New Years Eve

Despite what I’m about to write, I’m really not in a bad space about the final week of 2005. It’s just the reality of the road and having a career where you are other folks’ entertainment for the holidays.

Playing the Warner Theater has been more difficult than expected. Due to its limited wing space and the size of the stage, our front curtain, several of the banners, one of the two movie screens and several sections of deck have been missing this week. Most entrances have been modified; in fact, the entire cast has created entrances for the tops of the two acts since there is no reveal. We’ve had three people fall and two run into metal lighting towers in blackouts, since the exit into the downstage wings are half the normal size. Our newspaper review dwelled on the “pared down production”. No shit! Any production playing this tiny theater (which has a beautiful house) has to make cuts.

I’ve always liked Washington, DC. I think people who have never been to the National Mall and witnessed the monumental buildings are missing out; there is important information to be learned about our country’s history, visual reinforcements that will make you proud to be an American, particularly in these difficult political times. The best part of my week was simply walking the Mall and taking random photos of the sights.

Gay Washington is another matter. I’ve not been to the bars and clubs this time. Due to a mix-up, Henry and Geoff and I didn’t make it to Remingtons or the Eagle this visit. However, I am staying in the Dupont Circle area and I’ve had mostly unsatisfactory experiences while supporting Gay businesses. Why is it that when you are spending hard-earned dollars in such establishments, that the service is often underwhelming or out right rude and dismissive? Why do the people who work in these businesses bite the hands that feed them? The businesses exist because of good-will ... our desire for community... I believe it’s why so many are disappearing.

For example, there is a 56-year old restaurant here, Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, where I’ve eaten many times over the past 15 years. I enjoy it because the food is good. I’ve given Annie’s my business three times this week and I can’t complain about the food, but I will complain about the service and where I’ve been seated. Yesterday, the bitter waiter turned on me because I didn’t flirt with him. (Note to waiter - I’m not one of the men who appreciates my server being all cozy and sitting down with me at my booth when I’m ordering.) I asked for non-smoking, a very small section in this restaurant. Placing me less than two feet from the bar where smoking is allowed, isn’t my idea of non-smoking. There were open tables where I could have moved, but the host insisted I sit there. The open tables soon filled up in the lunch rush. A side note - The City is planning to implement a no-smoking ban in restaurants and bars in the District soon. The businesses are vigorously fighting it, trying to frame it as a “freedom of choice” issue. I ask, What about my freedom of choice not to be around smoking in your business? I’ve put up with it for decades.

Now to the issue of manners .... In the booth behind me, was a raucous party of four men. Their noise and general silliness didn’t bother me, but the behavior of one of the men did. As I was eating, one of the guys kept shrieking with laughter at the banal comments of one of his dining partners. As he did so, he threw himself back against the back of booth, thus throwing me forward toward my food. I ignored it at first; but it was so frequent and forceful, that I started (childish, I know) to do it back. I got really angry because it became evident that he was doing it on purpose.

I came within two bumps of creating a scene. My anger had escalated to the point that I was ready to knock his block off. I didn’t for the following reasons: I suspected that if I did say something, even politely, that he would have claimed that I was being racist and homophobic; instead of understanding that I was angry because he was aggressively rude and inconsiderate, I think he would have reveled in the ensuing scene. I got up from my table, turned to say something, but instead glared at the other people at the table who were silent; they knew all too well I was upset and why. I left.

Would you have confronted the guy? Would you have handled the situation differently? We discussed this in the dressing room yesterday. There seems to be a trend in the politically-correct Gay Meccas to criticize men who might make different image choices than the effeminate man I experienced yesterday ... the “hyper-masculine” man as it’s being labeled, (though I find an implied criticism and condescension in this label). I’m not including myself in this category; but what happened to each of us being accepted for who we are and for what we bring to the table? There is a whole world of Gay men and women between the coasts who simply live their lives. Are they to be dismissed? Anyway, I would welcome thoughts on the subject ...

As to New Years Eve ... We have two shows today at 2 and 8pm. On New Years Day, we have performances at 1pm and 6:30pm. That means I have to head to the theater at 11:30am on Sunday. I suppose I shoud be upset about it, but I’m almost always working on New Years ... I haven’t been with a significant other since New Years Eve of 1999 going into 2000 and I don’t like to be out in the smoke or while folks are drinking to excess. All in all, I’d rather be earning my paycheck.

“Evita” comes to an end in six weeks, but I've been grateful since October 2004 for the opportunity to use it as a vehicle to travel around the country ... as a means to see my friends ... as a way to meet new people. For me, the legacy of 2005 will be the new friends I’ve made. As we transition into 2006, I will be thinking of your faces and I’ll be smiling.

New Years Eve

Despite what I’m about to write, I’m really not in a bad space about the final week of 2005. It’s just the reality of the road and having a career where you are other folks’ entertainment for the holidays.

Playing the Warner Theater has been more difficult than expected. Due to its limited wing space and the size of the stage, our front curtain, several of the banners, one of the two movie screens and several sections of deck have been missing this week. Most entrances have been modified; in fact, the entire cast has created entrances for the tops of the two acts since there is no reveal. We’ve had three people fall and two run into metal lighting towers in blackouts, since the exit into the downstage wings are half the normal size. Our newspaper review dwelled on the “pared down production”. No shit! Any production playing this tiny theater (which has a beautiful house) has to make cuts.

I’ve always liked Washington, DC. I think people who have never been to the National Mall and witnessed the monumental buildings are missing out; there is important information to be learned about our country’s history, visual reinforcements that will make you proud to be an American, particularly in these difficult political times. The best part of my week was simply walking the Mall and taking random photos of the sights.

Gay Washington is another matter. I’ve not been to the bars and clubs this time. Due to a mix-up, Henry and Geoff and I didn’t make it to Remingtons or the Eagle this visit. However, I am staying in the Dupont Circle area and I’ve had mostly unsatisfactory experiences while supporting Gay businesses. Why is it that when you are spending hard-earned dollars in such establishments, that the service is often underwhelming or out right rude and dismissive? Why do the people who work in these businesses bite the hands that feed them? The businesses exist because of good-will ... our desire for community... I believe it’s why so many are disappearing.

For example, there is a 56-year old restaurant here, Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, where I’ve eaten many times over the past 15 years. I enjoy it because the food is good. I’ve given Annie’s my business three times this week and I can’t complain about the food, but I will complain about the service and where I’ve been seated. Yesterday, the bitter waiter turned on me because I didn’t flirt with him. (Note to waiter - I’m not one of the men who appreciates my server being all cozy and sitting down with me at my booth when I’m ordering.) I asked for non-smoking, a very small section in this restaurant. Placing me less than two feet from the bar where smoking is allowed, isn’t my idea of non-smoking. There were open tables where I could have moved, but the host insisted I sit there. The open tables soon filled up in the lunch rush. A side note - The City is planning to implement a no-smoking ban in restaurants and bars in the District soon. The businesses are vigorously fighting it, trying to frame it as a “freedom of choice” issue. I ask, What about my freedom of choice not to be around smoking in your business? I’ve put up with it for decades.

Now to the issue of manners .... In the booth behind me, was a raucous party of four men. Their noise and general silliness didn’t bother me, but the behavior of one of the men did. As I was eating, one of the guys kept shrieking with laughter at the banal comments of one of his dining partners. As he did so, he threw himself back against the back of booth, thus throwing me forward toward my food. I ignored it at first; but it was so frequent and forceful, that I started (childish, I know) to do it back. I got really angry because it became evident that he was doing it on purpose.

I came within two bumps of creating a scene. My anger had escalated to the point that I was ready to knock his block off. I didn’t for the following reasons: I suspected that if I did say something, even politely, that he would have claimed that I was being racist and homophobic; instead of understanding that I was angry because he was aggressively rude and inconsiderate, I think he would have reveled in the ensuing scene. I got up from my table, turned to say something, but instead glared at the other people at the table who were silent; they knew all too well I was upset and why. I left.

Would you have confronted the guy? Would you have handled the situation differently? We discussed this in the dressing room yesterday. There seems to be a trend in the politically-correct Gay Meccas to criticize men who might make different image choices than the effeminate man I experienced yesterday ... the “hyper-masculine” man as it’s being labeled, (though I find an implied criticism and condescension in this label). I’m not including myself in this category; but what happened to each of us being accepted for who we are and for what we bring to the table? There is a whole world of Gay men and women between the coasts who simply live their lives. Are they to be dismissed? Anyway, I would welcome thoughts on the subject ...

As to New Years Eve ... We have two shows today at 2 and 8pm. On New Years Day, we have performances at 1pm and 6:30pm. That means I have to head to the theater at 11:30am on Sunday. I suppose I shoud be upset about it, but I’m almost always working on New Years ... I haven’t been with a significant other since New Years Eve of 1999 going into 2000 and I don’t like to be out in the smoke or while folks are drinking to excess. All in all, I’d rather be earning my paycheck.

“Evita” comes to an end in six weeks, but I've been grateful since October 2004 for the opportunity to use it as a vehicle to travel around the country ... as a means to see my friends ... as a way to meet new people. For me, the legacy of 2005 will be the new friends I’ve made. As we transition into 2006, I will be thinking of your faces and I’ll be smiling.