Speaking of the Rose of Sharon...

My love was presumably named for a flower.  Though they can get quite tall and look for all the world like a tree, the Rose of Sharon is actually a bush.  They grow all over Manhattan and I love them.  The name is biblical, coming from the Song of Solomon, "I am the lily of the valley and the rose of Sharon".  

The are covered for six months of the year with large blossoms that can be either a fair pink or a deeper magenta or a cream color with a magenta center.

They are lovely.  Just like The Rose of Sharon Anne Christine Frei Turrentine.

The Rose of Sharon

Her full name is The Rose of Sharon Anne Christine Frei Turrentine.  The Turrentine is the married part.

And thirty years ago I was in love with her.

Sharon was my college love and the girl with whom I moved to New York.  We were together for years.  Four?  Maybe slightly less.  Maybe slightly more.  I don't think either of us would know exactly.

It was never going to work, but that didn't mean that I didn't adore her.  I did.  I last saw her fifteen years ago when she and her groovy husband David came in for the 25th Anniversary Pride Parade.

Seven years ago I wrote a song about her called "My First Mistake".  Carly Simon says to be a good friend to your songs and never tell their secrets.  Sorry Carly.  "Mistake" is Sharon.

And on Saturday she heard it.  Johary sang it in the guest portion of the program, then I reprised it near the end and dedicated it to the girl who inspired it. 

Sharon is a precious part of my life story.  I don't want to lose track of her again.  When you love someone that much, it never goes away.  At least not for me.

My roomie on... oh my God... Page 6!

Never did I expect to quote the New York Post on my blog, and certainly not Page 6.

However, they did run a nice little piece on my roomate Jimmy yesterday. Remember him? The tour owner/operator?

I like to promote my friends, so... whatcha gonna do? Oh - and they ran it with an incongruous picture of Julianne Moore.

*****

September 21, 2008 --
DIANA Taylor is a tourist attraction. Jim Dykes, who runs Rich and Famous Tours, was leading a group of out-of-towners down East 79th Street when the door of Mayor Bloomberg's elegant 1910 townhouse flew open - and out bolted the state banking superintendent in blue jeans, sneakers and tank top, headed to Central Park with two Labrador retrievers. The pooches pulled Taylor over to the group for a moment, and the tourists eagerly petted the tail-waggers. When Taylor moved on, Dykes announced, "You just met your first New York celebrity . . . that was a casually dressed Diana Taylor, our billionaire mayor's longtime girlfriend . . . and her dogs."

*****

Miss Taylor has waited long enough...

So, it has been a while since I have dined with the irresistable Miss Abigail Taylor. I know. But she isn't standing for it anymore, so tomorrow we are meeting for burgers and Broadway shakes (coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup) at Tom's. Actually, Abby might do a cherry shake.

Tom's was the sight of last week's marvelous catchup lunch with wonderful Liz Reddick. It must be my new lucky place! No wonder Jerry and Elaine loved it so.

Broadway On Broadway

Elizabeth and Johary and I treked down to Times Square a week ago for the annual Broadway on Broadway kickoff to the Fall Theater season. It's a two hour concert (attended this year by 50,000 standing showtune fans) where every musical on Broadway sends a number. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from Lion King. "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" from the upcoming White Christmas. "The Wizard and I" from Wicked. It's fun. Carolee Carmello rocked on "The Winner Takes It All". At the very end, the combined casts sing "New York, New York" and tons of confetti rains down on the Square. It truly makes you tingle.

Anyway, because of the Big Bro, my friends and I are among the 200 folks who get to sit though it. This year I took Johary and Elizabeth. Oops! I already told you that. Anyway, the photo above is Elizabeth at the left, looking artsy and Bohemian, a wedge of my over-peroxided head in the middle, and Johary, who refuses to take a bad picture, at the right.

Play your cards right and maybe next year you can go!

At four in the morning I think...

I couldn't sleep last night and I can ALWAYS sleep. So I rewrote my club act in my head, did the second verse of a new song called "And You Know Who You Are", fretted about the reversability of knee injuries, and came to this conclusion, based upon a lifetime of reserach:

A.) It is possible for a love relationship to be passionate and responsible;
B.) It is more fun when a love relationship is passionate and out of control;
C.) Passionate and out of control has to implode;
D.) Passionate and responsible is sustainable.

Soooooooooooo, it's really about whether you want something epic and ultimately tragic or something that's going to stay around. And that is not a simple choice. I have had both and have nothing to offer beyond that incredibly deep, four-in-the-morning observation.

LOL.

Moi at the Metropolitan Room

One of the lovely upshots of the MetroStar Talent Challenge this summer is that the host club, The Metropolitan Room, made it clear that they wanted to book me. The room was chosen this year by New York Magazine as the Best Cabaret in New York. Take that, Oak Room. It's the performance home of Julie Wilson, Maureen McGovern, Faith Prince, Tom Wopat, Baby Jane Dexter, Andrea McArdle... on and on.

Anyway, they were sincere. They have asked me to do my thing on November 5th, 12th and 19th. Cool! And I've decided, for a change, that's it's just me... no guest stars, just me.

So save the dates and meet me in Chelsea in November for an evening of me. I promise Kafka on the train!!!