Tonight Thom and I are going to see an all-male production of Bye Bye Birdie, by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. Sounds like fun! It premieres at Lisner (GW) tonight and plays through Sunday. Side note: did you know that both Thom and I have played the character of Albert Peterson in school productions of Bye Bye Birdie? For me it was in the seventh grade with Mrs. Christensen’s drama class. Ah, and thus a starlet was born.
Side note to the side note: my middle school now has a website, including a staff directory, and of all the teachers I had, it seems the only one still on the staff is Ms. Ross, who taught social studies and the yearbook/journalism class. Yours truly was editor of the yearbook in eighth grade. I remember, to apply for the top staff posts we had to write a short essay—maybe it was just a paragraph—and I think I likened to yearbook to a “gem” or some such inanity. Yes, the gift of hyperbole, even then.
Last side note, I promise. Speaking of essays, my high-school entrance essay was on what famous person I wanted to meet (or be?), or something like that. I decided on the President. But for some reason that will continue to escape me to the end of my days, I specified the current President at the time, George H. W. Bush. Yikes. You’d think I was a young Republican-in-training. God forbid that essay ever gets dug up and quoted back to me, Tim Russert-style. “Senator, let’s get your words up on the screen. In 1991 you wrote, and I’m quoting here…” Hm. That’s pretty unlikely. Never mind, then.
Have a great weekend, kids.
Hope you and Thom enjoy BBB!
Oh, and when Tim Russert tries to grill you in your upcoming interview, I’ll be there to help you out. (I’ll be the crazy woman who broke into the studio, yelling “Oh no you *DON’T* Tim Russert!” They will have to sedate me with something injectable, but you’ll be in the clear).
Rajani :)