And Nicole Scherzinger, Who Plays Sunset, She Gave Everything
A trip to New York, where I whooped it up in the WWHL Clubhouse, reinvigorated my creative spirit (read: activated my musical theater nerd card), and dealt with the sorest legs of my life.
Back in March, I joined my first Big Silly Trivia game at the behest of one of my closest friends and fellow pop culture lover, Grace. The theme was reality television, and the first-place prize was tickets to Watch What Happens Live! There was no way I was missing out!
I had a blast, but I was thwarted by Kahoot, a tragic misspelling of the name “Tiffany,” and questions about Love Island. Luckily, Grace is a trivia genius and rose to the top (of 500+ contestants!!!! 👏 ) to secure the tickets! Her guest of choice to bring to the show? None other than me! (Thank you,
!!!)Once we found a date that worked for both of us, we decided to make a little New York trip out of it. Fast forward to this month, and we finally made our way to the Clubhouse. Sadly, I returned home a week ago, but I had an amazing time. I did come back with horrible allergies/cold/congestion/luckily not COVID, and legs that still refuse to work properly. I feel decrepit right now, but a few blocked nasal passages and sore limbs can’t take me out that easily! I am on the mend.
This will be a bit of a hodgepodge about my trip to New York, as I wanted to recount some of the highlights. Not to turn this trip into a ~meaningful moment with a deeper message~ but it felt great to get away from the stressors of the job hunt and that nagging feeling that I had to have some external reason to have experiences that bring me joy. Go and do the thing! Live life!
I took the train to New York. I love Amtrak and used to ride it frequently when I went home from college. However, this train felt like it was going to fly off the rails. I have never been jerked around so much in my life! I sat on the train and wondered if I was the opening scene of the next Final Destination movie. Luckily, I made it out alive! I saw some incredible theater, ate lots of pasta, graced the WWHL Clubhouse with my presence, and most importantly, spent time with my dearest friends.
Bravo, Bravo, Fucking Bravo
Watch What Happens Live!
**My taping aired live, so I’m not divulging any secrets here. Don’t sue me!!!**
I watched what happened! Live! Grace and I were lucky enough to attend the live taping on May 14th, where West Wilson and Jesse Solomon from Summer House were the guests for the night. Of course, I would have loved for at least one of our guests to be a housewife, but I still thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the world of WWHL and seeing how the sausage gets made.
All of the producers and crew involved with rearing us through the process were incredibly nice and amped us up to have a great time. I think part of me getting sick was how much I loudly exclaimed during the taping! Before being let into the Clubhouse, we got to take a lot of fun pictures with various props and backdrops, while listening to music and sipping on libations.
If you look closely, I am the white shirt blob in the upper right corner. My ten seconds of Bravo Watch What Happens Live! Instagram fame.
If you’re reading this, Bravo or Andy Cohen, I would love screeners for any of the HW shows ♥️! I am a dedicated viewer and reviewer! I hope to one day return to WWHL, as it was such a unique experience that not everyone gets to be a part of. I loved getting to whoop it up (word to Vicki Gunvalson) in the Clubhouse!
Bearing Witness to a Diva Off
I saw the two main horsewomen of the Best Actress Tonypocalypse, Audra McDonald and Nicole Scherzinger. They both delivered and then some!
G***y
Great musical, terrible title! I’m going to refer to this musical as Bleepsy, or The Mama Rose Musical, because I don’t want to perpetuate the use of an offensive term, regardless of the original intent. Call me “that friend who’s too woke,” I don’t mind!
It was truly an honor to see Audra McDonald perform live, especially in such an iconic role. She’s not usually the vocal type you think of when you think of Mama Rose, and having heard some recordings, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. Who was I to doubt her abilities? Her voice on each song won’t be for everyone, but her acting will leave you speechless. Her choices in “Rose’s Turn” had me ready to leap to my feet. The turn in the song where the music slows and she sings “Why did I do it?” gave me chills. I want to live in this moment!
I have been a Joy Woods truther for years, so I was happy to see her freshly Tony-nominated take on Louise. I will say that her character trajectory felt rather swift in this production, and I would have liked to see a few more moments and subtle ways in which she grew into this cabaret performer. Her rendition of “The Strip - On the Road Again” has been stuck in my head since I saw the show.
Jordan Tyson ran away with the entire first act. She brought an almost dementedness to the role of June that I thought was inspired and hilarious. She played the hell out of a character pretending to be a 12-year-old.
The production fell a bit flat in terms of the set. I wanted it to feel larger than life and grand, but most of the set pieces underwhelmed. When Rose sings “Rose’s Turn,” it’s a testament to Audra absolutely tearing through the song because what was happening on stage felt more like a whimper than the bang that the number deserves. Otherwise, I thought it was a pretty classic interpretation of the show, although I enjoyed the new choreography by Camille A. Brown and every actor’s commitment to their role.
Another alternate title for the musical: Mama, There’s a Louise Behind You!
Sunset Boulevard
I am someone who does not get scared during horror movies, yet I was genuinely terrified during the last ten minutes of the show. The tension that Jamie Lloyd is able to build is incredible and a testament to the performances of Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis. There’s a moment where Norma (played by Nicole) tells the audience that she can no longer go on with the scene. I am familiar with the show, and even I was taken aback as to whether we were in the world of the show or real life! The lines were that blurred!
The show is dark, it’s atmospheric, and surprisingly funny at times. It makes the tragic ending hit so much more, as we have grown to feel for these characters, especially Norma. Nicole’s performance is every bit as good as you might have heard. Not only does she nibble on every single word of every single song, but her journey as an actress in this role is extraordinary. What she does in the last ten minutes is mind-blowingly good. Forget Joe, I was WORRIED for MY life!
I have seen video production implemented in theater when I saw Ivo van Hove’s West Side Story revival pre-pandemic, but I liked it so much better in this show. It felt purposeful, as the show revolves around the film industry. It offers a real perspective, rather than feeling like Lloyd needed to do something drastic to justify this revival. I absolutely loved this production, more than I even expected to.
If I were a Tony voter, I would probably split the trophy in two like Cady in Mean Girls. However, if I had to choose, I would give it to Nicole, because she goes on a journey that has to be seen to be believed. I would not be upset if Audra won though. They are playing iconic theater roles and bringing something fresh to the table!
Cast Luann de Lesseps as Sally Bowles, You Cowards!
Cabaret (at The Kit Kat Club)
I know a lot of people weren’t hot on this production when it first opened, but I really liked it. If I had seen it with Eddie Redmayne, I may have felt differently though. No further comment!
The show made me cry. Ellen Harvey as Fraulein Schneider broke me during her rendition of “What Would You Do?” and the line “I regret everything” that echoed long after she left the stage. I cried on and off for the rest of the show.
I have been a massive fan of Eva Noblezada and was lucky enough to see her in Miss Saigon. I was excited to see her again and see how she has progressed as a performer over the years. I was not disappointed at all, as she has grown even more, with her vocals and acting both exceptional. Orville Peck wowed me as the Emcee. I would love to see him do more theater, as he clearly has the talent and capacity to take on these large roles. He gave such a lived in performance and much like Nicole in Sunset Boulevard, he had some genuine moments of terror.
There was a choice that Orville and Eva made during “I Don’t Care Much” that gave me chills. There were so many moments like this during the show that I am still clinging to and thinking about weeks later. I would love to see this show again, interpreted differently by other actors in the role of the Emcee and Sally. I think it would be fascinating to see how each plays it differently. There’s so much room for nuance, especially in this production.
Luann de Lesseps for Sally Bowles next? I’m kidding…unless….
NB: Go on TodayTix for great deals. I purchased tickets for all three shows here and was happy with all of my seating arrangements and views!
Cosplaying as Italianx (Eating Lots of Pasta & Desserts)
I ate some delicious food and desserts too. I am not a food photographer, so feel free to laugh at my attempts at taking pictures. It’s the thought that counts.
Via Carota
I wanted to include a picture of my cacio e pepe, but every image looked like it belonged on Facebook (derogatory). The ‘nduja arancini were delicious as my appetizer, and to end the meal, I ordered the chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo, which was a tasty end to my dining experience here.
Union Square Cafe
The Wicked: For Good promo has already begun, as you can see by our cocktails. I thought the bread was delicious, and so was my entree, the Agnolotti al Limone that was filled with sheep’s milk ricotta. I could honestly eat pasta incorporating ricotta for every meal. I will remember the dish fondly!
Hani’s
This was my first real stop during the trip. The black and white donut (pictured above) lived up to expectations, with a delicious chocolate and salted vanilla cream to boot. My friend was worried that it might not live up to the hype, but we enjoyed everything, including the chocolate cake and triple chocolate chunk cookie, and the cinnamon roll and brown butter carrot cake (not pictured, but certainly devoured). It feels like everything is made for the REAL dessert lovers; those of us who can’t live without a sweet treat.
Other Fun Tidbits
Central Park
We went to Central Park and hung out in Sheep Meadow. We sunbathed on a blanket and people watched, while munching on our leftover desserts from Hani’s. We decided to be tourists and ask someone to take pictures of us. It’s always nice to document time spent with your friends.
“What Was That”
I stayed with my friend Ernesto (the one in the hat above), who lives near the area where Lorde filmed the musical video for “What Was That.” We took a little walk to the bridge, which I took a picture of (above on the left). There’s not much more to say, but it was still fun to see!
Itchy Eyes, Sore Legs, Can Definitely Lose
I am Victoria Ratliff. “I just don’t think at this age I’m meant to live an uncomfortable life” when it comes to walking outdoors. I know it’s a privilege, and being able to walk everywhere is an incredible luxury, but my allergies and asthma combined are two weapons formed against me, and boy, did they prosper! After a long day of walking (and many downpours later), I felt like Octavia Spencer in the screenshot below.
This is not me saying I am going to Uber everywhere, as there are many cons, and who has that time and money, but I certainly have the state of mind when I’m pouring sweat and breathing like a pug! Nevertheless, my sore legs persisted!
There wasn’t too much of a thread to this newsletter, but rather a reminder to have fun even when you might feel like you don’t deserve it (spoiler: you do because you are alive and that is enough). Spend time with your friends, do the things that bring you happiness, and celebrate the little moments that cannot be replaced. I forced myself not to give in to my anxiety during this trip, and I feel like, for the first time in a long time, I truly lived in the moment. My legs may still feel like they want to crumble into dust, but it was worth every swollen toe and burning calf muscle!
Now I’m back to binge-watching my shows and focusing on my writing, feeling more relaxed and a hell of a lot more inspired!
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YOU WENT TO WWHL???? IM SO JEALOUS! CONGRATULATIONS!
Apart from teeming with jealousy & constantly laughing, you almost brought a tear to my eye at the end! I need 293829038 more newsletters like this from you. Would read any journey you take, friend!