“Blue Skies Smiling at Me”
Ladies and Gents,
There is a silly rule when you work at a “legitimate news organization” that says you can’t take free trips. It’s considered unethical for a reporter to accept anything of monetary value from a person, company or organization about which the reporter might provide coverage, as it could potentially create a bias. Well, lucky for me, I no longer work for a “legitimate news organization.” So I am filing this story from Las Vegas, where the good people at Blue Man Group have rolled out the red carpet so that I could experience their all-new production at the Monte Carlo. Now, this arrangement was not quid-pro-quo, and they understood that if I weren’t excited by the new production I simply wouldn’t write about the experience. Well, guess what? I am writing about the experience! I’ve been a fan of the Blue Man show at Astor Place for years, and I try go couple times a year as you never get the same show twice with these guys. But being as familiar with “the brand” as I am I was fairly certain there would be no hugely significant surprises waiting for me at the Monte Carlo. Boy was I wrong! The scope and scale of this new production (in a theater that has been entirely outfitted to accommodate their particular brand of mayhem) is a shock to the system for even the most die hard Blue Man Fan. Don’t get me wrong: the ethos is still 100% the Blue Man Group you know and love. But the toys they get to play with have gotten a whole lot bigger, and whole lot fancier, and (I’m guessing) a whole lot more expensive. I guarantee Sin City has no better (or legal) way to experience ninety-minutes of pure, unadulterated euphoria. It even tempered the sting of losing $100 in a single hand of blackjack while I was waiting for the house to open (I bet $50, was dealt a 8 card and a 3 card, against the dealer’s 4. Naturally, I double downed. I drew a 9. Sigh of relief. She exposed a 5 underneath, and drew a 6 card and then a 3 card and the – wait for it – another 3. She drew another 3! Do the math, people: the house always wins. No matter what, the house always wins.)
While I was enjoying the trappings of the Las Vegas Strip, back in New York the good people at SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark were holding a press conference to promote Halloween safety. I wasn’t able to attend but I just want to doff my cap to the good people at SPIDER-MAN for understanding that importance of keeping trick-or-treaters safe and sound on what I have always found to be one of the most terrifying nights of the year.
Tidbits from around town…
Spotted Kathleen Chalfant, Angelica Page, Julian Fleisher, and Barbara Ligeti partying David Schweitzer‘s famous (and giant) FiDi pad. It was, technically, a debate-viewing soiree, but Ms. Chalfant was in another room unable to tear herself away from the Giants game.
Witness the legendary Andrea Marcovicci, who this week winds down the first of what will hopefully be an annual engagement at the Café Carlyle, ordering hot chocolate at an Upper East Side diner.
Overheard TV icon Florence Henderson raving about the talents of Roger Bart to an attendant at LAX (“He’s hysterical!”), and then spotted Mr. Bart just a few paces behind her checking his iPhone.
One more thing: I have decided that I will donate $500 (I’m on a “New Media” salary, so it’s the best I can do) to the charity of the The Donald‘s choosing if he promises to just focus on his day job (tacky real estate) and stay the heck out of politics.
As always, a toast of something sparkling to you and yours!
Kisses,
