Ani DiFranco and Widespread Panic Coming to NYC

Very stoked - just found out that both Widespread Panic and Ani DiFranco are coming to NYC - Panic hits Radio City on July 22 (tix go on sale on 5/8) and Ani plays Town Hall on Nov 20th - tickets are supposedly on sale NOW, but I can't log in...so you may have to call.

Hope to see you there!

Grateful Dead "Crimson, White and Indigo" at City Winery

If you'd love to catch a great '89 show of The Dead at JFK Stadium in Philly, go a fun viewing party at City Winery tonight. Tickets are only $10 and it is to ring in the "...release on April 20th, 'Crimson, White and Indigo' (which)is a 3 CD and 1 DVD set that chronicles the landmark 1989 Grateful Dead concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, and features entirely unreleased material from the Grateful Dead’s Archives."

Can you dig it?

Again, from the site: "The 3 hour concert will be shown in its entirety for two nights only, on City Winery’s main 150in. Projection Screen and played over the award winning Meyer Sound System. Immerse yourself in the full Grateful Dead experience for this special presentation."

Who's bringing the green rice krispie treats?



City Winery
155 Varick Street (between Spring and Vandam Streets)

By Subway: 1 Train to Houston Street or Canal Street; C / E Trains to Spring Street

By Bus: M20 downtown or uptown, M6 uptown, M21 crosstown

Parking: Parking garage on Spring Street between Hudson and Varick, 1 block South of City Winery. Street parking on Vandam available after 7 p.m.

The Happiest Medium - Retro Look; Intuitive, Creative Insight

There's a new site in town - and it's got a lot of promise! The Happiest Medium is a review site dedicated to the Arts (with an emphasis on Theatre and Film) that also includes features, information, and creative snippets (Antonio Miniño's :Wo(Man) in the Window is a creative, entertaining spin on photography and fashion).

Editor Karen Tortora-Lee (formerly editor of Neighborbee), her husband Stephen (who brilliantly designed the site), Antonio (Editor of the currently dormant The Fab Marquee), K.B. Abele, and yours truly are staff contributors, with a few others joining this fall, and some others like playwright David Stallings as guest writers.

I suggest you make your way over to the site and check it out...it's what I really wanted to do a long time ago with a blog (either Voodoo Jive or Ornery Woman) but just never had the time/ability. Ever since I've gotten back into the theatre scene and began putting a lot of time into acting, directing and teaching, being able to regularly post on and develop websites have just not been a priority for me. I loved being on the staff of The Fab Marquee, and an thrilled to be a part of The Happiest Medium (as in finding the happiest medium between all of our favorite arts).

Go check it out!

Going to See Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) Tonight at the Nokia!

Looking forward to it...since I have surgery coming up next week, it's a nice way to enjoy myself a bit and not think about it. I am bad about writing set lists and such - I get into the show and forget. That's what I want to do: enjoy myself and forget.

Chico and Spud are also sick, and I have been running around with them all weekend to the vet - so having some fun for myself is in order.

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement - At the Museum of Natural History! Awesome!

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement is a wonderful film that is part of the Love Against the Odds series. It is the love story of two women, now in their 80's, talking about their relationship through the years which began in the 1960's. Definitely something to catch - and think about.

It is being shown today at The American Museum of Natural History, as part of the Margaret Meade Film and Video Festival, that runs through the 15th.

All you need is love, man.

Reno 911! Canceled...Yet Another Fav Show Bites the Dust

Of course this is belated news as well, but some of you may not know: Reno 911! has been canceled - and we aren't even going to get a farewell episode. Now, the cast change for season 6 probably had something to do with it - getting rid of three of the original cast members (especially Clementine and Garcia) was a mistake; they were totally fucking hilarious. But who can resist cracking up to Dangle in his shorts? If you miss Dangle, don't worry - you can keep up with him (Thomas Lennon) on Twitter.

Although it will most likely be ineffective, there is a "Save Reno911" group where you can sign a petition, etc etc...and hell, why not? They even have a little logo to embed on your site.



Adios, Reno - I'll be doing a post soon about my fav episode - Reading Ron - with Brian Unger.

Adam Yauch - a.k.a. MCA of The Beastie Boys...a lil' note.

This is belated news, but since I've just been belated on everything in relation to my blogs (except my postings at The Fab Marquee as a theatre reviewer - and even then, my editor has a few things to say about my *cough* punctuality), but I'd like to belatedly make note of how devastated I am that MCA of The Beastie Boys, aka Adam Yauch, has a cancerous tumor in his salivary glad - and subsequently had to cancel their All Points West gig - which, I was only thinking of going to see them, for I try to not miss them when they are anywhere near the Tri-State area. My mother worked with playwright Israel Horowitz - King Ad Rock's (Adam Horowitz) father many times, and I was always pissed I never got to meet Ad Rock - but MCA was always my favorite (I love all three of them, but maybe it's my penchant for older men, whatever).


He has come out of surgery, bless his heart, and had a note for fans that you can see here at the NY Times - however, he sent it to the B-Boys fan group (yes, I'm in that email blast, thank you very fucking much) and it was so precious. He's had the surgery, but the poor thing has to undergo all the chemo, radiation, etc that one would have to post-op to make sure the damn thing stays gone.

I'm sure many of you have seen Jay-Z perform "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" at All Points West in honor of the Beasties - there are several recordings out there - my pal Chris Gordon picked this one out - it's the best I can find. Amazing. I saw them w/ Dale two years ago when they played their first show in Brooklyn ever - and when they played it, it had UBER significance.

Well, when I got the email from Yauch, it's from a "no-reply" address...which, I'm hip; dude probably would blow a server from all the emails. So I simply have this to say:

Adam -

I adore you and have loved you for years. My prayers, or whatever good gris-gris that you want to take, is with you. You have always been a source of love and musical pleasure for so many - and an inspiration, from your Tibet work to the simple love of your family, music, and your fans.

Just know that so many of us are breathing a collective sigh of relief that you are better, and that many of us (I am not an atheist, obviously) have you in our prayers.

You're a tough mofo - I've seen you on stage only a few feet away, playing your bass and being the musical genius that you are...a lil' cancer ain't gonna take you out anytime soon, man. You have a long life ahead of you.

Get better! Get rid of that cancer! And then rest....and THEN - get your fuckin' ass back on stage, yo.

Love, Strength, and Peace (of Mind) -

Billychic

Robot Cats and Electric Sheep

I thought this article was fascinating this week...and one of my favorite parts is that they actually talk about the correlation of a robotic cat to Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - the story behind the cult classic (and one of my favorites of all time) Blade Runner.

The simple idea of having a robotic pet - and one that can assist the elderly, for instance - is entertaining, fascinating...and a little scary, still. However, for those who are older, who just can't make the commitment to a live animal for fear that they may not outlive the pet - but yet are still lonely and need something besides the sounds of their tv or radio to keep them company (I can totally fucking relate), then perhaps it's a good idea. Especially if it has devices that can alert medics, etc to help assist said elderly individual. Yet...it still ain't the real thing.


Although it's not as disturbing as a possible I, Robot, scenario, with someone running for their lives when the humanoid electronic buddy decides it's payback time to the strains of Won't You Be My Girl, Sally by The Police in the background, it still gives me pause.

Hey, I'm a tech geek, a sci-fi nut, and interested in all of this very much; but I'm also an animal activist. I just hope that something like this doesn't give the planet earth incentive to say it's okay to continue doing lab experiments and euthanize animals if their response is "well, hell...we can always make one out of a tonka toy kit." Hopefully that won't happen in my lifetime, or our children's...but if things keep going the way they are, more than just polar bears and bengal tigers are going to be extinct.

Song of the Day Is Back: Led Zeppelin - Sick Again

Led Zeppelin - Sick Again

From the album Physical Graffiti

Possibly one of the sexiest songs by one of the sexiest bands...again, pulling from it's blues roots..."...ya said you dug me since you were 13..." - always with the love, sex, sweat, and that amazing unit that was the band of Led Zeppelin. Not a wasted drum beat or guitar riff.

Glad to be back. Don't know how regularly...but more so than for the last year, I can bet your ass on that.

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick - Bozo The Hippie

My new pal Jack at work...being a nutcase. He's gold, man - gold.

RIP Robert Novak

Although he more often than not differed with my politics, I have always had respect for Robert Novak. He stuck to his guns, and didn't waver. I remember hanging out at my parent's place and watching Crossfire, my Dad (ever the conservative) would always hoot n' holler when Novak did his thing.

He died of brain cancer today.

What I dug about him was that he was a wee bit o' a maverick; he disagreed with Republicans almost as much as he did the democrats.

And regardless, he was a helluva journalist.

Michael, You Will Be Missed - RIP

Photo: www.soulspectrum.blogspot.com

Michael Jackson.

The name, since I was young enough to appreciate music to the point where I was memorizing names, stuck in my head throughout the Jackson 5; and I was one of the first in line to get my Thriller album, which is still in vinyl, sitting in my closet, where it is a tribute to 27 years of history. I can think of very few who did not attempt to do the Moon Walk as I grew up - hell, I can recall a few weeks before hearing about his death, someone at work tried to do it here and we all laughed as his sneakers got caught on the carpet. A bunch of 30 and 40-somethings all laughing and remembering the childhood awe that we felt about him, his music, his glittered glove!

Regardless of news reports his sex life, or his growing eccentric behavior...his ruining his relationship with Paul McCartney by trying to buy the Beatles songs... I think most people, although they would joke about him and his possible sexual desires for pre-teen boys, all felt in their hearts that it was more about a man who was torn from his childhood and wanted playmates...and could only relate to children; and who had major mental problems. There are priests and such who have raped boys, but I don't think that Michael Jackson ever raped anyone - and I have rarely, despite jokes - met anyone who really thinks he did either.

On the day of his recent death, and the day after, an ex-boyfriend began texting me all of these jokes about MJ and his penchant for young boys; then the texts escalated into making fun of his face and his surgeries. I had to write him back and tell him to please STOP - it wasn't funny. The man was DEAD. Three children are without a father, and a world who grew up with him as the center of their musical universe as a child had that man taken away...a man who had become a shell of what he once was. My ex's curt response was "I love the way he was hated by Paul McCartney who issued a press release he loved him and for a decade he was called a child molester but now he's a saint...No one I know is upset (that he is dead) at all."

Well, for starters, this explains why this person and I are no longer dating...but what really gets me is that although some might call him a child molester, I would have to say: look at his interviews. When asked if kids were sleeping in his bed with him and having sleep-overs, he would reply enthusiastically, "Yes!" and talk about all the fun they had. He went to bed watching cartoons. A person I know, who worked in shwanky hotel that MJ stayed at one night said that he called room service. When she asked what he wanted, thinking he wanted food, he asked her to tell him a bedtime story because he couldn't sleep.

I ask you: who can't look at the man and see that he was just trying to re-live his childhood, one that he never was allowed to really have? He was troubled, yes; had mental problems, yes; but although some of us had a good laugh at some of the issues that were going on and his odd behavior, we need to look at the brilliant boy, the brilliant young man, who did indeed become the King of Pop and created a legacy that will go into history for all the good he did.

And what my darling, empathy-filled (I hope the sarcasm is dripping as I type) ex seems to forget is that even people who are seen as twisted at times, and even when there is anger in relationships involved, people will still mourn the untimely death of such a brilliant star who was so troubled that he only weighed 112 at his death. I mean, hell - I will actually mourn when Robert dies...which, I cannot say he would do for me, or anyone for that matter. But that is a whole other post.

Michael - thank you for the good times. I'm so sorry that you were so unhappy. I wish you could have been happier...and hopefully the Neverland you were seeking is now in your hands and around you. Rest peacefully.

MTWorks: The Oath - Now through May 10th!!!

Hello, Everyone!
Sorry to have been MIA, but I have been in another play lately - The Oath, produced by MTWorks, directed by Cristina Alicea.

I'm working with some wonderful actors: Anthony Crep, Sarah Chaney, Louise Flory, Maureen O'Boyle, and Robin Madel...oh, yeah, and me.

Jacqueline Goldfingers' The Oath is a Southern Gothic tragedy set in the midst of the Great Depression. A wandering preacher is ensnared in the political and social games of a rural Southern town ruled with a macabre sense of justice by two rival families.

What it's really focused on, and why it's so relevant even now, is how difficult it was for women during The Great Depression. Women could not be preachers or reverends back then (and the attitudes have changed very little since then, as we heard from our talk back speaker on Sunday) and two daughters of an ailing reverend are struggling to find a MAN to replace him...but at what cost? It's a play full of the lies that have to be told in order to actually get by and live.

It's a great show, and I'm so happy to be a part of it. If you are in NYC, please go to www.MTWorks.org and get your ticket and come see the show! Only $18 to see the show...and if you read BUST magazine or their website, look up The Oath on their blog and see what kind of discount you can get! 'Cause the BUST chicks know a good play when they hear about one!

Please leave them a comment and let them know you came by to say howdy - and I hope you come to see the show!

Beastie Boys: 20th Anniversary of Paul's Boutique Remaster

Hey Kids!

It's the 20th Anniversary of Paul's Boutique - and that means that The Beastie Boys are hooking you UP!

Go to their special site to get the special 20th Anniversary Commemorative Package - which includes a poster, a t-shirt, cd, vinyl, and digital downloads.

And if you don't want the whole package (it is a little pricey, but to true diehard Beastie Fans it ain't nothin' but a thang) you can get them separately. The t-shirt you can only get on the site, though.

Rock on and Shake Your Rump-ahhh!

Oberon Theatre Ensemble - Winter Rep 2009 - Much Ado About Nothing and American Rapture

OBERON THEATRE ENSEMBLE‘S WINTER REP 2009
12th Anniversary Season: Shakespeare, Saroyan & Dinelaris

OBERON THEATRE ENSEMBLE is pleased to announce Winter Rep 2009, celebrating the company’s 12th Anniversary Repertory Season. The company will be presenting William Shakespeare’s Much About Nothing in conjunction with the series called, American Rapture, which includes Hello Out There by William Saroyan and world premiere plays by Alex Dinelaris (nominated Lucile Lortel/Drama Desks).

Brad Fryman, Oberon Theatre Ensemble Artistic Director, believes, "Although written over 400 years ago, the primal, the Machiavellian, the sultry and the romantic desires captured by The Bard, prevail in modern society. The two plays present contrasting looks at similar themes. In Much Ado, we see two true romantics on the road to marriage and another couple quite opposed to marriage who finally fight their way into each other's arms. In American Rapture the characters are also fighting to find their way, whether it's through relationships, self examination, or violence.”

Winter Rep 2009 will play a three-week engagement at The Beckett Theater at Theater Row (410 W 42nd St). Performances begin Thursday, February 12th, and continue through Sunday, March 1st. Tickets are $20.00 and $13.75 students/seniors. For reservations, please call 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com to purchase tickets online. Tickets may also be purchased in person at Theater Row’s box office, open daily from 12pm-8pm.

Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare
directed by Mark Karafin

Benedick and Beatrice have vowed to remain single and appear to enjoy their battle of wits too much to ever call a truce. Young lovers Hero and Claudio conspire to change their minds. A romantic comedy about winning the one you didn’t know you wanted most.

Thursday, Feb 12 at 8pm
Friday Feb 13 at 8pm
Monday, Feb 16 at 7pm
Tuesday, Feb 17 at 8pm
Wednesday, Feb 18 at 2pm
Saturday, Feb 21 at 8pm
Sunday, Feb 22 at 3pm
Wednesday, Feb 25 at 8pm
Thursday, Feb 26 at 8pm
Friday, Feb 27 at 8pm
Saturday, Feb 28 at 2pm

American Rapture
Hello Out There by William Saroyan and world-premiere plays by Alex Dinelaris
directed by Alex Dinelaris

An evening of short plays, some humorous, some tragic, explore the unique mixture of loneliness and hope, which make up the American Experience. Playwright/director Alex Dinelaris, who was nominated for a Lucille Lortel (Best Musical) and two Drama Desk Awards (Book & Lyrics) for his work on the off-Broadway hit, ZANNA DON’T!, weaves his way through modern relationships, religious hypocrisy, love, loss and the endless cycle of violence that threatens to swallow our society whole. The evening culminates with William Saroyan’s Hello Out There, the powerful tale of two outcasts who find love at the most unlikely of times, in the most unlikely of places.

Saturday, Feb 14 at 8pm
Sunday, Feb 15 at 3pm
Wednesday, Feb 18 at 8pm
Thursday, Feb 19 at 8pm
Friday, Feb 20 at 8pm
Saturday, Feb 21 at 2pm
Monday, Feb 23 at 7pm
Tuesday, Feb 24 at 8pm
Wednesday, Feb 25 at 2pm
Saturday, Feb 28 at 8pm
Sunday, Mar 1 at 3pm

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Visit www.oberontheatre.org for more information.

Please check out The Fab Marquee as well as Kampfire Films PR for information as well.

Song of the Day: Is It Over? I Just Had a Post Removed on Here by the DMCA

So I pop on over to check the stats on my site and lo and behold! My recent Song of the Day post, which featured U2's Vertigo and a nice pic and the usual link to songs, was removed.

I found an email from Blogger telling me my ass was in trouble with the DMCA and I had to remove the song...but they just went and took the whole post down.

So...unfortunately, because people SUCK...and because the music industry is so worried that one little song being given away for free will cause issues (even when the link is provided to buy the album and a little history is given about the artists)...I've had to hide my server with the tunes. So...the next time I post a tune it will be up for a day or so - if that; it might have to be truncated. I have to talk to my lawyer and check out what my right are on here.

Although I haven't been posting a Song of the Day for a while, I was just getting back into it again...and then BOOM. They dropped the curtain on me.

Oh well...I'll figure something out.

Thanks to all of you who listen and check out the blog - and who still send emails regarding posts from even two years ago. Sorry the mp3 had to be moved...but I can't afford a lawsuit right now. I'll have to play it by ear...blogger hinted at taking down Voodoo Jive if I continue.

How much does THAT suck?

Happy Holidays to All

In favored tradition, I would like to share one of my favorite clips for the holidays and the coming New Year:

Southpark's The Spirit of Christmas

Please note: there is serious profanity and religious slurs for all kinds of people. It's SOUTHPARK, people, so don't say I didn't warn you if you click are shocked at Cartman calling Kyle a "pigfucker", and Jesus trying to kill Santa Claus.

If the vid below doesn't come up, just click the link above.



Happy Holidays to all. And thank you for reading and sharing our lives, tortures, and aspirations that we share on here. Let's hope 2009 is even better.

Love,
Billychic

Greenpoint Has Pissed Me Off This Holiday Season: New Tacky Holiday Light Fixtures on Manhattan Avenue Are Anything But Holiday

Trust, I'll add a photo to this post this weekend - or in the next few days to illustrate the sheer lameness of these lights; considering that Voodoo Jive has become my bastard child blog, unfortunately, with my posting theatre reviews on The Fab Marquee and trying to maintain Ornery Woman and the gang of fabulous women on there, my own blog that I originally started over 4 years ago has declined into hardly anything. I hope to get the music back...soon...for that is what a main part of this site was for quite a while.

My Song of the Day was something that I looked forward to every day. Then, as work got more hectic and my time to do things outside of said Clark Kent gig became shorter, things like picking my tunes, uploading the mp3 to my server via an FTP that wouldn't crash my archaic fucking computer, searching for and adding photos and bio info as well as purchasing info (I must always show where to buy the album if I'm going to put up an mp3) as well as photo credits, etc - all seemed to take forever...and eat time I didn't have.

But anyway...I digress - as usual. Today's bitch? The fact that Greenpoint has decided to chinch it out this year and instead of putting up the regular green and red light wreaths that extend across every intersection down Manhattan Avenue, making the holiday season awesome (it makes Greenpoint look like some cool Bedford Falls, literally, with the Xmas lights aglow) - instead of that, they are putting up these cheesy blue lights that just wrap around the individual lampposts. It barely registers as "holiday" anything. The fact that the lights were also like a month late is also kind of a horror show.

The Greenpoint Gazette seems to disagree with me. I'm wondering who, if they really live in the neighborhood and know what they are talking about, would write so cheerfully:
"...holiday lights will include green garlands and sparkling white lights wrapped around the street light poles...In keeping with green values, Town square arranged for LED lights to be used this year, which will save almost 90% in energy costs compared to the older incandescent lights."
(you can almost hear the exclamation point at the end of that sentence).

First of all, the lights are blue, not white. So it looks like one huge very lame and cheaply-thrown together Hannukah celebration up and down Manhattan Avenue, which if anyone who lives there knows is hilarious, because the majority of the native Polish population of the hood (we're talking pre-hipster move-in) are...how can I say this? Anti-semitic is too harsh (and not altogether accurate), however the vibe is definitely Catholic or Polish Christian Orthodox, and I have heard many of the Polish people make a point to say "this person is a Jew, etc..." in THAT way. Whatever - the older generation haven't even learned English and leave it to their adult children and youthful grandchildren, who are bilingual now, to translate what's going on outside.

So, we've established the lights are blue...and apparently it almost didn't happen at all (if you read the article). I mean...wtf? I've been here 7 years, we've had them every year, and it wasn't going to happen? We should be happy to have some tacky-ass looking lights that don't look like they have anything to do with Christmas or the "holiday season" anyway? I know economic times are hard, but this has always been a poor neighborhood before all the trust fund kids/artists/hipsters (see trust fund kids)/Manhattan refugees moved in. It was rough and it wasn't pretty. But during the holidays, they had these lovely lights that would go up around Thanksgiving, and would line the streets of Manhattan Avenue, making you not look at the trash and the belligerent drunks on the corner, and enjoy the beauty of the Holiday spirit.

This year, we get lights that look like they came from the lobby of a used car dealership.

My first thought was: is this some PC thing? Have enough hipsters and atheists moved into the neighborhood that they wanted to take away Christmas and simply throw up some lame lights and call it a night? I hate to sound like one of those whackjob rabid Hard Right bloggers, but there is something to that "Anti-Christmas" thing; my nephews can't even celebrate Xmas in their school anymore (but Muslim kids can leave class to go pray). I think it's lovely to do both - but not pick one and discriminate against Christianity...or Christmas. It's not fair, honestly. And I blame two groups: the Hard Left, who are as bad as the Hard Right, and the current administration for attaching Church and State and pissing everyone off so that anything having to do with Christmas and/or Christianity is looked down upon.

But that's a whole other rant. I'm talking about these fucking lights.

So, then I thought "well...economic times are hard..." -- but to be honest, this neighborhood has more money flowing into it now than the last 20 years put together, and they couldn't come up with the beautiful Xmas lights they have every year? Those lights make this an actual neighborhood instead of just another area in the big city. And now...we're stuck with these tragically pathetic lights that don't speak Christmas at ALL (next thing you know, they'll stop selling trees). What I find hard to swallow is the horseshit that the Greenpoint Gazette is shoveling in the article; as if we're supposed to be happy about it? I mean, I'm paying 1540 in Greenpoint now for a tiny one-bedroom in a neighborhood that used to be considered too scary to walk through. They couldn't afford the lights?

All I have to say is that it sucks...and I miss the Bedford Falls (no relation to Bedford Avenue, people) look; the feeling of Christmas in Greenpoint, and being able to invite my folks over and show them how beautiful the neighborhood can be. Now, it's just another neighborhood in Brooklyn that couldn't cut the mustard.

RIP Bettie Page

Bettie Page, one of the most beautiful and sexy icons of the 20th century, who also mainstreamed the BDSM movement to some degree - has died.

Right alongside Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich (who we all know was gay, but only later on), Lana Turner - Page was just as important of a sexual icon, but she also embodied the alternative sexual lifestyle, to the point that her visage has remained a constant source of joy - and cash flow - for people who wish to embody not just the raw and lovely sexuality and fun she shared in her photos, but also the brazen underground culture of the BDSM movement that was going on at that time - and has become more mainstream today. I even own my own Bettie Page necklace/bracelet set (given as a gift by Roisin) and several other merchandise that makes me happy to display her proudly as one of my own icons.



I daresay if it were not for people like Bettie Page, the BDSM movement and even some of the fashion that is loosely associated with it would not be what it is today.



She, like Marylin, was a natural, someone who loved the camera and the camera loved her. And regarding her extra step into nudity? According to the referenced article, Bettie said, ""God approves of nudity. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were naked as jaybirds."



RIP, Bettie. You will live on like Marilyn - but not like Marilyn, because you are your own beautiful - and intensely different person...and icon.

Get Out There and Vote! Special Incentive: Free Sex Toys from Babeland

Babeland, which offers "sex toys for a passionate world", is giving away free sex toys - specifically "sleeves" for men and vibrators for women - if they present their "I Voted" sticker or ballot stub or even on your word of honor, apparently.

So go check out Babeland - if you're in NYC or Seattle. We've got three locations here in NYC I think.

Because voting feels good!

Indeed.

The Fab Marquee: A Theatre Site With Class and Pizazz!

Just to let you know, I've been asked to be a contributor for The Fab Marquee and I'm very excited about this opportunity. I sometimes do reviews of various entertainment venues on here on Voodoo Jive - usually it's music or sometimes places to go/eat or in NYC; I haven't done a theatre review on Voodoo Jive in...well, hell, I don't know when. Which is ironic since I'm immersed in the NYC theatre world it seems now...and have been immersed in the entertainment industry to some extent my whole life through my family.

Please stop by The Fab Marquee - it is run by amazing people, one of whom is an incredible whirlwind of energy in the PR industry, Antonio Miniño; another is a fabulous playwright who recently wrote the smash hit "Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell" produced by their theatre company, MTWorks. It includes several talented writers.

I'm so very thrilled to be asked to come on board as a theatre reviewer for their site, which is already considered to be an important place to see works reviewed and latest news on the pulse of NYC Theatre Scene. Please stop by, and check it out! I have just started, so as of this post, I only have one review on there, but will be reviewing two shows I saw this past week that will be coming up this week. I hope you'll come by and make comments (like how AWESOME I am) and enjoy the site as a whole.

:)
Dianna
aka Billychic

I Present My New Kitten...Miss Laretta Kincaid

Photo: Dale Harris

Well, I didn't go with little Rain, the kitty I mentioned that was available for adoption from www.zanisfurryfriends.org that I found on Petfinder.com - that I mentioned in a previous post; things didn't work out that way. The lady who was fostering her was in Long Island, they were going to have to come over and do a "house check" - which I don't fault them for, that's understandable; but I have been adopting and owning pets for 16 years and I just don't have time to wait for them to bring her over just to see if I liked her...and then have a complete stranger come into my house and tell me "your place is a shithole and not good enough for our pet" - because, to be honest, my place is not the epitome of Better Homes & Gardens.

However, my pets seem to dig it, and they seem to dig having a Mom who loves them and makes sure that they get to eat before she does. Considering that I saved all these critters (I have four, now including Miss Laretta)from either death or living in a cage, and that they get the best food and health care...well, that speaks for itself. I was not responsible for Nina getting cancer and dying. I have to accept that...and move on. Did she have symptoms? Sure, but I am not a vet and I didn't see them. I did drop 6k on her two years ago to save her from diabetes and got two extra years of life out of her and gave her shots religiously twice a day for two years...so I think I'm a good pet owner.

Anyhoo, I hope that Rain finds a home - she looks really precious and please click on the link above and check her out for yourself or someone you know.

Here's the story on Miss Laretta: I was, after a weekend in which I was despondent over things in my life, leaving for work and heading toward the train at Union Square. On one side is the subway station, where I was intending to go. On the other side, is a Petco that has a KittyKind adopting station, where you'll find anywhere up to 25 cats in cages, many kittens, waiting for a new home. As I started walking towards the train, my feet suddenly seemed to have a life of their own and I headed in the opposite direction - toward the Petco.

An hour later, I emerged, beaming, with a small little girl kitten in a carrier...headed for home with me.

She is four months and two weeks. I have named her Laretta in honor of my old friend Larry C. Sullivan, a.k.a. Laretta Kincaid to his close friends. Her name in the shelter was "Loretta" and it seemed like a perfect idea to me.

She is a spunky little critter and I adore her...and the other pets are taking to her just fine. Spud is starting to groom her.

I think all is right with the world.

Royal Pink: A Chick Band for All Seasons - New Monthly NYC Gig in LES

Royal Pink, one of my fav chick bands in NYC, (they are so nice and so naughty) is playing a regular monthly gig on the Lower East Side at Mehanata (a.k.a. the bulgarian bar) - 113 Ludlow Street between Delancey & Rivington. There's one this Sunday, the 19th; doors open at 8.



From the email:
Are you ready for the queer punk dance party of your dreams? Because this Sunday night your pinks are playing at the first ever anonymous, the new and extremely fabulous monthly party at mehanata. Yes, it's a school night, but we know you will risk being a little sleepy on Monday morning in exchange for some quality debauchery. Here are the details:

please join us for the first night of a new monthly party:

a dance party for queerpunx and our friends.
bands. djs. plenty of dark corners.
wear something you can get dirty in.

sunday, october 19, 2008 – doors at 8 pm
and the third sunday of the month from now on

october 19 - MIX Festival closing night afterparty

featuring
Inner Princess (genderfuck/genrefuck punks)
Royal Pink (dirty-girl feminist rockers)
and more...

plus projections by the MIX Festival crew!

just $5

at mehanata (a.k.a. the bulgarian bar)
113 ludlow street between delancey & rivington
F/J/M/Z to delancey/essex; B/D/Q to grand; V to 2nd avenue

[inspired by - and we hope in the spirit of - Homocorps, the Clit Club, Rock n Roll Fag Bar, and all the other parties where the dance floor and the dark room are both alive and well]


NOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PAR-TAY.

:)

Oberon Theatre Ensemble's Fall Frolic: A Fabulous Fundraiser!

Try saying "Fall Frolic Fabulous Fundraiser" six times. Now add some awesome wine, gourmet cheese, and really scrumptious dessert chocolates; throw in mingling with a great theatre crowd, and you have the recipe for a wonderful evening.

A little from the website (which I just started helping with):

An Evening of Mingling, Wine, Gourmet Cheeses, & Decadent Dessert Samplings!

All to benefit Oberon Theatre Ensemble and our upcoming 2009 Season!

Purchase your ticket today!

When:Tuesday October 21, 7-10 pm
Where:Professor Thom's
219 2nd Ave, between 13th & 14th Streets

Tickets will be *$35* if purchased before Oct. 14
and *$45* if purchased after.

Please go to www.OberonTheatre.org/Fall-Frolic/ to use the PayPal link. I couldn't get it to look groovy on my site here.

Gourmet foods generously sponsored by:

Ideal Cheese Gourmet Cheese Shop (www.IdealCheese.com): Ideal Cheese offers the finest cheeses of the world. Our cheeses are available per lb, per full wheel, or even in specialty cheese baskets for gifts or great treats. Ideal Cheese also offer specialty products, such as fine Cooking Oils, Vinegars and specialty meats.

Our Cheese and Specialty Products are of the highest quality and we pride ourselves on offering our customers the very best cheeses of the world and specialty foods, online today. The Ideal Taste...The Ideal Choice.

and

Sweet Muse (www.SweetMuse.com): Sweet Muse celebrates the creative, playful spirit in all of us with handmade treats to indulge the senses and inspire. The fudgy, gourmet brownies are freshly baked from scratch using only the finest ingredients and then carefully hand-packaged into gift tins and gift boxes perfect for both personal and corporate gifts.

Swirl Events will be at the party to provide information about the wine and wine pairings.

Swirl Events (www.SwirlEvents.com): A SWIRL EVENTS WINE TASTING is a festive and elegant idea for Holiday Parties. In this tough financial climate, we are an affordable option, allowing you to still celebrate with style while maintaining your budget. Swirl makes your entertaining effortless. We provide EVERYTHING for your event including a selection of amazing wine, gourmet chocolate and cheese pairings, elegant stemware, and our professionally-trained team of Swirl wine experts.

Cash bar will also be available.

It just keeps getting better: you don't want to miss out on our RAFFLE, so be sure to get your tickets early when you arrive!

There will be raffle prizes donated by our headlining sponsors, Ideal Cheese and Sweet Muse, as well as other fabulous and generous raffle donors including:

Maieutic Theatre Works (MTWorks),

Hotsy Totsy Burlesque,

Barnes & Noble,

Lansdowne Road Sports Bar

and many more!

It's going to be a lot of fun, and for a good cause: Oberon Theatre Ensemble is a great theatre company, who has gone out on a limb to put me in productions and work with me...and has 12 years worth of incredible plays and staged readings - two of which I will be in coming up this Fall, I think...

So if you can, come on out! The raffle gifts are going to ROCK and the cheese, wine, and desserts will be amazing.

xo
D

MT Works - Into The Underworld

One of my favorite theatre companies (besides my own, Oberon, of course! LOL) is Maieutic Theatre Works(MT Works), which has put out amazing productions like the recent Anais Nin Goes to Hell - one of the best productions I've seen in NYC OB/OOB theatre in a long while. I have a post I started about it and didn't finish; I have to put it up, but since its already past, let me talk a bit about what they have coming up: Into the Underworld.

I suppose what would do it justice is to take from the TicketMaster synopsis, for proceeds from the event will not only go to raise funds for MT Works; it will go for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (which Mom was a part of about four years ago signing autographs).

A Broadway Understudy Tell All...With Music. MAIEUTIC THEATRE WORKS (MTWorks) is pleased to announce their one-night only benefit event, Into the Underworld: A Broadway Understudy Tell All...With Music, once again under the musical direction of Matt Doebler (Wicked). Last Spring's Underworld included performances by David Garry (Company, Sweeney Todd Tour), Carly Hughes (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Chelsea Krombach (Wicked), Lindsay Northen (Wicked), Jacqui Polk (Hairspray, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Heather Spore (Wicked), Andrew Varela (Sunday in the Park with George), Katrina Yaukey (Company, Cabaret) and Catherine Walker (Mary Poppins). The proceeds from this event will go to funding MTWorks Season 08-09, including The Third Annual National NewBorn Festival in January 2009, and the production of Jacqueline Goldfinger's The Oath in April 2009 at The Arclight Theater. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.

Please try to check it out.

Keep your eyes open for another benefit coming up that I will be posting: Oberon Theatre Ensemble will be having a "Fall Frolic" on October 21st...a benefit including wine, cheese, scrumptious desserts, and awesome raffles as we get ready to announce our upcoming season at the Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row.

More to come...

RIP Paul Newman

The only time I ever met Paul Newman was very brief, although I had seen him walking around a million times. It was in the OLD building of the Actors Studio NYC (the real one, back when it was a real place to be revered, and not the joke that it kind of is now) over on...I believe it was 45th street. There was a time I spent a lot of time there as a kid. My mom was in several shows there, and once in a show put together by the folks who did Best Little Whorehouse; my dad directed several plays, and then dad directed Mom and a bunch of other people (including Thomas G. Waites, Francis Fisher, in Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending. And it was during this time, that I was hanging out there a lot again...a 15-year-old, bored out of my mind because I wasn't always allowed to watch rehearsal (I think some of the actors complained) and other times I would sneak into an area where they couldn't see me and watch anyway.

Mr. Paul Newman was the Artistic Director, I believe, at that time; and I would see him walking around here and there and think to myself, "Wow, Paul Newman!" even though by that point I'd met so many actors...He came up to me one time and was like "who are you?" and when I explained, he just said, "oh, okay" and took off. He seemed to be an intense man who was concerned about the Actors Studio, and he should have been. Most certainly he should have been. I wonder what was going through his mind over the last 20 years since it went from being a beacon of honor among actors, where so many of our greatest actors used to participate and it was an honor to be a member (hundreds would audition every year and only a handful, literally, IF THAT, would get in) because it meant something; to the way it is now, where one doesn't necessarily have to have any kind of acting gift, they can just either sleep with the right person, drop a name, or take a series of classes and at graduation - even if you suck - you can become a member, thanks to their collaboration with both the New School and now Pace. I wonder what Mr. Newman was thinking...watching all these young faces disembark into what had once been a place with dignity and honor among the acting community.

I didn't know him, just met him, but I had respect for him. And hell, I sure do love that Peach Salsa. The following was sent to me by my friend Nathan who used to be the original drummer for the Flaming Lips and has an awesome wife, my dear friend Jamie, and two lovely kids.



Paul Newman was a wonderful, brilliant actor and he will always be remembered by those of us who are well aware that we have just lost another great one - as three "celebrities" spring up every day...and it's a shame because there are fewer and fewer actors out there who really know what's going on in The Work.

I'm Seeing Willie Nelson Tonight!!!

And I'm eternally stoked. He's playing at Radio City Music Hall, and Jakob Dylan is opening up for him. When I first started playing guitar at age 9 (long story for another post) the book of tunes my folks got me was "Kris Kristofferson's Sunlight and Shadows. The also included a record for my turntable of "Willie Nelson Sings Kris Kristofferson."

Needless to say, Willie's (and Kris') music has been an important part of my life growing up...and you gotta hand it to a guy touring in his mid-70's with a beat-up guitar, who promotes marijuana use and just seems to be about the kindest cat you'd ever want to meet.

With all the crap: my cat dying, my relationship ending, and my feeling really like the the earth is about to swallow me whole, I can't think of anything better to do than pay way too much for a bottle of Bud and sit and listen to Willie. Jakob is a cutie and that should be fun, too.

I'm going by myself, which shouldn't be a surprise to those who really know me...

I shall start doing the Voodoo Jive Song of the Day again very soon - and Willie will be the first one. I made this as much of a music/mp3 blog as it is a NYC blog...as it is just a blog about my life. I have let it go, but I think I have to grab my strength back through writing and sharing what I love: music, goings on in NYC, and just the general bullshit that I find myself going through every day. I gotta say: my life is interesting, to say the least.

I can't WAIT to see Willie.

:)

RIP Nina Mouse

Nina passed away Saturday, 9/20, around 12:30 or so. I had to take her in to put her to sleep because the malignant tumor that was in her ear had made its way into her brain and was causing seizures and she was unable to walk or lift herself up. As we waited for the doctor's appointment at my apartment, we sat in the window propped on pillows so she could see outside, with a "Mozart for Cats" cd that I got that she seemed to like...and I brought out two ice cream sandwiches which she licked and gobbled. I kissed her and told her how much I loved her.

At the doctor's office, wouldn't you know it, she was able to walk (oh, the healing power of ice cream!) but the doctor told me that these episodes would happen again and more frequently. He assured me that what I was doing was for the best...and the look in her eyes when she couldn't move and was having a seizure was of terror and was so pitiful. I did NOT want her to go like that while I was away from home at work or whatever.

Even at the very end, she made a few little huffs and snarls of annoyance as we layed her down and the needle went in. I looked into her beautiful eyes and told her I loved her again and that she would be seeing God soon...and then they added the drug that put her to sleep.

I miss her so much...and I am a better person for having had the 9 years I did have with her, when she showed up on my doorstep in the rain one night in St. Louis. I thank God for giving me the time I had with her.

If you have a pet, please give it a hug. I have three other pets that need my love, and I have to be here for them...so I need to be strong. Hard, though. Really hard.

A Moving Episode About Alzheimer’s and a Trip Down Memory Lane Thanks to Stargate Atlantis

Photo by Mark Perez

Back when I was about 10, my Grandfather died. He had been in a nursing home for a while, and I remember running up and down the halls, not wanting to stay in that sterile room, its cold and bland-colored tiles smelling like disinfectant and the urine that the disinfectant was supposed to have cleaned up. I think one reason why I didn’t want to stay in the room was because he didn’t know who I was.

Looking back now, we know that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s and the dementia had started much earlier. I remember when they moved him from his apartment in Dallas, TX, into a limited care home, where he was able to bring a lot of his furniture and it was almost like a new apartment except that it was smaller, and there were nurses who would check on him if he needed them, and there were common eating areas, etc… It was kind of like somewhere between a bachelor pad and a nursing home.

Then, somewhere along the way, in what must have been a relatively short amount of time, I think my mother was informed that he needed more help than they could offer; and that when we went over there I remember Mom saying things like “Dad, you already asked me that,” or “you know who that is, that’s Ernie, my husband.”

Funny, the things you think about just from watching an episode of something on TV. I just happened to download an episode of Stargate Atlantis (one of my favorite shows) because I don’t have cable right now, and in their current season, about two or three episodes back someone suffers from a similar illness. It was heart-wrenching; not your average sci-fi show. It brought me back to Paw Paw and that final place he was brought to: a nursing home where the patients either screamed obscenities or drooled or sat quietly. There was one man who couldn’t have been more than 40; he was handsome but his hair was very grey. He has suffered some kind of condition that left him practically in a vegetative state. There was also a woman whose room I would creep into and try to talk to; she would suddenly start yelling at me, calling me all kinds of names. That only made me go back and sneak in her room again. I delighted in bothering her. I think I did so because I knew that I just didn’t want to be in that room with Paw Paw and Mom and Dad and Esther…as they watched over him.

I was never close with my Grandfather, from what I remember. Not that the man wasn’t kind or loving; I see pictures of me as a baby and little girl sitting on his lap. I remember his apartment, how I loved to go there; it was a place of secret hiding places and cornbread. I called my Grandfather Paw Paw. Paw Paw had a marvelous bedroom; I think what I remember most was his grooming area. He always kept himself looking great (the man was married twice and apparently a ladies man). What I remember the most from his apartment are the makeup kit and brush that he used to brush his moustache with dark dye, his lava lap (which I inherited at my request), and these two glass roosters that sat on top of his TV. I always thought the roosters were going to bite me, even after I got older and knew that they were just glass. I also remember almost drowning in his pool (actually, I was only underwater for a few seconds, but it was enough to make me never take up swimming until I was 13).

His was the first death human death that I experienced in the family – or at all, actually. The only one besides that was the death of Cuchi Frita, our Yorkshire Terrier, who I adored and who was taken from Mom and Dad way too soon.

I wish I had spent more time with him, but I don’t think Mom and Dad wanted me to see him too much…he was a very intelligent man who, I imagine, was outraged that he was unable towards the end to remember things that he once knew…who, in the end, didn’t even know Esther, my grandmother, or my Mom, his daughter.

I have been so sad over the past month, with my breakup and what’s going on with Nina. But I think that losing one’s mind – or watching a loved one go like that - might be the saddest thing that anyone has to go through – a schoolmate has a mother who developed Alzheimer’s in her early 50’s, and I remember when Erica told me I couldn’t come stay at her house anymore because it had just gotten too difficult and they were eventually going to put her in a home. And that was when we were in high school.

Life’s hardships always never cease to amaze you – in the ways that something that seems so difficult and impossible to deal with is something that seems so unimportant when placed next to something else.

Interesting.

My Cat Nina Has Cancer...And I'm Devastated

Thank you to all who wrote in to me about my being happy that she got through her tooth surgery, etc...and we were waiting to hear back about her ear infection/eye infection...and why it wasn't going away.

Turns out it is cancer.

I am getting xrays to see if it has spread, for it is the kind that does...but I think the battle may be coming to a close for my little girl. Diabetics don't fight infections very easily...and this illness she has is apparently very tricky.

Please pray. If you don't pray, then send good thoughts.
If anything, please send her warmth and no pain...and I just hope at this point to have another month or so with her...or as long as I can until she is in pain and there is nothing I can do. For if it's spread to her lungs and lymph nodes, which the doctors say may be the case...then I have to let my little girl go.

I got two extra years with her, and I am so grateful! So grateful! But I'm so damned angry - there is no reason at all...why creatures who give us so much love, who already have a life span that is so much less than ours (depending on who we are, I guess) have to get diseases like this.

So please send your love and warmth to a little girlie kittie who every night puts her paws on her Mommie's forehead and makes biscuits...and who scratches on the bathroom door until I let her in...who hisses at the cats but will rub noses with Chico, my dog...and who is my little baby girl.

Thank you for listening to me ramble, but I can't do much else right now except just cry, and that's bothering the pets, lol, for they're like, "Mom, wtf, you need to chill, yo..."

Certainly puts things into perspective...like my recent breakup, life questions, all kinds of things. All I know is that one of my "kids" is ill...and I don't know if I'll be able to bring her back from the brink this time. And I'm furious that I can't.

Billychic

Long Weekends Are Longer When You're Sad

I am surrounded by things that are either his, or things we did together, or things that remind me of him.

And I reach out to people that I met through him during the last year, and I hope that they have not decided to stop talking to me. He wants me to be an integral part of the theatre company now. He says that we are still friends, and there is no reason why the others can't be.

One of them, one of my favorites, who I would gladly consider a dear friend even though I never see him; whose company I enjoyed so much for he reminded me of my friends back in Mississippi mixed with the urban intelligence (we've lived in similar parts of the country) of the big cities of being bi-coastal, and whose take on acting I respect very, very much said to me: "Please don't ever break up with him. I want us to always be friends, and if you break up, we can't anymore."

My therapist says that the loss of this relationship is the loss of not just Brad, but the potential loss of all the friends I made over the past year, of a company that has taken me in from the cold when my other one fell apart.

I try to be strong (Brad is so strong, he is! You have to be strong like me!)...and I'm just sad. Very sad.

And then...I get a little angry. I have moments of anger. And I have to embrace those. I can still try to be a part of the company and I want to be friends with these people who I have come to care about, and I guess I will; but I am not a robot and can't compartmentalize my feelings (as Brad as done).

Through tears and anger and sadness, I look at a songbook...and I laugh...for it reminds me of my ex-husband as well (the songbook itself) and I think of what song or verse would I sing right now, as I sit in my apartment, surrounded by the remnants of what Brad left behind (which includes me, even though it was just a matter of who wanted to say 'we're broken up' first out loud) and I have to hand it to Bob Dylan: he really knows his stuff.

So long honey, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't saying you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right.

There. That just about says it...for now.