S: Is for "Superior Donuts"

Tonight I write about a play I saw a few days ago, but could not write about until it's opening, which was tonight. Upon first reading about "Superior Donuts," I had no urge to see it. I hated the title, the premise sounded dull and except for the playwright Tracy Letts and the amazing Steppenwolf Company, I just wasn't interested. I was wrong. "Superior Donuts" is the kind of play that will touch your heart. There are some whose hearts are so hardened that it will be hard to see the truth, so simply put. Most people will only see the surface story, others will see into it's soul.

There are those of us who dream and will always see the best in life, no matter how horrible and devastating our circumstances are. No matter the knocks, we refuse to let life get us down. We face up to challenges and try, and try and try. Maybe that tenacity comes from a place of pain or maybe a place of faith. I don't know. All I do know, is that those who don't have this personality type, hate those of us who do and try hard to squash the light. We are told we are dreamers, that we don't live in reality.

The truth is, we see reality clearer than most. It lives in our art.... in our writing.

"Superior Donuts" is the story of Arthur Przybyszewski (a lovable, Michael McKean) who was born with that kind of mind set, only to have it squashed. Through the years he has closed off and is unable to communicate. Enter 21 year old Franco Wicks (a terrific, Jon Michael Hill) whose optimism and brazen behavior, allows Arthur a second chance at authenticity. It is through Franco's destruction that Arthur, regains his life and in turn steps outside of his self to help the helpless Franco and the cynic becomes the dreamer. Along the way there are standout performances by Yasen Peyankov as Max Tarasov the foreigner, who longs to buy his neighbors shop. Michael Garvey as Kiril Ivakina, Max's hunky strapping nephew whose gentleness is masked by his looks. Jane Alderman as Lady Boyle the neighborhood drunk who sees through the masks. Kate Buddeke as Officer Randy Osteen who longs for Arthur to notice her. Director, Tina Landau, brings what could of easily become a sitcom and turns this into a wonderful evening of theatre.

You can see "Superior Donuts" at the Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th Street. I guess the only question to ask is will the cynics or the dreamers win out. At the performance I attended the audience couldn't wait to get on it's feet to applaudingly sends it's approval. Now I know, why cops hang out in donut shops and that is a tasty F.A.C.T

T: Is for Talkin and Walkin Broadway

CityListen Audio Tours announced the release of Walkin’ Broadway, hosted by Elliott Forrest. These tours takes listeners on a journey through Broadway's past and present. Learn the history with fascinating anecdotes and recollections from over a dozen exclusive interviews with Ossie Davis, Stephen Schwartz, John Raitt and Hal Prince to name a few. Walkin' Broadway was created by arts veterans Don Frantz and Elliott Forrest. Frantz is a theatrical producer for such shows as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King on Broadway. Forrest has won a Peabody award as both a broadcaster and producer. He can now be heard on WQXR, the classical radio station in New York City. Elliott's was also the host of the long-running Breakfast with the Arts and Biography this Week on A&E Television. CityListen launched in 2007, and is a new kind of travel publishing company, creating and electronically publishing downloadable for iPods and MP3 players. Built by a team of talented producers and exceptional tour guides. The running time is 55 minutes with a PDF map for the tour can also be downloaded from the site. The tour features stories from the creative talents behind such shows as A Chorus Line, Avenue Q, Chicago, Hair, Fiddler on the Roof, Pippin, Sweeney Todd and many more. Walkin’ Broadway is available for purchase for the introductory price of $7.95 at www.citylisten.com

C: Is for Cashtraction

Being cash strapped we could use some laughs. Here are the winners of this year's Washington Post's Mensa Invitational which asks readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter It by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition :

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright Ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7.Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8.Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra Credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.


The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with
yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

They say laughter strengthens the immune system, reduces food cravings, increases one's threshold for pain and stress. Now that's a side splitting F.A.C.T.

A: Is for Art that walks

CityListen Audio Tours announced the release of Walkin’ Broadway, hosted by Elliott Forrest. These tours takes listeners on a journey through Broadway's past and present. Learn the history with fascinating anecdotes and recollections from over a dozen exclusive interviews with Ossie Davis, Stephen Schwartz, John Raitt and Hal Prince to name a few. Walkin' Broadway was created by arts veterans Don Frantz and Elliott Forrest. Frantz is a theatrical producer for such shows as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King on Broadway. Forrest has won a Peabody award as both a broadcaster and producer. He can now be heard on WQXR, the classical radio station in New York City. Elliott's was also the host of the long-running Breakfast with the Arts and Biography this Week on A&E Television. CityListen launched in 2007, and is a new kind of travel publishing company,
creating and electronically publishing downloadable for iPods and MP3 players. Built by a team of talented producers and exceptional tour guides. The running time is 55 minutes with a PDF map for the tour can also be downloaded from the site. The tour features stories from the creative talents behind such shows as A Chorus Line, Avenue Q, Chicago, Hair, Fiddler on the Roof, Pippin, Sweeney Todd and many more. Walkin’ Broadway is available for purchase for the introductory price of $7.95 at www.citylisten.com and that is an affordable art F.A.C.T.

F: Is for food Mexican Style

You know the hidden-bar fad is out of control when you’re in a Mexican T.G.I. Friday’s. Su Casa has two huge second-floor picture windows, cluttered walls on the walk up the stairs, leather benches line the bar’s long brick walls and are bathed in a cooling light from the small candles set in the brick (complete with real wax drippings.) The back section oozes "sexy and intimate." For those who love sports on TV this place loops classic Mexican wrestling matches on the bar TV. It is the drnks that are outstanding. Fresh Margarita's and the “El Diablo” – tequila, habanero peppers and Tabasco which should come with a warning label. A light fare of Mexican snacks is evocative of a "1960s Mexican speakeasy. An unexpected highlight is the bathroom, where speakers blast Spanish music and the walls are plastered in pages from gossip magazines. Catch up on your escándalos. You can get your Mexican on at 404 6th Ave @ 8th St and that is a F.A.C.T.