ryan howard + kelly kapoor

sitting in a central park amphitheater...

yesterday we went to see the shakespeare in the park production of romeo and juliet... and sitting two rows ahead of us were ryan and kelly from the office. he looked very normal and she looked relatively pretty (though i wasn't crazy about her dress)... it was very exciting to spot true (and talented) celebrities for once. they actually seemed pretty nice as well because they were carrying full conversations with the randoms sitting next to them. as for the production, it was amazing - truly wonderful. water was a major part of the stage and it added such dynamic to the setting, i thought it was a wonderful choice to breathe more life into each scene. the actor playing romeo was brilliant - he injected such humor into the character, just made him come alive. i wasn't too impressed with juliet (lauren ambrose from can't hardly wait) - she was okay, but perhaps it was the fact that she was playing a teen that was more annoying. either way, i just love the company for doing this amazing thing every year.

then today, we saw "company" - the broadway musical - and it was also amazing. i didn't know anything about the show going in, which was wonderful. the lead, raul esparza, was a force. for a character that doesn't have too dynamic a role, he really brough a lot of wry wit and dry humor to the role. his breakthrough at the end was breathtaking. i also loved the set for this one - very sparse, yet suitable. and the entire cast doubled as the orchestra which was insane - how they actually did all that was surprising - on stage the entire show without any liquids or breaks as my friend a. pointed out had to be very tough. and the show itself is just really great - it was an adult show and the themes of love, commitment and being lost were very real. there's two lines in the show - "i'm tired of being in this city, pretending to have a life" and "there's a time to come to new york and a time to leave" both of these lines just struck me as so real - they convey the frustration of many people of a certain age who want more out of their lives. so many different elements in the show just made it a great experience - easily one of my more favorite theater experiences

either way, a weekend full of wonderful entertainment - yea new york!

the end of an era

saw this on the wires:

Restaurant and sausage king Bob Evans will be buried today following a funeral service in southern Ohio. The company Evans founded warns that seating will be limited for the service at the University of Rio (RY'-oh) Grande (grand) in the town of Rio Grande, about 92 miles south of Columbus. Evans died Thursday at the Cleveland Clinic, where he was being treated for pneumonia. He was 89. Fans of the folksy Evans will have another chance to celebrate his life next month. A memorial service will be held Saturday July Seventh on the Ohio State University campus in Columbus.

this town is really close to where i grew up and i had met bob evans at least once. he was a nice guy, very grandfatherly. in fact, he sort of was a surrogate grandpa to one of the girls in my class. the original bob evans farm is about 20 minutes away and remains a great place. while there was evidently some behind-the-scenes drama within the family over the direction of the restaurant, which i think led to it's decline about ten years ago, it is a place i will always associate with my childhood. half my high-school friends waited there as a part-time job and every fall, the farm holds a farm festival that is simple, old-fashioned fun. it's sad to learn of his death, but a wonderful chance to reflect on all he did in his life.

conversation overheard...

if someone were eavesdropping on our table tonight:

v: who breaks up with somebody and then immediately changes their profile on facebook?
s: it's total attention-seeking behavior.
c: exactly.
v: i'm sorry, if i had just broken up with someone, and i were truly devastated, changing my profile would be the furthest thing from my mind.
s: i would be crying, curled up on my bed... with my ice cream.
c: what flavor?
s: i don't know... but it would have beer in it.

(unending cackling follows)

the absolute, most classic representation of my wonderful (and thankfully, morose) friends!