Let's Have a Tiki and a Tony!

Hello again!  I'm giving this another try and hope that it will bring a smile to whoever reads it.

This last weekend, I got together with some great friends and family to tour a few restaurants/bars in our little part of Queens called Sunnyside.

The theme, in case it eludes you from the picture, was beachy (Is that a word?  Spell check is telling me "no," but I'm gonna use it anyway).  The first place we hit was Claret Wine Bar, which is a nice place that we've frequented in the past and probably will again.  The main obstacle we came across here was our server, though.  She was a bit chilly, especially for this being an island themed event.  Had they been extremely busy, I could have understood, but seeing as how we were one of the few occupied tables in the place, it was a mystery as to what was causing her frosty demeanor.  Oh well, after a couple drinks we made our way off to the next location, determined not to let her ruin what we hoped was going to be a fun time in the neighborhood.

Is this a hit or a miss?  You decide!

There were hits and misses along the way, but I think the event succeeded in its intended purpose, since there are definitely some places we'll try again in the future.  I'd have to say, the best one we went to was the last place we ended up, Flynn's Garden Inn.  The staff was extremely friendly and the bartender even brought in food for everybody, free of charge!  Most of the crowd seemed to know each other and I thought, 'Could this be my Cheers?'  I'll have to go back and see if the experience is the same before making that big decision.

I have to thank Roberta, Larry, Faith, Danny, little Sammy, and Von for making it such a fun time and I look forward to the next crawl, walk, or sit we have together!  Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't show off the excellent portrait Roberta and I took together.  It was a special moment I know I shall treasure for, at least, the next five minutes.

Look at those crazy kids!

Now, onto the biggest event of the weekend and the one everyone is here to discuss.......the 2014 Tony Awards!

What would a blog about New York City and theatre be without a discussion of Broadway's biggest night!?  I never really watched this show with much conviction until I moved here and started actually seeing the shows that were up for awards.  It's a whole different experience when you have some vested interest in who's nominated and who's winning.  Of course, what do the results really mean?  They mean it will be that much harder to get tickets for the winning shows and you'll have to rush to see those that didn't win (AKA the losers) before the producers decide to close them down ("Aaahhhh, I'm sorry you didn't win, but guess what?!  You're also out of a job!!").

There were lots of great moments in the show and I found myself smiling often and thinking, 'You didn't win anything, wipe that smile off your face before someone sees you!'  I thought Hugh Jackman was a great host, although second best to Mr. Neil Patrick Harris.  But, then again, Neil (he lets me call him that, he just doesn't know it yet) can't do everything (just most things).

Of course, one of the biggest moments came when Audra McDonald won her sixth Tony Award, making history for the most wins; plus she's won in every acting category (well, except for the male categories).  She was understandably tearful during the standing ovation she received and her speech.  Having had the opportunity to see her in Porgy and Bess last year, I'm sure her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill was outstanding.  But, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed that Cherry Jones didn't take it home for The Glass Managerie.

Two other standouts of the night were performances from Neil and from Wicked, celebrating the 10th anniversary of it playing on Broadway.  Neil is in Hedwig and the Angry Inch currently (for which he won Best Actor) and his performance was, to me, fantastic!  Watching the two leads from Wicked perform the song, "For Good," made me nostalgic and made me think of Miss Emily back in Colorado.  Okay, maybe I got a little teary during that one, but who can blame me?  For those that know Emily, you know she's worth a tear or two when you're far apart.  But, I digress.....(sniff, sniff, see, it's happening again)

The overall feeling I got from the Tony Awards was how much everyone seemed to really be rooting for each other.  The sense of community here in NYC among those in the theatre is palpable, even through the television.  I felt like I was a part of that community for a couple hours watching the show and it's the same feeling I get whenever I see a play, musical, or almost any live performance around here.  They're creating art and letting us be part of that; to feel something, to provoke thought and discussion, or to escape from everyday life in a unique way.  I sure hope I never become jaded as I've been warned can happen if you live in NYC long enough; I want theatre to feel as fresh and exciting in five years as it does for me today.

Until next time....