twenty-something

New Yorkers -- Check out Revival, a "new old play" by Greg Turner (of Tea fame), beginning this week as part of the Frigid New York festival. Get more info at donotdisturbtheatre.com.

I read the play over Christmas and I loved it. There's a diva character that's just fantastic and the play is extra-fun because of her -- as the tagline says, "The leading lady always gets her way." You know I'm a fan of Greg's work because, c'mon, he's my best friend and happens to be a brilliant writer. And, of course, this is a damn good play.

(And how about that design work? That's by yours truly.)

Greg tells nytheatre.com:

I wrote this play after hearing about a play that was being revived on Broadway for the first time after thirty years. The playwright had, according to legend, written the play about his first failed marriage. Well this got wheels in my head turning… what if a playwright wrote about his leading lady? And what if she went on to become a huge star and left him behind and they never met again until the Broadway revival thirty years later? And that right there is what Revival is.

So when we bill Revival as "a new old play" what we're really saying is that it's a play within a play and the play within the play is the revival of a fictional play. That sounds confusing, I know, but trust me it's not confusing on the stage. It's clever and charming. It's certainly the charmingest thing I've ever written… I mean there will still be beautiful young people making out in their underwear, but that only adds to the charm of it all, right?

It would be trite to say that Revival will be a breath of fresh air in this "crazy mixed-up world" and I don't know if that's the case or not. And Revival won't help people decide what they want to do with their lives or which candidate they should vote for in the next election. But Revival will make people laugh and have a good time. People will definitely relate to the characters in the show. And I did mention that there will be beautiful people making out in their underwear.

I'll be there next Saturday because I love Greg's stuff.

But you? You should go whenever you can because everybody loves a diva (and hot making-out-in-undies stage scenes).

RENTheads in the Greater Burlington Area who interested in seeing -- and possibly meeting -- Anthony Rapp, Broadway's original Mark and star of 2005's feature film version, can do so tonight at the University of Vermont.

Rapp will speak -- and sing a bit -- tonight (January 19) at 9PM in UVM's beautiful Ira Allen Chapel. Admission is free.

Rapp's new book, Without You : A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent, was to be released this week but has been delayed. Regardless of a lack of hardcovers to sell and sign in the lobby after the show, the Broadway star-turned-author is sure to talk about the same themes as his memoir -- with plenty of Rent talk to keep fans happy.

Rapp's appearance is a highlight of UVM's two-week long "WinterBlitz" programming to welcome back its students. Last night's packed-to-capacity free showing of the film Rent was hit on campus.

Congrats to that awesome cast, its amazing creative team, and the very orange Second Stage Theater -- you deserve the buzz!