He Might Be an Evil Genius and All...

Went with the usual suspects to see Merrily We Roll Along at Signature last night. A few things:

• When I turned the corner, I thought for one second I was in a retirement home. I haven't seen that much grey hair since the DC Eagle circa 1990.


• I still hate musicals. Maybe not hate. Maybe...don't get. But I still hate wasting my time.


• My friends and family are funny people. And by funny, I mean random and vulgar.


• Lamb vindaloo is so hot, my saliva becomes poison.


• Stephen Sondheim may be an evil genius and all, but cliche is cliche. There, I said it.

Last Night

The usual suspects and I went into deepest Virginia to see The Witches of Eastwick at Signature Theatre. I'm no expert, but this seemed like just another mediocre musical to me. The songs were well sung, but unmemorable. And our front-row seats let us see all the cracks and seams in the productions. Surprising for the usually top-notch Signature. At least it had corny effects (like flying) and multiple crotch grabs.

Dinner at Xtra Virgin was also just OK, and only elevated to great heights by our unstable waiter who performed tricks, such as blaming others for his mistakes and trying to pour a martini from one glass to another--very, very badly. The saving grace: A live girl singer performing Pink Floyd's "Breathe" on acoustic guitar. The coup de grâce: A dense and warm chocolate and almond cake that was so comforting and delicious I want furniture made out of it.

Saving Aimee. Or Not.

Went with the usual suspects to see Saving Aimee at Signature tonight. This musical about the original superstar evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson, was written by--hold me back--Kathy Lee Gifford. There are so many things wrong with this situation, I don't even know where to start. Simplistic, insulting, repetitive, and loud, Aimee was nonetheless exceptionally well produced, as one would expect of Signature. But ultimately, it's like hiring Martin Scorcese to make the Family Circus movie. Sigh.