She Had Me At LES MIZ

By now so many words have been written about the BRITIAN’S GOT TALENT contestant, SUSAN BOYLE that you’d have to have been in a drug induced coma to have missed the phenomenon (ummm o.k. LINDSAY L. just go to YouTube & Google her! You’ll see!) So much so that a mini backlash has begun. “She’s a ringer!” “Simon Cowell planted her…told her how to dress etc.” “She’s been a professional singer in Scotland for years!” blah blah blah!

Hey this is what we do. We “discover” talent, build it up, make them stars, then tear them down. Then & only if they live long enough, do we welcome them home for their “COMEBACK” That is the nature of fame in this early part of the century.

But I think that any negativity regarding Miss Boyle (& she really can only be called Miss NOT MS.!) stems from the fact that we were all (the fuc**** GLOBE!!! all) were so moved by her performance, that it was so utterly surprising we feel a bit vulnerable now…like right after sex with someone new…we’re waiting to see if we’ve been HAD!

But we have NOT been had. This was & is an AUTHENTIC moment in the culture! That is what was so great about the expressions on all the judges faces at BGT. They were so shocked & so surprised & so in awe of a true God given gift that they lost their composure or more to the point they lost their smugness & certainty! And as I’ve said before I thought that SIMON COWELL & PIERS MORGAN never looked more handsome or attractive than they did while watching Miss Boyle & having to reexamine themselves in the presence of so authentic a talent.

Do not, for one moment be fooled! Miss Boyle does not require our pity in any way! She IS THE REAL DEAL! Don’t believe me? Click on the above & listen to a recording made of her singing CRY ME A RIVER. This album was made as a fundraiser for Miss Boyle’s town & thereafter forgotten about, until last week’s events! CRY ME A RIVER is a damn hard song to sing (as was, in my opinion, her original song from LES MISERABLES, “I Dreamed a Dream!”) But once again she not only nails it…she puts her own spin, her very own heartbreak into every beat…that is a gift!

In the event that Miss Boyle does not end up winning the whole BRITAIN’s GOT TALENT contest I am not concerned. I can think of more than a dozen roles in the CANON OF MUSICAL THEATRE that she could “take on the road” tomorrow:
“Mrs. Lovett” in SWEENEY TODD is a no-brainer. Nor is the “Reverend Mother” in THE SOUND Of MUSIC (she could sing the hell out of “Climb Every Mountain”) But let’s “stretch it” a bit: How about “Miss Hannigan” in ANNIE? Or hell let’s see a nice little tour of SUSAN BOYLE in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN!! (Reba MacIntyre did it)

But you know what I would love to see her try? MAMMA ROSE IN GYPSY!! She’s the right build for the part. And I could so see her bringing the audience to their feet when she does the “11 0’clock number”: “Rose’s Turn”

“Well, someone tell me, when is it my turn?
Don't I get a dream for myself?
Starting now it's gonna be my turn.
Gangway, world, get off of my runway!
Starting now I bat a thousand!
This time, boys, I'm taking the bows “

If Simon Cowell is smart (and Mr. Cowell is NOTHING if not smart! )After he signs Miss Boyle to a lifetime of servitude & releases her first million selling CD; he should talk to ARTHUR LAURENTS & get Miss Boyle into any tour of GYPSY anywhere! She’ll bring the house down. Again!

It’s SUSAN BOYLE’s WORLD. I just live in it!

P.S. Did you know that NO other video has ever been watched as many times (66 Million +) in as short a period as Miss Boyle’s piece from BGT? AND that “I Dreamed A Dream” is now in the top 25 songs purchased on ITUNES???? This is HUGE!

The Long Good Friday

So I used to be a Christian, now I'm just a Catholic!
Sort of like when ELVIS COSTELLO used to sing "I used to be disgusted, now I try to be AMUSED!" in "The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes!"

But I've always secretly liked Good Friday..if only for the DRAMA of it all. I especially liked how, no matter what; or where I was on the planet, the sky always grew eerily dark around 3 o'clock (the hour of Christ death on the cross)
And that tradition continues. Today I found myself close to a Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles while working. It was close to 3:00 in the afternoon. I looked over at a nice Spanish building and realized it was the church of St Mary Magdelene on Pico Blvd. I looked up to the cross on the bell tower and as the sky began to darken I noticed a black raven on the tip of the cross!
He stayed there for a very long time; at least an hour while I ran some errands. It was discomforting enough that I remembered to say the Good friday prayers of my youth just to ward off any bad energy!

Next week I'll tell you about my splendid Easter Sunday Brunch with all my Italian friends & about my wonderful trip to my homeland...IRELAND!

Until then, BUONA PASQUA!!! As we say in Rome!

Terrace for Two

oh, before I go...
Here's the latest mini extreme makeover from TheGayGardener

A balcony in West Hollywood
Using NOTHING but FAKE PLANTS!!

Which btw are FAR more expensive than the real thing! And (unlike breast augmentation) the better the fake the pricier it is!

It's A Long Way To Tipperary

Over a century after my paternal Grandparents; Charles Trearty & Hannah Friel sailed in steerage to America; I’m off to the homeland in the morning! Trearty became “Trainer” some point after Ellis Island. But hey Nana! I’m in FIRST CLASS & BUSINESS all the way to DUBLIN thank “Jumpin’ St. Jude!” (as she used to say when she was really pissed off!)

I won’t be seeing anything of Donegal or the Northern Coast where we are from, but AMERICAN had LA to Dublin on sale last month for $386 which is less than what a flight to New York usually runs, so I couldn’t say no!

And a few pints in the pub may be just what the Doctor ordered for this weary GayGardener as Spring takes its sweet time revealing itself here in Los Angeles! I'm imagining Hoisting a few with Colin Farrell, Bono, Pierce Brosnan & all the other famous Black Irish sons of Erin!

“Faith & Begorrah!" I’ll see you when I get back from “the other side” (which is how my family always mysteriously referred to Ireland…I surmise they meant the other side of the Atlantic…a cryptic lot my people!)

P.S. Speaking of Farrell, if you haven't seen the film, IN BRUGES, I beg you; go out & rent it Or buy it on dvd! Surely one of the best films of 2008! Great writing, terrific performances & beautiful scenery. It's really, really good!