Mama Rose - Back with vengeance

Months ago, my partner Rob and I were driving up Lake Shore Drive in our deep blue Volkswagen beetle having a very important conversation. The topic - what classical musical theater piece would be right for Patti LuPone? I know, I know - I mean while some people obsess over Oprah's sexuality, Tom's obvious imprisonment of Katie, and Jennifer's on again, off again marriage to Vince Vaughn, my Rob finds solace in Filofax agendas and Patti Lupone's career strategy.

So I was with great joy that the musical theater gods overheard our conversation and days after we decided that the only role Patti LuPone had truly left to play was Mama Rose in Gypsy, that the show was announced at Ravinia.

The day of the event, we rode the gayest train in Chicago - the Ravinia express. Another hundred homos got off of the train, another hundred homos got off of the bus and are looking around...I think you get the idea.

Anyway, the thousand of us gay men piled in to the theater prepared to be brought back to another time. A time when lyrics were actually rhymed and people actually sang. As the orchestra played the brilliant score by Jule Styne, we realized we were seeing something special. A brief moment of history was being recaptured.

It was incredible, or I should say she was incredible. The cast was fine, the orchestra was lovely, and the costumes were spot on, but is was LuPone's performance that shined. She was perfectly cast as Mama Rose, and with the subtle work she did in the critically acclaimed Sweeney Todd I am not surprised.

For a more indepth review - visit this spot on review at the NYTIMES. New York Times - Gypsy Review

NO Carbs after 5pm - I am going to go insane

A few weeks ago, I went to Minneapolis to do an talk show about my documentary film. It was a public access show and they give you your tape when you leave. I sat is horror as I watched the footage. I am tall, 6'5" and weight - 1230 pounds - ok maybe not that much, but let's just say I am fat - obese even. As I am watching the footage, I notice I look like a bald duck. I have big lips that protrude from my face. Almost Angelina Like. And I am nodding, repetatively. Very much like a duck.

I am an active listener. I also have been. I am the kind of person that would watch Days of Our lives in College and nod or scream at the television - giving the characters my advice as they would get buried alive or turn in Satan.

So, I realized in watching myself on this television interview program, that somehow without my knowledge, I have turned into a fat, bald duck. I don't know exactly when it happened, but slowly over the course of 5 years I have put on more weight that I would care to admit.

Working my crappy day job for 4 years didn't help matters. I would show up to this nasty ugly job and work from 9-9:30am to 8-9 at night. Now that may not sound like much, but when you hate your boss, and your job, and the company you work for - it's torture.

So I am making a change, I know - I have sad this many many times before, but I am doing. I just quit smoking. And I sure as hell am not going to up even more weight on from that. So I made the change, I went to the gym. It's a nice gym, It's has a pool and is in an old hotel ballroom. I go in the morning, before i go to my office (where my production company is located). I am looking at this like it's my job. Hard crappy work that I don't want to do - but if want to get what i want - I have to.

My Birthday

Ok - Today is my birthday - and this was the song i used to play every year!!

Link: http://www.captainzoom.com/jasonlong.mp3

The Lady in Purple

There's a little old woman in a purple beret
Who walks down the street she knows the right way.
With a dingy old sack and her ripped grocery bag
this little old woman to some is a hag.
But late in the evening when the summer sun sets
the little old woman surprises her pets
The four hundred pigeons and the families of squirrel
get a present each day from my purply girl.
A handful of peanuts and a loaf of old bread
a gift of great love from her heart not her head.
This special routine, it happens each day.
A summer sun santa without her snow sleigh.

Cool/Fun video of Al Gore

If I Told the Truth: I hate the dentist

Ok - here is something really gross - my sister-in-law had to have a root canal.....

The April Cold

I have been sick all week with a horrible cold. AAAHHHH NO FUN!!

Someone once told me that getting sick means that your body needed a rest. And we have been really busy lately. Working on the fundraising trailers for the film has been really interesting. It is difficult trying to separate myself from the project - trying to maintain some sense of objectivity - and still being close to subject. I have a stack of movies I need to review for the Digital Bits. They have been sitting on my shelf for the last week. We have been swamped trying to get this business off the ground.

I have to say that it is nice being busy with projects that I care about - I have finally made it over the first hurdle.

Something I have learned this week - it's really important to surround yourself with people who believe in you - it's even more important to surround yourself with people that will help you grow as an artist. I feel really good about the people in my circle - I feel that they are pushing me in important ways. I don't feel bad about my abilities - I am excited at the possibility of growth.

I hope my cough goes away soon....

The path is there
for me to see

I know just where
its up to me

I know can walk
with both my feet

I will not balk
or skip a beat

slow and steady
that is the course

I know I'm ready
just use the force........... he he he