Living the high life at the Highline…

  

My last night in New York was incredible. After a great meal at Son Cubano in the Meatpacking District,  we walked two blocks to the Highline Ballroom to see Matt Dusk.  Matt was good – kind of a Frank Sinatra meets Rick Astley.  But as much as I enjoyed Dusk, nothing could have prepared me for how much I would enjoy Raul Midón .  It was easily one of the best live music experiences of my life.  I have no idea if Raul has ever been to Austin, but I intend to make sure he either returns or debuts real soon.  Either way, I suggest you be in the audience.

Back at the hotel bar having a night cap, we ran into Kevin Spencer.  Even at 1Am that guy is running on a full tank.  He taught me two magic tricks to show my daughter.  If his high energy personality is any indication, the Spencers Theatre of Illusion  show in May will be spectacular.

I’ll take the bacon but you can keep the cats…

  

New York has been full of adventures.  I’ll tell about the good ones… and then I will tell you about the cats. 

Spamalot was hilarious.   If you love the movie you will love this.  If you’ve never seen the movie you won’t get it, but you still might enjoy the hilarious musical.   The Gazillion Bubble Showwas a bust.  It was an interesting concept but more appropriate for a kid’s birthday party rather than a stage show.  I am still trying to figure out just what a bubble show has to do with the Vietnam War, but hey this is theatre. I have heard enough about it to wonder if maybe I caught it on a bad day.

Last night I ended up at BB King’s watching Kevin Bacon with his band.  Bacon was cooking and now I can say that there are zero degrees of separation between me and KB.

Today (Sunday) was full of surprises including the cats.  We caught Chas Palminteri in A Bronx Tale at the Walter Kerr Theatre.  It was some of the finest theatre I have seen.  The man is a theatrical genius and we just have to get him to Austin.  If we do, you must come to the show.  Wow.  Just wow. 

After the show we headed down to the East Village to catch  Ruben Studdard in what turned out to be the best surprise of the trip (not counting the cats).  As you know, Ruben won the second season of American Idol – beating out Clay Aiken who is getting reading to debut on Broadway in Spamalot.  I really am not a big fan of Idol and was never really a fan of Studdard.  All that changed tonight.  Ruben is getting ready to go out on the 30th anniversary tour of Ain’t Misbehavin which comes to the Paramount next season.   Fellow Idol contestant Frenchie Davis will co-star.  Ruben has an amazing voice and a personality not often found in this business.  He had us in the palm of his hand all evening.

 OK.  Now for the cats… Someone needs to call PETA because I am pretty sure a cat died in today’s presentation of Moscow Cats Theatre.  Billed as simply “35 cats, six clowns and one dog” this show proves that curiosity really can kill the cat.  How do I even begin to explain this… at one point a cat was spinning from a moon 20 feet above the audience while a clown juggled, a dog danced and another cat drove a car.  It was the worst piece of performance art I have ever seen…. and I laughed my ass off!  I just can’t find the words so I will stop trying…

 Tomorrow night we see Matt Dusk.

The Big Apple Review

  

Am off to NYC to see what shows are available for next season.  Among others I plan to see Spamalot (will miss Clay Aiken’s debut by a week), A Bronx Tale starring Chass Palminteri, The Gazillion Bubble Show and Matt Dusk.  Do you have a favorite show or entertainer?

 Back in Austin, we have added a second show of Cowboy Noises starring Jaston Williams.