Thirty Days to 50,000 Word Novel... Okay?

So now that I was proved to myself that I could write a 50k word novel in 30 days, I have to ask myself this:  WTF did I write?  Don't get me wrong, when I did the practice run during the 30 days of September (and passed the 1,667 word per day goal), I was making it up as I was going along.  I had an idea of a beginning, an ending, protagonists and antagonists,  a mind-blowing climax, some of the obstacles, etc.  But for that book, I fleshed it out to 20 chapters in 304 pages.  Plus I added the 31 days of October to complete it to call it actually being finished at over 100k words.

This time around I was able to complete a outline (that I only started 6 days before the November 1 kick-off).  And I had a clearer idea of how the story would flow.  I decided that I would be able to do this in 15 chapters.  Okay, I don't know if other writer's out there have this problem, but everything was moving along smoothly until the characters started to take over.  They started taking left turns all over the place no matter how much I was in control of the actual writing.  I know this sounds like I've completely lost it, but nobody ever told me that once your characters begin to invade your brain that they never stop talking to you!  I was beginning to feel like I may require stronger medications.

Even thought I am, according to the rules of the National Novel Writer's Month contest, a winner,  I'm still feeling a bit dazed and confused.  True, I will continue to write until, I feel like it's at least finished.  For now, I think I will be able to get a good night sleep now that I don't have the pressure of making the required word count per day quota.

But I will say this, not only has this experience been responsible for lighting a fire under me creatively, it's like now that I started writing, I don't ever want to stop.  Even if no ever purchases a book written by me (nom de plume: B. Mars Thompson), then at least I can say I did it.  Hence the resurrection of this blog that nobody ever reads.  As long as I have a forum, I guess it will make sense to someone, someday.

At least now I have something to keep me busy until STAR WARS; THE FORCE AWAKENS and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON open up next year!

A Writer Writes... Again!

I haven't had much to write about since I last posted over three years now.  I only had one follower. (Thank you Laura!) It didn't seem like I was reaching as many folks as I'd hope I would when I decided to blog. Except something happened today that inspired me to want to write a post after all these years.  First I should say that in addition to turning half a century this year, I managed to write a novel.  I finished my first novel on Halloween of this year.  I got the idea to do it from reading this book called NO PLOT, NO PROBLEM by Chris Baty.  

In a nutshell, Baty goes into detail how you can make time to write a novel of 50k words in 30 days with the correct time managment.  If you're doing the math, that is roughly 1,667 words a day.  Baty is also one of the founders of National Novel Writer's Month (aka NaNoWriMo) that occurs yearly during the month of November.  I decided that I would participate this year (more on that later). 

I should say that there are some works of literature that are roughly 50k words - THE GREAT GATSBY, HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, BRAVE NEW WORLD* - just to name a few.  Now I'm not saying I'm anywhere near to being as talented a writer as Fitzgerald, Adams or Huxley have been.  But I like to think that after reading many books (ever since I learned how to read over forty-five years ago) I did pick up a few things here and there.  Not to mention that fact that I have written a screenplay for a feature film ten years ago.  Plus you don't get to be my age and not gain some wisdom from years of life experience.  Hopefully with practice I can become a better writer eventually.

To prepare for writing a novel this month, I read tons of books on writing structure, format, style. etc.  I even went over notes from previous creative writing courses that I took when I was in college.  Then I decided to write a "practice" novel during the month of September of this year.  My goal was this: I just wanted to see if I could discipline myself enough to put in the time to actually write something and stick to it.  Baty's book is perfect for busy folks who have grueling work schedules, children to raise, full-time students, whatever: busy people.  It's crafting the proper time management that can be applied to ANY situation.  Since I'm currently not working (it gets harder to find employment after turning 50-years-old even with a new media degree in Filmmaking and Multimedia, I have found out the hard way: "Over qualified" really means "you're too old bitch!").  So I needless to say, I have some time on my hands lately. It's also quite therapeutic mentally, I find.

Anyway, writing the 50k words in 30 days was a breeze for me.  In fact I passed the 50k word count on the 25th day. Some days I was on fire writing pages and pages of text; while some days I was lucky if I could come up with two decent paragraphs.  But I persevered and kept on going until the 30 days of September was over. That being said, my 50k words didn't exactly make up a cohesive novel.  To tell the story I wanted to tell, I used the month of October to add an additional 50k words and voilà: My first novel.  Something that I can now check off of my bucket list.

So now that that was done, the hardest part is finding a publisher who would be interested in reading it, let alone decide to publish it.  You'd think that living in New York City, where  some of the biggest publishing houses on the country are located, this would be easy.  I can tell you it's not.  It's all about who you know.  And even though I did temp work in the mid '80's for Simon & Schuster, I regret now that I never bothered to cultivate any professional relationships with anyone over there.  My loss, I can assure you.  

But in the meantime, I am now working on my second novel for the NaNoWriMo contest.  Today I passed the 37,000 word count on this the 22nd say of the contest.  (It's a sequel.  I think I might try and write a trilogy like Stieg Larsson or Suzanne Collins.   I only hope that I live long enough to see them published unlike the late Larsson.)  As long as I'm writing everyday, I feel like that half of the battle is already won.  One of my favorite novels that I've read since the last time I posted here was Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS.  When I found out it was one of the published novels that she wrote for the NaNoWriMo, it was incredibly inspiring to me to want to compete and write for the contest. Even if doesn't get published, at least I can say "I did it", right?  

Which brings me to why I decided to post on my blog again.  Today someone I've known for many, many years now.  Someone I that I've always consider a friend, said to me: "What's the point of writing if nobody will publish it?"  How's that for words of encouragement? With friends like that... but I digress.

I'm not going to let this person (whom shall remain nameless here) nor anyone else for that matter, stop me from creating stories and writing as much as I want until I can't do it anymore.  Even if they remain on my laptop long after I'm dead and gone, at least I know that I actually accomplished writing a novel or two or three.  In the meantime, it has also encouraged me to continue putting this blog out into the universe.  Even if I only have one follower, than at least I've reach someone out there.

So, I'm putting this out into the universe with the hope that there may be a publisher who would be interested in reading what I've written.  Feel free to forward this posting to your friends, family, colleagues, anybody, I don't care.  You never know: maybe somebody out there in the world knows somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody...you get the picture.  If you decide that this isn't something you want to forward to anyone, that's fine too.  Instead smile at a stranger or say a kind word to somebody you pass everyday but never spoken with.  A little act of kindness may not seem like much to you, but it sure couldn't hurt anyone to put some positive energy into the universe, could it?  (This is where I would put an emoticon of a smiling face if I figure out how to do that here or if this was a video this would be the part where I would say "Thompson Out!" and drop the microphone on the floor and exit the frame stage right.)     

*According to Wikipedia, so take it with grain of salt. You know what I'm talking about here. 

Why Papa John's Pizza will never see ANOTHER $$ from me!

It all began because I was hungry and didn't feel like cooking! It has been raining here all day (all week actually) and I really didn't feel like going back out in the rain to get dinner. You would think that living in Brooklyn (were you can get the best pizza in the USA) that I wouldn't bother ordering from a chain pizza joint. Since my favorite family own pizza shop only takes cash I had to find a place that took cards. I have never been a fan of Dominos so I figured I give Papa John's a try. I had seen their commercials and knew you could order online.

So I ordered 2 specials and a beverage, and a side! First time I put the order in (with a tip added to the total) I don't get any confirmation, so I decided to place the order again without a tip (I figured I pay the tip in cash). This one goes through. Luckily someone from the store calls me and tell me that two orders have been placed and wanted to know if this was a go. I tell the guy "no, I didn't get a confirmation with the first so I placed it again." I tell him I only wanted 1 order. Fine. He says "we'll cancel the first one!"

A few minutes later the delivery guy calls and tells me he will be here in 4 mins. Cool, I tell him just bring it to my apartment door. Then he tells me that it's policy that they don't come into apartment buildings and that I would have to come to the front of the building. For a $35 order, I expect door-to-door service. Damn even Dominos does that! I tell him if he brings it to the door I will give him a nice tip. I'm figuring $10 is worth it. He tells me that I have to call his boss and okay it with him. So I call the place back and tell him I can't come to the front door and he says tell the driver its okay. I get back on the phone with the driver and relay this message. (Why couldn't the boss just do this himself?)

Okay, so the driver finally arrives to my apartment door and he doesn't have change for a $20 (all the small cash I have on me!) All he has is $3 on him, but he will go down into the car and bring back my change! I make a quick decision: if he didn't want to bring the pizzas up in the first place, he won't be back. Against my better judgement, I say "Fine, take the $20 and have a good night!"

So I go in and find that between the two boxes is a paper solicitation for an dog breeder of Siberian huskies! WTF? Who wants to find that WITH a food order. I'm thinking the delivery guy has a side job. But this is just tacky! It's reminds me of pet hospital next to a Chinese restaurant (see photo - yes it's real and it's located on East 14th Street between Aves A and B)! To a person with a vivid imagination, that is the last thing I want to see! It gets better: the receipt with the order is for the first order (yes the one that I put the tip on the card) So, if you are following me, this delivery guy has just made a $25 tip on a $35 pizza order!

Since I ordered online, I go to check both my bank to see if either of the orders have been cancelled. Neither order has been cancelled. So I go back to the phone and call Papa John's and find out what the deal is. The manager tells me, after putting me on hold for what seems like ages, that the first order was cancelled and it should show up on my account in 24 hours. Needless to say, this has been the most expensive pizza order I have ever placed thus far!

So, I do what any disgruntle customer would do, I fire off a letter to the company on their website! It funny that when you place an order the site runs fast and easy. But if you are trying to lodge a complaint... slow as all hell!

Its been raining all week here. Im getting over a bad cold I've had for the past 2 weeks. This pizza fiasco was the cherry on my day!

Catch Me If You Can: The Musical

I think this is turning out to be a great season for Broadway hits! Last night I the new musical "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN" at the Neil Simon Theatre! It has all the makings of what a Broadway musical should be: a great story, catchy songs, and an exceptionally dynamic cast!

If the title sounds familiar its because Steven Spielberg made a film version of the book by Frank W. Abagnale Jr. in 2002. If you don't know the story of Frank W. Abagnale Jr., its a fantastic true tale of a teenager who, by the age of 21, was a self-made millionaire. It was his way of making the money that makes the story all the more interesting: he forged millions of dollars of rubber checks. It was his illegal actions that led to the overhaul of how the banking industry now regulates the checking process. Along the way he successfully impersonates an airline pilot with PanAm, a doctor in an emergency room, and a legal processor. The FBI are hot on his trail when he evades capture by impersonating yet another government official! It isn't really that hard to believe that this is a true story! The story begins in 1964 when writing checks was a whole lot different than we do today. Doesn't anybody remember when it took 5 to 7 business days for an out-of-state check to clear?

Another reason why I LOVED this show was because the book (by Terrence McNally) totally flows cohesively with great tunes by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. I actually found myself singing along (to myself) to several of the songs while the performers sang them! It's a good feeling when you can walk out of a musical humming the tunes that you have just enjoyed on stage. They stay with you for a long time (and in a good way too)!

But what is a show without great performances? This one had TONS! Mostly broadway vets that, if you have seen Hairspray, Next to Normal or Wicked, are not hard to forget! The stand-out performance goes to Aaron Tveit as the very charismatic Frank Abagnale Jr.(played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film) What a VOICE this kid has on him! I wished I had seen him in Next to Normal when he was in it! Added to the mix are Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz as Agent

Carl Hanratty (played by Tom Hanks in the film), the still hot after all these years - Tom Wopat as Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken in film), and the always talented Kerry Butler as Frank's girlfriend, Brenda Strong (played by Amy Adams in the film). Great direction by Jack O'Brien and fantastic choreography by Jerry Mitchell! Dude, I really LOVED this show!

With the exception of "Shindler's List", "The Color Purple", "Jaws" and the Indiana Jones films - I'm not a super big fan of Spielberg movies. His film version of "Catch Me If You Can" isn't even in my video library. I can honestly say that this new musical adaptation is exponentially better than the film! It takes you on a journey that you can never forget!

If you want to see a great old-fashion musical, treat yourself to CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

Be warned however: the Neil Simon theatre is an old Broadway theatre. Old, as in, when they put the seats in there originally, theater-goers were are lot smaller than we are today! But if you are like me, it's a pleasurable pain being squeezed for 2 1/2 hours!

The Wendy Williams Show & Crazy Aunt Mildred!

Wendy Williams just read my letter on her show this morning!

Last week I was home and a get a phone call from someone at THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW telling me that they are going to read my letter and show a photo that I sent them. The photo I took one day a few months back while walking down 14th Street. Once I saw I this image, I knew I just had to take a photo of this.

Now if you aren't a regular view of Wendy (and I don't know why you wouldn't be), here is a little backstory: Its no secret that Wendy Williams wears wigs on her show. She even has a wig-stand that she calls "Shakeetha". Shakeetha even has a backstory: she's 25yo, she only dates ballers, likes the clubs, etc. She even has been going on a city-by-city tour to visit viewers. Ok, back to my photo: I'm walking down 14th Street in NYC and in the window of a wig shop I spot "Shakeetha's Crazy Aunt Mildred" and I know I just have to share this image with Wendy Williams viewers! So here it is if you missed it!

Also tonight on Dancing With The Stars one couple will be eliminated. Last night Wendy and her dance partner Tony Dovolani did a "Quick Step" and it was a great comeback from last weeks low scores! They did an AMAZING job! I hope you had the chance to vote for them? I had never been into DWTS before. I started watching it last season when Margaret Cho was on it, but after she got eliminated. I stopped watching. This season it's really exciting! Just like Celebrity Apprentice this year is really good too! I'm rooting for Wendy to bring home the Mirrored Ball! GO WENDY!! Thanks again for introducing "Crazy Aunt Mildred" to America! Now could someone get back to me about getting tickets for a taping?

Don't Wanna be an AMERICAN IDIOT! Vote TEAM WENDY on DWTS 1-800-868-3402

I went to the theater on Friday to see another show on Broadway: AMERICAN IDIOT. If it sounds familiar its because it's also a Grammy winning album by the alternative rock band Green Day. If you haven't seen the show - then RUN down the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" to the St. James Theatre to see it before it closes. Rumor has it that its closing at the end of April!

Don't expect to see a show like Phantom of the Opera or Wicked here. It's the closet thing to a musical without being all "musically". If you know what a mean. It's gritty, it's honest, and it totally rocks!

I wasn't a big fan of Green Day prior to seeing the show, but I am now. Some of the music I'd heard before but didn't know it was Green Day! I honestly have to say I liked this musical better than I thought I was going to like it! Granted, its not a musical for everyone. But teenagers will love it! The MTV generation and maybe the VH-1 generation will love it. However there were some seniors there who didn't seem to be enjoying it. They had that "turn-that-nois

e-down-I'm-trying-to-iron-in-here" look on their faces. So if you want to take the grandparents to a show, don't take them to this one (unless they went to Woodstock).

I hate to make comparisons to other shows but this show reminded me of "Rent" and "Hair" and "Tommy". And I LOVED all those shows! I think if you liked any of those shows, than you will love American Idiot! With the exception of the FABULOUS Rebecca Naomi Jones, all of the original cast has moved on. However the show is still as fresh as ever! Most of the ensemble cast has moved into lead roles. They are PHENOMENAL singers!!!! Ironically, in a show that pokes fun at American consumerism, the show now stars former American Idol runner-up, Justin Guarini. Justin, who was in the recently closed Broadway show Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (a show that had all the makings of a great show like Spider-Man but failed miserable) , plays Will. He sounds better than ever too!

Other news is that tonight I will be watching DANCING WITH THE STARS! As many of you know, I am a big fan of talk-show hostess, Wendy Williams. (I'm still waiting to get confirmation on tickets to see a taping next week) Wendy is one of the contestants on DWTS this evening. We wish her well! To vote for her call 1-800-868-3402! Support Wendy!

Also if you are a fan of Philip K. Dick's stories than you will love the new film THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU. I saw it last weekend and really was blown away with it. If you aren't familiar with PKD, then you should check out his work. It's sci-fi bordering on metaphysical. His stories have been turned in to films before: Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, etc. The Adjustment Bureau is based on Dick's short story The Adjustment Team. It's directed by George Nofli and stars Matt Damon, Anthony Mackey, Emily Blunt, John Slattery and the legendary Terence Stamp.

KATHY GRIFFIN WANTS A TONY - LOVING KATHY GRIFFIN!!!!

Today I was bummed out (does anyone even use that term anymore?) by all the images and information coming in about the earthquake in Japan. Don't get me wrong, I really feel for those people over there and I just hope that they can rebuild soon and stay safe. But after having lived through 9/11 here, I have become a bit neurotic - I'm a New Yorker, thats how we are. I think what really got me was all the information in the media about the nuclear plants and the possibility of a meltdown and what that could mean for the people of Japan. This on top of all the fears that the media has been feeding us with the various "what if" scenarios of it what it would mean if such catastrophes happened here. INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

So I turned off the television and went to pay my gas bill. The payment center for National Grid just so happens to be located next to the TKTS office at MetroTech Center here in Brooklyn. Much to my delight, they had a show that I've been dying to see, KATHY GRIFFIN WANTS A TONY! So, as an early birthday gift to myself, I got a ticket, and by 7pm I was sitting in the mezzanine as the curtain rose! Actually it's not really a rising curtain but that sounded more poetic, didn't it?

First let me begin by saying I am a big Kathy Griffin fan! She is a icon! And she simply put, is gosh darn funny! Okay, I really didn't mean to say "gosh darn" but I'm trying to keep this blog "clean" - but you know what I really meant to say anyway? She even allowed folks to take photos of her on stage - something that is very often prohibited at any Broadway show (see photo below -I had the flash off my camera, sorry). I didn't realize until after I had purchased the ticket that I would miss my two favorite shows on Tuesday night:GLEE and V. It was worth missing both of those television shows!

As a matter of fact, Kathy Griffin told the audience that she did an episode of GLEE that was broadcast tonight! If you don't know Kathy Griffin, than you really have been living under a rock! She is one of my very favorite 4 female comics working today (the others being Margaret Cho, Wanda Sykes, and the legendary Sandra Bernhard). Now Kathy is best known to American audiences from the series "Suddenly Susan" and her Emmy-winning reality show "My Life on the D-List". She is also the author of "Kathy Griffin: Official Book Club Selection" a memoir that is both funny and heart-warming! So if you know

who she is, then you know she doesn't hold ANYTHING back! That's why we love her!

Since I don't have cable I've only seen her show on Bravo when I'm visiting my mom. I did read her book when it first came out and was quite surprise with how open she was with the highs and lows in her life. Tonight at the Belasco Theatre she did not disappoint. No one was saved from the chopping block: Charlie Sheen, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Palin, Justin Beiber, Uma Thurman, Bill O'Reilly, Scientology, basically any "hot mess". At one point I found myself in tears from laughing so hard! Like Margaret Cho often speaks about in her show of her family, Kathy Griffin had tales of her beloved 90-year-old mom, Maggie! At one point Kathy even shared with the audience "notes" her mother gave her on how to do her show on Broadway! If anything, this would be the reason why she should win a Tony award: she did just the opposite of what the elder Mrs. Griffin suggested in her notes! TOO FUNNY!

My only problem with the show is that there are only 10 performances and then the show will be gone. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to see this show before it closes. If you are lucky enough to get a ticket to see this show before it closes on Saturday you won't be disappointed!

My "note" to Kathy Griffin: I'm so glad you didn't listen to Maggie's notes! Thanks for making my birthday a little more special for me!

PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT:THE MUSICAL...Finally!

Today, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, has been rather crappy! I hope the best for the people of Japan. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Okay, moving on to some happier news... last Friday I went to see the horrible, HORRIBLE, HOR-RI-BLE, musical Spider-Man:Turn Off The Dark! A night I'd like to forget ever happened! Tonight I went to the theater again and "FINALLY" saw a musical that I can honestly say was 1000x better than that musical which I dare not speak its name again! Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical playing at the Palace theater on Broadway was not only a feast for the ears and eyes, but it actually had a plot that one could follow! Now if you are a fan of the Stephen Elliot cult film, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" - a film that I often find myself quoting lines from ("A cock in a frock on a rock") - then you will be in for a big treat! Even though some of the jokes from the film are in the musical, it's still a riot!

If you have never seen the film, than you will still be in for a treat because it will be all new to you! The only difference is while the film contained tons of ABBA tunes - this show has replaced those songs with tons of songs from the Madonna catalogue and the Donna Summer catalogue. And yes, I did find myself singing along with the cast. But the main character from both the film and Broadway show still remains the bus named "Priscilla." The three leads - Mitzi aka Tick, Bernadette (formally Ralph), and Felicia aka Adam - use Priscilla to transport them across the Australian Outback from Sydney to the center of Australia to fulfill a performance obligation that Mitzi has booked for them. Along the way they get into some adventures and learn a lot about each other.

If you long for the ABBA tunes, then go see "Mamma Mia!" a few blocks uptown at the Winter Garden Theater. But if you are comfortable with men in drag, then this is the show for you! I personally liked this show very much. Not just because some of HOTTEST men on Broadway can be found here. The women and gays (like moi) had a eyeful of go-go boys at times. That aside, I really liked the story. The costumes and sets are FANTASTIC and some are reminiscent of the film! Even though the film introduced American audiences to Guy Pearce (Felicia) and Hugo Weaving (Mitzi) I believe some stars in this show will have big careers also! Will Swenson as Mitzi, Nick Adams as Felicia, C. David Johnson as Bob and Tony Sheldon as Bernadette (in the film played by the iconic Terence Stamp) were all great performers!

Now if you prefer to see more of the fairer sex on stage - then you are also in luck. Three FANTASTIC singers know as "The Divas" (Jacqueline B. Arnold, Anastacia McCleskey, and Ashley Spencer) keep the party HOT! The woman who stole the show was the very beautiful, J. Elaine Marcos as Cynthia, the mail-order bride of Bob. All I can say is I will never look at a ping-pong ball the same ever again! She was HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!

As I write this review I have playing on DVD, you guessed it, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. A film that if you haven't already seen, then you owe it to yourself to give it a look. And if you are in NYC visiting (or if you live here) and you want a fun show to see, then "Shake Your Groove Thing" down to the Palace Theater and you won't be sorry you did! And if you lucky, you may go home with a $750 gift certificate for Manolo Blahnik shoes as one very confused man did tonight!

FYI, I got my balcony ticket at TKTS at the Metrotech Center - I refuse to wait on that line in Times Square. This ticket office NEVER has a line and all the same shows are there that are at the ticket office in Times Square. If you don't feel like waiting at the TKTS booth in TS then take the A or F train to Jay Street/Borough Hall (the last car leads you to the stairway that TKTS is located).

Catches thieves just like flies! Look Out! Here comes the Spiderman...Maybe?

Ok, so I guess maybe someone connected with the musical read my blog from a few days ago when I gave my review of "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" because here is an update: The show, which was set to open next week, has now been postponed for the SIXTH time! Just when I figured out how to upload pictures from my cell phone to my blog!

Wait a minute! It gets better! Now it's being reported in the press that Julie Taymor, the director, has been, essentially, let go. Although they say she will be be working in another capacity with the show. So what I'm wondering is: will this show ever officially open? The producers are saying that it will open "sometime" in early summer!

Speaking of "producers", a friend of mine (who also saw the show the same night I did) pointed out to me that in the Playbill there are 3 1/2 pages of individuals and/or organizations listed as "Producers." This makes me think: maybe there is some truth to that old saying "too many cooks, spoil the broth!" Maybe the problem why this musical is such a mess doesn't have anything to do with the Director? Perhaps the problem lies with having so many "producers" having their input in the piece!

Who knows who they will find to direct this musical. I know! Why not get Charlie Sheen to direct it? I hear he may be looking for a job! Besides, he couldn't do any worse than the mess they have on their hands already! Seriously! Even if they take out all the dancing "Spider-ladies" (yes, you read that correctly), I doubt that I would ever pay to see it again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool, me twice, shame on me!

Something else occurred to me while I sat in the audience watching the train wreck unfold last Friday that reminded me of musical that I liked. Maybe Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark was "produced" by "Max Bialystock" & "Leo Bloom" - the fictional lead characters of THE PRODUCERS? Maybe Spider-Man (the musical) was their very real, SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER? Except, unlike that musical within THE PRODUCERS that became a hit, this really was a truly horrendous nightmare on stage! Hmmm....

I can't wait to see the Marc Webb film "The Amazing Spider-Man" starring Andrew Garfield as the superhero and my favorite actor with the last name Sheen: Martin. It's set to be released next year. Let's hope by then, the musical will be a footnote in the history of failed $63 million dollar Broadway shows!

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark! 2-1/2 Hours of my life I WILL NEVER GET BACK!!!

BE WARNED: No Spoilers (because, for the life of me, I wouldn't know were to begin).

I just got back from the theater after watching the new Broadway musical SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK. Officially it's still in previews and has been set to open on March 15th. What is there not to like when it has so much going for it?:

• It has music by one of my favorite bands in the world (U2 - Bono and The Edge)!
• It's directed by one of the most visionary directors on Broadway today - Julie Taymor! (Who directed Broadway's "THE LION KING" and films like "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE", "FRIDA" and "TITUS")
• It's one of most popular superheroes ever created by Stan Lee!
• A theatre that has been renovated to accommodate lots of stunts at the expense of $63 million!

What could go wrong? A HELLUVA LOT - THATS WHAT! First I must say I read the early reviews (all bad) and thought to myself "they are a bunch of haters!" Boy, was I ever wrong!

Two weeks ago I went with my friend Douglas (who was on visiting from Africa) to see the musical THE LION KING! Now I sometimes think of myself as a jaded New Yorker and nothing ever "Wows" me these days. But I stand corrected. This was the first time I have seen this show. Yes, I know, it's been running on Broadway for over a decade now - but I never got around to seeing it (plus it is NEVER up at TKTS). I must say, I was blown away! The imagery and staging was so simplistic that I really felt like I was there in the bush in Africa! Now THAT is a show you MUST SEE if you are visiting NYC! (Also Avenue Q - but that's another story)

So I was really looking forward to see the Spider-Man musical! I don't think it's giving anything away by saying Peter Parker aka Spider-Man has the hots for Mary Jane Watson. If you haven't seen the Sam Raimi films (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and uh, Spider-Man 3) with Tobey Maguire then you must be living under a rock. One of the plot twist that made the films quite entertaining was the love triangle/friendship between said couple and Harry Osborn (James Franco). I can't tell you what was on stage tonight at the Foxwoods Theatre except to say it was A HOT MESS!

The very things that may have endeared you with the films, is the exact opposite in the musical. I really, really, really wanted to like this show. But it was so confusing! A "Greek chorus" and a mythical creature both telling the story? WTF? The very fact that the time of the piece was jumping all over the place was most annoying. It dawned on me midway through the first act: maybe all the IN-YOUR-FACE theatrics is there to put you off that the plot is totally lame (i.e. nonexistent)! I had the absolute best seats tonight (center orchestra) but that didn't make up for the fact that the show was like a bad accident you just wanted to be over with! There was a little boy (about 10-years old) sitting next to me with his mother. During the middle of the second act I heard him say to his mother, "When is this gonna be over?" That's exactly what I was wondering!

Someone once told me that "The Olive Garden" was Italian food for people who don't know really good Italian food! That is to say, when you live in New York City (or the outer-boroughs) why would you settle for a chain restaurant, when there are tons of really great Italian restaurants around? Thats how I feel about Spider-Man! Once you get over all the bells and whistles, you realize you could've watch the DVDs (Including the abysmal Spider-Man 3) instead!

Now I will say that the art direction was PHENOMENAL! Some of the costumes were very "cutting edge". The choreography was exceptionally good! Matthew James Thomas and Jennifer Damiano, as Peter/Spider-man and Mary Jane Watson, both had great vocals! However, such elements as these do not mean a hill of beans if the story sucks!

Unless they rework this entire show, I doubt that it will ever open. If it does open, in the present incarnation, it won't be open for very long! If you are visiting New York City or if you live here and want to see a really good show: AVOID "SPIDER-MAN:TURN OFF THE DARK" LIKE THE PLAGUE!

The Good and The Bad

Two Issues!

1) Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE to read. I always have a book on me. I just got a nook eReader from Barnes & Noble - but thats another story for another time. So I recently began collecting the leather-bound classic collections of authors that can be purchased from Barnes & Noble! They are great books for any collector. They are beautiful books with ribbon bookmarks and gold or silver binding. At last count I believe I have 19 volumes total. If they sell more than that, then I haven't found it yet. Some of the titles include, The complete works of William Shakespeare, Complete works of Edgar Allan Poe, C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by H. G. Wells (all in one volume), etc. They also have contemporary novelists like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Son of a Witch, and Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and The Lost World.

I sent a letter to Barnes & Noble to suggest other authors they may want to add in the future. Here is some of the letter that I sent snail mail and emailed to the corporate headquarters:

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to express my appreciation for a your company releasing the Barnes & Noble Leather-bound Classics!

I've have ordered online or purchased in store the complete 19 volumes. I hope I did? Although I never would have thought of Gregory Maguire and Michael Crichton as classic authors, I guess some day future audiences, will view their work as classics.

My question to you is: do you anticipate releasing even more author collections in the near future? If so, can I suggest some authors that would be a great addition to my wonderful collection? How about considering these authors next time around:

• Mark Twain
• D. H. Lawrence
• Oscar Wilde
• E. M. Forster
• Geoffrey Chaucer
• L. Frank Baum
• Ernest Hemingway
• F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Zora Neale Hurston
• James Baldwin
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Truman Capote
• Maya Angelou
• John Steinbeck
• Willa Cather
• Joseph Conrad
• Toni Morrison
• William Faulkner
• Edith Wharton
• P. G. Wodehouse
• George Orwell
• Virginia Woolf
• Philip Roth
• Stephen King
• Raymond Carver
• John Irving
• Evelyn Waugh
• Annie Proulx
• Henry James
• Marcel Proust
• Raymond Chandler
• Ray Bradbury
• Walter Mosley
• Amy Tan
• Ian Fleming
• Patricia Highsmith
• Charles Bukowski
• James A. Michener

Leather-bound collections by these authors would be a great addition to anyone who wishes to cultivate a well-rounded library. You may want to forward this to the office that makes such decisions.

I'm sure that if you're like me, you can think of some more authors that should be on this list that you'd like to see in a leather-bound collection on your bookshelf. Suggestions? If you are like me and would like to see more of these books, drop them a letter like I did:

Barnes & Noble, Inc.

122 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10011

2) I also like to watch films. Good, bad, whatever! I have been a member of Netflix for many years now. Recently I had a problem with a DVD that I kept getting in the mail broken or cracked, thus rendering my visual experience: unwatchable!

Something should have told me that maybe this isn't meant to be. Now with Netflix, you can't just send them an email and if you call it's never a person picking up. So instead I wrote a review of the film. Here it is:

Review of YOU ONLY DIE ONCE: I have yet to see this film. That's not to say that I haven't ordered it. In fact I ordered it 3 times and EVERY SHIPMENT has been cracked or broken. I guess I should have read the reviews before I put this film on my queue, but I always like the underdog and wanted to judge for myself. After the 3rd broken DVD was delivered to me, I figured somebody was trying to tell me something! It must be bad when Netflix doesn't even bother to make this film available for streaming instantly. Oh, well maybe it's just isn't meant to be.

Okay, thats enough for now. Cheers!

Why Billy Can't Sleep?

Yesterday I finally came to the realization that what is meant when they say "you can pick your nose, you can pick you ass, but you can't pick the family your born into!" Because believe me if I could pick my own family, I would be an only child or maybe I'd like to have a brother. Either way I guess I'm stuck with what I got even if I never say another word to my mother's other child again, I can be a happy man! Let's put it this way, if my sister was on fire, I wouldn't piss on that bitch! I have had it!

We had a difference of opinions on certain thing and I have since washed my hands of all the ugliness that it entails. Some people are just so narcissistic that it just doesn't warrant continuing any relationship with them at all. But I digress....

I'm writing this post at 2:45am because I can't sleep. I recently found out, after participating in a sleep study, that I have sleep apnea. This is a disorder that cause me to stop breathing in my sleep. Needless to say, it can be deadly. My doctor prescribed a CPAP machine to help me with my sleep apnea. This contraption looks sorta like a elephant trunk connected to a small box. This will not only correct me from breathing interruptions during the night but it will guarantee that I will never have any romantic life in my bedroom. It's hideous and I wish there was some other way... oh well!

Haven't posted in a while. Saw "The Social Network", "True Grit", "Black Swan" (did anyone catch the sketch on SNL with Jim Carrey? - TOO FUNNY), and "The Kids Are Alright" recently! Excellent performances in all these films and I recommend them to anybody. Oh, I also saw "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow, Part 1". I quite enjoyed it even though there were some truly frightening scenes in it! By far, I think it's the best of the franchise. I eagerly await part 2!

I finally got around to reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Its my first eBook that I downloaded on my nook reader that Santa gave me for Christmas! Pretty good so far...

Okay, I'm going to sleep now. My sleeping pill is starting to kick in! Oh, one more thing: never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night!

I'm Back! Has it really been a year?

It's been over a year since my last posts! I've been going through a lot of life changes but I'm well now. So much has happened in a year's time. Where to begin? Okay here goes: BP Oil spill in the Gulf! Those poor animals and the people whose lives depend on the tourist! My heart is goes out to you!

True Blood-LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! Who won American Idol this year? Who cares! Adam Lambert ROCKS that's all I know! LOST went off the air! As well as 24, The Tyra Banks Show, ER, Law & Order (the original one).

Ricky Martin came out! Good for him! But really, was that REALLY that much of a surprise? I love you RICKY! iPhone, iPad, iPod, iCARUMBA! But if Steve Jobs wants to send me a iPad I am totally okay with that! The world has gone iCRAZY! Wendy is still going strong (even though she is on hiatus until the new fall season starts! Still love you WENDY my Bewigged Goddess!

Movies: The Hurt Locker was the best movie last year that so few people saw. I did see it on DVD and I can understand the hoopla! I loved The Princess & the Frog, but found PRECIOUS very disturbing! Great performances though!

Food: Did somebody say SHAKE SHACK!? (Madison Square Park for NYers, Times Square 8th Ave @ 44th for tourist) I had my first Shake Shack burger and nearly came! It was the best burger I've had in a long time! And yes it's even better than my former favorite The Little Burger Joint (inside the Parker Meridian Hotel on 57th Street) I still love my cupcakes! Billy's (9th Ave at 21st street) (of course!).

Books: I've read many books since the last time I posted I cant think of anything that sticks out that much besides Michael E. Schiefelbein's VAMPIRE series (Vampire Vow, Vampire Thrall, Vampire Transgression, Vampire Maker). VERY SEXY!!!! Why doesn't somebody make a series about these Vamps? Oh, that's right, it's not for tweens but for adults! Believe it or not the only vampire novel I read prior to these was the Bram Stoker. Another book I recommend is Rodney Lofton's No More Tomorrows: Two Lives, Two Stories, One Love! It hit me like a ton of bricks!

I hate using the computers at the public library. Right now I'm on my laptop. Two weeks ago I was in the library on the computer and this guy next to me was surfing the web watching porn! I don't even want to know what he was doing under the jacket draped over his lap! That's not the place for that kind of nonsense! I complained to security but they said that they could do nothing about it because they can't block websites! Funny, but when I was going to school, the IT dept did just that! What has gotten into people?

Music: did I already talk about that? Loved Soldier of Love (SADE) and BlackSummer's Night (Maxwell), The Fame Monster (Lady Gaga) and The Element of Freedom (Alicia Keys)!

Nuf said!

Never Can Say Goodbye

It's been 13 days since the passing of the King of Pop and it still hadn't sunk in until today when I was watching the funeral on television. Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz came on and sang the Jackson 5 classic "I'll Be There" and I lost it! I know this sounds funny but it really feels like I've lost a relative, a strange one, but a loved relative nonetheless.

It's almost as if I can "Remember the Time(s)" of my life all set to a soundtrack by this great artist! I can remember a time back in the 70's when I wanted to BE a Jackson! I had the fro and everything! I remember the day when my dad brought home as a gift for my sister and I the Jackson 5 album (this is what we had before they made "CDs") "Maybe Tomorrow" and my sister and I played it over and over until my father insisted that we stop playing it or he would return it back to the store.

I remember when my sister and I and some of the kids in our neighborhood would make a "Soul Train" line in our back yard (since we couldn't play in the street) and would do our very best "Robot" off of the song "Dancing Machine"! I remember in college when my friend Kendell and I would play "Thriller" and I would play Michael dancing around her "overstuffed" Ola Rey as we dance around the dorm blasting the song over and over!! And there is not a person alive who hasn't tried to Moonwalk while listenting to "Billie Jean!" Ya'll know you did!

Despite his eccentric qualities, I will really miss the artist known as Michael Jackson! As a song from his "Dangerous" CD goes, he really is "Gone Too Soon"

I LOVE GUS VAN SANT

This week I received the Gus Van Sant film "Milk" from Netflix! Last night I finally had the chance to see it! And I want to let the WORLD know how much I loved this film. For anyone who doesn't already know, it is the story of the first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. He is to LGBT people, what Martin Luther King Jr. is to Black people. And I can say that because I am both! He fought for gay rights when it wasn't popular and he set the precedent by which we still fight today in the rights for equality. I am so glad that Gus Van Sant, an openly gay filmmaker himself, has finally brought this story to screen. It has to be said also that the writing, by Oscar winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black was very worthy of the Academy Award that it did receive! He also gave an amazing Academy Award acceptance speech when he won this year! Nice going Lance!

One of the reason's why I loved the DVD is because of all the extras on included with this disc. It contained several featurettes, however in particular was the "Remembering Harvey" short. This featured many of the people who were with Milk during his historic rise to fame in San Francisco during the 1970's. Many of these same people are portrayed by younger actors in the film itself. Cleve Jones, who many people know as the man who conceived of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, talks about Harvey with much affection and the impact that he had on him as well as the gay community then. In the film he is brilliantly played by Emile Hirsch.

Speaking of acting, I have to say that Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, James Franco as Scott Smith, and Josh Brolin as Dan White were excellent! It's always a treat when actors can so immerse themselves into a role that you forget that they are the actors themselves. The entire cast was great! Gus Van Sant has done a fine job once again!

Many of you may already know that I am a BIG fan on Mr. Van Sant's work as a director (with the exception of his remake of the Hitchcock classic "Psycho") Hitchcock should be emulated and paid homage to but NO DIRECTOR (myself included) should ever REMAKE an Alfred Hitchcock film (except Alfred Hitchcock himself like he did for "The Man Who Knew Too Much") but I digress. Ever since "My Own Private Idaho" I've been hooked on Van Sant! Of course I feel somewhat of a kinship with him being an openly gay filmmaker too! He, much like Harvey Milk, uses his artistry to send a message with the media of film. I hope to continue this same concept as I embark on my film career.

It's funny, but I saw similarities between Harvey Milk and myself. Like me, starting my film career in my 40's, he didn't start his gay activism until he turned 40. I never knew how much his actions in the 70's have contributed to me being the man I can be today! It's also very fitting that this film should be released in this particular time when California conservatives have passed Proposition 8 which prohibits same-sex marriage in that state. Coincidence? I don't think so! That being said I hope that Gus Van Sant continues to put out great works such as this. He is one of my many inspirations and I hope that one day I can win an award and thank him and Harvey Milk for all that they have done for our community!

Now, GO rent (or buy the DVD to add to you Gus Van Sant film collection like I am). You won't be disappointed!

I Shot Nicole Richie (with a camera, silly!)

Last week my photography professor, Cal Vornberger, took us on a field trip to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Actually it wasn't that much of a trip, per se. All we did was walk out of the door of school and walk across the street to Bryant Park. I was there walking to a photo shoot the week before and saw the paps surrounding Lindsay Lohan as she was going into the back of the tent. So on this particular day, I suggested that we go to the back. The photo on thee left is the one I took of Nicole Richie. Doesn't she look like Once, Twice, Three times a lady? Anyway this was my day as a Paparazzi photographer! I rather do headshots and video!

BTW, if anyone is interested in headshots, HOLLA! I'll give you a really, REALLY good deal! Hey, I'm working on getting my book together too! So I'll work within your budget. Just email me if you are interested and in the subject line just write: HEADSHOTS NEEDED and I will get back to you asap, provided that you put your contact information.

Welcome President Barack Hussein Obama

Today will go down in history as the day the first African-American and the 44th President of the United States of America will take office as our Commander-in-chief. From this day on people will remember where they were when President Obama was inaugurated. After 8 years of George W. Bush's White House, this is a new day that we all have been waiting to happen.

I am proud in so many ways by this historical day. I'm proud to be an American! I'm proud to be African-American. I'm proud to be a Gay-American. I'm proud to be a 44-year-old man living in this day and age to see this particular day come when an African-American will step into the White House and sit in the Oval Office. I'm am tearful today because so many people in my life who never lived to see this day happen. My father, who was my hero, never lived to see this day. Friends who I have lost over the years never lived to see this day. Today Mr. Barack Hussein Obama is becoming the reality that, like many of our fathers was the Dreams from My Father.

I don't think it's ironic that yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A man who never lived to see this dream of his come true. Today when President Obama will be inaugurated there are expected to be crowds in the millions on the mall in Washington D. C. Believe it or not, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited about today! Not because I had a job interview today at 12:30pm, but because a black man who is only 3 years older than me will be stepping into an office that many of my ancestors could have never imagined see happening.

Who would believe that a little boy from Hawaii (see photo above Obama as child with his mom) would grow up to become the man that will become leader of the free world? I am beyond happy today to see this day happen. I may not be on the mall in the cold, but I'm alive! Although I could do without seeing Pastor Rick Warren today! That man is a bigot and a homophobic asshole! And I don't think I'm alone with that belief. Am I? [I welcome your comments]

Welcome President Barack Obama! Welcome First Lady Michelle Obama! Welcome First Daughters, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama! Welcome to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

It's A New Day!

Since I last posted here, Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th President of the United States of America! Hopefully better times will be ahead for this nation economically. I think just by the fact that he has already given 3 press conferences and has started announcing cabinet members in his administration, hopefully this is a good sign that the man means business to change the mess that 8 years of the Bush Administration has done to this country. Okay, that enough from my political soapbox.

I recently read 2 really interesting biographies. One was call "Out of Sync" by Lance Bass (yes, that LANCE BASS). I could never imagine what the world would be like to live in a fishbowl knowing your secret could come out any minute. Despite what some people think of "boy bands", I think it took a lot of courage and bravery for him to come out of the closet. Equally fascinating but by no means boring was the other book that I read "Alone In The Trenches" by Esera Tuaolo! Here is a man who is 300+ lbs, 6'3" and solid muscle and playing in the most brutally, masculine sport there is: Professional Football! His story really got to me, much like John Amaechi's "Man In The Middle" did. Esera played nose guard for several professional teams in the NFL for over 9 years and he, like Lance Bass, lived with the same secret. His story is quite a read and of course, the filmmaker in me would LOVE to make it into a feature film if it hasn't already been optioned! I think Esera's story, even more than Lance's , will make people question how they feel about us, Gay Americans!

Speaking of gay Americans I have to shout out to Miss Wanda Sykes!! I hope she has opened the door for more closeted, high-profile, people-of-color who are celebrities to take the leap and stand up and be who they truly are. I have never met Wanda, however my mother goes to church with Wanda's parents in Virginia. More Power too ya Sistah! Who knows maybe one day our paths will cross either in VA or NY. Wanda came out at a rally, like many staged across the nation recently, opposing the passing of Proposition 8 in California.

I don't want to get on another political soapbox, but I have to say something regarding Proposition 8: Why do people care whether or not same-sex couples get married or not? Seriously? Straight people have the right and often abuse the privilege that is just a basic HUMAN RIGHT OF EQUALITY! My sister recently told me that she doesn't believe in the union of same-sex couples! And should I ever tie the knot with my man (that is if I had a man), she wouldn't come to my wedding to celebrate what could be the happiest day of my life! I interpreted this as she loves me, but with conditions!. To this I can only say "F**K YOU MONICA!!!!" Someone will have to relay this message to her, because as she has never bothered to come and see me in a play in the many years I was acting, nor had the time to take 15 minutes out of her precious time to watch my documentary (however, she has all the time in the world to hang out with her motorcycle "club"), I can tell you that she will never read my blog! Her loss, ignorance is bliss!

Oh, I almost forgot. The other day I was walking from a bar with my friend Paul and we ran into Lee Tergesen and Eamonn Walker from the HBO series "OZ." They were really nice and I was really drunk. I hope I didn't make too much of a fool of myself. Anyway Look for "Kings" coming on NBC in Feb 09. They well be on it!

Well enough about me. Have a nice Turkey day!