I saw Lupone in Sunset Blvd and then due to an odd set of circumstances saw the same show a week later with her understudy.

The understudy blew her away.

Mind, I've hear recordings of Patinkin where he's been great.

See, Patinkin has never done it for me as a stage actor voice. I've seen him perform his one-man show which is more cabaret, and it's wonderful. But, for example, everyone goes on about him being the definitive Che in Evita and I can't stand that recording. His voice is too... pretty, for lack of a better term. It's too sweet to really convey the anger and cynicism of that character.

I didn't like Bernadette Peters or Pantinkin until Sunday in the Park with George, but then I loved them.

But if I remember the video right, that's one of two colorably negative reactions displayed -- it's very memorable, and everyone seems to believe the audience is against her. Clever editing.

I guess ... I don't care? I liked hearing her perform and the audience respond, just like I liked the story about pilot landing in the Hudson and the firefighter giving water to the baby koala. I've got enough cynicism all on my own on a daily basis, so I like to embrace the unexpectedly sweet and good once in a while, and this did it for me.

Hear hear!!

I've got enough cynicism all on my own on a daily basis, so I like to embrace the unexpectedly sweet and good once in a while, and this did it for me.

Yep. This is me too. If it makes me a sucker, then so be it.

Got my Federal refund and it is already gone, 90% went to credit cards and 10% went to medical bills. That was fast.

I've got a lead on a neighborhood flea market in 3 weeks. If I can still get a table, I already have one other mom friend who will watch mac for part of the time and will give me things from her to sell. One more mom to call if I get in and I should be all set. Then I'll have to figure out how to fit all I want to sell into 6'x3.5' of space.

A little background on what happened during the Susan Boyle auditions. (Found on Nathan Bransford's blog).

I think the Susan Boyle thing is not so much about her humble background, but more about preconception by the audience (at the audition and on TV) that she'd have a voice to match her looks. According to a few people on forums here in the UK, who were at the theatre for that audition, a lot was cut out in the edit, and she was given a particularly hard time by the judges, especially Amanda Holden, the female one, who was laughing her head off when Susan walked on, and tried to discourage her from doing the Les Mis number and do something by Britney Spears instead, much to the amusement of the audience.

If that's actually true, then it makes what happened just that little bit more special.

I have no problem with the idea of a youngster rolling her eyes at Susan, and no problem with the idea of creative or deceptive editing on the part of the show. I just don't know which happened.

Susan Boyle's no Clay Aiken. Her weight is just part of it, and not necessarily that much--Queen Latifah's heavy, but QL is stylish and beautiful and charismatically sparkling. Susan looks like what you think rudely of the cat lady whose only social exercise is bingo.

Now, when I say we, I mean the US. I'm sure she surprised Britain too, but I think she'd surprise here more, or impress less for reasons more tied to her physicality than her voice.

Unrelatedly, or perhaps relatedly because it's pretty shallow, Michael Weatherly has a beautiful nose, especially in profile.

so a few months ago things were such that I thought if I were to move, I was looking at possibly a $50K windfall when all was said and done (new house and a car bought, move paid for, and home improvements made). Now it be more like $8-10K. Makes me really aware how I will have to watch things if I do decide to move in a year or 2.

ok, on to battle the mess that is my bedroom. JT on the stereo, that should help.