The rest of his time was mostlydevoted to holding civic positions of leadership within Paris, Tennessee &Henry County. I doubt more than ahandful of people within that County today do not know him personally. He was Mr. Paris in many ways.

Whilegracious, generous, and gregarious to the public, my father was mostly sullen,silent, absent, and extremely controlling within the family home (at leastduring the years I was growing up). Inever heard him express sentiments of love -- to me, my brother or mymother. He took zero interest in mymany activities, never praised to my face my various accomplishments, and only outwardlycared if I brought home anything less than an “A” on every subject (which Irarely/never did). He set many rules andboundaries that I dared not cross, and punishments were frequent and severe fora kid who actually was seen by everyone else (including my Mother) as one nevergot in trouble.

Hisestimation of me grew 100-fold when I introduced in 1978 my bride-to-be. He really liked her and her family a lot andseemed to see me through her in a new light. Our relationship got a little more friendly, like good acquaintances;but our phone conversations for the next 20+ years centered on three subjects:weather, the ‘boys’ (his 3 grandsons, whom he did seem to adore), and his/mybusiness.

When Icame out 24 years later and divorced my wife (with whom I am on great terms asstill-best friends), he did not speak to me for three years. (I actually think the divorce was a biggersin in his eyes than even ‘being a homosexual’.) To his credit and through much coaxing fromhis present (second) wife, he did resume our ‘acquaintanceship’ almost sevenyears ago and finally met three years ago and totally seemed to accept Ed as mycurrent spouse – much also to Ed’s credit and the way he approached and treatedmy Dad.

So withthis background, here is my eulogy to Edward Lee Reynolds, Senior to my Junior.

Eulogy for a Father Acquaintance

“Goodmorning. I am the other son, the onefrom the Left Coast of the US. I am theone that is in many ways opposite and different from my Dad, especially when itcomes to our views of politics. HisRepublican, conservative self smirked and railed against my Democratic, liberalstance; but we also learned just to avoid a whole set of topics where we bothknew nothing could be gained by going there.

Dad behind the counter of his store.

As many of you may know, my Dad and I were actuallynever very close as father-son and certainly not as friends. I cannot today stand here and recountintimate, fun moments we shared as I grew up. I have no such memories. My Dad was not a family man. He was a business and community-serviceman. His persona as a business andcommunity leader was something I observed from afar; his persona within ourhome was one most others might not have recognized if they had seen it.

But, as I reflect on my Dad’s influence on me,there are definitely important and positive legacies. Firstand foremost, I shop only local retail to the extent possible, paying more inour downtown Palo Alto stores instead of going to the local malls. I think every piece of furniture in our houseis American-made, not a small feat in today’s world. And as my present spouse can verify, I tendmore often than not to pick up the check whenever we take friends to dinner,and I love to entertain in a big way, something I always saw my Dad do as Igrew up.

I also learned by watching him that being aleader in the community is important. Giving back to that community and its organizations was a part of hislife and is very much a part of mine. Heseemed to like to hear about positions of leadership I had taken and to listenintently to issues I was helping them confront, although he did not tend tomake any comments or ask any questions. I also learned from him that helping others less fortunate was ourobligation. My Dad insisted I spend eachChristmas Eve (all through college and even after wife and I were married)delivering several score of large fruit and food baskets to widows, elderlycouples, and poorer folks – all of which he eagerly and in a very jolly moodassembled at his furniture store all morning of the 24th.

When I told my ex-wife about my Dad’s death,she tearfully recounted to me her lasting memory of my Dad and the practice hemade in giving credit to anyone who walked into his furniture store, nomatter the color of skin or the economic status. As long as a customer was working hard inwhatever he/she was doing, as long as they were sincere in promising to back uptheir small down-payment with weekly/monthly payments (sometime only a fewdollars a time), he/she could have delivered that new couch, washer, or bedroomset. And usually, he would throw in anew lamp, a picture for the wall, or a couple of throw pillows for free. Now I remember here in Paris when there weretwo water fountains and two sets of bathrooms at the courthouse. I remember when all the drug stores took outthe seats in their soda fountains and when the movie house shut down ratherthan having people of mixed races sit together. But I can never remember a time when anAfrican American walked into my Dad’s store and did not get a huge smile, ahand-shake (and in later years, probably a hug), and store-credit account tobuy a new or used piece of furniture. While I cringed sometimes when my Dad used the wrong words to describe aperson of color, I never felt he had anything but respect and even love for thelocal African American community. Recently, I even found out from his wife that he wrote every yearsubstantial checks to each African American church in Paris, contributions thatparticularly have been helpful in the last few, lean years.

In Judaism, which is one of the ways my Dad andI were very different, we are commanded to ‘repair the world’ around us whileon this earth. I believe my Dad did thatand left me with a legacy I now try to follow. I only learned it by watching him. He did not instruct me or encourage me to do so, but he provided apowerful example.

When Ed and I visited my Dad in November, oneof the last things he said to me was in fact one of the most intimate, lovingremarks I had ever heard him say. Hecame over to me, grabbed by shoulders, and said, “Eddie, I want you to know thebest thing we (meaning my Mom and he) did in this life was to have the bestfive grandchildren ever. Each of them isso accomplished. Each is a goodperson. I am so proud of all five ofthem. I want you to tell your Mother(whom he divorced 23 years ago) that I said this. I want her to know I believe this.”

So, I stand here today with a lifetime of someregrets about my and my Dad’s lack of relationship with me, but I also standbefore you proud of the many things he accomplished for many of you here andfor thousands of others in this community. May the lives he touched be a lasting legacy of the good he did on thisearth, and may we all say, “Amen.”

You gotta give ‘em hope – Harvey Milk

2011-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

My very talented husband has been a member of the SanFrancisco Gay Men’s Chorus for almost a year. He has recently taken on a leadership rollwith the group as the production manager for a new arts initiative to honor thelegacy of Harvey Milk.

This last November, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus launched aglobal call for submissions from artists of all types (composers, lyricists,poets, essayists, dancers, visual artists, etc.) -- particularly those 35 yearsand younger in age -- to help honor in 2013 the life and legacy of Harvey Milk,the first gay elected politician who plowed ground for so many to follow.

Please spread the word. Invite friends, students, family,acquaintances to go to this website, to watch thevideos & then to create/submit. "DEAR HARVEY, WE'VE GOT HOPE!!"

Link: http://youtu.be/O9Yb65HNLsA

Checkout this message by Harvey Milk's nephew, Stuart, as he describes his supportand excitement for "Dear Harvey, We've Got Hope." Spread the word.Send to poets, musicians, artists, singers, actors, and writers. This is acutting-edge opportunity to be a part of a collaborative, global creation of anew piece of performance art. HOW EXCITING!!!

Link: http://youtu.be/ppIwHWvnRK0

“I ask for the movement to continue, for the movement to grow,because last week I got a phone call from Altoona, Pennsylvania, and myelection gave somebody else, one more person, hope. And after all, that's whatthis is all about. It's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power— it's about giving those young people out there in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias,hope. You gotta give them hope.”

-- From a tape recording tobe played in the event of his assassination, quoted in Randy Shilts’, The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk

“And the young gay people in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias and theRichmond, Minnesotas who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant in television andher story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have togive them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for abetter place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that allwill be all right. Without hope, not only gays, but the blacks, the seniors, thehandicapped, the us'es, the us'es will give up. And if you help elect to thecentral committee and other offices, more gay people, that gives a green lightto all who feel disenfranchised, a green light to move forward. It means hopeto a nation that has given up, because if a gay person makes it, the doors areopen to everyone.”

-- A version of hisstaple "Hope Speech," quoted in Randy Shilts’, The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk

When Holidays Are Gay!

2011-12-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

Vintage ad spotted on GoodAsYou.org

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Ambassadors perform the Home For The Holidays concert finale on tour at a church in Santa Cruz, California on Sat., December 17, 2011. Songs performed include "We Are Lights" by Stephen Schwartz, "Silent Night" and "Peace, Peace" by Rick & Silvia Powell. The SFGMC Ambassadors as shown are 100 of the 275 singers in the Chorus.

Link: http://youtu.be/Inz6fd4nieU

Gay Travel Destinations

2011-12-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of December, the Community Marketing, Inc. cameout with their Gay & Lesbian Tourism Report for 2011-2012.

[A full PDF report canbe found at the following link: [http://www.communitymarketinginc.com/documents/temp/CMI_16thLGBTTourismStudy.pdf]

Of the 21 locations listed, we have been to 62% of them as a gaycouple in the last 9 years. Not a bad percentage. We have discussed visitingKey West, New Orleans and Hawaii and will most likely visit them in the nextcouple of years.

In all the cities we've visited, we try to support the gay community by staying at gay owned or managed bed-and-breakfast, inns or resorts. We make a point to patronize gay stores, theatres, restaurants, and other establishments. An excellent resource of finding places is the website and phone app, GayCities.com.

Top 21 Leisure Destinations (not including business travel)

1) New York City, NY – 8 times

2) San Francisco, CA – live 40 minutes away,visit 3-5 times a week

3) Las Vegas, NV – 1 time

4) Chicago, IL – 1 time

5) Los Angeles, CA - 3 times

6) Washington, DC – 3 times

7) Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 5 times

8) Palm Springs, CA – 3 times

9) Miami, FL – passed through many times, not stayed

10) Boston,MA – 1 time

11) Orlando,FL - none

12) Philadelphia,PA - none

13) SanDiego, CA – 1 time

14) Seattle,WA - none

15) NewOrleans, LA - none

16) Atlanta,GA - none

17) KeyWest, FL – none (cancelled 1 trip when I got sick.)

18) Hawaii– not as a couple, visited separately before we met

19) Napa,CA – 6 times, live 90 minutes away

20) Provincetown,MA - none

21) Sonoma,CA – 4 times, live 100 minutes away

I find it interesting that Napa and Sonoma are even on the list and listed separately. First, they are both in the wine country, part of the Napa wine region, 45 miles north of San Francisco. The two towns are very close (15 miles apart) and almost indistinguishable from each other. Both are just a day trip for anyone visiting San Francisco. Other than several nice gay-owned B&B's and a couple gay/gay-friendly wineries, neither place has a gayborhood or strong out GLBT presence. There are no gay bars or restaurants and very few community services or events. I find the communities to be little more then tolerant, conservative, straight-acting environments. The more interesting community that embraces the GLBT visitors and locals is the more rustic Russian River and Guerneville area that is 75 miles north of San Francisco and 55 miles northwest of Napa.

Have yourself a gay Hanukkah

2011-12-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

May a little miracle touch each of your lives as many of us light the first candle of Hanukkah tonight. E & I send best wishes to all our friends around the world and hope that the freedom victories we celebrate will soon occur again throughout all the oppressed spots of our world. Happy Hanukkah.

2011-2012 most produced plays

2011-12-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

One of the recent fall issues of AmericanTheatre magazine reported the 10 most-produced plays in national theatresthis year (2011-2012). The Top Ten List (which has 11 plays because of a tie inthe number of productions) omits holiday themed shows (such as The SantalandDiaries and A Christmas Carol) as well as works by Shakespeare. Wehave seen 9 out of 11 :

"God of Carnage"by Yasmina Reza. Two sets of parents meet to discuss their child's fight butthey become increasingly childish resulting in chaos.

"In the NextRoom (or The Vibrator Play)” by Sarah Ruhl. It concerns the early historyof the vibrator, when doctors used it as a clinical device to bring women toorgasm as treatment for "hysteria."

"The 39 Steps"a farce adapted by Patrick Barlow from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935film by Alfred Hitchcock.

"Next Fall"by Geoffrey Nauffts. A story about two gay men in a committed relationship witha twist, one is devoutly religious and the other is an atheist.

"To Kill aMockingbird" adaption of the Harper Lee novel by Christopher Sergel

"SpringAwakening" is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892German play by Frank Wedekind. Music by Duncan Sheik and a book/lyrics bySteven Sater. The musical boldly depicts how young people navigate thethrilling, confusing and mysterious time of their sexual awakening.

"Race" byDavid Mamet. It follows three attorneys, two black and one white, offered achance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black woman.

"August: OsageCounty" by Tracy Letts. Riveting family drama of drug abuse,alcoholism, suicide, death, family dysfunction, sexual harassment, aging,generational change, racism, incest, infidelity, and ultimately love.

“Clybourne Park” by Bruce Norris. Takes LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun", of a black family moving upto an all white neighborhood, as a jumping off point for a clever refocusing onthe politics of race, class, and real estate gentrification.

A 9^th play is performing locally beginning inMarch 2012. We hope to see "Red"by John Logan. It is about the artist Mark Rothko and it plays this season atBerkeley Repertory Theatre.

The one play we have not seen and doesn’t seem to be playingin the Bay Area is Donald Marguillies' "Time Stands Still." The play revolves around a woman photojournalistwho has returned from covering the Iraq war after being injured in a roadsidebomb, and her reporter ex-boyfriend who is swamped by guilt after leaving heralone in Iraq.

Now, where is it showing??

Fall Record

2011-12-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

This weekend starts 2.5 weeks of vacation in Fort Lauderdale,Florida over the December holidays. Our fall has been very busy as shown by thesparse posting. Here is a quick recap of some of the activities since our month in Scotlandback in August.

Trips:

SEP: Long weekend trip to Ashland Oregonwhere we saw 6 excellent plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. While therewe participated in Ashland’s First Friday Art Walk. Ran into my collegeroommate and his wife and had dinner with them and the producing director ofthe Marin Theatre Company.

Jeff Pevar on right

The surprise of the weekend was visiting a localdive bar and enjoying an incredible evening of music performed by severalsession musicians. The best known of the group was Jeff Pevar. He has recordedand/or toured with Crosby, Stills and Nash, Donald Fagen, James Taylor, MarcCohn, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Webb, Rickie Lee Jones, Dr. John, CarlySimon, Kenny Loggins, Meat Loaf, Phil Collins, Richie Havens, Odetta and manyothers.

mother and son

NOV: Weekend trip to Tennessee to visit E’sfamily in Paris, TN. Saw the musical “Memphis” on it’s national tour inNashville. And we spent a day antiquingin Hazel, KY with E’s mother.

Glendeven Inn, Mendocino, CA

NOV: We spent a long restful (at least forus) Thanksgiving weekend in Mendocino, California at the lovely, gay-owned bed-and-breakfast, Glendeven Inn, We hiked for 3 hours along the scenic coastin an area called Spring Ranch on Thanksgiving day. We then had a delicious5-course dinner at nearby Little River Inn. On Friday we met friends in town tocelebrate one of their birthdays. Saturday we did a 10-mile hike in the Van Damme State Park & Pygmy Forest. In the evening we attend a play at the localcommunity theatre, Mendocino Theatre Company.

Other Activities:

In September we did theSan Francisco Architecture Walking Tour with our 2 youngest kids. We alsovisited the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to see: Picasso: Masterpiecesfrom the Musée National Picasso, Paris; Dutch and Flemish Masterworksfrom the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection; and The Mourners:Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy.
In October we visited the ContemporaryJewish Museum to see: Houdini: Art and Magic. Check out my earlier tribute to Harry Houdini.

SantaCom in San Francisco

And by accident we found ourselves in the middle of the SantaConcelebration in San Francisco at the beginning of December. It is a mass gathering of people dressed in SantaClaus costumes parading publicly on streets and in bars in the North Beach areaof San Francisco.

We attended several fundraisingdinners: Horizons Foundation's Gala Dinner and Casino Party (guestspeaker George Takei, and the SF Gay Men’s Chorus; San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus' fundraising gala: Crescendo  and the BayLands FrontRunners anniversarydinner.

We also did aday hike in Arastradero Preserve/Foothill Park with friends on one of our few weekend days.

San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

Much of December was busy with E’srehearsals and performances with San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.Their holiday show was called Joyous, Jolly Jingles and E performed itin Santa Rosa, San Francisco and Lafayette, CA before we left for our Floridatrip.

All of this was in addition to our theatre schedule. We saw 11plays and operas in September. 12 plays and operas in October and another 9 inNovember. By the time December is over, we will have seen another 8performances.

Movember Nostalgia

2011-11-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Eddie with his facial hair in the late 1970's

I just recently became aware of this annual month-long charity event called Movember. During the month of November, men grow and groom a mustache. The purpose is to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The two main non-profit beneficiaries are the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Lance Armstrong's cancer foundation Livestrong.

Check out the website at: http://us.movember.com/

As a colon-rectal cancer survivor, I am all for raising awareness and funds for men's health. My dad has also been treated for prostate cancer. My husband and I are not growing a mustache this year. I doubt we would do it in the future either. We have to much grey hair already on our bodies already without adding more to the face.

Ed with facial hair in the early 1990's

We both sported mustaches earlier in our lives.The first set of pictures is E in the late 1970's. The second set is me in the early 1990's.

My health tip is don't put off getting your colonoscopy done. Age 50 is when you should have your first one. Age 40 or 45 if colon cancer runs in your family.

NYC blogger Kenneth Walsh is tracking his mustache and the Movember event on his blog Kenneth in the (212). See a series of entries at : http://www.kennethinthe212.com/search/label/movember

"Kissing a man without a moustache is like eating an egg without salt." - English proverb

Corporations Coming Out Against Defense of Marriage Act

2011-11-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

The following companies submitted a brief opposing theDefense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in a lawsuit that has made its way through thecourts to a Federal Court of Appeals in Massachusetts. The case challenges thedenial of federal rights and benefits to lawfully married gay and lesbiancouples. The companies point out that DOMA forces them to treat their employeesdifferently based on their sexual orientation, and as a result, the businessesassume an administrative financial burden to correct the inequity.

Companies Opposed To Gay Marriage Ban DOMA:

ABT Associates, Inc. (consulting)

Aetna Inc. (insurance)

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (technology)

Alere Inc. (health care)

Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (banking)

Biogen Idec Inc. (biotechnology)

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA, Inc. (insurance)

Boston Medical Center Corp. (health care)

Bright Horizons Children’s Centers LLC (health care)

CBS Corporation (media)

Calvert Investments, Inc. (investments)

Chubb Corporation (insurance)

Communispace Corporation (marketing)

Constellation Energy Group, Inc. (energy)

Diageo North American, Inc. (alcohol distributor)

Eastern Bank Corporation (banking)

Exelon Corporation (energy)

Fitcorp Healthcare Centers, Inc. (fitness)

Gammelgarden, LLC (hospitality)

Google, Inc. (technology)

Integrated Archive Systems, Inc. (technology)

Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC (hospitality)

Levi Strauss & Co. (clothing)

Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Trust, LLC (investments)

Massachusetts Association of Health Plans (health care)

Massachusetts Envelope Company, Inc. (manufacturer)

Massachusetts Financial Services Company (investments)

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (insurance)

Microsoft Corporation (technology)

National Grid USA, Inc. (energy)

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (insurance)

New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. (clothing)

NIKE, Inc. (clothing)

The Ogilvy Group, Inc. (advertising)

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (pharmaceuticals)

The Parthenon Group, LLC (investments)

Partners HealthCare Systems, Inc. (health care)

Reproductive Science Center of New England (health care)

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (investments)

Starbucks Corporation (retail)

State Street Bank and Trust Company (banking)

Stonyfield Farm, Inc. (food manufacturer)

Sun Life Financial (US) Services Co., Inc. (financialservices)

Time Warner Cable Inc. (media)

Trillium Asset Management Corporation (financial services)

W/S Development Associates LLC (developer)

Xerox Corporation (manufacturer)

Zipcar, Inc. (auto services)

Law and professional firms:

Burns & Levinson LLP

Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP

Foley Hoag LLP

Goodwin Proctor LLP

Goulston & Storrs, P.C.

McCarter & English LLP

Nixon Peabody LLP

Parthenon Group LLC

Ropes & Gray LLP

Salera Consulting

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Sullivan & Worcester LLP

Professional, trade and civic organizations:

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

The Boston Foundation

Massachusetts Association of Health Plans

Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Inc.

The National Fire Protection Association

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Retailers Association of Massachusetts

94% or 470 of the Fortunes 500 companies offerdomestic partner benefits to their employees. HRC reports that DOMA preventsany of the over 1,100 federal rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriagefrom being afforded to legally married same-sex couples. These include Social Security survivorbenefits, federal employee health benefits for spouses, protections againstspouses losing their homes in cases of severe medical emergencies, the right tosponsor a foreign born partner for immigration, the guarantee of family andmedical leave and the ability to file joint tax returns, among manyothers. 51 percent of voters oppose DOMAwhile only 34 percent favor it.

Many companies prohibit workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians, even though they are not required by law to do so in most of the United States. Unfortunately many states and the federal government support discriminatory laws targeted at GLBT Americans.

But the workplace is not always a safe place. There are a number of companies and businesses that promote their anti-gay stance. More about them here: http://guydads.blogspot.com/2008/12/anti-gay-companies.html

Hot for Harry Houdini

2011-11-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Halloween weekend we visited the traveling exhibition at SanFrancisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum called Houdini: Art and Magic. Theexhibition is on from October 2, 2011 until January 16, 2012 and well worth a visit.

Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was a Hungarian-born American magician notedfor his sensational escape acts. Handcuffs, shackles, straitjackets, milk cans,and packing trunks – nothing could hold the famed vaudevillian who became oneof the 20th century’s most legendary performers. With a talent forself-promotion and provocation, this immigrant son of a poor Hungarian rabbirocketed to international fame and grabbed front-page headlines with hisgripping theatrical presentations and heart-stopping outdoor spectacles.

Apparently, he also knew the sex appeal of a shirtless picture or a tight, form-fitting outfit that displayed his compactly muscled physique.

Curator Brooke Kamin Rapaport is quoted that Houdini's success "was a source of enormous pride for the Jewish community. He achieved mainstream acceptance despite anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant attitudes, and his escape from the confinement of handcuffs, chains, packing crates, trunks and boxes had particular resonance for those who sought liberation from political, ethnic, or religious oppression."

Have a Happy and Gay Halloween

2011-10-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

Gutter Barbie

2011-10-24T10:01:00.001-07:00

Gutter_Barbie.JPG, a photo by ed and eddie on Flickr.

It is Monday morning and I am walking to work and there is Barbie laying in the gutter. It must have been one rough weekend.

October is Gay History Month

2011-10-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

I just saw on a gay news site the October is LGBT History Month.Don’t know how I missed that. Fortunately there is still time to visit the LGBT Month Website and learn something.

LGBT History Month celebrates the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Icons.

Another option is to check out my brief profiles of importantgay Jewish men throughout history. See here: http://guydads.blogspot.com/2009/04/remembering-gay-jewish-history.html

This past year I have been reading a lot about gay history. I have a stack of books that I bought at a used bookstore that I am working my way through.
The Gay Metropolis by Charles Kaiser

Stonewall by Martin Duberman

About Time, Exploring the Gay Past by Martin Duberman
Midlife Queer, Autobiography of a Decade 1971-81 by Martin Duberman
Queers in History by Keith Stern

Still on my bookshelf that I have yet to read:
Who’s Who in Gay & Lesbian History, & Who’s Who in Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History edited by Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon
Out in the Castro edited by Winston Leyland
Lost Prophet, The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D’Emilio

Shana tova

2011-09-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dip Your Apple - Fountainheads Rosh Hashanah
Link: http://youtu.be/FlcxEDy-lr0

To a new year of sweetness, health, happiness and justice for all.

The Jewish Reform Movement has been an advocate of gay and lesbian rights since 1965, when the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) passed a resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality. In 1977, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) passed their first resolutions dealing with this issue, calling for human rights for homosexuals.

Here is a It Gets Better video from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Link: http://youtu.be/lG2g2jkO-YI

“As Jews we believe in the inherent dignity of all people, for we read in the Torah, "So God created the human beings in [the divine] image, creating [them] in the image of God, creating them male and female" (Gen. 1:27). As human beings, we have a responsibility to ensure that the spark of the Divine presence in each individual is respected. To that end, we hope that our participation in the It Gets Better campaign will remind LGBT youth who are struggling that they are valued and loved.”

Public Art: Stanford University Men

2011-09-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

The phallic Hoover Tower stands erect over the quad.
Not only does it have a red bulbous top,
but it comes with a condom reservoir tip.

Classes are starting at the university. Time for a quick tour ofsome of the manly sights on campus. But first a disclaimer: The sexualorientation or proclivity of anyone pictured here is neither expressed norimplied by the inclusion of images within this blog. This blog is foreducational and entertainment purposes only. It is recommended for more matureaudiences only.

The only true gay art on campus is George Segal’s “GayLiberation”. It was first installed at Stanford University in 1984. Even though it was commissioned for NYC, it was too controversial and political at the time. Even LA turned it down. It issaid to be the first piece of public art to commemorate the GLBT struggle forequality. In 1992, a second copy was finally installed in New York City’s ChristopherPark, across the street from the site of Stonewall Inn. Interesting history canbe found here.

George Segal's piece in NYC

The Rodin Sculpture Garden located next to the Cantor ArtCenter. Stanford has the largest collection of bronzes by renowned Frenchsculptor Auguste Rodin outside of Paris. There are 20 Rodin bronzes in theFrench styled sculpture garden. Rodin is one of the pre-eminent sculptors of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century. His goal was "to render inner feelings through muscular movement." He paid special attention to the body's surfaces, saying, "The sculptor must learn to reproduce the surface, which means all that vibrates on the surface, soul, love, passion, life...Sculpture is thus the art of hollows and mounds, not of smoothness, or even polished planes."

The "Burghers of Calais" in nearby Memorial Court

Across campus is the Papua New Guinea sculpture garden. Thiswooden area presents 40 works that display of the striking traditional visual artsof Papua New Guinea. Ten male native artists from New Guinea created the stone and woodensculptures during a five-month visit in 1994. This sculpture garden was the first outdoor art and landscape design on the Stanford campus to come from non-western artists and designers.

Some of the other interesting masculine, straight-acting, and athletic men on campus:

Menander, a Greek dramatist that invented the realistic romantic comedy,
with its emphasis on heterosexual love.

Boo-Qwilla, an ancestral human that embodies knowledge, wisdom, achievement
and a serious case of morning wood.

Boo-Qwilla's totem pole

Stanford family: father Leland, son Leland Jr.,
and a kneeling, subservient Jane, the wife.

Louis Agassiz (l), naturalist and geologist, and his mentor,
the naturalist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt (r)

Iconic picture of Agassiz after the 1906 earthquake.
"Agassiz was great in the abstract but not in the concrete."

Hank Luisetti developed a one-handed running shot
and was the first 50-point game scorer in history.

While walking around, don’t forget to look up or you will misssome hunky mosaics on the Memorial Church and the Cantor Art Center.

Fear the Beard! Not the Giants bullpen.

Hunky Jesus and friends

Why are they looking up the young lad's kilt?

Mosaics commissioned by Salviati & Company in Venice. They reflect Jane Stanford's interest in mechanical arts and antiquity.

I will leave you with a quote from author Kurt Vonnegut: “If you reallywant to upset your parents, and you are not brave enough to be gay, go into thearts!”

Real Computer Problems

2011-09-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

In real life I do tech support at an university. This Youtube video captures my most challenging days...

Link: http://youtu.be/L1jAr466DJc

Gay Changes

2011-09-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

The old GuyDads blog format.

GuyDads has a new blogger template. I’m not sure if Blogger forced it (outed me?) or I unintentionally did it myself by hitting a button to make the change. I resisted for years to ‘come out’ with a new look. But once I did, a burden has been lifted. I feel good. I like the new GuyDads format and features. However, it has taken over a week to add back in all the custom links that I had on the old template.

Here is an amusing pop/dance video by Hussy Cowboy, a new cuban/american singer/songwriter. The song, “She Doesn't Know” targets ‘brokeback,’ down low, closeted relationships of gay married men.

Link: http://youtu.be/I-DvAuCFPdk

Scotland Holiday, part 2 “The Fringe Festival”

2011-09-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ourmonth long trip in Scotland ended with 8 days at the EdinburghFringe Festival. Thisyear at the Fringe, there were 258 venues, 2542 different productions (plays,musicals, comedy acts, dance, cabaret, music of all types), about 1300performances a day, 21+K performers from around the world & over 1Mvisitors for the 3.5 weeks. (There are also thousands more who come justfor the International Book Festival occurring at the same time,thousands who attend nightly the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and thousands attending the official InternationalArts Festival.) Add to all this street performers on every corner and block, temporary outdoorpubs, cafes & nightclubs throughout the performance venues -- and you havequite the Festival indeed. (All of this, by the way, is within ahalf-hour walking distance from all the rest.)

InEdinburgh we saw 40 shows, 36 of which were theatrical productions. Theyvaried in length from 1 hour to 3 hours, with most being 75-90 minuteslong. The shows we saw were from many countries; all but one was inEnglish (but sometimes with such a Scottish/British dialect that it seemed theywere in a foreign tongue). Performers ranged from university students(one group, from high school) to young actors recently graduated to fullyprofessional & seasoned actors. A number of the solo performers (andsome of those in ensembles) were well-known stage/TV/film actors in the UK,Australia, and Canada. (While we mostly saw plays, we met some folks whodid almost the same number of events but came just to see comedians.)

I have positioned the reviewsin the order of our most favorite to least favorite things. We goexpecting to see a wide range of quality, but overall, we were astounded howgood the shows we saw were. A number of productions we saw we would loveto see produced/come to the SF Bay Area and hope we can help that to happenthrough some bridging. We gave a number of performers/producers ideas ofwhom to contact in the Bay Area about possible venues.

So,if you are game and interested, read on for the details. If you havefurther questions about any one production, let us know. We may have moreinformation on many of the shows or know where we can get it.

THEVERY BEST OF WHAT WE SAW (5 out of 5 stars):

1. The very best show we saw is the dramatic oratorio "From the Fire," written in honor of the centennial of the NY Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. A NYC cast of 15 sungand acted this moving, important tragedy where we meet the young immigrantssoon to become martyrs for workers' rights. The versatile set, thebackdrop of actual photos, the incredible voices & acting, and thecompelling story make this a production that should be seen widely.

2. From LA's 'Theatre Movement Bazaar' comes an outstanding, funny,memorizing new work "Vanya's Uncles" about the men ofChekhov's 'Uncle Vanya.' Their empty, building-houses-out-of-cards livessans the play’s women characters are told through amazing acting &choreographed movement. New York quality all around.

3. The classic film 'A Clockwork Orange' of my college years comes to thestage direct from London in a breath taking, reworked for a new generation,all-male production. In this age of gang violence & presence in every cityglobally, the effect is more powerful than ever. Stunning, violent yet eroticchoreography leaves the audience in awe. This Anthony Burgess story ispresented by the cutting edge theatre troupe Action To The Word

4. Performed in Welsh (with English subtitles), Cardiff's Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru's professional, beautifully staged "Llwyth(Tribe)" explores in comedy and tears what it means to belong and tobe in relationship -- with friends, lovers, family & roots. The play's 5gay characters tug at their and your heartstrings, accompanied by occasionalWelsh music from an unseen, mixed choir of 12. Looking back, one of mypersonal favorites of the Festival.

5. Entering an attic full of boyhood treasures, draped ceiling & walls, storedfurniture, trunks & cushions (on which we sat), & many dusty &loved memories, a Peter-Pan-like boy in his pajamas greets us in his high,innocent voice & treats us immediately as his special friends. We face withhim and his older self the loss of boyhood; and the finale, devastatingrealization left many of us weeping and hugging the strangers around us. "TheBoy James" is an hour I will never forget.

6. Set in war-time London, Pants on Fire (from London) brings to bearfilm, actors who all play multiple instruments, puppetry, terrific voices,ingenuous use of rolling/rotating panels & many other creative techniquesto retell "Ovid's Metamorphosis." Making parallelsbetween the hardships & bravery (& the quick love & lust) ofwar-weary Londoners and between the rivals/wars/jealousies/loves of the gods isdone to the delight & awe of the audience.

7. Nothing short of a tour-d'-force is the performance of Guy Masterson in "Shylock,"an historical look at this famed, much-maligned Shakespearean character, astold by his only friend in the play, Tubal (& the only other Jew in all ofShakespeare). As the history of who has played this character & how isrelated, we also see reenacted Shylock's part of "Merchant." Veryeducational. Very powerful.

8. Acclaimed film actor Silas Carson delivers in intricate, beautiful rhyme hislife story of living in duo worlds: a mother from India & a father from theUK and an increasing awareness of being bi. Through a childhood memory ofencountering some of India's Hijras in Calcutta, he pieces together whom hereally is as one who 'lives neither here nor there.' "Eunuchs inMy Wardrobe" is an important piece of work, esp. for the gay world whooften ridicule those who claim to be 'bi.'

9. Another entry from NYC (Banana Bags & Bodice), "Beowulf, A Thousand Years of Baggage"is a riotous adaptation of this epic poem in a high-energy song play. The7-piece band provides a bombastic score ranging from kletzmer to New Orleansjazz to rock & ballad; and the superb cast of singers/actors sells thecheering audience all along the way. The audience leaves laughing and clappingwith hearts soaring from a wonderful, theatrical journey back in time.

10. Totally transfixed, we watched Enebro Teatro's "Devotion" as abullfighter is dressed and readied for his 1st life & death dance in thearena. With a live Spanish guitar as background, the actors hold the audiencein absolute, breathless captivity.

11. 25 guys of the London Gay Men’s Chorus are the talented cast of their original musical "LittleShop of Homos," re: crisis at the only dept. store in UK catering justto gays. A gay/straight world is made messy by the metro-sexual, whosegood tastes mimic those of gays. Can the store (Hardee Dick's) now sell tostraights, too? Can their one straight store clerk have the courage to'come out'? Great book of puns and punches; terrific lyrics; beautifulvoices.

12. For 2-3 years, we have avoided spending one of our precious, annual NYC playslots on the long-running "My Big, Gay, Italian Wedding." But since we had our friend Carlo with us at Fringe (who fits the title'sdescription), we 'attended the ceremony' here. And believe you me; a GREAT timewas had by all. We laughed more than at any other show we saw at the Fringe.Great cast kept is in stitches.

Earlierwhen we were in Glasgow we attend 2 other plays. I would also put in the abovelist of the "Best of the Bunch," one of which was on its way to be apart of the Fringe.

-->Lee Hall's "The Pitman Painters" is an incredible evening oftheater about the true 1934-1947 story of miners who become acclaimed artistswhile continuing their lives as miners. Hall's "Billy Elliot"already has taken the world by storm; and this play (which had a brief B'Wayrun last autumn) will be seen far and wide in the coming years, I am sure(including next year at our own TheatreWorks.)

-->The National Theatre of Scotland produced a fun and haunting "TheStrange Undoing of Prudencia Hart" with a setting in a pub (where theaudience sits and participates as part of the set) and a talented set of actorswho also play and sing Scottish ballads along the way. The play itself isa ballad-like story set in modern times as a young woman gets lost and stumblesupon the devil himself. This same 2.5-hour production and cast were apart of the Fringe Festival, where the reviewers bestowed it with many highestreviews.

OTHEROUTSTANDING PRODUCTIONS WE SAW (4.5 out of 5 stars)

13. A world premiere, true-story musical about a Northern Ireland gay rugby team ("Sceneof the Titans") is fun, moving & inspirational. Performed by St.Andrews Academy (of Prince Charles fame), the musical has promise for thefuture if its lyrics & songs can be re-worked a bit more. A professional,full production could be a winner.

14. Oscar Wilde's fairy tale "Star Child" magically comes to lifein this Liverpool group's critically acclaimed adaptation. Actors becomescenery, animals & characters as they tell, sing, sculpt and dance thistale. Enchanting.

15. What could have been just schmaltz is in fact a wonderful celebration of thejoys, aches, sorrows & regrets of one of America's most-loved stars, DorisDay, in England's "A Sentimental Journey." As told byher now-passed son (in 2004), the musical is full of song and a life of dramathat is almost unbelievable. The cast is superb, and the lead IS Doris Day inevery manner imaginable. (Coming to LA this fall.).

16. I remember fondly studying "Moll Flanders" in college (the 1stnovel ever written) and was delighted to see that a full, 2.5-hour productionof it as a new play was on the Fringe bill. The Edinburgh Theatre Arts deliverswell in this Claire Luckman creation. Threaded by songs and music in keepingwith 18th century Eng., the large cast draws us into the often funny, oftentragic, ultimately happy life of Moll.

17. London playwright Richard Fry creates and presents a heart-breaking look at gaysuicides in the UK in his poetic "The Ballad of the UnbeatableHearts." Written to present in schools across the country, hisfantasy piece draws the audience into a story whose tragic ending is all toofamiliar in today's world.

EXCELLENTSHOWS WE WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED TO MISS (4 out of 5 stars)

18. Having just seen Jez Butterworth's highly acclaimed (& highly rated by me,btw) "Jerusalem" in NewYork, we were anxious to see his 1995 Olivier-winning comedy "Mojo"here at the Fringe. This 50's London gangster play that swirls in murders,mystery, triangle relationships & the birth of rock 'n roll is fast, fun,and furious. (The heavy accents, however, make if impossible to catch everyline.)

19. On a Fringe day of otherwise serious, heavy works came just in time a new,totally fun musical "Fresher" -- a romp through the first weekat university for 5 diverse kids forced into a dorm suite together. Fantasticvoices and clever lyrics draw us into the stormy forming of a group of soonto-be best college buds.

20. An Edinburgh troupe offers "Cock & Bull Story," a hardhitting, very physical play re: the homophobic world of boxing. 2 best matesprepare 1 for the fight of his life, peppered with physical play & camaraderie& talk of gay bashing. Something does not quite fit, though, in theirhomophobic banter; the audience is left to fill in the blanks at the end. Greatpiece for follow-up discussion. The heavy Scottish dialect unfortunately wasbeyond our US ears.

21. Wajdi Mouawad's (2011 Best Foreign Pic Nominee) 2nd show at the Fringe, "Alphonse"is a fascinating fantasy created in a 13-year boy's mind where his dreamsof a world where he can be whatever he wants to be overtakes his day-to-dayworld of school & home life. This Canadian hit production speaks to everyage (a 5-yr. old boy sat entranced in our mostly adult audience) and urges useach never to accept a dull day in our lives.

22. "Laundry Boy" is a fantastical, psychological probing of oneman's struggle to face the reality of a mother who showed him little love.Escaping into a world of super heroes & villains who live within his own dreamworld, this man, still boy searches for love & self-acceptance. Powerfuldrama with a strong thread of comic relief.

23. Marc Almond (of 80s rock star fame, Soft Cell) performs in rather strange &haunting voice Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre's world premiere of the musical "TenPlagues." With a libretto based on written accounts fromLondon's 17th century Black Death when over 100K people died in a few shortmonths, the play's modern, smartly projected set quickly lead the audience toparallels with our own AIDS plague.

GOODSHOWS BUT NEED SOME WORK (& We Still Really Enjoyed Them) (3 &3.5 out of 5 stars)

24. A cast of 6 accomplished LA actors of stage & screen bring Paul Thomas' "ThePresentment," an indictment on the hateful, narrow mindedness oftoday's more conservative clergy & churches. While a bit too formula/TVdrama-of-the-week in composition, the production's actors in the end make theevening powerful & worthwhile.

25. Traps we fall into time and again as we avoid real, human connections and runfrom our own demons are examined in Ravenhill's "Shopping andF***ing." Another very serious (but also bitingly funny attimes) look at how hard it is to live the love lives we humans often seek. Theplay mostly delivers but the extremes it goes to at times also makes (for me)it harder to empathize and connect to the characters.

26. For a packed audience of 100s, one of Britain's greatest actors, Simon Callow,stars in 'Tuesday at Tescos' asPauline, a transgendered woman caring for her recently widower father. Theperformance is beyond description as we witness a creation still in progress.An abrupt, harsh ending negates the play's uplifting message to that point andleaves the audience puzzled and dismayed.

27. Poland's Teatr Wiczy brings a one-person show "I, the Dictator"re: the true dilemma as Charlie Chaplin finds his move from silent to soundmovies & about the fantasized, what-if dilemma of an offer coming to him in'39 from Hitler's film czar to provide funds and 'freedom' galore. Throughmime, tap, actions, & spoken word, actor Krystian Wiecznski explores thepsychological underpinnings of Chaplin -- sometimes successfully, sometimes ina bazaar fashion.

28. 'Hit Comet' is one of 70+ entrants in the annual contest amonguniversity groups vying for London stage production. 5 comedians came togetheras actors to tell the story of a multinational corporation dominating thelucrative market of pop music as they create on-stage the next hit to fool thefans with. Solid, but more like a sitcom on TV.

29. From the London group Dumbshow of writers/actors/directors comes thefast-paced, tongue-in-cheek "Oedipus, a Love Story," aretelling of the kill-the-father, marry-the-mother classic tale as witnessed inthis case by a flock of Welsh sheep. Very Fringe, very fun. The 4 young actors playmultiple parts with much aplomb and skill in this twisted tale of love andfate.

SHOWS WITH SOME MERIT, BUT WECOULD"VE DONE BETTER (2.5 out of 5 stars)

30. Imagine an hour of one man (the multi-award winning, Canadian actor AlonNashman) telling as Franz Kafka the scores of ways his father neglected,ridiculed, taunted him (in "Kafka and Son"). Add a settingthat reminds one of a concentration camp. While this production has actuallyalready won many awards in several countries, we found it to be tedious &repetitive.

31. Japanese "Phantom" starJun Sawaki brings his home country's sell-out "Toulouse-Lautrec, TheMusical" to Edinburgh. The one-man show is intriguing at times butadds little to an already well-known (at least by us) life story. In fact, itfelt more like reading a Wikipedia rendition as we listened to"Henri" relate his life as a short, crippled artist.

32. Imagine a true story of a Jewish father (whose own parents where orthodox)being related on the stage by his much-loved son & imagine this father wasalso a porn star in such films as "DebbieDoes Dallas." As an audience, many questions immediately arise to beanswered in "Debbie Does My Dad" of how this could havehappened, what effect on the son/family, etc. Unfortunately, only the surfaceis scratched by the now-actor son in his staged memoir. A few insights, butmuch lacking.

33. Maybe it was the late hour, the dinner/wine just consumed, or the overlywarm venue; but we failed to see the widespread fascination & popularity of"Bouncers," John Godber's very popular play that has had yearsof running in the UK. Set in the nightclub "Mr.Cinders," theplay gives us the insights & views of 4 bouncers who comment/reenact thosewho pass in & out of their doors. We found it interesting but boring.

OUCH! THESE WEREACTUALLY REALLY BAD (0 or 1 out of 5 stars) -- [But hey, it is theFringe; and we expect some out-liers.]

34. A campy version of 'Sweet Charity' (with the women now being gay men on the seedy streets of NewYork) should have been fun IF the actors could actually sing, dance & act.But the show already has taken on 'RockyHorror' following, & the 200-300 mostly young folk there whooped & catcalledso much, the show was barely heard anyway. A real bomb anddisappointment.

35. Give John Milcot's (Earl of Rochester in mid-17th century, Restoration England)incredibly bawdy poem "Sodom" to a group of young actors &the result could have been an updated, hilarious rendition of this spoof on thesexual lives of royal court life. Instead, this production was so over-the-topit appears to have been created over a night of too much booze & thenpresented with every sex toy and innuendo possible. Too bad it is SOOO bad.

36. A last-minute decision to stay and see the next show in a venue "Evil,the Musical" (a musical comedy about cartoon anti-heroes) turned outto be a bad one. A visit to the pub would have been the better choice. Whilethe cast of 10 has fine voices and the play an admirable opening & closingnumber, everything in the middle of the play (book, lyrics, acting, premise)was bad, bad, bad. Better stick to shows I have researched ahead of time.

Inaddition to the above plays & musicals, we also saw 4 other shows -- all ofwhich we really enjoyed and would give 4-5 stars each:

-->Sitting in the historical, 1620 Greyfriars Church with a packed audience, wethoroughly enjoyed the Edinburgh LGBT Chorus in its "Out &Proud" concert. The mixture of Scottish, medieval & modern numbersreally worked. The London Gay Men's Chorus joined for 3 numbers but wereout-shined in this particular concert by the home group.

->Sexy & silly for a solid 2 hours, the Australian, boylesque line-up of "Briefs"presents its circus of talents in an audacious, totally fun show of skin &skill. Never that raunchy & always with tongue in cheek & a wink of theeye, the boys in drag and in jock straps/Speedos deliver a show to a packed,international audience of cheering admirers. The perfect end at 2:30 a.m. to a6-show day.

-->I love the circus, and the Moscow State Circus is probably one of theworld's best. The 2-hour, one-ring show is jaw dropping with its many aerialacts of feat, including the best tightrope walking I think I have ever seen.The clowns are a bit of a disappointment, but the overall effect is anedge-of-your seat production.

-->What better way to end our 8 days than at a raucous party with the"Blues Brothers Revival"? 20-something musicians, back-up singers& leads (all from USA) brought the large, sell-out crowd into the aisles todance, jump & scream praise. It all went a bit over my head since somehow Idid not follow the B Bro's past Sat. Night Live days. But, I did have funlistening & watching others' who knew every word & move.

Thisis the second time we have gone to the Edinburgh Fringe (the"grandmother" of all Fringes, begun in 1947); and we will definitelygo back (hopefully) again and again. There is nothing I have everexperienced like being there (except maybe going to the Olympics, which has asimilar feeling but for totally different kind of entertainment). Ed& I urge all theater-lovers to give Fringe Festivals a chance and to go atleast once to the one in beautiful Edinburgh.

HappyTheater-Going to Everyone:

Scotland Holiday, part 1/2

2011-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

Our summer vacation this year was a month (4 weeks) in Scotland. We began with 4 days in Glasgow. This Scottish city has made a transformation from a dying industrial city to a vibrant cultural center. We stayed at a gay-owned boutique hotel (Brunswick Hotel) located in Merchant City, the cultural quarter of Glasgow. The hotel was wonderfully situated within walking distance of many of the city’s museums, theatres and gay bars. We browsed the new Riverside Museum of Transportation and Travel, The Burrell Collection, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, the Gallery of Modern Art, and the Botanic Gardens. We saw 2 plays: one from the National Theatre of London (“The Pitmen Painters” by Lee Hall) and another from the National Theatre of Scotland (“The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart” by David Greig).

From Glasgow we took the train to Fort William to begin our 2 weeks of hiking. There we met 7 other hiking friends. We have done two previous hikes with most of them. We first met on the England Coast-to-Coast walk (200 miles) in 2005. We reassembled for an Ireland Coast-to-Coast hike in 2008. This summer’s first hiking week was another coast-to-coast walk called the Great Glen Way. It started on the west coast of Scotland in Fort William and made it’s way to Inverness ("the capital of the Highlands") on the east coast (80 miles). We started first with a “warm-up” hike up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles (4,409 ft). Miraculously, we climbed it on one of the few clear days. It only averages 10 clear days a year. The rest of the time it is shrouded in clouds. Because it was a rear beautiful day on the mountain, there were hundreds of hikers on the trail.

The next morning we started out on the Great Glen Way. The well marked trail skirts the shores of several lochs (lakes) including Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal. We contracted with an adventure travel company called Sherpa Expeditions for this self-guided hike. They arrange the booking of Bed & Breakfasts and Guesthouses along the way. They also arrange to shuttle your luggage to the next accommodation. We set out on our own pace with a daypack and lunch. The forts and castles (thirteenth century Urquhart Castle is one of the most picturesque) scattered along the way are witness to Scotland’s turbulent past, from the Iron Age to the Jacobite Rebellion led by Bonnie Prince Charlie who was finally defeated at the Battle of Culloden.

The second week of hiking was along the northwestern coast and on the Isle of Skye. It was a series of guided day hikes put together by REI Adventures. We hiked out of Ullapool and Gairloch on the Scottish mainland and in different parts of the Isle of Skye. From Inverness, we were transported to some of the most stunning areas of the highlands. Picturesque Ullapool is a fishing village whose people have lived off the sea for generations. At nearby Inverpolly National Nature Reserve, we hiked in the second largest nature reserve in Britain. We then passed through the wild moorlands and sparkling lochs to Gairloch, where we stayed at a charming Victorian hunting lodge. In route to the Isle of Skye, we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most spectacular castles in Scotland. On the Isle of Skye we hiked along the rugged coast and explored the dramatic Cullin Mountains and Trotternish Ridge (The Old Man of Storr). We visited the Clan Donald Skye & The Museum of the Isles, a historical Highland estate on Sleat, on the southern tip of Skye.

Our fourth week was 8 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This will be the next entry.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway

2011-07-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

Review and summary of our
2011 NYC trip

Here we are again with our annual summary of our NYC/Broadway theatre visit. This year, 14 shows in 9 days! Not bad for two old guys. The quality of the productions this year has been outstanding, in our opinion; and the really good news: musicals with ORIGINAL music scores dominate (versus jukebox musicals that have been showing up in the past few years). Yeah!!

So good are the shows that ranking them seems almost wrong. But, we do what we have to do. But, because several things we saw have already closed or will close in the next few days (all due to pre-planned, relatively short runs), I will first rank and talk about the shows, which are at this point "Open End" runs. Please note, some shows that closed would actually be ranked above some of these; but these are also real winners all.

THE MUST-SEES (Ranked in my order of preference, but all are really good; and if you are going to NYC, any and all are a sure-bet, in my opinion.):

1) "Anything Goes" (Cole Porter's musical at the Stephen Sondheim Theater): Upfront admission: "Anything Goes " has been one of my Top 5 all-time musicals for 25 years. I have seen 3 full productions before this one, but this one shines better, brassier, funnier, and more spectacular than ever. My feet have hardly stopped tapping a week later, and my grin is still halving my face into two parts as I think back on every minute of this brilliant production. The Tony's got it right this year! Tony Award winner Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney is really funny; she is a great singer; and wow ... Can those long legs of hers dance!! And Joel Grey as Moonface Martin almost steals the show time and again. Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall directs and choreographs. The show-stopping title number with a stage full of tap dancers is my all-time favorite chorus production number. While I know "Anything Goes" will be revived again and again, this revival is really worth the trip to New York to see.

Link: http://youtu.be/qo6lPifGnGA

2) "Jerusalem" by Jez Butterworth would have been my vote for Best Play 2011. This biting, dark comedy that touches some of Wagner's 'Ring' themes: the death of our idealized gods/heroes, the end of believing Valhalla/heaven is part of our world, rebirth through self-sacrifice. (Can you tell that we had just seen San Francisco Opera’s outstanding “American” Ring Cycle a couple weeks before? It is still stuck in our psyche.) Magnificent acting abounds, especially from Tony winner Mark Rylance in the lead role of Johnny 'Rooster' Byron. This is a play that should work 20 years hence (unlike the play that won "Best Play" this year ... but more on that later). This play begins in the first act as totally hilarious, becomes a bit darker in Act 2, and then just slaps the audience in the face time and again in Act 3 as Rooster's world created on stage crumbles around him and us. This is not a play for the light-hearted. But, I believe it is an important play that will be studied and revered for a long, long time.

3) ‎"War Horse" (adapted by Nick Stafford and the Handspring Puppet Company at Lincoln Center) is an eye-popping, deeply moving play whose main source of amazement is definitely in the puppetry. I totally forgot at times that there were not live horses on stage. The beauty, strength, and agony of these 'horses' is felt by every person in the audience, with people actually oohing and gasping audibly at various points during the performance. The entire production is so creative and excels in visually capturing the brutal, useless story of WWI. However, the story and its outcome is much too predictable from the beginning, and the fact that the cruelty to humans takes such a back seat to the cruelty to animals in this story about WWI is a bit disturbing (to me at least). But in the end, the story takes back seat to the overall, magnificent, creative and eye-popping production in this must-see Tony-named "Best Play 2011." (Coming to SF in 2012.)

Link: http://youtu.be/iY5YMshpCcw

4) "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" (Frank Loesser, music & score) not only succeeds, it exceeds & excels. Kudos go to Daniel Radcliffe, who evidently has grown into the part since the initial, average reviews of his performance when the show opened. He is a terrific J. Pierrepont Finch. The "Harry Potter"/"Equus" star shines in his dancing, comical antics, and facial expressions that beam to the rafters. While on a solo ballad he is not Cheyenne Jackson (and then who is?), on the more bombastic, fun numbers, he is superb. And he is the perfect match (at what seems about barely 5.5 feet tall) to the towering, 2011 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical, John Larroquette. The two together are almost Laurel & Hardy like at times. The near-finale number, 'Brotherhood of Man,' is probably the 2nd biggest and best chorus number currently on B'Way (behind the 10-minute tap dancing number 'Anything Goes') and brought many in the audience to their feet in applause. This show is in many ways dated in its view of 'secretaries' and the men's world/club of a large company. But this production actually updates itself quite well by making it very clear it is set in those long ago, early days of the 1960's with the mores and views of that period. I loved the show years ago with Matthew Broderick in the title role. I loved it as much or more this time.

Link: http://youtu.be/mAlkS2P3JA4

5) "The Book of Mormon" (Trey Parker, Matt Stone (of TV’s South Park) & Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) at the Eugene O'Neill Theater). No doubt, "The Book of Mormon" is hilarious, big, and musically appealing. In the end, the musical is not just about satirizing Mormons & religion (although it certainly does a lot of that in ways that will make some people squirm big-time). It is at the core really about heart, caring, & dedication to doing good. I think the Tony Best New Musical for 2011 makes sense. I don't think the bandwagon of 9 Tonys means it is a musical we'll see revived in 50 years -- or even 5. And, without family appeal, it may not last that long on B'Way, my guess (beyond the next year or two). It is worth seeing, but I rank it lower in my list because I think the above musicals are overall much more the complete thing. (I also think the next two are VERY close to "BOM" in terms of overall quality, appeal, and fun -- if not nearly so shocking).

Link: http://youtu.be/tggtPHDmrR8

6) "Sister Act" (music & score by 8-time Oscar and 10-time Grammy winning Alan Menkin at the Broadway Theater) has the type of music (real 70s disco) that the world premiere 'Tales of the City' in SF should have. Alan Menkin got it right for this show (as opposed to the Scissor Sisters team, Jake Shears and John Garden, in writing the music for "Tales.') This is a fun musical that re-creates itself from the movie by changing the music and the decade when it takes place. I was skeptical going in (although I had read lots of good reviews and audience comments), but I was totally surprised and blown away by the music, the sets, the great lighting, and just the energy and heart of it all. The cast overall shines with heavenly appeal. I think it would be impossible to leave the theater not thanking the One Above for live theater and original music for the theater. Amen!

Link: http://youtu.be/eT6QUm4zvCg

7) "Catch Me If You Can" (Terrance McNally book and music by Marc Shaiman & Scott Whitman) is fun, fun, fun. (This was another one I walked in with lots of doubt about. I tend not to like that much musicals from movies, but I was once again proven wrong.) Tony Best Actor Norbert Leo Butz totally proves why he won as the real life FBI agent Carl Hanratty; but how could cute, talented, charismatic Aaron Tveit not have even been nominated for his truly outstanding musical, dancing, and acting in the lead role of the con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr.? His high tenor notes are pure as they can be. (Perhaps, this is one of those performers who have gotten much better since the original reviews as he has grown into the role.) Sitting front row center was a hoot!! I totally enjoyed the story, the music, and the overall production.

Link: http://youtu.be/Zayv01x1QLs

8) "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (Palace Theater) is like stepping onto a magic bus ride across Australia. Matter of fact, the real star of this show is the bus itself as it changes complexion and functions all through the production. We laughed with delight throughout the evening at the lyrics, the antics, the dances. But what makes this show really worth seeing in the end: the costumes and the overall staging. The music is contagious; the voices, belting; & the bodies, oh my!! Fun, fun, fun. This show did not garner much Tony attention but it does offer up an evening of glitzy, giddy, rollicking good time fun.

Link: http://youtu.be/6shc47Z8NS4

Unfortunately, everything else we saw has already closed or is closing in the next week or so. These are mostly plays, and plays usually have shorter runs on Broadway than the big musicals, which all dream of running for years. However, many of these plays will show up again locally around the country in regional theaters; and a couple will probably tour. Here is my ranked listing of the rest of what we saw. The first two would be ranked (by me at least) above everything we saw this year, including all the ones listed above.)

1. "The Normal Heart" (now closed) won Best Revival Play this year. It was an amazing production. We saw the closing performance. Here was what I wrote a few minutes after walking out: "I am drained & wordless to describe tonight's final performance of 'The Normal Heart.’ After playwright Larry Kramer's curtain call speech (he was standing 3 feet from me), we all cried; and the packed audience left silently (except for sniffs and lots of hugging of once strangers, now members of a special community created by this moving play). Thank you, Larry Kramer for your anger & your love." As many know, this play describes the first years of the AIDs crisis, 1981-84. It was written and performed on Broadway soon after this awful disease was given a name and long before there was any sign of hope. As it ran on Broadway, scores were dying each week in New York and all over the country. Here is what one of my friends says about attending that first production: "I first saw it in NYC in the 1980s, when the drama depicted in the play was playing live all around us. Back then, it was so very emotional to me as I had too many friends that were sick and dying. There were people that left at intermission, because it was too overwhelming. That theatrical experience for me was the strongest I have ever experienced."

2. "Unnatural Acts" tells a horrendous, homophobic 'witch hunt' performed by Harvard University in the 1920s and kept secret for 80 years until a sophomore in 2002 relentlessly pursued the lies and denials to reveal how the hallowed halls rid itself of 10 gay men. The play is as powerful as any I've ever seen. The final question we hear: 'How many times must this happen? My question I was left with: How much longer must we have to ask this question? This play is a short-run until late July, but I expect it will show up in the next year or two on some San Francisco stage. If so, I urge everyone to go see it.

3. "Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo" by Rajiv Joseph (with Robin Williams on the now-closed Broadway stage) as a ghost tiger is a haunting questioning of how can there be a G-d who allows war. Everyone in play is a victim, and everyone is a perpetrator, including G-d. This production is slated to make a worldwide tour. I am not sure about the rest of the U.S. It is very difficult to watch at times, but it is all-so powerful. Ed and I talked and talked about it the entire evening and next day after seeing it.

4. Being in the 1st-ever audience at the preview of a world-premiere musical is thrilling, maybe even more than opening night. Roundabout Theatre's time-limited run of the new Maury Yeston musical "Death Takes a Holiday" is the real thing. Like a light opera, it leaves you humming its tunes and swimming in its story of love. (I think it would be perfect production for TheatreWorks to mount.) This off-Broadway play runs for a couple more weeks.

Link: http://youtu.be/gshEPaUIx_s

5. "The Motherf**ker with the Hat" by Stephen Adly Guirgis: Screaming the f-word in rapid fire progressions as discoveries are made of real and supposed sexual betrayals is one way to sum up 'The Mother-F**ker with the Hat." Another way is to say it's a tour-de-force about how hard it is to trust enough to love and to assume good rather than foul intent. Both are true for me in this funny, sad, powerhouse. And Chris Rock rocks in this show that will close July 17. Look for it in to reappear in the more edgy, daring stages across the land.

I can neither recommend nor not recommend "Sleep No More" (Punchdrunk's off-off-Broadway production from London at the McKittrick Hotel through Sept. 5). Is it a prolonged nightmare? An adult haunted house? Shakespeare for the 21st Century? After 3 hours of frantically following the frolics and frenzy over 5 floors of an old hotel (& a 2-level, cavernous basement) for a no-words, mostly mime & dance production of a film-noir-like "Macbeth," I walked away not sure what we had seen exactly. It is a sold-out hit right now, attended by many, many younger sorts. Audience members roam in masks, silent, with no guidance. Sometimes I ran into lots of dance and action. Other times, I was either roaming through one of the 100 rooms or in a forest or a graveyard by myself or I found myself locked in a room with a woman packing a suitcase for 15 minutes. Some scenes were familiar from "Macbeth." Others, I had no idea how they related to the original play. In the end, it was interesting (for the first hour at least), but it is not the kind of evening I would once again automatically buy a ticket to.

We purposely chose not to see “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” despite it being the most talked about show on Broadway. Everything we have read and heard about the show is that it is a disaster and sub-standard. Why waste our time and money on a production that crowds are paying top dollar to attend just to see if a performer gets hurt.

As always, while in New York we took a couple of Big Onion walking tours. This year we explored with excellent guides two neighborhoods: Chelsea and then Union Square/Gramercy Park. Both two-hour tours were extremely interesting in enlightening us about buildings and statues we pass every day while in New York but have no idea the great stories underlying their histories.

We played the night fantastic at our favorite bars: Monster (where we met two, new friends we are going to meet in Palm Springs later this year), the Gym, G Lounge, XES, and Industry. We ate at wonderful old friends (Nisos, Pomaire, Lasagna) and tried new ones (Barbetta, Blue Fin, Sangria 46). We spent wonderful time with our friends David & Mark and with our cousins Stefano & Scott as well as connected with two Bay Area best buddies, Lisa & Kaila. We also had a great time with post-show drinks with our producer friend Randy. We saw the pet adaption/charity event “Broadway Barks” on Shubert Alley with Mary Tyler Moore, Bernadette Peters, John Larroquette and Joel Grey. We spent an afternoon roaming the modern art galleries in the Meat Packing district, and of course we shopped the men's stores in Chelsea (and bought). And, our dear friend of many, many years, Phyllis, joined us once again from D.C. to attend plays and to eat & drink with us the first weekend.

New York is now an old friend of ours. We feel so at home there. We love the streets, the people, the stages. But, in the end, we also love even more our "City by the Bay!"

Running hazards

2011-06-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Yield the right-of-way

Two interesting animals I have met running after work in the Stanford foothills. Last week I leapt over two three-foot long snakes. Yesterday I met a coyote coming down the hill as I was running up. After starring at each other of several moments he dashed to the side and tore apart a squirrel. Just your typical Silicon Valley wildlife.

A list of wildlife I have seen while running: Here

SF Gay Men’s Chorus: June 17-18, 2011

2011-06-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend (Friday, 6/17 and Saturday, 6/18) it isn’t to late to get tickets to the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus concert called “Hootenanny!” It is performing at Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street near Union Square in San Francisco. My very talented husband, E, is performing in it with over 200 other men.

My husband describes the show as: “Thanks to those who have bought tickets, but now is the time to act for those who have been waiting or thinking, "Why would I go all the way to SF to a show called "Hootenanny." Well, I can tell you why:

--> To laugh like you have not laughed in a long, long time as we progress through 7 hilarious scenes with numbers like "There'll be no bad hair days in heaven" -- sung right in the middle of a southern hair salon -- or a scene of 49er gold miners watching their first-ever opera in the 1850s.

--> Be inspired by glorious new arrangements of such American standards as "Home on the Range" (I'm not kidding -- the arrangement is stunning) and "Oh What a Beautiful Morning."

--> Hear cute, cute, cute guests like the up and coming gay composer Shawn Kirchner and his partner Ryan Harrison sing with the Chorus from their new CD of songs based on "Broke Back Mountain." And here is a short video just to show you how cute and talented they are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnZCwMhON_w

--> And if you are not yet convinced, watch this short commercial of some of the other hot guys you will see on stage during the show:

Link: http://youtu.be/zf4tcFK3W7U

Get your tickets today to one of the three concerts for next weekend, tickets starting at a very reasonable $15.

Tickets at http://www.sfgmc.org

Thanks. See you at the show!

(And this is a GREAT show to bring your family to. We are bringing kids and parents.)

The gayest Tony Awards: a preview for NYC trip

2011-06-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

Both E and I loved watching the Tony Awards this year. Neil Patrick Harris did an outstanding job. The show was well paced with excellent production numbers.
It was a great preview of many of the shows we are going to see next month on our annual NYC Broadway trip. This year it is nine days and 14 shows.

Sat., July 2: "Sister Act" musical
Sat., July 2: "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" drama
Sun., July 3: "Unnatural Acts" drama
Sun., July 3: "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" musical
Mon. July 4: "Sleep No More" drama
Tues., July 5: "Catch Me If You Can" musical
Wed., July 6: "Anything Goes" musical
Wed., July 6: "War Horse" drama
Thurs., July 7: "Book of Mormon" musical
Fri., July 8: "Death Takes a Holiday" drama
Sat., July 9: "Jerusalem" drama
Sat., July 9: "The Mother F***er in a Hat" drama
Sun, July 10: "How to Succeed In Business without Really Trying" musical
Sun., July 10: "The Normal Heart" drama

If you didn’t see the Tony Awards here are two videos to give a taste fo the show. The first is NPH’s opening number. The second is a number he does with previous host Hugh Jackman.

Broadway is not for gays anymore: http://youtu.be/gWmwyuvZDnY

Hugh Jackman and NPH: http://youtu.be/pE6EbmqmTqk

Song and dance men: Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris

Cold, wet butts

2011-06-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

The weather here in Northern California has been unseasonably cold and wet. Even the Rodin statues at Stanford University's Rodin Sculpture Garden were chilled and shivering.

Click on to enlarge. It's fun.

This threesome is called "The Three Shades" by Auguste Rodin. It consists of three figures of Adam juxtaposed at slightly different angles.

Why Republicans Love to Hate Gays

2011-05-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Lately I have found myself immersed in gay history books. The current book I am reading is “The Gay Metropolis” by Charles Kaiser. Once again I learn that history is often a series of cycles. Did you know that Republicans first used gay baiting for political gain back in the 1950’s?

“Believing that homosexuals in the federal government could become a potent campaign issue, right-wing Republicans greeted the State Department’s disclosures gleefully. John O’Donnell, a rabid right-winger, wrote in his syndicated column [New York Post, July 1950] that the “primary issue” was that “the foreign policy of the United States, even before World War II, was dominated by an all-powerful, supersecret inner circle of highly-educated, socially-highly-placed sexual misfits in the State Department, all easy to blackmail, all susceptible to blandishments by homosexuals in foreign nations.””

“Republican National Committee Chairman Guy Gabrielson mailed a newsletter to seven thousand party workers to alert them to the new “homosexual angle” in Washington. “ Sexual perverts…have infiltrated our government in recent years,” wrote Gabrielson, and they were “perhaps as dangerous as actual communists.” He said the Republican party had a special responsibility to spread the news because “decency” constrained the media from “adequately presenting the facts.” This occasion was the first of many over the next fifty years when the Republican party would try to exploit anti-gay prejudice to win votes on election day.”

During the Carter/Reagan presidential race of 1980, Ronald Reagan received explicit support from groups that exploited anti-gay prejudice.

“Twelve days before the election, Christians for Reagan, a supposedly independent lobby organized to capture the fundamentalist vote for the Republican nominee, announced that it would pay for a barrage of advertisements throughout the south, which attacked President Carter for “catering” to homosexuals. … On the spot, an announcer intoned, “The gays in San Francisco elected a mayor; now they’re going to elect a president.” Before the ads began, polls had shown that Carter, a born-again Christian, still had considerable support among the Evangelicals. But the hard-hitting TV spots were extremely effective, and they helped Reagan carry every Southern state except Georgia, where Carter had been governor. Partly because the commercials never aired in New York or Washington, most people outside the South were never aware of them.”

In 1992, George H. W. Bush campaign used

“gay rights as a major dividing line in the election. All year, Vice President Dan Quayle described homosexuality as a “life style choice” – and a wrong one. President Bush said same-sex couples make poor parents. … Gay bashing by a major-party speaker peaked when Patrick J. Buchanan addressed the Republican convention… “There is a culture war going on in our country for the soul of America…It is…as critical to the kind of nation we will be one day as was the Cold War itself…A militant leader of the homosexual rights movement could rise at the [Democratic] convention and exult, “Bill Clinton and Al Gore represent the most pro-lesbian and pro-gay ticket in history.”

In 2004 “while facing a tough reelection campaign, George Bush decided to cater to his Evangelical base by endorsing a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.” Besides railing against gay marriage, the Republicans pressed for the Defense of Marriage Act, and stated that homosexuality and military service were incompatible.

Let’s not leave out Richard Nixon. Michael Jones recently wrote a short piece for Change.org (http://news.change.org/stories/richard-nixon-hated-gays-too) that recently released tapes show Nixon hated gays too. “He called San Francisco "the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine," and blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on homosexual emperors…Some of the boldest anti-gay leaders of today earned their stars with the Nixon administration -- from Chuck Colson (one of the conveners of the anti-gay marriage screed The Manhattan Declaration), to Pat Buchanan (who wrote memos for Nixon calling gay people "screaming fairies," and who once wrote that AIDS was nature's way of attacking homosexuality).”

What is the Republican Party’s view on gays today?

Not much has changed much.
The current national Republican Platform calls for

- a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it.

- Affirm the right of states not to recognize same-sex “marriages” licensed in other states.

- Calls upon the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reverse its policy of blacklisting religious groups which decline to arrange adoptions by same-sex couples.

- Homosexuality is incompatible with military service.

- Let Boy Scouts exercise free speech (ok to ban gays)

At the state level things are even worse. Just in the last year, state Republicans have advocated the following:
- The new Republican majority in Minnesota (home of two 2012 Republican presidential contenders) is pushing an anti-gay rights amendment.
- Wisconsin Republican governor Scott Walker believes a new law that gives gay couples hospital visitation rights violates the state constitution and has asked a judge to allow the state to stop defending it.
- GOP Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill overturning Nashville's non-discrimination ordinance. The bill effectively outlaws all local LGBT rights laws statewide as it bans any discrimination protections not already offered by the state. It is also considering a bill that prohibits educators from talking about homosexuality in elementary and middle schools.
- Republicans in North Carolina are proposing law that would ban not just gay marriage, but even basic civil rights like hospital visitation.
- The Indiana Republican controlled State House of Representatives has approved a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. The move comes just weeks after Illinois approved civil unions with the signature of Gov. Pat Quinn.
- Republican Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, signed a law that gives married heterosexual couples priority when Arizona adoption agencies are placing children for adoption or foster care.
- Montana's Republican Party adopted a platform on June 2010 that calls to criminalize homosexuality.
- Texas Republicans unveiled a policy platform in June 2010 that includes a statement of support for legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples as well as for an official to perform a marriage ceremony for gay partners wishing to wed. They also believe that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases.

Song and Celebration

2011-04-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Last week was all about food, song and celebration. The busy week began on Monday (the first night of Passover) with the tech rehearsal in Davies Symphony Hall with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. We decided to postpone our traditional first or second night Seder until Saturday, the sixth night.

Thursday’s concert with the Gay Men’s Chorus was Eddie’s first time singing publicly with a group in over thirty years. It had been a dream of his for several years to get back to his first love of singing. Music had always been a part of his life throughout his youth. Even during college and post-graduate work he was involved in various groups. However, once he moved out West, his singing days went silent until earlier this year when he auditioned for the chorus at the last minute.

The sold-out performance on Thursday was awesome. The 250, all male chorus sang incredibly beautiful, contemporary numbers. Different male choruses around the country had commissioned most of the music in the last 20 years. The concert, called simply, "Words", featured several SFGMC videos, an exquisite hand-picked chamber orchestra provided by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and made full use of Symphony Hall's glorious Rufatti Organ. It also included soloists and ensembles pulled from the chorus.

Here are two videos to give you a taste. The first welcomes the new Artistic Director/Conductor, Dr. Tim Seelig, (who is from Texas). It is called "Tale of Two Cities," and it is funny & fun.

Link: http://youtu.be/9zzYM61bnPk

Link: http://youtu.be/h5nwrmqW0LE

Gay Passover Seder

Our gay men’s Seder was a great success too. Eddie spent the two days after the concert cooking and preparing. He out did himself again by preparing an elegant, multi-course, gourmet meal.
The menu included:
- Trout roulades stuffed with sole mousse,
- Roasted veggie soup with 3 kinds of matzah balls,
- Pecan-crusted chicken breasts stuffed w/ smoke turkey & leeks,
- Matzah polenta w/ sherried mushrooms,
- Squash ratatouille,
- Tomato crisps,
- Strawberry mousse
- Coconut/almond cake infused w/ liquors.

Memorable readings from our gay Seder can be found at these previous entries:
The meaning of the Gay Seder Plate: http://guydads.blogspot.com/2010/04/our-gay-passover-seder-plate-of.html
Remembering the Stories of Gay Jews in the History of GLBT Liberation: http://guydads.blogspot.com/2009/04/remembering-gay-jewish-history.html
Readings for a Gay Memorial Candle and a Retelling of the Ten Plagues: http://guydads.blogspot.com/2007/04/happy-passover.html

420 Friendly

2011-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

This music video about "toking" is a hoot. It is almost surreal. I remember watching “The Lawrence Welk Show” at my Grandmother’s house when I was a kid in the ‘60’s. I always thought it’s “champagne music” was for “squares”. The Welk Show was known for their conservative, family-friendly format. I have no recollection of this song, “One Toke Over the Line”, being performed. Be sure to watch it all the way to the end for an explanation from host Lawrence Welk.

Link: http://youtu.be/Ye3ecDYxOkg

This song actually has a very interesting history. It was originally by the folk-rock duo of Brewer & Shipley. Their website recounts the story:

'One Toke Over The Line' became a Top 10 hit in 1971, and was largely responsible for introducing Brewer & Shipley to the masses. While the record buying public was casting its vote of approval by buying the single, the (soon to be disgraced) Vice President of the United States, Spiro Agnew, labeled Brewer & Shipley as subversives, and then strong-armed the FCC to ban "One Toke" from the airwaves just as it was peaking on the charts. Brewer & Shipley landed on Nixon's Enemies List, a badge of honor they wear proudly to this day. Even in the midst of all the fuss about the drug related lyrics, Lawrence Welk featured "One Toke Over The Line" on his show in 1971.

The FCC began a campaign to rid the airwaves of songs that “tend to glorify or promote the use of illegal drugs such as marijuana, LSD, speed, etc.” Some of the songs pulled by radio broadcasters during this time included:

“White Rabbit” - Jefferson Airplane
“Monkey Man,” “Let It Bleed” - Rolling Stones
“Eight Miles High” - The Byrds
“Let’s Go Get Stoned” - Joe Cocker
“A Whiter Shade Of Pale” - Procol Harum
“Comin’ Into Los Angeles” - Arlo Guthrie
“Hi-De-Ho (That Sweet Old Sweet Roll)” - Blood Sweat & Tears
“With A Little Help From My Friends” - recorded by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
“Yellow Submarine,” “I Am A Walrus,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” - The Beatles
“Puff The Magic Dragon” - Peter Paul & Mary

One more video in honor of today being 420. Riki "Garfunkel" Lindhome and Kate "Oates" Micucci sing about the perils of obtaining medical marijuana in California.

Link: http://youtu.be/CRm1yqSmsGY

Men, Music and Record Players

2011-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

[Updated] Earlier this week I saw a blog entry on Joe My God that this Saturday is “Record Store Day,” a celebration honoring the dying retail business. I’m a former record store employee. I worked at two different places. I was a buyer for the UC Davis student record store, Zapple Records, and my first job out of college was at Rainbow Records in San Jose, both looooong gone.

I recently posted an entry about listening to records naked. While doing research about that topic, I came across a series of images that I’ve collected and will share of famous men and their record players.

The inventor of it all, Thomas Edison; Opera star Enrico Caruso

The King of Rock-and-Roll, Elvis Presley, loves his 45's and LP's

Artist Andy Warhol, stereo spokesmodel; "Glee" actor Chris Colfer

Actor Clint Eastwood relaxing at home; Actor John Cusack from film "High Fidelity"

The Beach Boys spin their hits in Times Square; Laurel and Hardy drop their Victrola in the street.

Superman recuses a portable turntable; Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's stereo setup

Cool film actors Humphrey Bogart on set; Steve McQueen at home.

TV actor from "Have Gun Will Travel" Richard Boone; Bandleader Lawrence Welk's car turntable.

Musicians Johnny Cash; Roger Daltrey from The Who

France's version of Elvis Presley, Johnny Hallyday; The "man in the chair," Bob Martin of the Broadway musical "Drowsy Chaperone"

Linus van Pelt of "Peanuts"; Fred Flintstone of "The Flintstones"

Actor Marlon Brando enjoying his music; Paul Roberson, singer and political artist, asks who let the dogs out?

Athlete Michael Jordan in his college dorm room; Rock on James Dean, movie star.

Musician and inventor Les Paul; Singer, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte

Scratching with hip-hop DJ, Grandmaster Flash; Aaaaaayyyyyy! Arthur Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) starts the jukebox at Arnold's.

Boxer Muhammad Ali listens to vinyl; Movie star Gary Cooper on set.

Silent move comic Buster Keaton with sons; Rock Hudson's musical bachelor pad.

Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix listens to the Blues; Poet and songwriter Rod McKuen.

12-time oscar nominated actor Jack Nicholson; Sean Connery as James Bond loves vodka and vinyl.

Syd Barrett, founding member of the band Pink Floyd; Morning disc jockey at TV's WKRP, Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman), spins the disks.

American actor Anthony Perkins chills to music; Sly Stone played a critical roll in development of soul, funk and psychedelia music.

Marc Bolan from the glam band T. Rex; Classical conductor Herbert von Karajan.

Relaxing with Frank Sinatra, singer and actor; Co-founder and chief executive of Apple, Steve Jobs.

American's oldest teenager, Dick Clark.

Imagine John Lennon's record player.

English rock guitarist Jeff Beck

Gregory Peck actor

Thing from "The Addams Family"

Cartoon legends, Calvin and Hobbes

Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones

Robert Plant, vocalist and lyricist from Led Zeppelin

Chewbacca, the Wookiee from "Star Wars"

Basketball legend, Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Silent movie heartthrob, Rudolph Valentino

1950's movie star and teen idol, Tab Hunter

1960's country music singer, Red Sovine

Singer-songwriter and poet, Bob Dylan

English rock guitarist, Eric Clapton

Former 'N Sync boy-bander and
actor, Justin Timberlake

Christian Slater acting in movie
Pump Up The Volume

Elton John listening to his hits

Another Elvis Presley record player

Emile Berliner invented the disc record

Jack Kerouac, beat novelist and poet

Swingin' hits with old blue eyes, Frank Sinatra

Artists Keith Haring and Angel Ortiz

Sexy soul singer, Marvin Gaye

Actor William Shanter

Archie Andrews, star of Archie Comics

Questlove from the band The Roots

Jean-Luc Godard, the French-Swiss film director

Paul Weller from the bands The Jam
and Style Council

Serge Gainsbourg, French singer/actor

My Confession for Rob Lowe

2011-03-29T09:55:00.001-07:00

The ever hunky and sexy Rob Lowe, 47, is promoting his new book in Vanity Fair. His new book is called "Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography". Despite spending a long, male-bonding weekend together, I don't think I rate a mention in his book. To bad. But you can read about it here: My weekend with Rob Lowe.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/03/rob-lowes-early-years-press.html

Learning Geek Meditation

2011-03-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

This cartoon has been around for a while, but I just saw it on Facebook last night. Ohm...
Unfortunately my preference when stressed is to eat. I accept cookies and download Java.

(source)

Keep your High-Tech on the Down-Low

2011-03-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had a close call. We came very close to being mugged and robbed. So a word to wise: Be cautious when using your iPhone on the street.

It was late afternoon and we were looking for a restaurant to eat at before going to see a play at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. We stopped in front of a storefront on Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, CA. The sidewalk was busy with pedestrians walking past. E paused under a tree and pulled out his iPhone to open one of his apps to try to find the name of restaurant we had been to before.

Suddenly, a young man grabs his arm, almost knocks him down, and goes for his iPhone. The phone drops and slides on sidewalk. Both E and the thief grab it, struggle, and E wins (all the time screaming 'THIEF'.) People nearby barely look.

Fortunately my husband is okay. He was a bit shaken but at least he didn't get stabbed or hurt as some folks are. It was so sudden. We were stunned that no one on a very crowded street hardly paused or turned a head, even as we ran after him shouting. Luckily E’s iPhone still works!

Our friend Mike reminds all; “As a PSA to everyone, you should turn on "Find my iPhone" on your i-devices to track them if they are stolen. It's a free service as of this past year, and you can track the device from any computer by just going to me.com. You can also remote wipe them too."

Our daughter advises: “Also, be careful on public transit too, especially when you are pulling up to a stop.”

Vintage ads for gay computer hobbyists and geeks

2011-03-09T16:49:00.001-08:00

I must be a dork. I spent almost an hour looking through Google Images one day viewing “Vintage Computer Ads”. I was surprised to find how many featured sexy men. Who knew there was a homoerotic side to computer/software selling? Take a look.

Apple's two dudes on a rainbow and Adam (where's Steve?) in the Garden.

Guys catching rays with their sexy toys at the pool or beach. Ladies keep back!

More guys with tech power at the kitchen table or on the run.

Pornstache techie and the cast of M*A*S*H

Sexy pitchmen Roger Moore and Bill Bixby

IBM solutions for dads and sons.

Men and their electric dreams

All men love diddling with their knobs

Bill Gates, the sexy, geeky pitchman.

Beaming down William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

Men at work with machines

THINK men.

Gay Caribbean Cruise – RSVP’s 25th Anniversary

2011-03-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

We celebrated E’s significant birthday and a romantic Valentine’s Day by taking a gay cruise with RSVP Vacations. We sailed on Holland America's newest ship– the Nieuw Amsterdam– for seven days through the Western Caribbean. The cruise set sail from Ft. Lauderdale and included the ports Costa Maya, Puerto Cortez, Roatan and Cozumel. The first and last days were at sea.

This was the first time we’ve been on a larger gay cruise. It was a blast to spend the week in the company of 2100 other gay men. In the past, we have done 3 smaller cruises. (Read previous cruise trips here: 1, 2, 3) We both feel that unless there is a compelling reason, it is highly unlikely we would do a straight cruise.

We found the gay cruise to be relaxing, entertaining, fun and completely enjoyable. In fact, we signed up to do the RSVP cruise the same week next year when sails a different itinerary in the Eastern Caribbean.

We chose early on not to do any of the shore excursions. Our plan was to relax around the ship’s pool reading trashy gay novels and looking at guys during the day. Late afternoons and evenings would be spent going to the many dances and entertainment shows.

Others on board choose to do the daytime excursions that included touring Mayan ruins, snorkeling, scuba diving, nature hikes, zip-line adventure trips and beach outings. Other options on the ship included a day spa, workout gym, computer lab, private cabanas, culinary arts center, piano bar and shops and casino (when at sea). There was much to choose from.

The entertainers that RSVP Vacations brought on the cruise were outstanding. The headline act was Debbie Gibson. To be honest, we were not familiar with her late 80’s/early 90’s hits or career but she won us over with a dynamite show of her pop hits and Broadway covers. The three male backup dancers she brought were also a sensation. They socialized with everyone on the ship for the rest of the week. Other entertainers we enjoyed were lesbian comic Sabrina Matthews, two comic hosts: Danny Williams and Paul J. Williams, club/dance and cabaret singer Pamela Stanley, Chicago cabaret team of Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen and NYC favorites Michael Holland & Karen Mack (aka Gashole).

RSVP hosted 10 parties and events. We participated and attended most of them. The fun started with a Bon Voyage Party where all wore a T-Shirt from one’s hometown. Throughout the week there were different themed afternoon tea dances and late night dances: 80’s Let’s Get Physical T-dance, Boxers or Briefs Underwear party, anything goes costume dance party, bear dance party, leather/uniform party, and an orange colored outfit theme party. For these dances, we packed outfits we put together prior to the cruise. While our outfits were appropriate and simple, others brought the most elaborate and detailed costumes imaginable. Additional events that we didn’t participate in included: a drag swimsuit pageant, “The Sound of Music” Sing-a-Long, and country dancing lessons.

Gay cruises are a great way to feel part of a diverse community. Next year we hope we can talk some of our local friend to travel with us and meet our cruising buddies.

"Secretly" - A Vintage Montage Of Guys Together

2011-02-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer from the late 50’s and early 60’s; “Honeycomb”, “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”) sings “Secretly” over vintage photographs of guys together. This video is a tribute to all those lovers in the past who shared their moments 'secretly.' There is nothing new about being young, gay and in love. The video was first posted at GAYTWOGETHER.COM

"Secretly" - A Vintage Montage Of Guys Together from MJS on Vimeo.

Applauding my husband’s birthday

2011-02-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

On February 10, I am celebrating my husband’s birthday. E has decided to mark this special birthday year by trying out for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. In an email to friends you can feel the exhilaration he has for this:

“After an absence of THIRTY years (oh, Lordy, how CAN I be that old?) from singing in any formal, choral group, I decided that as I hit a significant birthday next month I needed to return to my first love, singing. (Kids, work, nonprofit work, etc. had kept me away all these years.) So, I got my nerve together, prepared a solo (yes, it was harrowing!) and tried out for the 'world-famous' (right?) San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. I am so excited. It is really going to be a lot of work with very difficult music. My first concert with them will by in Davies Symphony Hall (where SF Symphony performs) in April.”

I am so proud of him. I am finally going to get to see the artistic talent that’s been bottled up for a while.

Like I did with my birthday last month, we will party with other musicians born on the same day.

Born on this day, 1937, Don Wilson, rhythm guitarist, Ventures (Walk Don’t Run)

1937, Roberta Flack, notable singer of jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music (The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Killing Me Softly with His Song, and Feel Like Makin' Love)

1940, Jimmy Merchant, vocalist, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, (Why Do Fools Fall in Love)

1949, Nigel Olsson, drummer, Elton John band (Burn Down the Mission)

1961, Robbie Neville, singer, (C'est La Vie)

1962 Cliff Burton, bass guitarist, Metallica (Creeping Death)

1974, Ivri Lider, Israeli singer (Jesse)

Six Degrees of Facebook

2011-02-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

We have completed seeing just about all the Oscar nominated movies for 2010 in the various categories. After watching “Social Network”, the movie about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding Facebook, E realized that he experienced two close connections to several characters in the story.

First connection: E and his ex-wife bought their first house in Palo Alto from the parents of the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler. This was in the mid-80’s when the twins were around 4-years old. Today the twins are suing Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook for stealing their social networking idea when they were all students at Harvard University.

Second connection: Sean Parker was one of the founders (along with Shawn Fanning) of Napster and Facebook's founding president. E consulted briefly with Napster and its founder. In the movie Justin Timberlake portrays Sean as a cash-hungry, hardy-partier. In several interviews Sean described the movie as "a complete work of fiction” and that he wished his life "was that cool". E found the real Sean to be very professional and personable.

We know several Facebook employees but we have not seen Mark Zuckerberg. Some of our friends have seen him walking around town.

[UPDATE] 10 days after posting this entry, we had dinner with Mark Zuckerberg...sort of. He and his girlfriend came in and sat down at the table next to us at a small, crowded, vegetarian restaurant in Palo Alto. He was wearing his trademark blue hoodie.

The movie, Social Network, was well done and very entertaining even though it plays fast and loose with the facts. But we both think “The King’s Speech” is going to win the Oscars.

Naked Men and Raw Music Appreciation

2011-02-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

About two years ago I came across a vintage photograph of a naked young man playing records and listening to music. It stopped me in my tracks and made me laugh. Somewhere in my files or photo albums there is a similar picture of me when I was in my twenties sitting buck-naked on the floor spinning records. Since then I have come across several more au naturel musical enjoyment photos on the web. After extensive searching, I found my long hidden away explicit photo.

A naked, young GuyDad enjoying musical pleasure with his records.

My unclothed picture was taken in 1982 when I was in my early 20's. I had finished college not long before and started working at my first job. To unwind at the end of the day, I would strip off my tie, shirt and slacks and sit in front of my record player/stereo/tape player with my headphones on and pretend I was a “free-form” FM disc jockey playing rock, pop, jazz and country songs. Ahhhh. The good old days. It has been very long time since I’ve sat around with it all hanging out listening to music. Is it one of those bygone joys of youth?

The other tasteful pictures of uncovered musical gratification and pleasure come from a series of blogs by Wayne at http://waynes-nude-musicians.blogspot.com/ and http://blueguitar.tumblr.com/ Both are NSFW and are for adults only! These blogs explore the seemingly unlikely but exciting intersection of nudity and music. It is a wonderful mix of pictures, music clips, videos, art and sex.

I guess today's kids listen to music on their iPods.

Collection of “It Gets Better”

2011-01-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

If you don’t know by now, the “It Gets Better Project” is columnist Dan Savage’s response to teen bulling and suicide. The videos are very moving and touching. The first video is a CNN news story. Employees of Facebook made the second video. I know a couple of the people in the video. The third is an outstanding music video by the comedian Rebecca Drysdale. The fourth one is just funny: “It Gets Bitter”.

Dan Savage on CNN - Gays Most Targeted Minority

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXCeTgyvVQ

It Gets Better: Facebook Employees

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPg02qjL40g

It Gets Better: a music video by Rebecca Drysdale

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTQNwMxqM3E

It Gets Bitter with Matt Siegel

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZE6QrAsNX4

GuyDads 2010 Theatre Wrap-up

2011-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

2010 began for us with Ed still recovering from cancer surgery and with a major surgery still to go in April. Our usual number of about 100 plays, musicals, and operas attended thus fell a bit this past year to “only” 76. (Somehow, even in April when Ed spent a week in the hospital, we still saw 6 productions!)

For a complete list of our 76 productions and our ratings/summaries, go to http://www.guydads.com/ticketstubs2010.html.

So, looking back, here is our “TOPS OF 2010” lists:

Top Ten Plays and Musicals We Saw in the SF Bay Area

#1: Or, - Liz Duffy Adams, Magic Theatre  [Aphra Behn, former spy and soon to become England's first professional female playwright if she can finish the script. All that’s standing in her way are King Charles II, actress Nell Gwynne, and double agent William Scot. Double-crossing, cross-dressing, sex, art, and politics all come together in this hilarious bodice-ripper.]

#2: Superior Donuts - Tracy Letts, TheatreWorks  [A story of a former '60s radical who owns a rundown donut shop in Chicago and his energetic but troubled young African American assistant who wants to update the establishment with lively music and healthy menu options.]

#3: Equivocation - Bill Cain, Marin Theatre Company  [What if the government commissioned William Shakespeare to write the definitive history of a national crisis, the Powder Plot, in one of his plays.]

#4: Girlfriend - Todd Almond, Matthew Sweet, Berkeley Rep  [Boy meets Boy in this two-character chamber/juke box musical that celebrates the pain and joy of first love with a Matthew Sweet playlist.]

#5: …and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi - Marcus Gardley, The Cutting Ball Theater  [A fable of Demeter & Persephone and Jesus. A father flees the bonds of slavery and travels the river in search of his family.]

#6: In the Wake - Lisa Korn, Berkeley Rep  [Lesbian drama that's a wild ride through the frustrations of the urban left during the Bush II years.]

#7: Opus - Michael Hollinger, TheatreWorks  [A behind-the-scenes look at a string quartet. Forced to find a new member just days before an appearance, they are caught in a crescendo of talent and personality, their collaboration tested and their art insecure.]

#8: Jerry Springer: The Opera - Richard Thomas, Stewart Lee, Ray of Light Theatre  [A crudely delightful yet heartbreaking operatic farce. "How does our American obsession with confessional and reality television, our aspirations for empty fame, and our glee at sneering over the mistakes of others function like a national religion?"]

#9: In the Red and Brown Water - Tarell Alvis McCraney, Marin Theatre Company  [Part 1/3 "The Brother/Sisters Plays". Based loosely on "Yerma," Federico Garcia Lorca's 1934 tragedy of a woman tortured by her failure to produce a child. It also draws on a West African source -- Yoruba mythology. The woman, Oya, is a goddess of wind and fertility.]

#10: Scapin - Molière, Bill Irwin, Mark O'Donnell, A.C.T.  [A lively baggy-pants comedy, the rascally Scapin balances his penchant for mayhem and mischief with a promise to help two pairs of wide-eyed lovers.]

Honorable Mention: A Christmas Memory - Truman Capote, Duane Poole, Larry Grossman, Carol Hall, TheatreWorks  [New musical based on Capote's short story. A wistful memoir of cherished youth—a shy boy and his eccentric cousin launch kites, haunt speakeasies, and mail fruitcake to the President!]

Top Plays and Musicals We Saw in New York in July

(Actually, we really liked everything we saw this year except Mamet’s Race; but of the 14 productions, these six really stood out for us.)

#1: Memphis, the Musical - Joe DiPietro, David Bryan,  [Sex and race and rock ’n’ roll, , a white radio DJ whose love of good music transcends race lines and airwaves in the turbulent south in the 1950s. The musical workshopped and premiered at our local TheatreWorks]

#2: La Cage aux Foilles - Jerry Herman, Harvey Fierstein, (Kelsey Grammer, Douglas Hodge)  [The story of a gay couple who run a transvestite nightclub in St Tropez. The plot expands when their son declares to marry a woman that is a daughter of a moral crusader.]

#3: Lend Me a Tenor - Ken Ludwig, [An uproarious farce blending slapstick with classical opera, the play recounts the travails of world-famous tenor performing in a small city.]

#4: Fences - August Wilson, (Denzel Washington, Viola Davis)  [Explores the life and relationships of Troy Maxson, an activist-minded trash-collector and former baseball hero. The protagonist represents the struggle for justice and fair treatment during the 1950s.]

#5: Promises, Promises - Neil Simon, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, (Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth)  [Based on the film The Apartment by Billy Wilder. it’s Manhattan in all its 1960’s and bachelor Chuck has what some of his colleagues desire: an apartment for fooling around.]

#6: Next Fall - Geoffrey Nauffts, [Two gay men, one very religious and one agnostic, are partners and lovers. Their relationship is so fun and funny until tragedy enters the scene.]

Top Operas We Saw in SF in 2010

(All 10 San Francisco Operas were outstanding overall. We were totally pleased with the year’s offerings.)

#1: The Marriage of Figaro - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, [Servants are preparing to wed, but the Count wants the woman for himself. Meanwhile, the pageboy Cherubino is panting after the Count’s wife while the governess is chasing Figaro. In the end, Figaro gets his bride, and the estranged Count and Countess reunite.]

#2: Aida - Giuseppe Verdi, [Bitter Egyptian love triangle. A captured Ethiopian princess comes between a military commander, Radames, and Pharaoh's daughter Amneriss.]

#3: Cyrano de Bergerac - Franco Alfano, Henri Cain, (with Plácido Domingo)  [An operatic adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s celebrated play.]

#4: Die Walküre - Richard Wagner, [A epic tale of an emotionally volatile father, Wotan, and his disobedient children (Siegmund & Brünnhilde) done with a distinctly American touch while honoring its mythic roots.]

And the WOrst??

In every season, there will be some productions that just do not cut it. We all should expect that. But why must ACT in SF continue always to have 1-2 of the worst things we see on the list each year? This year, two of the VERY worst things we saw were there:

1. The Caucasian Chalk Circle - Bertolt Brecht, Domenique Lozano, A.C.T. (dir. John Doyle)  [Left at intermission. The only time we did so this year! Attend the tale of ...John Doyle's approach to Brecht's parable about contested motherhood.]

2. The Tosca Project - Carey Perloff, Val Caniparoli, A.C.T.  [An uninspired interpretive dance work based on a cultural timeline and the SF North Beach bar, Tosca Cafe. Joint work of ACT actors and SF Ballet dancers.]

Another Birthday, Rock and Roll for January 9

2011-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

I celebrate another birthday today. As a "baby boomer" I relate to it in rock-n-roll terms:
Born on this day, 1941, Joan Baez, folk rock singer/songwriter, (1971 No.3 single 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down').

1943, Kenneth Kelley, vocals, The Manhattans, (1976 No.1 single 'Kiss And Say Goodbye').

1943, Dick Yount, guitar, vocals, Harper's Bizarre, (1967 No. 13 single 'The 59th Street Bridge Song, Feelin' Groovy').

1944, Jimmy Page, guitarist and producer, member of the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin who had the 1969 US No.4 single 'Whole Lotta Love'. The bands fourth album released in 1971 featuring the rock classic 'Stairway To Heaven' has sold over 37 million copies. Formed The Honeydrippers, (with Robert Plant, Jeff Beck & Nile Rodgers) who had the 1984 US No.3 single 'Sea Of Love'. As a session guitarist in the 60's Page played on 'Here Comes The Night' by Them, 'Shout' by Lulu and The Who’s 'I Can’t Explain'.

1948, Tim Hart, guitar, vocals, Steeleye Span, UK folk group, (1975 UK No.5 single 'All Around My Hat'). Died on 24th Dec 2009.

1950, David Johansen, vocals, The New York Dolls, (1973 album 'New York Dolls'; single 'Looking for a Kiss'.) Now a solo artist and actor. Played Buster Poindexter in Saturday Night Live House band. (Single 'Hot Hot Hot').

1951, Crystal Gayle, singer, songwriter, (1977 US No.2 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue').

1963, Eric Erlandson, guitar, Hole, (1995 UK No.16 single 'Doll Parts').

1964, Phil Hartnoll, electronic dance, Orbital, (1996 UK No.11 single 'The Box').

1965, Haddaway, singer, (1993 UK No.2 'What Is Love').

1967, Dave Matthews, guitar, vocals, Dave Matthews Band. (1998 US No.1 album 'Before These Crowded Streets', 2001 US No.1 album 'Everyday'; single 'Crash Into Me').

1967, Steve Harwell, vocals, Smash Mouth, (1997 UK No.19 single 'Walkin' On The Sun').

1978, A.J. McLean, vocals, Backstreet Boys, (1997 US No.2 single 'Quit Playing Games With My Heart', 1999 UK No.1 single 'I Want It That Way').

Joan Baez (born 1/9/41) singing "Forever Young", a Bob Dylan song. The song was released on Dylan's 1974 record 'Planet Waves'. He wrote it after becoming a father and is based on a Jewish blessing.

“May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.”

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=favgoOn-U1I

A gay time in Fort Lauderdale

2011-01-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

We spent just over 2 weeks in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our holiday get-away was from December 18th to January 3rd. This was the third time in four years we have gone. (Last year we had to cancel our plans when I had to have my cancer operation.)

The first five days we stayed at The Worthington Guesthouse and Resort. It was the first time staying at this all male, gay resort. Friends of ours had stayed there before and recommended it. We had a nice large room with a kitchen. The place was clean and friendly. It had an interesting and fun mix of guests. A significant percentage of the guests were foreign. It is located two short blocks from the beach. It seemed to be a good value for the price.

The rest of the time we stayed at Pineapple Point Guesthouse and Resort where we have stayed at before. Pineapple Point is a first class, luxurious treat. It is pricy but the service and extra touches that the staff offers are amazing. Like us, many people return year after year. We have met some incredible people there. We have already booked our return reservation for next year.

We look forward to our return trips to Fort Lauderdale in order to visit friends we now have there. We have met people from the area on cruises we’ve taken, adventure travels we’ve done and from friends relocating to there. Most evenings we are out visiting someone.

Our typical day starts with a nice continental breakfast followed by several hours of relaxation around the pool, reading one of a dozen books we brought. In the late afternoon we go for a five-mile run along the beach and intracoastal waterways. We come back and get cleaned up for happy hour around the pool followed by dinner out. The evening is completed with a late night soak in the spa. On the few days that the weather wasn’t conducive to soaking up rays, we went shopping or movie watching. Saw “True Grit”, “The Fighter”, “Black Swan” and “I Love You Phillip Morris”.

There were a few new things we did this year:

We attended the Joe.My.God readers meet-up at Georgie’s Alibi and met über gay blogger, Joe Jervis. Joe’s blog, http://joemygod.blogspot.com/, is a wonderful resource of GLBT news, culture, music and stories. If you are not reading him, I highly recommend that you start.

Another activity we did was to go to a local benefit on a quite Monday night. I happened to see an ad for a GLBT fundraiser to purchase a vehicle for Father Bill Collins, founder of the Poverello Center and Food Bank. Poverello Center services the nutritional needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. The fundraiser was being held at a bar/male strip joint called Jonny’s. We thought it could be fun as well as supporting a worthy cause. As it turns out, I think we were the only “outsiders” there that didn’t know anyone. The entertainment was OK but I was expecting to see more strippers. We were soon bored and left after an hour. The following week I spied our picture in one of the “HOTshots” pictorials in HOTspots!, Florida’s largest gay publication. I think this is the first time we have been pictured in a gay bar rag.

We spent New Year’s Eve in Wilton Manors. Had dinner at Rosie’s Bar and Grill, hung out at Georgie’s Alibi, danced at Atomic Boom, and toasted the New Year at the outdoor block party hosted by the fabulous Cashetta.

Colon Cancer One Year Later

2010-12-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

It has been just over a year since I was diagnosed and operated on for colon-rectal cancer. Fortunately the cancer (stage I) was discovered early. It was revealed after I had my first colonoscopy at age 51. I had several more tests to determine the extent and location of the cancer. The doctors determined that the cancer was located just a few centimeters from my sphincter muscles. Luckily my surgeon believed he could save my sphincter and I would not require a permanent colostomy pouch. Instead I would have a temporary ileostomy bag. After I healed from the surgical removal of my rectum, the ileostomy would be taken down and I would be hooked back up “normally” again.

On November 13th 2009, I had my rectum removed at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Francisco. The surgery went well but I had a number of complications over the next several months dealing with an infection and abscess. I was in and out of the hospital a several of times. I spent close to a total of four weeks in the hospital between November and January. For the next 5 months I had an ileostomy bag hanging from the right side of my belly. The end of my small intestines was pulled through my abdominal wall so that waste could be discharged without passing through my healing colon. The care and management of this was time consuming and required lots of fidgety work. It was not as uncomfortable as I feared but it was really bizarre to have a piece of my insides hanging out. Finally in mid April I had my last operation to restore my colon to “normal”.

This so called “normal” was a totally new reality. One does not usually think about their rectum and its function. I learned that the purpose of the rectum is to be a temporary holding area for your poop. When it fills up, it sends a signal to your brain telling you it is time to go. If all is well, you don’t think about it more then once or twice a day. For the first month out of the hospital I found myself going 60 to 80 times a day. My colon was doing its job of pushing food waste along (peristaltic waves). But there was no rectum at the end to collect it. I felt like a rabbit pooping little pellets all the time. Although the surgeon has shaped the last part of my colon to act like a small rectum (transverse coloplasty pouch), I was going to have to train it to act like one.

Fortunately, a friend of a friend came to may aid. He had a similar operation a couple years back and had a strategy that worked for him. He had found a bowel-training program that worked with a combination of Metamucil (psyllium, a dietary fiber supplement) and antidiarrheal medications such as Lomotil or Immodium.

If you are interested, the bowel-training program can be found HERE. My new regimen consists of starting off the day with a large meal. I then stay close to the bathroom for a couple of hours. When I am ready to go out I take an Immodium or two. Lunch and dinner consists of very, very small amount of food - no more than a cup or two in size. It is followed by a very concentrated shot of 3 teaspoons of Metamucil dissolved in a couple ounces water. I don’t have any food restrictions. However, I have learned some foods are no longer easy to digest, especially beef and corn for example. Other than at breakfast, I can’t have hot liquids such as coffee or soup. Rich and sweet foods (cakes, cookies, chocolate, etc.) also are limited to mornings. Some days are a real challenge and I can’t go more than a few hours without thinking about and physically clenching and squeezing my butt muscles to hold it all in.

Things that are a challenge:
- Can’t take for granted that I can always control when I poop.
- If I don’t stick to my eating and Metamucil program, there are unpleasant consequences. Gone are the days of eating whenever and whatever I want.
- Eating, drinking, sex, going out to a movie or a play are no longer spontaneous activities. They now require planning, organizing, and preparation.
- Wherever I go, I need to carry a bag of supplies: Metamucil, Immodium, spare underwear, extra toilet paper and underwear pads.
- Keeping a sense of humor when my body betrays me.

When I start to get overwhelmed or depressed about the situation, I try to remember the positive outcomes:
- I am alive, active and productive. I am working part-time. I can travel (we spent the month of August in Scandinavia). I started running again.
- I didn’t need radiation or chemotherapy or a permanent colostomy bag.
- The procedures didn’t make me impotent or have erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence (all possible side effects).
- I have lost 15 pounds from my high point. My clothes fit better and friends say I look healthier. I would still like to lose 7 to 10 more pounds.
- I have the most wonderful and supportive husband. He has taken great care of me in a multitude of ways.
- The doctors, nurses and staff at Kaiser Permanente have been first rate. I could not have asked for a better health team.
Previous entries about my surgery and recovery: : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Heart Healthy Hanukkah??

2010-12-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

Eight tips for a Heart-Healthy, Low-Fat, Low-Cal Latkes for Hanukkah:

1) Cook latkes on pancake griddle, spraying with olive oil spray instead of frying in oil.
2) Oven baked the latkes. Place them on a greased baking pan and bake them in the oven. They can be finished under the broiler or on the griddle.
3) Use egg whites or egg substitutes instead of whole eggs when making the latkes. This will reduce the fat and cholesterol.
4) Serve low or no-fat sour cream as a topping. Non-fat yogurt, light Greek yogurt or cottage cheese can be substituted too. Use applesauce with no added sugar.
5) If your recipe calls for regular flour, replace it with whole-wheat flour. This will increase the fiber content.
6) Don’t use salt. High sodium intake contributes to high blood pressure (hypertension). Other spices to consider: dill, parsley, sage, rosemary, black pepper, white pepper, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and onion.
7) Think far wider and more creative than just starchy potatoes. There are delicious recipes for sweet potato, butternut squash, zucchini, celery root, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli and turnip latkes. See our list of 21 types we made this year.
8) For Gluten-Free latkes use rice flour in place of the matzah meal or flour.

Tonight, I am making my 15th, 16th, and 17th varieties and probably will flip my 850th latke tonight. Two more nights with two more sets of guests (friends and family) after tonight.

That's a Lot of Latkes

2010-12-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

My husband says, "Even though Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, it is one of my favorites. Each year, we invite friends & family to join us during the 8 nights for various latkes dinners. (This year, we have about 20 people coming throughout the week-plus.) I don't do just potato latkes but instead explore lots of varieties, planning meals where 3 or so kinds of latkes combine for a fun and delicious time."

"The Complete, Planned List for the 8 Nights"
- Tuna Latkes
- Carrot Latkes
- Crispy Cod Latkes
- Cottage Cheese Latkes
- Butternut Squash & Sage Latkes
- Sauteed Mushrooms & Onion Latkes
- Herbed Spinach Latkes with Feta/Yogurt Sauce
- Italian Apple Latkes
- Sweet Potato Latkes with Spiced Maple Syrup
- Cheese/Rice Latkes
- Garlic/Rosemary Potato Latkes
- Sweet Potato/Apple/Carrot Latkes
- Spinach & Zucchini Latkes with Smoky Creme Fraiche
- Wild Rice and Vegetable Latkes
- Jerusalem Artichoke and Parsnip Latkes
- Fish in Potato Latke Crust with Horseradish Cream
- Tuna Steaks on Potato Sage Latkes
- Vegetable Latkes with Dill Sour Cream
- Ricotta Cheese Silver Dollar Latkes
- Apple Latkes (different than above)
- And Just Plain, Traditional Potato Latkes

From The Regulars Comic. By the funny and talented Karl Hampe. "The Regulars is a fun, snarky take on what might happen if a gay, urban attorney burn-out wound up running a coffee bar."

A Festival of Light and Warmth

2010-12-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

We have over a dozen menorahs or hanukkiyot (the plural of hanukkiyah) that we will rotate lighting over the next eight nights. E is planning some where between 12 to 18 different types of latkes recipes he is going to prepare during the holiday. E goes way beyond the traditional fried potato pancake. They are delicious.

Wishing you a very bright and happy festival of lights!

Today is also World's AIDS Day. I am remembering several very talented friends and co-workers that died of AIDS. I worked with them at San Jose Repertory Theatre and American Musical Theatre of San Jose (aka San Jose Civic Light Opera) in the 80's and 90's. David DeLong, David Lemos, Ken Holamon, Jeffery Struckman and Peter David Heth.

Hanukkah is also a festival of freedom. In so many countries in the world, being gay, lesbian, bi or transgendered is still criminalized. U.N. member states recently voted to remove sexual orientation from the list of recognized grounds on which people should be protected from extrajudicial execution. On this Hanukkah, please let Secretary Clinton know how you feel about this.

Next week, a critical international summit-the first in 11 years-is bringing together dozens of world leaders to discuss security and human rights. It's time to rally international support against homophobia and anti-gay violence on the world stage!

Please consider sending your letter to Secretary Clinton with a simple click here:
http://actions.humanrightsfirst.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2843

Family Turkey

2010-11-30T23:02:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with 5 of our 6 kids and one grand-dog. The oldest son was away traveling in Asia.

E prepared an amazing meal. Roast turkey with apples and onions, two kinds of stuffing: wild rice with spinach and sausage & walnut mushroom stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, old fashioned candied yams, holiday brussels sprouts, green beans with pecans and Clementine sauce, gravy, cranberry sauce and three deserts.

Who says gays can't have families? We have the best!

TSA Inspects and Fondles Gay Dad’s Meat

2010-11-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone has to have a TSA story these days, right? Two weeks ago while traveling home from a family visit in Tennessee, we were pulled aside by TSA agents in Nashville and Denver. Right there in front of everyone in the security screening area, TSA agents requested to see our meat. So we pulled it out and showed it to them.
E’s father sent us back with 20 pounds of frozen pork sausages to give to one of his grandsons. Every year E's dad buys a hog or two and has it butchered and processed into packets of sausages that he gives to family and business customers.
Upon leaving Tennessee, we packed our frozen pork packages into our carry-on luggage for the trip home and proceeded through airport security. Our bag was pulled aside. TSA personnel made us pull out our meat. They had to verify that it was really frozen meat. They also checked it for explosives by rubbing their special residue cloth on the outside packaging. (While our sausages aren't explosive, they are spicy hot!) Once they were sure it was safe we were allowed to put our meat away and continue to the boarding gate.
Nobody touched our junk, just our meat. That’s our story.

Gay Sports Fan

2010-11-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

I am about the furthest thing there could be to a sport fan. Generally I have no interest in team sports. Never have. But I am married to loyal and dedicated baseball fan. My husband has had season tickets to the SF Giants for a long time. I have learned and found it fun to attend games with him. Just don’t ask me too many questions about the game or the players (everything I know is listed below). When I first met my husband he had season tickets to San Jose Sharks hockey and SF 49er football as well as baseball. After the first couple years together, he dropped the hockey and football tickets for season tickets to the San Francisco Opera and several other theatre companies. Ooooh, do I love this man!

Another interesting fact about us is that we do not have TV hookup. No antenna, cable or satellite. Thus to watch the out-of-town playoff and World Series games, we had to go to our local sports bar. This was a blast. Imagine a large bar filled with younger, excited, drunk men!

Now imagine being approached by a guy wearing a press badge. I can only assume we fit his readership demographic…mature, intelligent, sophisticated newspaper readers. I think among our friends we are the only ones that have to read the morning paper at the breakfast table.

We achieved the following 1.5 minutes of fame in our local Palo Alto Daily News. They reported the following the:

“Happy Giants fans live it up locally”

Torture turned into hysteria Monday night in Palo Alto after the Giants won their first-ever World Series title since moving to San Francisco in 1958.
When rookie catcher Buster Posey caught a swinging strike three to clinch the championship, a celebration of seismic proportions erupted inside The Old Pro on Ramona Street as the orange-and-black-clad fans raised their hands and looked around for someone to hug -- be it a friend or a stranger.
With fans standing on top of tables, the crowd stretching onto the sidewalk sang along as Queen's "We Are the Champions" blared.
Well, was it worth the wait?
"Oh, my God. Yes!"
Those were the words of Ed Jones, who like the Giants moved to the Bay Area from New York -- except he did so in 1969 as an 11-year-old. A season-ticket holder along with Eddie Reynolds, who moved from Virginia in 1978 and was born in Tennessee, the pair spoke during the third inning about the way this rag-tag, misfit group of Giants captured the imagination of fans.
"I think this is unique because in both baseball and football there were always major stars," said Reynolds, dropping names like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice as well as Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds. "This time it's a different lineup, different set of stars and we didn't expect it."
"There is no MVP," Jones said. "It's an ensemble award."
[snip]

Don't I sound like a total jock? I can do "sports talk". Except using the word "ensemble". That is a theatre word. Oh well. When I sent the new link to my family, my bother responded with: “Who are you and what have you done with my brother? My "real" brother believed a sports section was provided only to cat owners to line the litter box.” True, very true.

Real gay sports fans and athletes should visit Outsports.com to get the latest news, photos and jock talk.

Vote Naked

2010-11-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, you can vote naked but it has to be by ~~male~~ mail. The Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd and you already had to have requested a mail-in ballot and have it in hand.

If you have a mail-in ballot, send it in now or take it to your polling place on Tuesday. All valid vote-by-mail ballots are counted in every election in California, regardless of the outcome or closeness of any race. But they must be received by Election Day.

Fill out your ballot now. After you have voted, insert it in the envelope provided, making sure you complete all required information on the envelope.

Remember, you must return your naked voted vote-by-mail ballot by

1) mailing it to your county elections official today;

2) returning it in person to a polling place or the elections office in your county on Election Day (Tuesday); or

3) authorizing a relative or person living in the same household as you to return the ballot on your behalf.

Regardless of how the ballot is returned, it MUST be received by the county elections office by the time polls close at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots will not be counted.

Gay Halloween Costume Idea

2010-10-30T22:04:00.001-07:00

If you are a procrastinator and haven not decided on a Halloween costume yet, here's a good last minute idea. It will save you time from digging around in the back of your closet.