D-LIST Cybill Shepherd

Continuing to honour my D-List Blogebrity status, we are highlighting my favourite D-List celebrities.

Who doesn't love Cybill Shepherd? Well that is, who doesn't love Cybill Shepherd and wasn't one of her co-stars?

Cybill Shepherd has been lucky enough to star in two well respected movies (Taxi Driver & The Last Picture Show), two well respected TV shows (Moonlighting & Cybill) and a highly rated TV biopic about Martha Stewart.

Currently she is in the L-Word, but I have never seen the show, so we will just breeze over it.

Did I mention she also wrote an autobiography. Cybill Disobedience. Which, of course, I have read. Most people who know my reading habits, know that I am an avid reader of D-List celebrity autobiographies (and I stress AUTObiographies), that is when I am in between reading Tolstoy and Shakespeare.

I thought it was an overall enjoyable book, especially the bits about dating Elvis and teaching him how to... um... well just read the book (the chapter about Elvis is entitled 'White Guys Don't Eat ______").

I love what she believes in: Racial equality, Gay Rights, Pugs, Torch songs (oh yeah, she sings too).

Despite these honourable traits, I may have actually finished the book having less respect for her than I did before I read the book.

How on earth is that possible? Instead of embracing her diva attitude, she played the victim. The same terrible things kept happening to her with co-workers, etc... and instead of taking some fault that maybe her actions may have caused a bit of the unrest, it was passed over in a "why me" kind of way.

At the very end of the book, she tries to redeem herself by stating in passing that if the same things keep happening to you, you have to look at what actions you played. Too little too late.

I felt that if Cybill truly felt that she played a hand in the negative way others treated her, it would have been explored in the book for at least one chapter. Major disappointment.

It is now time that I must confess that her rumoured diva antics are what makes me like her.

So why am I honouring someone who I may or may not respect? Bottom line, if I was given the opportunity to have dinner with Cybill Shepherd, I would accept in a second because she is that awesome.

PS - Did I really just type "awesome"?

Blogroll - Joe. My. God

Next, alphabetically, on the blog roll is Joe. My. God.

Joe. My. God. is a daily read for me. Every morning, I catch up on what is happening with gay politics in the US, tidbits of the latest news and happenings around New York City.

One of my favourite features is Overheard. Where Joe. My. God. relays to us different things he overhears around town.

Oh! How could I forget, on Fridays, he gives us the latest news from Broadway including cast gossip, ticket sales results and upcoming shows.

Joe. My. God.

Tuesdays with Tony

I forgot to mention in my most recent Musical Monday post that Kristen Chenowith won a Tony Award for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

As promised with Tuesdays with Tony, without further ado, the 1999 Tony Awards performance of "My New Philosophy" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Musical Monday

Someone please remind me when I am offered a leading role in Broadway musical NOT to star opposite Kristen Chenoweth. The bitch always steals the show.

She is too cute, too perky, too high pitched and to die for!

I first came across Kristen Chenoweth when I lived in Chicago. I was looking to expand my musical soundtrack / cast recording collection when I happened upon the cast recording for A New Brain.

In A New Brain Kristen played a Waitress and "Nancy D, the thin nurse." In the song 'Calamari' the main character (the cutie Malcolm Getz) and his friend are at a restaurant and the Waitress (Chenoweth) is singing off the fish of the day: "Caaaaaaaalamari! Which isn't a fish, but lives in the sea, as set in this dish, it happens to be the Fish... of the Day. OK!"

I loved this line so much that I played it on repeat... yes, that is right. I listened to this song over 100 times, just for that line. As pathetic as repeatedly watching 5 seconds of Hair just to see Nell Carter give a saucy look? Yes. Probably even more so.

Then I discovered You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and listened to 'My New Philosophy' approximately 2,500 times a day.

After that, I lost track of her Broadway performances... I know, I know, she had a TV show, but that doesn't count here on Musical Monday... Anyway, I lost track of her Broadway performances... It also didn't help that I moved to the underside of the world, where they still laugh at blackface minstrels.... yeah, I know, right?....

OK, so to start again, I moved to the most isolated city in the most isolated country in the world and lost track of Kristen Chenoweth's Broadway performances, until one day when a friend sent me the cast recording of Wicked telling me to immediately listen to 'Popular.'

Upon first listen of 'Popular' I immediately placed the CD player on repeat and proceeded to listen to it 6 million times.

Ms Chenowith has perfect musical and comedic timing. You know who else has perfect musical and comedic timing? Barbra Streisand.

Ms Chenowith also knows the power of a good pause and stare. You know who else is excellent at the "Pause and Stare"? Bea Arthur.

To sum up, our Kristen is a mixture of Babs and Bea, without being anything like Babs and Bea.

Despite her immense talent, what is cool about Kristen is that she is who she is and no one is going to change that.

As today's treat, from PBS Great Performances of "Candide," the clip below features Ms Chenowith, as Cunegonde singing "Glitter and Be Gay"

PS - I have the clip repeatedly playing on my computer.

Fabulous Friday

Let’s talk about the most amazing entrée, starter, appetizer, canapé, nibble or nosh I have ever had and will only ever eat again:

Cauliflower panna cotta with caviar

There is nothing more fabulous in the world (besides me pretending to be Mama Rose). I pledge to begin every evening meal with cauliflower panna cotta with caviar.

The delicate flavours of the pureed cauliflower and cream are enough to allow the caviar to shine. The salty crispness of the caviar allows the normally bland taste and texture of pureed cauliflower to morph into a soft and luxurious delight.

These two belong together.

Test Tube Tryout [working title of show]

I have two loves in my life, 1. Musicals and 2. Food (if you are reading this honey, I love you too). Recently I have been thinking that I should really focus this blog on musicals, and do as La Marilyn suggests: "Specialize".

Fuck it.

Gentle reader, as you know, like my life this blog has no direction. Why should it? It's a blog, not a Fortune 500 corporation.

Now I am officially introducing my love of food with "TEST TUBE TRYOUT" (I am still working on the name). During Test Tube, I will experiment with making food found in restaurants and create new recipes.

So you can play along, I am planning for Test Tube to appear on Thursdays (fortnightly for now), giving you plenty of time to go food shopping and tryout the recipe on Saturday.

And take photos!!!

Tuesdays with Tony

I have decided to to have a new theme day: Tuesdays with Tony!

No, it is not a weekly advice column with some guido (although THAT sounds more interesting) it is a day where I present a YouTube video of a musical performance from one of the Tony Award shows.

This past Tuesday, I attempted to post "My New Philosophy" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown but for some reason, it never appeared on the blog. I don't know what happened with that one! Alien abduction?

So starting this upcoming Tuesday, put on your tuxedos and evening gowns, grab a martini and enjoy a poorly transferred YouTube video of an old awards show catured from a video tape!