Back from New York, still trying to catch up

Admittedly, cyberspace is littered with reasons -- both legitimate and lazy -- for neglected blogs, and I've got a history.

I could talk about having been on vacation, being sick, moving house (all of which are happened). I could go on about my messy desk (looks bad. We're going to have to move here too), or a general state of summer malaise.

Sometimes, though, you just have to shut the flock up and get back to it.

I did spend a couple of days in New York at the end of July, my first time back in the city in more time than I'd care to mention. Took my wife, kid and nephew to "Marry Poppins" which was very slick, very colorful and coming to the Ahmanson, gosh, like the end of 2009 or something as part of the national tour. Original Broadway stars Ashley Brown (as Ms. Poppins) and Gavin Creel (Bert the Chimney Sweep) will be touring with it. Why, I couldn't say, but it will be cool to see them.

Kinda interesting to see actors I've seen before on L.A. stages in their native habitats, as it were. Rebecca Luker, who has stepped out of her ingenue roles and plays Mrs Banks (earning a Tony nomination, thank you very much), I had seen in "Time and Again" and "Harmony" down in San Diego, and interviewed in a crappy little rehearsal space in Burbank before her turn in Reprise's "She Loves Me." Nice lady. Good actress. If I had had one more day in NYC, I might have tried to catch her husband Danny Burstein who is apparently tearing it up in "South Pacific."

J.R. Henerson, age 9, stayed awake through the entire performance, although he fidgited mightily. Poor kid. What I put him through. His cousin, Andrew Silverman, age 10, had no such problems.

Also caught Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines in the Arthur Laurents' directed revival of "Gypsy" which was wicked cool, largely because I suspect Ms. LuPone's performance is one I will tell my grandkids about. Interesting the things they do on Broadway. The pre curtain announcement, which included the standard "turn off your bneeping devices," "don't unwrap candy," etc. also informed us that Ms. LuPone had injured her foot recently and would be wearing a special kind of shoe. Why announce that, I wonder? Who's looking at feet? I guess it might have been different if she had had to perform the role with a cane or something.

BTW, those STUPID audience members who whisper and crinkle their stupid candy wrappers are to be found on Broadway just as often as in L.A. I think they deliberately follow me.