Busy Day

A first for me, I think. Two shows in two locations. First, was Paul Taylor Dance Company doing "Musical Offering," which is a very nice looking dance and the dancers wear nearly flesh covered tights and what looks like loincloths of some type. The women wear snug tops that look like undershirts, also near flesh color. The men get to show their chests. This was the dance Patrick Corbin danced in this afternoon and he was wonderful as usual. A woman tossed a bouquet of flowers onto the stage at City Center. She had great aim and good strength. The flowers landed at his feet. My friend C and I had front row seats again, so we had a clear view of his smile.

The second dance was one of our favs: "Funny Papers," danced to novelty songs. "Alley Oop" was wonderfully danced by Parisa Khobdeh, one of the newer dancers in the company, and Richard Chen See, who partnered wonderfully with her. They and the rest of the performers seemed even more boneless than usual for this number. Other songs choreographed for this include: "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man," "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," a truly awful and off-key recording of "I Am Woman" which was danced to perfection by Sylvia Nevjinsky and Orion Duckstein, and one of my fav novelty songs, "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight)."

We left after that, neither of us inclined to stay for the third dance, "Syzygy," the only dance that can put us both to sleep. Tomorrow, we go to the last show of the season here in NY.

At night, hubby and I went to Westbury Music Fair The Norfork Theater at Westbury (I don't know which I hate more, that they sold out to a sponsor, or that they renamed the theater) to see Jay Black. Jay's shows are fairly predictable and very entertaining. When the singer is funnier than the opening comic/juggler (who wasn't bad), you know you're dealing with a real performer. He's still hitting the high notes, if not as often, and still talking a blue streak. There's a reason he's the only music act I've ever gone to with a "mature audiences" label. And he had his son, Beau, who did a few numbers, to do a Jay and the American song that Jay hasn't had in the show for years, "Let's Lock the Door." I could still remember the lyrics. It's a fun song. I wish Jay had sung "Only in America," though, instead of "Some Enchanted Evening." And I wish he hadn't felt the need to make some political comments. He could have introduced the patriotic number without making cracks about Kerry.