Archive for November, 2008

The Flunky- A Review

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

The Flunky- A New Musical

I had the opportunity ythe-flunky-picesterday to see the premier of a soon-to-be Broadway musical performed in an 80-person capacity, solar-powered, Venice Beach theater.

Adapted from the 2000 film also titled The Flunky, directed by Vincent Van Patten, The Flunky: A New Musical portrays the life of rockstar named Tyler Mann and his “flunky” ( a diehard fan dedicated to the service of said rockstar) along the path of betrayal and moral tension. Like any good musical, The Flunky: A New Musical left me humming out the door. Those who know me, though might argue I do that anyways.

The musical starred Jimmy Van Patten, Actor and son of long time T.v. star Dick Van Patten, teen icon Deborah Gibson and triple-threat comedian, P.J Griffith. Van Patten, often recognized for his role on The Odd Couple and more recently in Saw IV, shook the stage with talent. Van Patten’s character, Tyler Mann, sings and dances his way through a Hollywood comeback, all the while making and breaking co-dependent relationships with frauds and fans.

Deborah Gibson, playing the role of Sandra, brings to the show immense talent and passion. With over 16 million albums sold and world recognition as the youngest female singer/ songwriter/ producer of a #1 Hit Single on the Billboard Hot 100 List, there is no doubt it will become one of Broadway’s finest comedy musicals. Gibson was the show’s lyricist.

P.J Griffith, as the role of Flunky, Jackie, so convincingly played the role of a diehard fan that you might not have expected him to have his own fan club. Griffith has appeared in roles on shows like House MD, Without A Trace and worked on popular TV series such as: Mad TV, Penomenon, Comedy Central Presents…, and Days of Our Lives.

The Flunky: A New Musical bares all in their “truth-be-told” portrayal of Hollywood phonies. With songs like “Hey Man,” “Too Rich, Too Thin” and “Rock Star’s Life,” The Flunky employs the ideas and criticisms of things we’ve all seen in grocery store tabloids.

Reviewer Rating: 5 Stars!

Until Broadway… Ciao!

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Election Day 2008

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

For the past eight years President Bush and his administration has been nothing short of disappointing to me in many ways and that is why I am writing this post. I’m not writing to sway your vote one way or the other, I’m writing because I believe people do not understand the importance of voting. Even more importantly is understanding why you are choosing to vote for Candidate-X, or if you’re even going to vote.

The Seatlle Times, in an article written late October, stated “more than 100 million Americans will vote for president on Tuesday, and not one of them expects his or her vote to decide the outcome.”

Whether you’re the type of person to cast your vote in utter secrecy, so as not to be branded, or the type to flaunt it on your facebook status, knowing that your vote does count in agregate is the first step.

Regardless of who you vote for, it is crucial to think of each candidate as candidates of neither the Republican nor Democratic party. Ultimately, although the President passes/vetoes Bills, our lives are determined more by the Supreme Court.

“Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the “advice and consent” of the Senate.” (According to Wikipedia.com)

There is always a chance that with the election of a new president, and a change in Party, that a supreme court justice could retire his/her tenure. Only the President has the power to nominate a new Justice, and Supreme Court Justices (SCJ) hold office for life, so…If there’s a new SCJ and new President… maybe we can welcome new changes.

In order for this democracy to function at it’s highest potential, we need to participate in how it is run. Vote.

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