and from karen c. (from laguna playouse):

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" is scheduled for its world premiere production this fall at La Jolla Playhouse; as we know, Kristin Chenoweth was supposed to have taken the title role but is now otherwise engaged. Rumor has it that in the running for the title role is Idina Menzel ("Rent," MTC "The Wild Party")..."

and here's another article from tempe.

adrian's pictures from san diego are up (amy, i swear yours are coming, they're just a little more work :-)

and i just got a message that Rent will be back in costa mesa from christmas to new years.

man, i have *such* a headache.

and for all of you who are wondering, guessing, second-guessing, evaluating, supposing and actualy writing  personally (thank you) - i felt well enough to go get tested friday.  the results will be available in a week, so i'll let you know then.  in the meantime, i'm sitll pretty just kinda "fluish".

ron, baby, come get it!  the car is yours for the duraton :-)

and hey! fredi's finally getting her site up (with some help from jimbo :-)  go check it out.  see you in new york gf! :-)

freud & travis:  you HAVE a place to stay in DC (altho now it's with 4 of us, and one of them's a pretty damn good writer too).  get your butts THERE.

from john aravosis: "We've just received confirmation that anti-gay fundamentalists, including "ex-gays," are planning to counter-demonstrate tomorrow at the Stop Dr. Laura rally at the gates of Paramount in Hollywood. (Our rally is from 8:30-10:30 AM PST on Tuesday March 21st at 5555 Melrose, corner of Melrose and Windsor).

In addition, the virulently anti-gay conservative Christian activist Rev. Fred Phelps (known for his "God Hates Fags" protest at Matthew Shepard's funeral - you can visit his Web site at http://www.godhatesfags.com), is today in southern California (Orange County) holding a series of anti-gay protests, and there is concern that he may show up at the rally as well.

PLEASE don't let the people who call the GLBT community "biological errors," "sexual deviants," and "pedophiles" to outnumber us tomorrow outside Paramount. StopDrLaura.com is urging everyone in the Los Angeles area to please attend the rally to show support for our cause."

and this is really good, and sad (and informative).

some silliness:

here's another article out of san diego, and the first review, and the first article out of long beach (it's all sengbloh so they show ant and adam. sheesh :-), and the first out of tempe.  God!  i can't believe the bennytour is going back to tempe!  remember when they left El Lay and we all followed them to tempe? max in his cart - LOL!  jeez, that seems like EONS ago! and the hole-in-the-wall gang (d00d, it was so fucking COLD :-)

and, oh jeez, i just can't let this one go, i love this comeback from someone on the list: "I know why you're a RENT fan.  It's that whole sodomy thing, isn't it?"   i need to tatoo that - somewhere.  maybe somewhere on amber ;-)  or make a great big poster cuz you know, that IS the reason we like the show, jeez, was there ever any question about it? :-)

i scanned like a gazillion of amy's pictures yesterday but didn't have time to put them up (you need to take the Rent purity test amy - you're gettin' up there :-)

2am and fucking wide awake.   great.  

the cast will be holding a Q&A in the powell building (san diego state university) *today* from 1:00 - 2:30.

and happy birthday shannon, i love you.

***********************************

paralyzed.   emotionally.  physically. spiritually.

there are lots of articles and stuff right now - can't  do it.

here's the latest tourdate info (can't update that right now either.) (thanks mary, uh, i mean rachel :-)

5/8-6/4...Washington D.C
6/5-6/18...toronto, Canada
6/19-7/16...break!!! 
7/18-7/30...TOKYO, JAPAN 
7/31-8/13...Honolulu, Hawaii
8/14-8/20...Houston, Texas
8/21-8/27...San Antonio, texas
8/28-9/03...Tulsa, Oklahoma
9/4-9/7...west point, NY
9/8-9/10...schenectady, NY
9/11-9/17...Philadelphia, PA
9/18-9/21...Saginaw, MI
9/22-9/24...Ft. wayne, IN
9/25-10/1...Pittsburgh, PA
10/2-10/8...rosemont, IL
10/9-10/15...Iowa City, IA
10/16-10/22...TBA
10/23-11/5...Denver, CO
11/6-11/12...Edmonton, AB
11/13-11/19...Salt Lake City, UT
11/20-11/26...Detroit, MI

no shannon, i'm so NOT ok, your 3am dreams are dead on target.

and the first article from san deigo - thanks adrian :-)

"wild party' has been extended a week - try to get there!  call 1-212-399-3000

my fucking mouse is driving me nutz. my newsgroups won't load. *nothing* on the hard drive will alphabetize.  i need to burn this sucker down and reinstall everything.  fuck.

freud & travis - i expect to see you at mmow.  no excuses.

"forbidden broadway" was really good, GO SEE IT - it's back at the tiffany where TLS was.  the audience was totally into it, a really good crowd and all the press was there so i hope they 'got it' - that the people "liked* this ALOT.   good job lori & karen, great show :-) and the actors were amazing - at curtain it was so incredible to see only *four* people on stage, they played *all* the roles and you'd never know that only those four were doing *everything*.  amazing :-)

S.T.A.G.E. wasn't as good as last year but oh well, they raised more money than they ever have before (something like $400,000) so that's a good thing.  good to see you there stacey :-)  sorry the "how are you" question had the same effect on me as it did weeks ago, as did ted's hug and his "he's HERE you know" comment.  yes i know, 'he' wouldn't miss it.  still, that sent me reeling too.  there were several dedication pages to dickie in the program, so that was cool. and i bid on a fosse poster for you jimbo, signed by the entire new york cast, but someone outbid me so i didn't get it.  i tried! :-)

CALIFORNIA:  get out there and VOTE today.  YES ON 1A, NO ON 22.   the rest you'll have to figure out yourself, *i* sat and read the book, inform yourselves :-)  but these two matter a LOT.

this UK tour is sounding weirder & weirder. here's the latest:

"we are looking to use slide and video to provide scenic background for the action as an integral part of the set design not to negate from the action - a new design - a new feel - still a blinding score and stunning show. this is an independant production, the rights have been granted via William Craver of the Writers and Artists agency, New York, New York and have - as far as I am aware - been sanctioned by the estate for Johnathon Larson. But we essentially have a carte blanche when it comes to the direction, production and choregraphy of the show - which opens up a lot of opportunities . . ."  and michael g. is not involved.  what IS this?

*press release*

Kier-Michael proudly presents, the UK national tour of RENT (w/c, for the uninformed - like me - means "week commencing" not 'water closet' :-)

casting is supposed to start around easter, with more dates to be added later and a new site launched for this.   more info later.

dickie's obituary will be in the L.A. Times tomorrow (sunday, the 5th) if any of you want to pick up a copy.  god.  i miss him more than i ever thought it was possible to miss someone.

here's a review from bakersfield and KATIE's in it!  i love you katie :-)  (thanks karen :-). 

we got our NY JCS tickets today - yay d'! :-)  jimbo's gonna go see AIDA with us - WAY cool - i love you too, jim, it'll be so good to see you again.  AIDA and mickey d's - cant beat it :-). 

the rest of you - get your butts to the MMOW - we'll be there and are staying at the Americana Hotel - 703-979-3772 in DC.   cheap and sleazy, just the way we like it, lol :-)  you can go to steve's show *and* the march that weekend (4/28 - 4/30).

I HATE THIS FUCKING DISEASE.

and once again, mandy called last night (from bakersfield this time) saying "i have a rush ticket for you, come up!"  the girl never fails :-)  but there was eric, and i had to work and... just... and. 

all of you who have sent me pictures, i'm trying to get to them, sorry it's taking so long. there's just too much life, and death, going on right now.

here's a bakersfield article karen c. just found, and *craig/sherri*, we're coming to the march, the flights are booked as of last nite so get in touch! - we'll be at the americana hotel in dc - worse than baltimore we hope! come! ;-)

and my mail's fixed.... go back to gail@bennytour.com ( thank you to all the microsoft techs who worked on this, it took forEVER! )

"Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows." (dixon's daily quote)