It's only for now

I've been listening to Avenue Q all day. It's both very good and very bad for me...it's a brilliant musical and it's kind of just about saying that life can be really hard and shitty, but you'll get through it. Cause...you have to. That's a depressing description of it - it's actually completely hilarious and very sweet too. But life on Avenue Q ain't easy, kids!

I'm back from New York. Sigh. Coming back to real life sucks after playing in the beautiful, beautiful city for a week with Garth.

I saw...
Cyrano de Bergerac on Sunday with Garth. It was good - it wasn't extraordinary, but we enjoyed ourselves. We probably would've enjoyed it more if we hadn't been drinking beforehand ;)

Edward II - Garth's show! I absolutely completely loved it. I'm totally writing the director a letter because I'm pretty sure he's brilliant. I didn't meet the lovely Randy Harrison, because he was talking with a friend after the show and I didn't want to be That Girl - but I did meet Kenajuan Bentley, who was absolutely brilliant as Gaveston, and he was very nice. Even if Garth did introduce us and mention how he was totally naked on stage at the same time. Jerk. Also, I made two friends in the audience - a guy named Zack who was about my age and also had a friend in the ensemble, and this sweet, sweet, precious old man who was sitting next to me and was loving every second of the show. We gushed over it together at intermission. I love New Yorkers.

Avenue Q on Thursday with Mike!!! I love my gay boyfriend. We had delicious peach vodka cocktails at Vladda, where they infuse their own vodka. Yum. We were going to see Les Mis, but it was sold out - then we decided Avenue Q and Spelling Bee were our second choices. I can't believe Spelling Bee is closing in a couple weeks! That's totally devastating to me. Broadway bastards. Anyway...Avenue Q was the perfect date show for Mike & I. Loved it.

August: Osage County with myself...and it was the most amazing play ever. Seriously. It was just stunning. Billy Harley saw it in Chicago and called me to say it was brilliant, and Garth saw it when it was in previews in NYC and called me to say it was brilliant. And now...I am telling all 3 people who read this that IT IS BRILLIANT. The acting was phenomenal. The writing was so, so, so good. My heart *literally* did not return to a normal pace for like 45 minutes after curtain.

I also did shopping! I bought a zillion books and plays. Garth and I went to The Strand on New Year's Eve, which is just the most heavenly bookstore in the world, and then beautiful little Jamie Monahan and I went to a theatre bookstore and bought tons of plays. (Wednesday was Random Date with Jamie in the City Day. Good times.)

I am now the proud owner of...

• Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt
• Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
• Flesh and Blood by Peter Gaitens (adapted from a freaking Michael Cunningham novel)
• Fifth Planet and Other Plays by David Auburn (TheaterCNU kids are raised on Proof and I love it, but I've never read any of his other stuff)
• Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill
• The 5th of July by Langford Wilson (which I read the day I bought it)
• Burn This by Langford Wilson
  
• Dirty Story by John Patrick Shanley (I worship Shanley)
• Defiance by John Patrick Shanley (read it the day after)
• Skylight by David Hare (Denise has been after me to read this forever, and I do love me some David Hare)

Also, I finished Noises Off, which was awesome and also, coincidentally, the first play Garth had ever done! Oh, universe. And I'm reading The Kite Runner, which is as brilliant as the hype suggests. I hope the movie plays in NN.

I could write a zillion pages on the trip, but I'll save that for the journal that no one reads ;) I'll just say that it was amazing, and I love staying with Garth. He's absolutely without a doubt the most fascinating person I've ever met. He's been freaking everywhere in the world, he's lead a million different lives, he's *so* smart it's kind of disgusting...and he made me delicious food. He somehow inspires me to be more grown-up and a more awesome person (as if that's possible). It's a weird phenomenon.

Unfortunately, he sucks at Guitar Hero. Especially when drunk on New Year's Eve.



But at least he tried it, which makes him braver than me ;) That's his cute temporary roommate Charlie trying to teach him the ways.

I have no idea why I only took one picture that whole trip. I'm slipping in my old age! Not even one of baby Jamie or Mike! We'll just have to use our imaginations.