Don't tread on me

Seen on the street yesterday: a snake! Seriously! I did not move to New York City to nearly step on a snake! Especially while wearing sandals! But there it was! A smallish, presumably harmless snake, but nevertheless a snake, slithering across my path! On Broadway! I am still freaking out!

That will teach me to walk around in the Bronx, where Broadway is less "pedestrian thoroughfare" and more "overgrown jungle." I am reminded that my four-and-a-half-year-old nephew believes that "the Bronx" (where the fiance is from) and "the Bronx Zoo" are essentially the same thing. He recently reported on a family outing: "We went to the Bronx Zoo, but we didn't see [your fiance] there." This used to make me laugh, especially since the fiance grew up on the other side of the borough, nowhere near the zoo. But now I think the nephew may not be so far off, because apparently the entirety of the Bronx is teeming with frightening wildlife. Eek.

In theatre news, it seems Charles Isherwood and I had similar experiences watching Patti LuPone in Gypsy. His take, though not ultimately that different from Brantley's, is worth a read, if you're interested in the topic (though you'll probably want to skip the excessively "whimsical" opening).

Finally: I don't like to brag, but I thought you should know that I've contributed a "comment of the week" runner-up at The Comics Curmudgeon for the second week in a row! In my first two weeks of contention! It's a little bit embarrassing how gratified I am by this success. But I figured you should know what I've been up to.