The Reinvention of Me: What Comes Next

Another great read I finished, while on my vacation to Cancun!  About Last Night at Chateau Marmont:

Brooke loved reading the dishy celebrity gossip rag Last Night. That is, until her marriage became a weekly headline.  Brooke was drawn to the soulful, enigmatic Julian Alter the very first time she heard him perform “Hallelujah” at a dark East Village dive bar.  Now five years married, Brooke balances two jobs—as a nutritionist at NYU Hospital and as a consultant to an Upper East Side girls’ school, where privilege gone wrong and disordered eating run rampant—in order to help support her husband’s dream of making it in the music world.  Things are looking up when after years of playing Manhattan clubs and toiling as an A&R intern, Julian finally gets signed by Sony.  Although no one’s promising that the album will ever hit the airwaves, Julian is still dedicated to logging in long hours at the recording studio. All that changes after Julian is asked to perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno—and is catapulted to stardom, literally overnight. A new designer wardrobe, a tour with Maroon 5, debuting at number four on the charts, and even a Grammy performance.  At first the newfound fame is fun—who wouldn’t want to stay at the Chateau Marmont or visit the set of one of television’s hottest shows, or be on the cover of every magazine? Yet it seems that Brooke’s sweet husband—the man who can’t handle hot showers and wears socks to bed—is increasingly absent, even on those rare nights they’re home together. When rumors about Brooke and Julian swirl in the tabloid magazines (think fabricated affairs), she begins to question the truth of her marriage and is forced to finally come to terms with what she thinks she wants—and what she actually needs.

This book starts out slow but increases in excitement as the pages go on.  It easily sweeps you up into the whirlwind life of a budding musician-turned rockstar.  I highly recommend.

Need a great, easy read that provides a TON of humor and insight into the world of TV production, while not being able to put the book down?  This would be it!

Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants is short, messy, and impossibly funny (an apt description of the comedian herself). From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania, to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago, to her early sketches on Saturday Night Live, Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy with equal doses of wit, candor, and self-deprecation. Some of the funniest chapters feature the differences between male and female comedy writers, her cruise ship honeymoon, and advice about breastfeeding. But the chaos of Fey’s life is best detailed when she’s dividing her efforts equally between rehearsing her Sarah Palin impression, trying to get Oprah to appear on 30 Rock, and planning her daughter’s Peter Pan-themed birthday. Bossypants gets to the heart of why Tina Fey remains universally adored: she embodies the hectic, too-many-things-to-juggle lifestyle we all have, but instead of complaining about it, she can just laugh it off.

In my quest to read a bit more this summer, I have a stack of books I made a goal to get through before the summer is over.  Included in this list: Matchbook: The Diary of a Modern-Day Matchmaker by Samantha Daniels.

I am one of those that has a hard time getting into a book at first and when it’s good, I tend to have a hard time putting it down.  This was one of those books.

This book is a real-life story about a real-life lawyer-turned-matchmaker in NY who falls into the matchmaking business on a whim.  She was known for her parties, where she would naturally introduce those that would look like a good match.  After much coaxing through her friends and family, she slowly made this business legit and is now considered one of the most successful matchmakers in NY.

Her book takes you through her early stages of the business, how it flourished on happenstance through one media interview and ultimately, some of her more “colorful” clients that are all too common in NY.  In parallel, she walks you through some of her own dating tales.

All – in- all, almost anyone can relate to this book in some way and if at all, everyone can learn a thing or two about dating.

Nestled in the middle of D.C., on Georgia Avenue, is a hidden gem of  a place that perfectly blends live music with ample listening room, a great selection of beers, plenty of flat screens and an open area to enjoy the warmer evenings that are soon upon us. Long-time club promoter-turned part owner, Jamie Hess, has hit his mark with Blue Banana Sports and Rock Bar.

Having lived in Pacific Beach, CA for two years, I found myself sometimes missing a good dive bar that embodies what SoCal residents are accustomed to frequenting – being able to listen to good live music and drink with some low-key, fun individuals. There’s no need to dress up and certainly no need to have serious conversation.  It’s a place to relax, a place to listen to talented local musicians (more on that in a minute) and a place to call “your sports bar”.

As of the last month, Blue Banana (as it’s now affectionately called) has had some great local musical talents come through.  Last Friday evening, a showcase of talent rocked the night away, which included Hannibal Bray, Felicity Amos, Ken Suarez and Chris Walling. (Video clip of musicians Hannibal Bray and Felcitiy Amos can be found here.)

This week, there is a sneak preview of the long-awaited Beer Garden.  The invite can be found here.

This past Wednesday I was invited to attend the opening night of the Blue Man Group at the Warner Theater.  It had been sitting on my “bucket list” for some time.  Little did I know the good time I was going to have would actually turn out to be the best performance I have ever seen.

Blue Man Group is a highly audience-interactive experience that utilizes colors, sounds, technology and mime performances.  It shows you how a great performance doesn’t necessarily need dialogue to be incredible.

Since this show was so amazing, and I want everyone to see it for themselves, I’m not diving into details.  Note that the first 10 rows are the best to sit in, with the first four requiring you to wear the ponchos they provide (just in case).  They are here until April 3rd.

Shout Outs: Kate Michael (for being my date) and Natasha Barrett (even though we didn’t get to verbally say hi).

On Wednesday, March 16, it was Young Professionals Night at Shakespeare Theatre.  A group of us women decided to go and see Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband”.  I’ve always loved the theatre and am up for seeing almost any performance.  This was, by far, one of my favorites.

Set in the late 1800s, the play is about well-t0-do political and social affairs that take place in a 24-hour period.  Much humor and wit are incorporated into this performance, giving the audience a glimpse into a multi-dimensional world, most DC residents are already all too familiar with.

Read on if you want an entire synopsis of the play, courtesy of Wikipedia.  If not, scroll to the post-event information.

An Ideal Husband opens during a dinner party at the home of Sir Robert Chiltern in London’s fashionable Grosvenor Square. Sir Robert, a prestigious member of the House of Commons, and his wife, Lady Chiltern, are hosting a gathering that includes his friend Lord Goring, a dandified bachelor and close friend to the Chilterns, his sister Mabel Chiltern, and other genteel guests. During the party, Mrs. Cheveley, an enemy of Lady Chiltern’s from their school days, attempts to blackmail Sir Robert into supporting a fraudulent scheme to build a canal in Argentina. Apparently, Mrs. Cheveley’s dead mentor and lover, Baron Arnheim, convinced the young Sir Robert many years ago to sell him a Cabinet secret, a secret that suggested he buy stocks in the Suez Canal three days before the British government announced its purchase. Sir Robert made his fortune with that illicit money, and Mrs. Cheveley has the letter to prove his crime. Fearing the ruin of both career and marriage, Sir Robert submits to her demands.

When Mrs. Cheveley pointedly informs Lady Chiltern of Sir Robert’s change of heart regarding the canal scheme, the morally inflexible Lady, unaware of both her husband’s past and the blackmail plot, insists that Sir Robert renege on his promise. For Lady Chiltern, their marriage is predicated on her having an “ideal husband”—that is, a model spouse in both private and public life that she can worship: thus Sir Robert must remain unimpeachable in all his decisions. Sir Robert complies with the lady’s wishes and apparently seals his doom. Also toward the end of Act I, Mabel and Lord Goring come upon a diamond brooch that Lord Goring gave someone many years ago. Goring takes the brooch and asks that Mabel inform him if anyone comes to retrieve it.

In the second act, which also takes place at Sir Robert’s house, Lord Goring urges Sir Robert to fight Mrs. Cheveley and admit his guilt to his wife. He also reveals that he and Mrs. Cheveley were formerly engaged. After finishing his conversation with Sir Robert, Goring engages in flirtatious banter with Mabel. He also takes Lady Chiltern aside and obliquely urges her to be less morally inflexible and more forgiving. Once Goring leaves, Mrs. Cheveley appears, unexpected, in search of a brooch she lost the previous evening. Incensed at Sir Robert’s reneging on his promise, she ultimately exposes Sir Robert to his wife once they are both in the room. Unable to accept a Sir Robert now unmasked, Lady Chiltern then denounces her husband and refuses to forgive him.

In the third act, set in Lord Goring’s home, Goring receives a pink letter from Lady Chiltern asking for his help, a letter that might be read as a compromising love note. Just as Goring receives this note, however, his father, Lord Caversham, drops in and demands to know when his son will marry. A visit from Sir Robert, who seeks further counsel from Goring, follows. Meanwhile, Mrs. Cheveley arrives unexpectedly and, misrecognized by the butler as the woman Goring awaits, is ushered into Lord Goring’s drawing room. While she waits, she finds Lady Chiltern’s letter. Ultimately, Sir Robert discovers Mrs. Cheveley in the drawing room and, convinced of an affair between these two former loves, angrily storms out of the house.

When she and Lord Goring confront each other, Mrs. Cheveley makes a proposal. Claiming to still love Goring from their early days of courtship, she offers to exchange Sir Robert’s letter for her old beau’s hand in marriage. Lord Goring declines, accusing her of defiling love by reducing courtship to a vulgar transaction and ruining the Chilterns’ marriage. He then springs his trap. Removing the diamond brooch from his desk drawer, he binds it to Cheveley’s wrist with a hidden device. Goring then reveals how the item came into her possession. Apparently Mrs. Cheveley stole it from his cousin years ago. To avoid arrest, Cheveley must trade the incriminating letter for her release from the bejeweled handcuff. After Goring obtains and burns the letter, however, Mrs. Cheveley steals Lady Chiltern’s note from his desk. Vengefully she plans to send it to Sir Robert misconstrued as a love letter addressed to the dandified lord. Mrs. Cheveley exits the house in triumph.

The final act, which returns to Grosvenor Square, resolves the many plot complications sketched above with a decidedly happy ending. Lord Goring proposes to and is accepted by Mabel. Lord Caversham informs his son that Sir Robert has denounced the Argentine canal scheme before the House. Lady Chiltern then appears, and Lord Goring informs her that Sir Robert’s letter has been destroyed but that Mrs. Cheveley has stolen her letter and plans to use it to destroy her marriage. At that moment, Sir Robert enters while reading Lady Chiltern’s letter, but as the letter does not have the name of the addressee, he assumes it is meant for him, and reads it as a letter of forgiveness. The two reconcile. Lady Chiltern initially agrees to support Sir Robert’s decision to renounce his career in politics, but Lord Goring dissuades her from allowing her husband to resign. When Sir Robert refuses Lord Goring his sister’s hand in marriage, still believing he has taken up with Mrs. Cheveley, Lady Chiltern is forced to explain last night’s events and the true nature of the letter. Sir Robert relents, and Lord Goring and Mabel are permitted to wed.

Post-Performance

Because it was Young Professionals Night, there was a wine tasting, post-performance, sponsored by Kim Crawford Winery, MapHook and OnTap Magazine.  They set us out on a scavenger hunt, throughout the theatre, to win prizes, such as iPads, iPods, t-shirts and the like.

Photos can be found here:  http://www.ontaponline.com/scene/?album=4&gallery=314

Shout outs go to: Taryn Fielder, Felicity Amos, Michelle Backus, Sarah Dean, Seyhan Duru, Sanam Toosi and Rey Alatorre.

I  never understood what the hype was about.  I mean, she wears strange clothing (if you call it that sometimes) and she labels herself as “androgynous”.  Her music videos are even more confusing to those who aren’t die-hard fans and she has some good songs.  But how fabricated is she?  I didn’t understand what Lady Gaga was all about until last night.

Here’s a woman who had a terrible time being picked on at school for being homely.  Her escape was music: singing, playing the bass, the piano and even the organ.  My assumption was that she was a fabricated singer at best who didn’t write her own music and probably lip-synced to her own music at concerts.  I was proven wrong – on all fronts.

Set scene: Thousands of screaming fans in glitter, feather boas, sequins, fairy costumes, outlandish makeup, leather, ripped stockings, wigs – basically anything you can dream up and it was there.  If I had been assigned to photograph just the fans for a fashion piece, I would have claimed to have the best job on the planet. It was as if the best of Disney and Halloween came together for one night.

About 9:20pm, the lights went down and the roar was defeaning. Black and white fashion images of Lady Gaga took over the white stage curtain and house music played.  You instantly felt like you were about to see a runway show, as opposed to a concert. A countdown began at 10 and at 1, the projected images gave way to a large shadow of Lady Gaga singing.

After the first song, the curtain was raised and it revealed a shady alleyway in New York with a broken down car.  It was then that the story was starting to be revealed.  Her and her friends were trying to get to the Monster Ball.  At this point, Lady Gaga is wearing a purple dress with large shoulder pads and sings “Dance in the Dark”.

(Curtain comes back down with more black and white images and more house music)

Act II: Lady Gaga and her friends are now in a subway.  She’s dressed in a scantily-clad nun’s outfit, complete with large hat (a depiction of a pre-habit era).  After a few more songs: “Boys, Boys, Boys” (the male dancers were wearing white boxer briefs with ahem “enhanced parts”, followed by “Beautiful and Dirty Rich” – video here), she stops to address the crowd.  She’s carrying a scepter of sorts that has a huge spotlight and camera at the end of it.  She’s reading people’s posters, engaging with the audience and even sang a rather beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday to one fan.  This pause seemed to tie in, seamlessly, with the next song – “Love Game”.

(Curtain comes down and more black and white – now moving/rather disturbing – images display with more house music)

Act III: Lady Gaga and her crew are stuck in a dark, scary forest (and is wearing a large red cape, also covering part of her face, with large horizontal shoulders that looked as though she accidentally got caught on a clothes line). After her first song, the cape gives way to a patent leather bikini of sorts. She is playing a piano that has been set on fire.  Her voice sounds soulful while she sings.  This transitions to her next high-energy act: “Monster”.  It’s at this point that her dance group crowds around her and emerge bloody – they’ve eaten her heart (metaphorically speaking).  This is followed by her taking yet another break to call someone in the audience.  Usually, it would sound like a fabricated marketing ploy but the crowd was convinced otherwise when the camera panned to the woman on the other end of the call.  It just happened to be the one fan that was a mom who escorted her pre-teen daughter to the concert.  Lady Gaga called to invite her backstage to meet her.  Her daughter looked like she was going to faint and her mom (I’m pretty sure) didn’t know what to make of it.  The song that followed this was “Telephone”, which was then followed by “Alejandro” –  a rather sultry dance number.  The end of this “act” was Teeth, where she started by playing the intro to Phantom of the Opera on an organ, which led her to roam in a fountain of fake blood, before being carried off to the front of the stage where a “twister” swallowed up her and her friends.

(Curtain comes down again for the same sequence.)

Act IV: This “twister” was a conical LED board that showed various colored Lady Gaga images and more house music.  When it was raised, it revealed Lady Gaga in a white butterfly costume with a mechanical headpiece that looked like a sea anemone had come to life (she’s still covered in blood/corn syrup).  She’s lifted up over the crowd on a platform when she sings.  When she is set back down, she starts talking to the crowd.  She sort of sings her words and when the crowd starts to get pumped she lets her vocals loose and the most soulful/rocker-filled vocals come out, that could give Christina Aguilera a run for her money.  It made the crowd go wild.

(The white curtain comes down again and the sequence repeats, except they fall more into the S&M variety.)

Act V: Lady Gaga emerges to find that her dance team has left her by herself and the “fame monster” comes out to try to get her (video here).  It’s a light up dragon that has glowing eyes and teeth.  It’s then that she sings Papparazzi, followed by The Fame.

(The white curtain comes down again and the sequence repeats)

Act VI: Lady Gaga is wearing a chrome star-like dress and shoes for the final number: “Just Dance”.

(The white curtain comes down again and people are at a defeaning roar once again.)

Encore: Lady Gaga and her female singers come out in simple, long dresses and begin “Born This Way” – a cappella.  Eventually the band and the dancers come out to join in.

The lights come on and the show is over.

I’ve seen a lot of performers in my day and so far, none compare to what I just saw last night.  Lady Gaga is a true performer: She writes her own songs, she sings, she dances well, she plays a multiple of instruments and she engaged with her crowd to let them know she cares.  I liken her show to a full-on Broadway performance.  To those who don’t understand… to go through that many costume changes, that many intricate (and large stage sets) and that many songs, without passing out from exhaustion (of full-on singing and dancing), deserves the Grammys she was up for.

I’ve not only downloaded the rest of her songs (there really isn’t a bad one), I’m already trying to find when she’s coming back.

In the last few weeks, I’ve been to three places I’ve never been before, all of which have been around for quite some time.  For those of you who are not from D.C. or are foodies, this review is for you.

Oyamel

Oyamel, in my opinion, is a French-Mexican fusion of sorts with their eclectic menu and “rare -t0-be-found” list of ingredients. Located in Penn Quarter, I went there to meet up with a girlfriend of mine, whom I had not seen in a very long time.  We each started with a drink, mine was a margarita called El Diablo Nuevo.  Although mighty small in size, it was incredibly tasty.  This was followed by a review of the menu.

I’ve seen a lot of interesting things in my day but Grasshopper tacos (Chapulines) and cactus were two I had never come across before.  Given that I don’t eat bugs (that I am aware of anyway), I decided to go for the latter.  In its official name, I had ordered: Nopal asado con salsa molcajete.  Although a bit smokey, grilled cactus tastes like a tougher grilled green pepper (and yes, there are no prickles attached) – it was topped with a delicious salsa.  On the safer side, we also ordered Quesadilla huitlacoche with traditional cheese and truffles in a corn tortilla.

Although the food was delicious, the price is what you come to expect from a higher-end Mexican fusion place and thus, I’m not sure that Oyamel is at the top of my recommendation list.

Tallula

On Saturday morning, before bed shopping, my boyfriend suggested we head to Tallula for brunch.  I can’t believe this has been sitting almost literally in my backyard and I’ve never been.  For those that have never been there, it’s almost Al Capone-meets-Mad Hatter.  The smokey-looking, 1920′s feel of a restaurant has these incredible high back chairs in burgundy and purple, with matching drapes (hence the Mad Hatter), with a huge fountain in the middle.  To add to the ambience, the music is very 1920′s and 1930′s-inspired.

We were seated next to the wine rack and immediately ordered mimosas (they were generous on the champagne).  Their brunch menu was phenomenal.  If you love omelets, choose the Tallula omelet.  It’s because of it that I am now putting spinach in my omelets.  I’d highly recommend this as a hidden brunch spot.

Circa – Clarendon

Since my plans changed on Sunday, I ended up at Circa for brunch.  Located in a brand new building in Clarendon, this restaurant didn’t disappoint in atmosphere.  It’s what you come to expect from Circa – fine dining at reasonable prices.  Their brunch menu was one of the least expensive I’ve seen (one mimosa and a meal was $15) but the food quality was only decent.  My suggestion, try their dinner menu instead, unless you’re looking for inexpensive food, after a night out.

A few days ago, a friend of mine sent me a pair of gold flats to try from his company Cinderollies.  I’ll admit, I was never a big fan of flats because honestly, I hated feeling “short”.  Sure enough, when the beautiful blue and black box came, my mind soon changed.  You see, I’ve spent the better part of my life in heels for obvious reasons (and that will probably not change for quite some time).  Granted, I’ve become wiser about choosing shoes that I know will be comfortable but when you’re out all night, it can be a different story.  Cinderollies’ primary purpose is to relieve your aching feet of those sky-high heels at the end of the night.  And for that reason, they serve their purpose.  (I’ve also found them quite comfy at home too.)  The best part: They roll up and tuck into quite a small handbag (yes, I pulled out my collection and actually tried).

Their website gets creative with some of the uses for these, including handing them out to guests at your wedding at the end of the night – a great idea.  At $20.00 a pair, it’s worth keeping in your work bag, your car or anywhere else you might actually forsee them being used, especially in case of an “emergency”.

Check out their Facebook page or purchase on their website.

Enjoy!

There was a time in this nation when, for African-Americans, racial barriers existed for everything from marriage to bathrooms. When it was less deadly to be seen and not heard – a time when friendships between women of two races simply didn’t happen, especially if one of those women was your maid.

First-time author Kathryn Stockett writes about the struggles of African-American maids in the 1960s and the women they worked for in the novel The Help. Set in the segregated and volatile town of Jackson, Mississippi, The Help focuses on three women. The first is Aibileen, an African-American woman who has worked for white families for more than 20 years with a special love of raising children. The second is Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a white woman recently graduated from college who wants to be a writer. Third is Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, who has a reputation for back-talking to her employers and for being the best cook in town, especially for her pies.

When Skeeter returns from college she sets out to write a “meaningful” book and enlists the help of Aibileen and Minny to gather stories from the black maids in Jackson about what it’s like to work for white families. Between the efforts to convince other maids to participate, cover their tracks to keep their book a secret and the challenges of working and living their lives, the three women develop a deep respect and appreciation for one another.

Written from the perspective of all three women, Stockett did a wonderful job of creating three distinct voices for the chapters. It is obvious by the word choice and tone which woman is speaking, even if the chapters were not named. Despite its theme, The Help is not preachy or self-righteous but rather an interesting glimpse into the past, into a time that most of us, thankfully, have never experienced.

In addition to racism, the book also touches on sexism and classism as the main characters and the women around them deal with being “the weaker sex” and the struggles that come from being considered “white trash” or a “society lady.”

Overall, The Help is an uplifting read about friendship, overcoming prejudice and loving oneself. But don’t take my word for it.

I recommend you read it before the movie comes out.