okay, you get the picture - happy new year's eve :-)

karen c. and i went to the show again friday nite.  maggie did the best otm i've ever seen.  we were sitting about 9 rows back and it was way cool to hear the rest of the audience reaction (usually all i can hear is us up front :-) she totally lost her place at one point and then had to go back and do it - the cast behind her, the audience, *everyone* was laughing, it was great :-)

and i found it really interesting that all over the theatre there are signs posted saying "proudly presented by 'orange county weekly'" - and then *this* is what they wrote in their paper.  wtf?

and here's the first article from portland - thanks karen c. :-)

i keep saying this but i *am* going to move the site sometime in the next week or so, so be patient, it's going to be fucked up for awhle, it's alot of data to move and scripts to fix and stuff, i just need to find the time to do it - but it will be *soon*.

there are 34 rush seats in costa mesa and we didn't know one single other person - they were all new, had seen the show once or twice or not at all. that was kinda cool, to see their reactions, but also kind of embarrassing to try to answer "how many times have you seen it?". there was some girl behind us in the second row tho that every once in awhile would blurt out the upcoming line. after a few of those i decided next time she did that i was going to tell her i'd break her arm if she did it again, but she didn't. maybe she felt the vibes? :-)

and oh boy, i was sitting with christine and a friend of a friend who shall remain nameless... ( ;-)  - everytime maggie made an appearance i thought he was going to... well, let's just say - pee his pants - but i'm sure that's not what he was thinking :-) he was like "oh yeah, oh yeah" and would jump up and pump the air. ummm... we're in the front row - *calm down* - LOL! it was really amusing - and oh man, when the mooing started he was laughing his ass off - he wouldn't moo, but he was losin' it and laughing so hard at her performance and at the audience reaction. during tmolm - the "every single day, i walk down the street, I hear people say, "baby's so sweet - ever since puberty, everybody stares at me - boys - girls - I can't help it baby..." and " he was going "oh yeah, OH YEAH!" again and bouncing out of his seat. LOL - it was so entertaining :-)

speaking of maggie - *god*, does this girl have *pipes*! i've never seen her before - she was always in a different cast whenever i was in whatever city. i've heard her on tape and heard so much about her, but man, she's gorgeous and can she ever belt, with never a crack, never a waiver - i'm a new fan, she's up with the top of my list of favorite maureens.

as many times as i've seen this show, i figure i've seen it all, that there couldn't possibly be yet another interpretation or another little physical addition, it's all been done - but it's not true. last night people were throwing in different/new things all over the place and it amazed me, that they could make it 'new' again after all this time. some of that was just fucking up - they'd deliver the line wrong or the wrong line but it was fun. even shaun did some different stuff! i haven't listened to the cd in ages, i don't even know where it is, but at times i'd think "am i remembering this wrong or did he/she just fuck that up or change it?"

cary did a great job and was really into it. he threw new stuff in, dom's vocal interpretations were different than any i've heard before - even 'seasons of love' went into a different pitch in places that i've never heard before.

i hadn't seen the show since long beach, and i was so out of it then, it was so close to dickie's death i could barely watch it. last night was different - i felt - different. i could focus on the show most of the time altho there were some parts i had to purposely stop listening to the lyrics and just focus on one thing. the major one was during WY. i couldn't listen so i started focusing on the soles of shaun's feet, and then realized he has really, *really* small feet, smaller than mine i bet. LOL! next time you see the show, check it out :-)

we were hoping some of the old band would show but we didn't see anyone, nor any previous cast members but i wasn't looking for them as much as the band so who knows, maybe some were there.

i like mark ford, he reminds me of *rawb* (london).

didn't go to the stage door, i'd had enough emotionally by that time that i just needed to go, but it was a great show, full crowd. oh and i love listening to people's comments during intermission and afterwards. i was walking behind this girl and her mom during intermission and the daughter was asking her mom "what do you think? do you like it?" and the mom said "i can't really understand what they're saying" (don't know where they were sitting but front row was the clearest i've ever heard it in california). and the daughter said "well you have to focus, *listen* to what they're saying. do you think dad would like it?" mom: "NO!"  hahahahahahaha! :-) i guess she heard enough to know 'dad' wouldn't like it! :-)

i *really* need to update the bios cuz some of the cast - i had no idea who they were. oh well. it was a great show, welcome home *again* bennytour - see you some more this week and again, thanks mandy, amber, christine & eric!  oh, and amber - yes, international *does* count, lol :-)

i probli left out a bunch of stuff but it's 4am, so maybe more tomorrow (today).

i just got my oh-so-familiar call from mandy saying "i have a rush ticket for you tonite, do you want it?"  she *never* fails, i swear :-)  you rock! :-)   so whoever's there, see you tonite! :-)

lol, what a dinky little tree.  oh well, it reminded me of charlie brown :-)  i hope you all have a great day, with love, and peace.

thank you everybody for all the cards and well wishes, and to the flinkers, i love you and thank you for amy! - but your site is down and i'm going into withdrawals! :-)  lori, this *so* made me think of you and i burst out laughing!  this one's just for you ;-)

the seattle dates are correct - they start on monday and end on saturday.  bizarre. and i put up the wallingford info.

costa mesa arrives!  here's the 1^st article from the times (thanks karen c :-)  oh and lest i forget, the whoppingly huge article from the oc register - sheesh - you'd think they'd do a little *more* in their own city.   and another from gay.com - now behave yourselves! NO LINE JUMPING • NO SPACE SAVING • NO LIST-MAKING.  LOL!

and finally, just some more randomness that amused me :-)

happy holidays!

and here's a review from st. louis - thank you mike and karen c. :-)

thanks everyone for all your holidays greetings and cards. i have to admit that i gave up on sending out cards a long time ago, cuz if i did it one year and then didn't do it the next, i always felt like maybe the previous recipients felt i had forgotten them.  so now i just don't do it - i mean, c'mon - do you see the size of my tribe, lol!  although i do send a few cards electronically, in general - *this* is my card to all of you - *Happy Holidays" :-)

shannon & i went to LK saturday night - i can't *believe* or even explain how fantastic moe is in this show.   now i feel like her RENT gig was an injustice to her - she is *so* talented and her voice is incredible. if you haven't seen her in LK yet - GO!  i tried to catch alan (mingo) after the show collecting for BC/EFA but he had already left (so i sent him a nasty message - *Just Kidding*!)  but i did write and say i was sorry to have missed him.

i've so far done *no* christmas shopping - i suck, so don't be expecting any nifty green sonic crack from me this year - that's nina's job! (i still have mine from last year - right next to my mimi stash :-)

the cast list is a little outdated - ya think? ;-)  same with the guestbook.  ah well, i can only do what i can do, right? (the only acceptable anwer is "RIGHT!" ;-)

for those of you asking on cory's board about seattle dates - i imagine it's 1/9 thru 1/14 - see "the moore theatre - main gate"" for more info. altho they say thru 8/13, i can't imagine they'll start on *monday* and   shut down on *saturday*. seattle is always weird with their dates - they have a large subscriber base and they're (obviously) 1st priority.

someone also asked about wallingford in april (the 17th thru the 22nd) and yes,that's true, and no, i haven't updated the tourdates page. yet.

and here's a nice interview from scranton with dom - thanks michelle :-)

and some more of susie's pictures from san antonio are up - thanks susie :-)

sara, am i missing more of yours?

man, gore's speech was, i think, the *best* speech i've ever heard a politician give.  immediately afterwards even the newscasters were choked up.  bush, on the other hand, was still campaigning.   just my $.02, but the guy doesn't even know how to give a conciliatory victory speech, he's still campaigning - UGH.  i can't stand to watch his lips move.  i really want to see the final vote count from florida - and we will - one of these days.

we went and saw BARE ---the musical--- saturday nite. it was fun - the best part was seeing *teri*!  she's a dresser for the show now, and that was great - love you girl! :-)  and yeah steve, it was good seeing you too :-)  and i love you michael & ron!

Happy Hanukkah ~ Bon Nadal ~ Sheng dan kuai le ~ Sretan Bozic ~ Glćdelig Jul ~ Gelukkig Kerstfeest ~ Joyeux Noël ~ Fröhliche Weihnachten ~ Hag ha-molad sameah ~Boldog Karácsonyi Ünnepeket ~ Buon Natale ~ Sungtanul chukaheyo ~ Linksmu kaledugenna ~ Kala Christou ~ God Jul ~ Krismas-e shoma mubarak ~ Wesolych wiat ~ Feliz natal ~ Vesëlogo Rozhdestva ~ Hristos se rodi ~ Feliz Navidad ~ Maligayang Paskó ~ Neseli Noel ~ Chuc mu'ng giang sinh ~ Fraylekhn Krismes, Merry Christmas And a very happy New Year... :-)

--> you just might want to check out nica's dream - you'll see a few familiar faces :-) you can listen to the mp3's and preorder the cd *now* (all orders placed before 12/19 will ship on 12/20).  check the 'live shows' section to be added to a discounted ticket VIP guest list for any of the shows. fun!

some UK rent info (thank you karen c :-)...

and idina is out and about (from theatre.com):

and last but certainly not least - two (late but here nevertheless) reviews from detroit - #¹ and #² -  thanks mike :-)

december 2000 and we're still at a ZERO percent cure rate.  one of the researchers on the news the other day said he doesn't expect to see a cure or even a vaccine in his lifetime. we need to do more.  this has to end.  so many people...