The apparition of these faces in the crowd

Remind me WHY I decided that going to law school was a good idea? HOMG. Packing up my entire life right now to move to NYC? Is it July 6th yet? By then I'll be (80%) moved in! Huh-fucking-zuh.

Stressed!Lia is stressed right now. Did I mention being stressed?

Because I am. And stress =/= inability to do anything creative.

And all she wants to do is write Janto before CoE starts up. Because I'm scared to death one of the rumours circulating right now is true. *whimpers*

Too? I have linkies for you all. I posted them to torch_wood a few days ago. But HighRes pictures off an Aussie site = YUM.

And yes, I'm tired. Why do you ask?

How are you my lovely flist? I miss you guys leik woah. ♥

I am a dork (duh). Which is why my XM radio is constantly tuned to channel 29 in the mornings -- huzzah for BBC Radio 1. [Love me my Chris Moyles, dammit]. So am driving along and suddenly realise there's a guest in the studio and it's none other than Mr John Barrowman. Talking about the upcoming show this weekend 'Tonight's the Night'. *glares at BBCAmerica who will be, of course, most likely not running it for another TWO years*

I swear, nothing starts one's day off right like hearing John called a "Fairy Godfather".

Or the discussion of a shirt and cufflink line and John saying excitedly. "Yes! They're SPARKLY!" Oh John. *snerk*

And if anyone knows where I can get my hands on the full interview as I sadly turned in half-way through it, I'd greatly appreciate it.

SECONDLY! I am at last going to see Mandy Patinkin in concert. He and Patti LuPone are playing a concert in Cleveland in a couple of weeks and we're going to see it. *squee!* Now, really, the only male actor left on my list of actors I must see before I die is Mr Barrowman (As I think it's unlikely I'll get to see Anthony Warlow or Philip Quast any time soon. Alas).

Off tomorrow to NYC for my cousin's bachelorette. Yes, I decided to go in the end. We're eating at Basso 56 (which was featured on Top Chef) so... can you blame me?

SQUEEE!!!

Off to NYC for the... sorta day. *g*

Bus trip thingy tonight. Leaves here at 11:30pm and I'll be in NYC by 8:30(ish) am tomorrow! I'm insanely excited. Hopefully going to have a chance to see my cousin and figure out something to do in the city for the morning and the dinner-time hour. Otherwise, seeing A Chorus Line in the afternoon (and get to see Nick -- aka, Larry the Dance Captain) and then Sunday in the Park with George.

yes, I'm still deluding myself that the row of seats sold in front of me (second row, balcony, centre stage) houses Sondheim and entourage. Hey, it's the saturday before it closes. Anything could happen, dammit!

What sucks? Getting your period the DAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE! *not happy* *at all*

♥ Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you sunday! (or monday... depending on how much it sucks to have two nights on a bus......)

YAY! My birthday's tomorrow! *dance*

*cough* that is -- I return at last. The trip to NYC was a lot of fun. And I didn't kill froda_baggins or myself on the 7+ drive to thewlisian_afer's. So all in all, it was a good thing. I took a ton of pictures, mostly for froda_baggins and I still owe her the zip file filled of them. *headdesk*

My real trip highlight -- I managed to get in to see Curtains (and took Froda with me and popped her B'way cherry). Which I am so totally thrilled about. I still haven't gotten to see Spamalot (shhh. no mocking me) and I really didn't want to miss seeing DHP. Plus the show looked absolutely amazing on the Tony's (yes, I hated the number(s) they did from Spring Awakening). It was completely adorable. Typical backstage musical -- though I will say it was a little bit disjointed in that all of a sudden they'd break out into song for 'rehearsing' purposes. But it wasn't that bothersome. See it if you can.

And of course -- there was hanging out by the stage door to meet the cast. Got a playbill signed by just about everyone. Including David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk!!

( The obligatory, look Lia met b'way folk cut for pictures )

In other news -- am SO fucking excited for OotP tonight. Yes, I'm being a dork and dragging my folks to go see it with me. But as it's my birthday, they really cannot complain.

Dad: Wait... this is when all the weirdos come out and are all dressed up.
Me: You mean like your daughter will be?
Dad: ...

*does tiny little dance of joy that birthday is in less than 24 hours along with said movie release* I get an awesome month of July is all I have to say!

First of all -- thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. *LOVES*

And now -- what you all have been waiting -- the NYC stuff!

We won't say anything about my flights to or from NYC. Other than they were shitty and my return trip and the five freaking hour delay leaving La Guardia. Two of which were on the runway. NOT my idea of a good time.

Faith Healer on the other hand. BLOODY HELL. I don't care if you see it in NYC or read it or see it anywhere -- the play is freaking AMAZING. It's all monologue form. It starts with Frank Hardy (Ralph), then goes to his wife Grace (Cherry) in the first act -- then in the second act, it begins with Frank's manager Teddy (Ian McDiarmid) and ends with a final monologue by Frank. It's -- amazing. Totally demanding but really one of the most amazing pieces of theatre I've ever seen.

It's all about Frank's life... as seen through the three different people's eyes. How they remember events. Etc. Not going into too much detail as it's SO much more powerful that way.

But -- here are the awesome pictures. I got to meet ALL three. Signed playbill and everything. Here are the fruits of my labor, so to speak.

( Under here -- here be pictures )

As for my Ralph!meeting -- I WAS indeed centre stage, second row. Got spit on and he made eye-contact with me several times. The man is freaking SEXY when speaking Welsh. That's all I have to say. And can sing. (He had to sing a stanza of Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight") On pitch, accapella and with vibrato. I'm in love.

The trip was... AMAZING. That is all.

First of all, these weeks from hell can end like... now. I will have my pictures from Con Formal tonight. Says a lot that I haven't even been able to pull them off my camera yet.

HOWEVER.

I have absolutely BRILLIANT news. I will be in NYC on my birthday (leaving the 11th, my b-day and coming back on the 12th) -- too see RALPH FIENNES in Faith Healer.

And I should mention. I'm sitting just about center stage; two rows from the stage. And did not have to spend an arm and a leg for the tickets.

Excuse me while I go bounce off the walls for a while.

Well as I spent last night studying for the German test o' doom I completely missed talking to about anyone I wanted to -- and posting my nice trip summary. So here I am, a day late and a dollar short as always.

Wednesday
Arrive into NYC about an hour late... because our flight was delayed about an hour and a half. Thankfully the flight was quicker than they expected. Nice flight, save the fact that the guy behind me started BITCHING that I was in his seat. Show him my ticket was indeed for 3C and he says he got bumped a seat back. WTF. I landed in NYC 2 seconds before he did. And then he starts bitching to the flight attendant. He was just an ass.

So of course, we fly into NYC at night so the city is all lit up. 'Course I've been to NYC before but as I promised froda_baggins MUCHO pictures, I pull out my camera to take pictures of the city at night. He leans forward and starts giving me a guided tour of NYC, complete with "That's the empire state building". I'm like, "dude, shut up, I've been to NYC." And he keeps talking. Asshole.

( Said pics of NYC at night )

Thursday
So this was the big day -- my meeting at NYU. Of course, it was raining and guess who forgot an umbrella? But the meeting went WONDERFULLY and the head of the grad admissions office was awesome. Bad news is that they get about 150 applicants and they accept a total of 6 students and that's in ALL THREE departments. So scary. VERY.

Going out to lunch with the head of the musicology dept was... OMG. He took me out to this Japanese restaraunt and PAID for my lunch. Spent about an hour with him and he even gave me an umbrella too. What an AWESOME guy. Went up to the NYPL to do thesis research and that was basically the day.

( Pics of NYU in the rain )

So that night was seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Awesome show. I mean, typical sugar coated show if you know the movie... but it was darling. And the car FLEW too. Twice. It rose, spun and at least went out about five rows into the audience. A lot of other cute effects too. Also got to see Chip Zein in the show as one of the "baddies" -- so now I've seen both the original Baker and Baker's Wife (who was Joanna Gleason when I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels last March) on B'way.

Afterwards we went to a piano bar. *cough* Texted Froda (who I know passed it onto Amanda) and Jate... and I'm sure I was tipsy by that point. Yes, everyone... Lia finally got drunk and that's all we're saying on the matter. Took about seven appletinis in the space of about 2 hours. Won't be doing that again anytime soon.

Friday
So friday, when I was supposed to go see Columbia... they never called. So after brunch with Lisa (my cousin), I went back to the NYPL to do more research. OMG that library was fucking amazing. I could LIVE there. ♥

( Pics of Lincoln Center -- and Juliard because the music major must take pics of Juliard )

So then Lisa and I met up afterwards and went to the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. froda_baggins, the entire time we were here, I could only imagine how much you would have LOVED it here -- it was a Film Studies dream. They had all these old cameras and it was all on the history of film on the top floor, then going down they had costumes and other things. We couldn't spend enough time there as we had to get ready for the Cabaret show.

Went to a Cabaret show at Rose's Turn in the West Village called Around the World in a Bad Mood all about Flight Attendants. Hysterical. Afterwards, Lisa, her boyfriend SJ, and I went to eat at this bar called Down the Hatch for wings and they had the Yanks/Red Sox game on. OMG. Rooting for the Yanks in NYC was never so much fun. I'll always be a baltimore fan but yelling at the screen? FUN times.

The sad part of the evening was the missed meeting with starrysummer. But it was made up on Saturday. XD

Saturday
Last day in NYC. Woe. Lisa, SJ and I went to lunch then it was into the city for Lisa and I to do some last minute shopping.

( Obligatory pics of Times Square -- these ones in the daytime )

Replaced my RENT pin that fell off my violin case last week and finally was able to meet up with Robin. AAAAND as luck would have it, Lah was in town so with Lisa, the four of us met up and a good time was had by all. *squee*

Flight out was on time and I arrived home safe and sound. And that was the NYC trip in a nutshell. :)

Well, as most of you know I'm heading off to NYC this week (leaving tomorrow night) to visit NYU and possibly Columbia University and start the grad school hunt hardcore. I don't know if I'm taking the laptop with me, so for all intents and purposes, I'll be incommunicado for the weekend.

Those of you who have the cell phone, if you need me, you know how to reach me if something major happens.

I'm seeing a couple shows while I'm there: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for sure and I think Lisa said we might be going to see a Cabaret show with her boyfriend on Friday. I'm just excited to get out of here for a while. And eeee... I also will be attempting to get coffee or something with starrysummer too! *dances* I still have to call you, hon. ><

So, I'll be back on Saturday night, most likely exhausted and with a crapload of stories to tell.

Namely the fact that the head of the Musicology dept wants to have lunch with me on Thursday to "meet me". I think I've died about ten times reading the email.

Well, after a really shitty yesterday... I have two pieces of really AWESOME news.

Or rather, the first isn't really NEWS persay, just that I got bored with my Tommy layout and have now gone to Six Feet Under. I swear, I feel like I'm changing banner images as often as I change underwear lately.

However, HERE is the news.

From September 28th-October 1st, I will be in fabulous NYC. One of those days will be spent at NYU and the other will most likely be spent at Columbia. Otherwise, will be hanging out with my cousin and trying to see a couple of shows. I'm SO excited right now because the professor from NYU sounds amazing... and I'm already on a first name basis with the head of the musicology program. He seems wonderful.

I'm SO excited.