Haiku #291 - Broadway Impact

The Broadway company of Book of Mormon celebrates Brian Sears and Nick Spangler, who were to run the NYC marathon and raised thousands of dollars to advocate for marriage equality through Broadway Impact. They were taken on a "cool-down jog" through the theater district and led up to the mezzanine where many company members were waiting to surprise them.

you can run away
or run to create the world
you want to live in

 Props also to marathoners who ran supplies and volunteered in devastated neighborhoods today, and to my friend Dodd who ran his own marathon through affected areas, and raised thousands of dollars in pledges for the Red Cross recovery effort.

Nick (left), me (silly pose), and Brian (right)
Why yes, those are handmade "mylar" blankets!
I love theater people!

Haiku #289 - Hurricane Recovery: 3-2 Clave

one two three, one two
this music knows me so well
and carries me home

 Today after rehearsal, trudging through New York City's partially-restored subway system with thousands of other hurricane-weary New Yorkers, I flipped through the limited music on my phone for something to drown out the din in and out of my head. I chose In the Heights - a show that's been an important part of my life for over four years, especially last year when I was on tour with it. I haven't really played it or heard it since tour ended in June, and today it was like putting on a really comfortable, comfort-ing hoodie. Just what I needed to put a smile on my face and make it home.

 In the Heights is a show about community and family, and I think anyone who worked on it can say they were touched by the sense of family that prevailed in the company. Maybe I chose to listen to it because earlier today, I found out that two (separate) people from the Heights family lost everything in the hurricane. Another member of the original company has set up a donation page here. If you can spare "one dollar, two dollar, one-fifty, one-sixty-nine", or 96000, please visit.

 ...You know that makes you want to watch the 96000 Tony awards performance ;)

Haiku #286, 287 - Hurricane Sandy

traffic is brutal
exercise in pranayam 
and bladder control

 blockbuster movies
apocalypse on the news
it's all the same now

 I missed Hurricane Sandy because I was out of town for the weekend, which turned into nearly-a-week. I have to work tomorrow, so I ended up renting a car and driving from Baltimore, which was as close to New York as my original flight itinerary could get me under the circumstances. 

 I'm very grateful to be able say my apartment and its inhabitants are fine. Quite a few uprooted trees on the way back in, and of course I've seen enough pictures and read enough status updates to know how easily I got off. 

Haiku #281 - Edwin Drood

went with my friend Christy to the 1st preview of the Drood revival  -
Didn't know the show and it turned up to be
right up my Anglophile, mystery-loving alley.
Cast great, staging, design and music beautifully done - go see it!

so many choices
how to spend a Friday night?
clap and cheer for Drood!

People, Places, Things:
Roundabout Theatre 

Haiku #277 - NY Pizza - $1 Pizza!

see dollar pizza?
don't get scared and run away
it's really quite good!

People, Places, Things:
Dollar pizza places can be found all over NYC. The one pictured above is on 3rd Ave in Spanish Harlem. There are a lot in Hell's Kitchen. Dollar pizza slices are a little smaller then average, and have not too much cheese (so you aren't dabbing away 3 napkins' worth of grease), and, because of the high turnover, are always fresh! Conclusion: Dollar pizza sounds like a bad idea, but isn't (though I don't recommend it more than once a week or so...)