Motherfucker was surprisingly good, in that I was not expecting to enjoy myself at it as much as I did.  Not just because of Bobby Cannavale's extended shirtless scene at the top of Act I (wow), but also because of the really top-notch acting from Chris Rock and Annabella Sciorra.  Rest of the cast was competent, but not stand-out.  My one issue with the play is that it is essentially about--and here's the spoiler--"my friend the sociopath".  And while it's always fun and interesting to see what shenanigans your friendly neighborhood sociopath is going to get up to (and why are they always extremely charismatic and sexually active?) it's a hackneyed plot that has been featured in multiple episodes of Law and Order (each series, at least once).  So it goes through the motions, in what is certainly a charming and well written way, but doesn't break any new ground, to be sure.

Still, I'd recommend it - the roller-coaster is fun, even if you know you're going to end up back where you started.

Next up - who knows? Only the TKTS gods, for sure. 

Saw Jerusalem & The Normal Heart today.

Jerusalem reaffirmed my desire to see anything that Mark Rylance is in.  I would have said he was a shoo-in for Actor in a Leading Role - Play, but for my experience later in the day (see below).  Rest of the cast was quite good - Mackenzie Crook (of Pirates of the Caribbean fame), especially so.  And John Gallagher, Jr. - rowr.  Play itself was just on the edge of amazing - pushed up against the boundaries of reality, but somehow failed to hit home for me.  A lot in there about the heritage of the land, which probably works better in England.  Set was lovely and detailed, and great use of changes in lighting throughout the day. 

Then I saw The Normal Heart.  Wow.  Despite the flaws in the play and the history contained therein (writing about yourself is never easy to do objectively, and the play veers toward mawkish sentimentality in the last five minutes, though let's face it, it was written in the moment), it's still terribly relevant and painful to watch.  The shift in historical context between 1984 and 2011 serves as a poignant reminder of how far we've come, how far we have yet to go, and the mistakes made along the way.  Joe Mantello, hands down, should win for Actor in a Leading Role - even though he spends a lot of the play shouting, the passion is authentic (and the humor and tenderness in the few non-angry moments are superb).  Remaining cast is very strong - Jim Parsons needs to do more theater and less TV.  ALSO: Kristin Chenoweth was at the performance - and I took the opportunity as we were leaving to thank her for her support of the gay community.

And as an added bonus, Adam Chanler-Berat was on the subway on my ride home. Along with his hot bf. *le sigh*

Motherfucker tomorrow.

Momentary lull in work after five months of absolute crizazy.  Two weeks of vacation, during which I shall see the following Tony-nominated shows (to complete the set):

1. Anything Goes
2. Jerusalem
3. The Motherf**ker with the Hat
4. Sister Act
5. The Normal Heart
6. War Horse
7. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
8. Born Yesterday
9. Good People
10. Baby It's You
11. Lombardi
12. House of Blue Leaves

Anything else interesting going on in the city?

Saw the NY Philharmonic production of Company tonight, starring Neil Patrick Harris.  Had a transcendent moment during Ladies Who Lunch - Patti did something with her voice on the word "gem" that literally caused my jaw to drop.  Despite flaws in the production (weak singing, technical glitches), it was a great reminder of what can be fantastically right about musical theater.

Also, NPH shirtless. I'm just saying.

http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/a469b5e12601b97b549225a77e7f67bd

Today was a neatly palindromic date (as expressed as MMDDYYYY with a leading zero).  If it were a ternary representation, it would be equivalent to decimal 2811, or hex AFB.

Which got me to thinking - are there any cool (non-trivial) numbers that are palindromic in lots of radices?

Two weeks off from work.  W00t.

is what has happened to some (ill-advised?) journal entries.  The past is what we choose to remember.  And I'm the one doing the choosing.  For all of you.  *evil laugh*

I much prefer going to the theater with someone than going alone.  The conversation afterwards is far more enjoyable.  And far less confusing to the people nearby.

For posterity's sake:

This is the first sentence of my self-summary. This sentence is true. The following sentence is the last sentence in the first paragraph of my essay. This paragraph is thirty-two words long.

This sentence is the first sentence in this essay that uses the word "sentence" more than twice in the same sentence. This is the sentence in which I make a reference to the "It's turtles all the way down" story which illustrates the concept of infinite regression. If this sentence were true, it would be paradoxical for the subsequent one to be false. The previous sentence is true. The last word in this sentence is an antonym of "sanction".

That I like logic puzzles is the only personal fact in this self-summary. This entire essay has been meticulously crafted to meet four criteria; one is just that the total length in words be a certain prime number squared. If you can guess the others, you should certainly message me. This is the last sentence of my self-summary.