So if you're into obscure shit, like cocktails that call for ingredients such as absenthe, Benedictine, or liqueur made from violets (as in the flower), then you might want to go to Vessel, which is where Mitch, Kevin and I were on Saturday evening. The establishment is one of those super modern affairs, all white on the inside with uncomfortable-looking furniture. One section of the bar is designed to look like a window display, so as the boys and I are walking up the block, to the Fifth Avenue Theater, we always pass this place with fashionable people sitting in the window sipping drinks like an updated version of Mannequin except the Andrew McCarthy character isn't a total douchenozzle*.
Anyways, Kevin is one of those people who enjoys vintage mixology, so going to Vessel for a pre-play cocktail was something he always wanted to do. Vessel's proprietor even has a blog about the frontiers of cocktail-making, which Kevin reads. So last weekend, we finally got our shit together and got to this place early enough to have a leisurely drink before the show. Kevin managed to
find the drink on the menu with the most obscure ingredients, an Arsenic and Old Lace, which includes Absenthe and the violet liqueur I mentioned. Mitch got some herbal flavored thing that was garnished with a sprig of thyme. I chose something at random, because I didn't feel like reading the menu. It contained rye whiskey and an orange peel. It was good. We shared a bowl of truffled potato chips which were very truffley.
So, to get to the original point of this post, we went to the Fifth Avenue, to see Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. This stage version is adapted from the film version which was a surprise hit in the 1950s. Naturally, Kevin made us watch the movie before we went to the play. The story is set in the Oregon frontier and is based on a Roman story in which Roman soldiers kidnap local women to be their brides. Whoever thought this story would make a good musical, I don't know, but the end result is amusing.
The beginning part of the play kind of sucked, but I blame that on the guy who played Adam, the male lead. According to the program, he performed this role in some touring production and even won some award. I'm not convinced. He seemed to be phoning it in. I also blame it being opening weekend; the actors seemed to be having fun, but missing their marks. The play gets good once Millie, Adam's wife, is introduced to Adam's six brothers. Lots of dancing is involved. The biggest disappointment for me was the truncated version of the Lonesome Polecat song from the original. If Kevin hadn't made me watch the movie, I would have missed it in the play. Anyways, here's a video of it.
*I think the word "douchebag" is worn out. It's time to move the douche insult revolution forward. Dan Savage has my back. On slog, he recently referred to a hack conservative columnist as a "douchesparkle". I prefer douchenozzle because it's the part of the douche assembly that gets inserted into the anus. Someone needs to coin a term that describes the douche backwash, the the rinse water that flows back from the rectum into the douche bag. Douchewash? Backdouche? Comments are welcome.
Anyways, Kevin is one of those people who enjoys vintage mixology, so going to Vessel for a pre-play cocktail was something he always wanted to do. Vessel's proprietor even has a blog about the frontiers of cocktail-making, which Kevin reads. So last weekend, we finally got our shit together and got to this place early enough to have a leisurely drink before the show. Kevin managed to
find the drink on the menu with the most obscure ingredients, an Arsenic and Old Lace, which includes Absenthe and the violet liqueur I mentioned. Mitch got some herbal flavored thing that was garnished with a sprig of thyme. I chose something at random, because I didn't feel like reading the menu. It contained rye whiskey and an orange peel. It was good. We shared a bowl of truffled potato chips which were very truffley.So, to get to the original point of this post, we went to the Fifth Avenue, to see Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. This stage version is adapted from the film version which was a surprise hit in the 1950s. Naturally, Kevin made us watch the movie before we went to the play. The story is set in the Oregon frontier and is based on a Roman story in which Roman soldiers kidnap local women to be their brides. Whoever thought this story would make a good musical, I don't know, but the end result is amusing.
The beginning part of the play kind of sucked, but I blame that on the guy who played Adam, the male lead. According to the program, he performed this role in some touring production and even won some award. I'm not convinced. He seemed to be phoning it in. I also blame it being opening weekend; the actors seemed to be having fun, but missing their marks. The play gets good once Millie, Adam's wife, is introduced to Adam's six brothers. Lots of dancing is involved. The biggest disappointment for me was the truncated version of the Lonesome Polecat song from the original. If Kevin hadn't made me watch the movie, I would have missed it in the play. Anyways, here's a video of it.
*I think the word "douchebag" is worn out. It's time to move the douche insult revolution forward. Dan Savage has my back. On slog, he recently referred to a hack conservative columnist as a "douchesparkle". I prefer douchenozzle because it's the part of the douche assembly that gets inserted into the anus. Someone needs to coin a term that describes the douche backwash, the the rinse water that flows back from the rectum into the douche bag. Douchewash? Backdouche? Comments are welcome.
