imwalde

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Hahahahahah. Amazing.

This NYTimes article made me nostalgic: Manhattan Area Codes Multiply, but the Original, 212, Is Still Coveted. Heheh, so true. When I lived in NYC after college in 2002-3, we had a 212 as our apartment phone number. It wasn't super hard to get, because we were willing to deal with the condition -- 666 in the phone number. The number was 212-666-xxxx, and I found it delightful. This was in a time before the cell phone was something EVERYONE had, though, (it was growing, but mostly still something for the well off) so I can fully believe as the article says that it's a bloodsport now.

I was in NYC two weeks ago, and man, do I miss it. When

biggieshorty lived there, I had a frequent reason to visit and a place to stay. Now it requires planning and a hotel! Still, it was fun to be back. I saw three shows in three nights. The Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Honeymoon in Vegas were two of a kind. Very funny, great stagecraft, talented cast, performed well, but ultimately, none of the songs were super memorable. Honeymoon in Vegas had a few catchier songs but even now, just two weeks later, I can't think of how the chorus goes. (Meanwhile, I found my playbill for The Secret Garden with Daisy Eagan I saw in 1992, and when looking at the list of songs, I could hear the chorus of Come To My Garden in my head. Some songs just stick with you.) So while I enjoyed myself while watching, I don't necessarily think they are great *musicals*, just that I saw great stage performances.

The third was Hedwig and the Angry Inch with John Cameron Mitchell (who was in The Secret Garden back in the day, btw!) and it was PHENOMENAL. I got goosebumps during some songs. I had seen this production with Neil Patrick Harris last summer, and he was great and talented and performed well. But JCM, man. We came specifically to see him, and it was so worth it. AMAZING. He is Hedwig. The crowd last summer loved NPH, for sure, but JCM owned us for that night. He owned us. He had us in the palm of his hand. He was so funny, and so loose, it was just one of those magical things. The show was a good 20+ minutes longer than usual because he was ad-libbing so much. Here is EW's review, for the interested. At least where we were sitting in the balcony, a good two thirds of people had clearly seen the show before (the giveaways: joining the sing along with Wig in a Box from the first syllable and lifting up their hands as the first "lift up your hands" is begun to be sung in Midnight Radio.) Tickets were at TKTS, so I guess it isn't selling out on its own? So that's good news if you want to see it. SOOOOOOOOO GOOD. Darren Cris is taking over the role sometime soon, and I am not sure I can picture that? He's got a good voice, but he's got such a youthful energy and Hedwig is so world-weary. Not sure how that will mesh. But JCM will forever be the real Hedwig, so see him while you can!