Gregory G. Allen's Blog, page 4

Girl Power Shines in Westchester

We are on the weekend when teens are leading America, telling us enough is enough, and demanding to be heard. Acting more adult than many adults. I don't want to take away or diminish the importance of what is happening across the country today as that is monumental,  but I found it fitting that I witnessed another group of teens stepping up and demanding attention last night on the stages of Westchester County, NY.
For the past four years, I've managed a theater where different groups will rent the space and produce shows. I've seen teens grow up on the stage and head off to college. When Broadway Training Center discovered that their Rivertowns Premiere of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" would have less people in their senior ensemble, especially boys, they didn't let it faze them. They moved forward with 11 actors - ONE boy - and told the show brilliantly. 
I saw the opening night last night and loved the show. Not only because book writer Peter Parnell has returned to the original Victor Hugo text to round out the story or that Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz have added more music to the film score they wrote for Disney's animated feature. It wasn't only because Artistic Directors Fiona Santos and Jason Brantman have created an engaging and beautiful evening that moves effortlessly around Paris with the aid of Sarah Hicks choreography. It wasn't just the brilliant set, light, sound, costume designs of so many designers. (I don't have a program to name them all.)
It was the teens themselves. 
Half of the cast took on the roles normally played by men and didn't miss a beat. Frollo, Quasimodo, Phoebus and a few others characters were very talented teen girls playing the roles. They inhabited the roles by changing posture, voices, and were highly believable while still allowing themselves to shine through. The audience went along on the journey and just bought into it much the way early Shakespeare would have men playing the female roles. The cast can be upwards of twenty with this show, but these 11 changed characters quickly and told the story flawlessly. I was absolutely transported from the sheer joy of watching these teens take on this challenge of such a big show and master it as an ensemble that put the story over anything else. Those 11 voices displayed some of the finest choral sounds I've heard coming from a choir - and this show has a lot of choral type music. (Another nod to Fiona Santos who not only co-directs, but is also the MD.) 
I had heard this particular group of teens were special as earlier in the week during the 4th Nor'easter to blow through and cancel schools on Wednesday, it also meant they'd be losing a night of rehearsal in the theater two days before opening. This cast took it upon themselves to contact each other, reach out to the directors, and ask if they could get together for two hours before the storm got worse in the afternoon/evening.  That's dedication to the love of arts. That's the youth of today being heard. That's what - in so many ways - this weekend is about: teens making decisions for themselves; about themselves. I may not be in Washington as many youth march for their lives, but luckily I was in Westchester to witness youth celebrating their lives and their love of something very special to me: theater.





Thank you to Broadway Training Center for this reminder of what I love so dearly...for this gift.












Photos by Leslie Kahan Photography

A Challenge and a Great Cause

Sometimes things just take on a life of their own...and I'm good with that!

Those that follow my blog know I've constantly battled the bulge of my waistline, turkey neck, <insert other body area here>. As we entered 2018, I kept thinking this is the year I hit 49 and 50 isn't too far behind that...so why not see if I can make some changes and just maybe stick to 'em this time. I went back on Nutrisystem (for X time in my life), I've dropped 30 pounds since January and in February I began adding some cardio to my routine by power-walking. I proudly add more time/distance as my body becomes accustomed to healthy choices and I use social media to encourage me along the way.
A twitter friend suggested I register for a 5K as an incentive for myself and I secretly laughed. I can't run. I still walk quickly, but this belly isn't ready to bounce in a full on jog. So I assumed such a thing was off limits to me. And then for some reason, I googled 5Ks in New Jersey and came across the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge which benefits the Special Olympics of New Jersey. When I saw it was happening on April 15th (my 49th Birthday) it all felt like I needed to do this...I HAD to. A chance to challenge myself while giving to a cause that is near and dear to my heart with the past six years of being an autism advocate. 


It was just going to be a quiet thing I'd do, but while on vacation last week - four of us decided to do it together. I came home to sign up for an event 5 weeks away and found I could create a team. Naturally, it had to be Team Chicken Boy (for my children's book series on a super hero with autism). In less than 24 hours, other friends were signing up and we were well on our way of collectively raising money for this organization and climbing the ranking of the teams participating. 
So when something that was to be a small personal challenge for myself turns into something bigger...I'm more than excited to spend the morning of my birthday with all these people bringing awareness to this cause. I'm grateful to those friends joining me on the morning of my birthday and just as grateful to those that are donating to this amazing challenge.
Team Chicken Boy!
Join us if you'd like. Donate any amount you can. You can give to our team or click on the Team Members on our home page and donate directly to any of the members. The money all goes to the same place: benefiting more than 25,000 athletes of the special olympics of New Jersey.
https://give.classy.org/TeamChickenBoy
Thank you for reading. Thank you for donating. Thank you for helping me celebrate my birthday this year as a healthier person looking to pay-it-forward and help others.

When Is Enough?

When Is Enough?
Words we hear over and over. Especially after another horrible mass shooting.
These words are usually followed by people screaming into the ether and nothing being done. The fights become vicious and personal. Usually they are done on social media where, more times than not, you are preaching to the choir if people of like minds are already your social media friends. If not, you exhaust yourself fighting with a stranger online about gun control, mental health, and the the safety of our country. Or you do like I'm doing now and blog about it thinking perhaps someone is listening to you.
I fell into a dark hole last night. Like most Americans, I'm horrified by these shootings. I'm saddened that this is the norm for our country. I'm angry that innocent kids are not with their families today. I'm in a fog. I'm depressed. 
But screaming on social media isn't helping. I finally had that realization last Friday when I was fighting with my own "side" and decided it was...enough: for me. I gave up politics and the news that day. I removed all lists I had on twitter for this administration and groups I belonged to on Facebook. Following every word from a politician or pundit or listening to like minds bellow wasn't helping anything. I've decided I can't have another year like 2017 which was terrible: constantly waiting for something to change. Things are changing, but not for the good. Calling our congress men & women are vital: they all work for us! Re-tweeting the same message over and over on twitter isn't really doing anything.
I must say that I was having a great time being away from politics. I was into the Olympics (even though posting about that can often turn political or into something else as well). I could feel the toxic rut lifting. The addict in me missed not seeing what X was saying about Y, but my mind was in a better place. Until the news broke in yesterday about the horrible incident in Florida and social media once again became an area for people to shout and broadcast their disdain for others.  
So last night, I removed two more social media apps from my phone. I realize I need to use social media for work...but I've had ENOUGH. Sure, I'll still check in and lurk to see when it's someone's birthday, but I find I need to step away and clear my head. I want to see change just as much as the next person. I'm just not sure I need to hear the same rhetoric over and over. 
Peace out my virtual friends!

Where is the Middle?

Today I had a very strange thing happen. I'm very used to fighting on social media with people 'across the aisle' from my own political beliefs, but today I was fighting with my own. It completely brought into focus more of the bigger picture that is tearing apart America. We only want to speak to those that share ALL of our common beliefs and if not...you're dead to us.
I know I am very guilty of finding my tribe, drinking the kool-aid, getting the free toaster - all that comes with the welcome package. But I've always known it's not completely black and white. (Obviously I believe in diverse thoughts: this blog is called Adversity & Diversity.) When I take a quiz about where I stand on the political spectrum, I usually land (gulp) somewhere in the middle. I'm not a full on liberal though I have many liberal views. And I know I'm not a conservative, though I was raised with many of those views as well. But I can go to town with the best of them trolling Trump daily, yelling at the GOP bots that praise everything coming out of the current administration, and basically despising anything around the name Trump. That has nothing to do with Clinton or Democrats; I have never liked the man nor do I support him. 
HOWEVER - 
I also believe we have a right AND responsibility to speak up against our own party when they are wrong. I did that today watching "The View" when Joy made a blanket statement that she was offended by ALL Republicans. I took to twitter and instantly, I was attacked...by my own side. It was fascinating. People with #LGBT and #TheResistance in their bio were coming for me like I was the enemy. I suppose in their mind, I was. Because I wasn't 100% with them.
We are in a world of absolutes now and I find it terrifying: 
If you're not 100% with me, you're against me. If you don't show me loyalty, you must go. If you don't share every same view on #MeToo #BlackLivesMatter #TimesUp (insert hashtag here), you must not be a caring liberal and therefore are the enemy.
It's a fascinating chasm we've created. And yes...we HAVE created it. The moment you veer from the far left or far right to find any kind of common ground, you are the outsider. 
I'm not sure what we can do about it because the divide will only get stronger. There are Democrats that I love and yet, there are Republicans who I also greatly respect and admire. I think their common traits are they can have their political beliefs, but also see the area in between and know when it's right to call out their own party. 
So where does that leave the passionate people who care about their country, but also see we work best when we can find common ground? I'm sure not.
Disclaimer: Yes...you will still see me fighting on social media about LGBT rights being stripped away or a multitude of other issues. But I'll also have these moments where I stop and attempt to speak to people that supposedly share my views and make note that none of us will ever see eye-to-eye about everything.

Jerry Springer in NYC - As an Opera

There are some shows that happen and you ask yourself: WHAT? WHY? SOMEONE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS SMART?
The name Jerry Springer can send shock waves through people who recall his TV talk show which many blame as the beginning of the end as far as reality TV...turning real people into stars for fifteen minutes. So 15 years ago when the British writing team of Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee decided to turn his show into an opera, people were stunned. Jerry Springer the Opera went on to win four British Olivier awards (including Best Musical) and ran for two years. 
I'll admit I became a groupie (without ever having seen it) because of one of the show's songs ("I Just Wanna Dance") which became a dance anthem in clubs around the world (placing singer Alison Jiear as a gay man's goddess). Often a show will transfer from London to Broadway, but that didn't happen with this show. Regional theaters in America would produce the show and there was a two night concert at Carnegie Hall 10 years ago, but it never truly found a life in New York City.
Until now.
The New Group Theater company is producing the first off-Broadway run of the show and what a run it is. The show is everything you'd expect from the Springer TV show (cheating spouses, lesbians, KKK, Steve Wilkos the bodyguard!) plus oh so much more. The show is completely sung through (like an opera) except for Jerry Springer himself speaks (played impeccably by Broadway veteran Terrence Mann) and one short speech by the actor playing Steve Wilkos. The juxtaposition of story line/content and way it was chosen to be sung is what makes this show so remarkable. The singing is glorious! The choral arrangements are breath-taking and this cast sounds absolutely amazing on each piece of sung dialogue, aria, or duet.  Terrence Mann has a sparing partner of his audience warm up guy (who becomes Satan in Act 2) in Will Swenson. This man has an incredible range and commits fully to a character who should...well be committed. Actually, the entire cast's commitment to the piece is another extraordinary piece of this puzzle. Every last one of them give 100% even when the entire evening borders on the absurd. I would point out how incredible each cast member is...but it's almost unfair to point anyone out because each voice as as stunning as the next one. However I just want to shout out to Jennifer Allen, Luke Grooms, Nathaniel Hackmann, Justin Keyes, Tiffany Mann and Jill Paice. 

Director John Rando has made great use of the space and completely immersed the audience in the experience.  Chris Bailey's choreography is also on point for this show, this space. I love the live band upstairs, the use of video, and the way the cast runs around changing constantly to become different people.  My one only complaint would be that the words come fast & furious at times and you really need to pay attention to hear them all. 
This show is NOT without controversy which is why I wonder if it will ever land on Broadway. (But hey, Book of Morman survived.) This show is full of obscenities. You laugh, you cringe, you assume it's simply holding up a mirror to the actual guests and audiences on the Jerry Springer show under all of those bleeps. It also goes in hard on religion and has been protested and blacklisted along it's journey the past 15 years. I suppose we'll wait to see how New York reacts to the current incarnation of the show. But if you can handle the language and let go of whatever concept of religion you were brought up with, I say snag a ticket and get to the Pershing Square Signature Center to hear some of the most amazing voices New York has to offer. And you might actually find you crack a smile or two along the way.

I don't usually post anything until a show opens, but I wanted to go ahead and tell people to get tickets now while still in preview. This is a very limited run.

News Sources in a Fake News America

We hear about Fake News all the time now. How can we not. It's a daily talking point from the White House. It got me thinking about the history of TV news in my own life. To when I was young and we got our news 30 minutes an evening around dinner time. I recall hating those thirty minutes when I was young. It was boring and stuffy and I didn't understand why this man (yes, always a man) had to interrupt good TV time to talk about things that I believed had nothing to do with me. World news. Taxes. It wasn't as if I could turn the channel to something else because...well...we didn't have many choices. 
As I got older, I found I enjoyed watching these shows with my parents. I <gulp> began to learn things beyond my own front yard and town. Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, and Dan Rather became people that I trusted to give me the facts about what was happening around the world. They felt honest, didn't seem to be providing opinion, and not once did I question where they stood politically. 
CNN launched in 1980, but I don't remember paying too much attention to it at first. But the 90s brought all the other 24 hour news channels to our cable and everything began to change. To fill every hour, you needed political commentary, opinion, and lots and lots of stories. Now it's non-ending coverage of the same story...over and over.
I'm not saying there isn't a place for news in our lives, but we as a society have created news superstars. And don't kid yourself, they are all competing to be the best. To get the most viewers. To be top of their game. It is, after all, a business. I still love many newscasters and I watch A LOT of cable news. However I can see certain personalities (and I'm not naming names) from BOTH ends of the political spectrum using social media to see how many LIKES they can get on a comment. How much they can engage viewers off the air. How snarky they can be, thereby placing themselves in the news stories each day. Yes, many of them have actually become bigger than the stories they share and we know exactly where they sit on any given topic. With so much competition, they are doing what they need to do to get an upper hand and in turn, a better time slot.
Does this make them fake news? No. Does it make them human to be using social media to climb an odd ladder of fame? Yes. Does it make them journalist? I'm not sure. I think instead, it makes them a TV personality. Much like hollywood does with actors, TV does with reality shows, and well - politics does with politicians. (Yes, I could probably write this exact same blog about members of congress who have made it an art at getting their faces/names out there to rise above the herd and be the ones that we know.)
I STILL follow Dan Rather. I listen to him on Sirius Radio. I turn to him as the man I trust...and yes, he too has found the social media platform as a way to reach new audiences. So perhaps it's just part of being 2018 and the world we live in as social media is the new frontier. (Ask Russia...they know how to use it to their advantage.) Just like the man who cries fake news daily uses twitter to shout his propaganda: social media is creating monsters whether we like it or not.

Women That Shatter The Silence

Sometimes there is a synergy in the air as people come together from several different points to make their voices heard. 2017 may not have been the year of our first female president, but it WAS definitely the year that women took to the streets to make their voices heard. The year before, Award-winning producer Cheryl Allison founded WOW Films and has created incredibly powerful films of stories of the human experience that raise awareness and start conversations. Her latest project Shatter the Silence, is a documentary that  brings a community together to discuss sexual harassment, rape culture and this national watershed moment for women - all while focusing on one city: Dallas, Texas.
I spoke to director/producer Cheryl Allison and one of the women in the film, actress Denise Lee who has started her own platform of Community Conversations in Dallas as a way to bring people of different views together to discuss many topics.
Greg: Cheryl, as a director/producer with so many stories to tell…why this one?
Cheryl: Like so many, I was very inspired when women in Hollywood started speaking out and telling their truth. As someone who also has a #MeToo story, I started thinking about how do we make this more than a hashtag? How do we work towards more permanent change? It's a very hard thing to even wrap your mind around because it's about addressing an imbalance of power that has existed throughout history. I knew there was a huge national conversation going on and women in Hollywood were already putting together the TimesUp initiative to provide legal funding for victims of sexual harassment. But how do we change a mindset, the dynamic between men and women to deter sexual harassment, assault from happening in the first place? Then I read how great movements in the past, have started at the local level. Grassroots change starts with the voices of a community...sharing, listening and coming together. That gave me the idea to interview Educators, Religious Leaders, Politicians, Therapists/Social Workers working in the Domestic and Sexual Assault Prevention field, Artists and more from the same community. I chose Dallas because it's my hometown. It's an amazing, progressive city filled with a lot of diversity. Yet like many communities, we are not immune to this issue. Our theatre community was hit hard recently with numerous stories of sexual assault by a person in a power position at one of the top theatres.  
Greg: You say it's important to make it more than a hashtag…to take it from hashtag to conversation. Do you believe it takes smaller grassroots groups and not just the larger #MeToo & #TimesUp to provoke change? 
Cheryl: Absolutely! That's why I contacted Denise Lee because I heard that she founded Community Conversations and was bringing people together to discuss controversial, taboo and sometimes polarizing topics in order to get people to not only start a conversation but to listen actually listen to another person's opinion. Because of social media, it's so easy to draw your line in the sand and say "this group of people are wrong and this group of people are right." Hopefully if more communities start organizing group discussions within their social circles, workplace, schools, churches etc...we can slowly start changing the imbalance.  
Greg: Denise, Cheryl mentioned your group. Tell us about community conversations and why you started it?
Denise: I initially was working on an initiative called Change the Perception which would focus on the way media portrayed men of color. Before I could officially launch that, and tensions continued to escalate, 5 law enforcement officers were shot and killed by a sniper in Dallas during, of all things, a peaceful Black Lives Matter march. It seems like all hell broke loose after that. I noticed that we always talked, yelled or typed AT each other. People were not talking TO each other. Nor were they listening. I was fed up. I put out a call on social media for someone to give us a space to meet to do just that....talk to each other. Talk things out for understanding. The Dallas Children's Theater answered the call. That was on a Wednesday. That Monday for the gathering 200 people showed up. And we talked. It was supposed to be a one time thing. We have met once a month for almost 2 years now and we also host quarterly gatherings in Ft. Worth. It turned into what I call Community Conversations. People are talking AND listening to one another. 
Greg: We hear of so many different organizations or movements taking shape over this past year. Do you feel all women can believe they are being heard when certain movements get more visibility on a national level than others? 
Cheryl: I think both are equally important. With any group of marginalized people, you need a big national reckoning to bring awareness and help make sweeping changes. You can address a massive group of people at once, receive lots of media attention like with the Women's March. I think a national movement can then inspire and fuel local grassroots movements. You need local communities to continue the efforts, conversations and implement initiatives like Community Conversations in order to keep the movement moving forward when nationally the media has moved on to another story and it's not at the forefront as much. When it's your neighbor, family member, student, teacher, pastor who you are talking about the issues with, it starts to change your social circle and hopefully have a ripple effect. 
Greg: Denise, as someone who has been in the entertainment industry for years, have you witnessed any kind of shift during 2017 locally in Dallas?
Denise: I don't know. It appears to come in waves. A recent event brought movement to our community. That seems to have caused a bit of an uproar. I hope it doesn't die down. It can't just be about blaming or bashing men. Women are standing up now and speaking up. We have to make sure our young women and young men know that it's safe. And we have to make sure they are speaking up not to be vindictive but because it is the right thing to do. 

Greg: Cheryl, who are you interviewing for your documentary and what are you learning?
Cheryl: I am still in the interviewing process but so far as you know I have sat down with Denise Lee Actress/Singer and founder of Community Conversations, I spoke with an amazing therapist/social worker who is currently a Director at one Dallas' top organizations that provides resources and help for women who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. I spoke with a Marketing and Graphic Artist who has her own story to share and will be sitting down and talking with Pastors, Educators and Politicians and more. What I have learned is that although each individual brings their own story, experiences and expertise to the film, they all have one goal and that is to address and correct the imbalance of power. Sexual Assault, harassment, misconduct stems from a place of power. Women must be seen as equals in areas of pay, job positions etc in order to not only have a seat at the table but have the respect that comes with having a seat at the table. All my interviewees also agreed that this constructive fury started during the campaign and after the 2016 Presidential election. Regardless of one's political affiliation, it was shocking to most women that the things our President said about women could be overlooked and justified by a large group of Americans. 

Greg: What do each of you believe are the roles of men in this movement? 
Denise: I think men play a vital part in this movement. The mistake I don't want us to make is to lump all men in one category until they prove they don't belong there. Most guys that I know are good men. There are some ideals we have to look at and reexamine. Change can be hard. Men have to be allowed to ask questions when they don't understand without women shutting them down. We have to hear and answer. Conversations that we haven't had before. But like the civil rights movement, whites were needed in the movement to stand side by side with African Americans for what's right. We need men to stand with us on the right side of this issue.  
Cheryl: I agree 100% with Denise. I might add that the gay community needed straight allies in order to finally be given the right to marry. There are amazing, wonderful men out there and we need them to speak up as well. If they hear comments made, witness offensive behavior, we need them to hold their male counterparts accountable and call them out on it. Right now women are having their moment - FINALLY! Listen to us and let's start having conversations to address and better understand how to even out the imbalances that still occur. 
Greg: Do you believe shedding a light on Dallas can add to the larger conversation? What would you like to see as an outcome of your documentary?
Cheryl: I do believe it can lead to a larger conversation. I plan for the film to screen throughout the film festival circuit and then distribution on platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and potentially PBS etc. I've already been contacted by a distributor out of Los Angeles solely because of the subject matter. She wanted a screener of the film and I had to tell her I was still filming! People from all over the world potentially could see the film because of festivals and distribution and that leads to a larger audience and hopefully a larger conversation. If one person watched the film and listens to what some of the amazing women and men in the Dallas community are saying and doing, perhaps they will walk away and start conversations and initiatives in their own community. 

Thank you both for sharing your stories, creating conversations, making this film so that many voices will be heard. It may be centered on Dallas, but it’s a discussion we all need to have no matter where we live. Shatter The Silence has funding to create this film, but they are raising money for post-production work. They also received FISCAL SPONSORSHIP through FROM THE HEART PRODUCTIONS so donations are tax-deductible! Check out the info here: https://fromtheheartproductions.networkforgood.com/projects/44671-documentaries-shatter-the-silence-documentary

Why We Tell The Story

Back in 1990 I saw a beautiful new musical on Broadway written by two of my favorite musical writers (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty) and told in a great way with the ensemble narrating as they went along. I bought the original cast album (on tape), played it on my Walkman over and over until l knew every song in the show...though I knew I'd never be able to do it. (Spoiler: I'm white and this isn't a show where I'd be invited.) Many theaters have done it since and then I heard it was coming back to Broadway and I felt "eh...I've seen community theaters and colleges do it...I'm good...I don't need to return."
What an IDIOT I'd have been if I missed the incredible revival of Once on This Island directed by the always inventive Michael Arden. From now on, when his name is on it...I need to get my tickets right away. This man has an eye for retelling a story in a fresh, creative way. Sand, water, growing trees, magical moments, interactive theater - this show has it all. The score sounds as sublime as when I heard it in 1990. The band is exciting and nuanced. The choreography by Camille A. Brown is GLORIOUS! The set, lights, sound - it all adds to the magic of theater that is perfect for this show of a group of people telling/showing/creating a story of the power of love. 
Ti Moune goes on a journey where she learns the hard lesson of being judged based on your social standing and class. But in this fable, the Gods play a huge part as humans are mere pawns for them to play a game with their lives. The team behind this revival decided to play around with the genders of the gods and when I first heard it, I assumed it was a gimmick. WRONG AGAIN. The gods don't need a specific gender and it works perfectly. As someone who has seen several productions, I LOVE Papa Ge as a woman in this production: this 'death' is like no other. 
The cast is absolutely outstanding. It is an ensemble that relies greatly on each other as they do everything in the show from performing to being the stagehands. I'm afraid to call out favorites as they are all so wonderful, so I'll just name a few favorite moments. Philip Boykin and Kenita R. Miller breaking my heart as they sent Ti Moune on her way. Lea Salonga singing of the 'innocence of youth" as my mind goes instantly to her youth when she took the world by storm in Miss Saigon. Alex Newell belting the heck out of Mama Will Provide...and she does! Norm Lewis bringing the rain with his sheer presence. Bailey Kilgore tearing me apart at the gates. Tamyra Gray slithering across the stage like a predator and giving me the creeps with each entrance. The love, passion, and care that each person 'handles' this story as they share it! 

A Broadway musical is meant to make you feel and this entire production had me feeling ALL the feels. It's why they tell the story...it's why people return to a story they already know. This is a wonderful story that should be told AND heard. Thank you to those producers I know that brought it to us. Now do yourself a favor and get to the Circle In The Square to be uplifted in a way only live theater can accomplish...you will NOT be disappointed.    

On The Cliff with Memories

Sometimes something happens in our lives that imprints in our memory no matter how many years pass or how big of an event it happened to be. We go back to those memories and think about them over and over. It's what a person who has been traumatized does, often when they don't even share with anyone what happened during that trauma. Or maybe it was a collective moment in history and you remember where you were on the day that X happened. But it's there, in the back of our mind, able to recall. It often becomes fuzzy with years and you question if you saw what you think you saw.  
That's what happened in 1993 when I attended the nail-biting, anxiety-ridden Sylvester Stallone movie Cliffhanger at a theater on the East side of Manhattan. Something occurred that I have discussed throughout the years with the friend I went to the film with (as well as a few other friends). Both of us had the same "icky" feeling after the film and spent the past 20+ years discussing it at times.
While watching the film, a man was sitting across from us with a ten year old girl and a younger boy (I'm estimating the ages). The girl was sitting on his lap (seemed too old to be on his lap), and we were uncomfortable with how the man was touching her. The children didn't seem as if they were being held against their will, but my years of growing up with a mom in early childhood education caused my eyes to continue to look towards the three as the man would touch the children throughout the film. Now, fathers are allowed to show love towards their children and it's nice to see a dad taking his kids to the movies on what looked like a divorced dad's evening with the kids. But even as I recall it all these years later, the images may not be totally in focus, but the feeling of disgust is there.
Should I have said something? Do we speak up in instances like this? Are all the people coming out of the closet now with #MeToo challenged due to the fact they didn't speak up at the time? Sometimes we don't speak up. We don't think it's our place or we see something else that makes us assume we were wrong.
When we walked out of the film, a limo was waiting outside. A well-known NYC business man who had gone through a public divorce walked out with those two kids that I had stared at in the darkness of the film and got into the limo and drove away. I told myself I obviously had been wrong with what I  believed I witnessed through the flicker of a film. A man like that wouldn't ever touch children inappropriately. 
The 48 year old man that I am today wishes he could whisper into that 24 year old's ear that sometimes things really are what they seem. 

The Parisian Woman Brings Politics to Broadway

When my other half said he wanted to see Uma Thurman make her Broadway debut, I'll admit I totally thought we were seeing some stuffy classical piece due to the name of the show. How judgmental of me to assume The Parisian Woman was going to whisk us off to the 19th century. I read nothing about it, grabbed tickets and off we went. Couldn't be further from what I had in mind and I really enjoyed it. Beau Willimon has stuck to what he knows writing House of Cards and created a political, ambitious, and sometimes amusing 90 minute look into Washington and what people will do to climb ahead. There are great twists and turns in the piece and it's good to not know much. Many people are referring to it as a Trump-bashing piece (see what I did there with 'many people'), but actually it was written and first performed a few years ago. It was only when they decided to bring it to broadway deftly directed by Pam MacKinnon (who directed it four years ago as well) that Willimon did a rewrite and man...it felt like he wrote it yesterday.
We often see stunt casting on Broadway to bring in big names for a limited run so producers can recoup money quickly. I didn't feel that was happening in this piece. Uma Thurman does a great job making her Great White Way debut as a witty and calculating woman standing by her man as they do whatever necessary to get what they want. I haven't seen her in anything recently and I have to say, she was giving me shades of Glenn Close in this performance as Chloe. She's very at home on stage and has a natural way about her that is refreshing. 
I didn't realize I was seeing Josh Lucas (who I've seen in numerous films) until afterwards when I read the program. As the Washington insider (or outsider depending on how you look at it) attempting to rise to the top, he has made an interesting choice in how to play Tom. I don't want to color anyone else's view when seeing it, but I'd be interested to know if anyone else reads the character as gay from the moment they see him. I know I shouldn't put preconceived notions on what is gay or straight in how a person acts, but both myself and a straight female that I was with had the same reaction to the performance and was waiting for it to come out in the play. I absolutely loved Blair Brown as the conservative who doesn't care what comes out of her mouth. She always gives 100% no matter what role she's playing (even most recently on Orange is the New Black). I do not know Marton Csokas, but he was my other favorite in this show - also making his Broadway debut. I loved every choice this man made as an actor and hope to see him again on stage soon. It was also great to see Phillipa Soo in something other than a musical where she really gets to show her acting chops. 

There are some really nice design elements happening in this show as well, so a shout out to Derek McLane (set), Peter Kaczorowski (lights), and Darrel Maloney (projections) for adding to the pace and look of the evening. 
If you enjoy the new trend of get into a show and out in under 90 minutes, laugh a little, think about the state of affairs in America, and be entertained while doing it - this show is for you.