Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage

Okay, I admit it, I bought my ticket to Miss Abigail's for three reasons: I wanted to do my "Off Broadway" duty during a trip to New York, Eve Plumb of 'The Brady Bunch' fame was a draw, and, very important, the discounted tickets were cheap. I walked into Sofia's Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, not knowing what type of theatre it was, expecting a regular theatre set up, and was surprised to find our front row seats were only about three inches from the stage, however, I was very excited to be so close to the action - little did I know how close I would be! While Eve Plumb as Miss Abigail is the draw, Manuel Herrera as Paco proves to be the star of the show with his latin charm, engaging personality and good looks. Paco greets audience members and does his duty as Miss Abigail's house boy and assistant tidying up the room where the show is set. The show is very audience engaging and Plumb and Herrera both do a great job in connecting with the audience. For me the highlights of the show were when in one scene, Paco is MIA, so Miss Abigail brings me on stage to carry on Paco's duties. After reaching a book Paco would normally get for her, I am sitting on the couch, reading to the audience with Miss Abigail, as a jealous Paco returns to find me in his seat. The ad libbing between myself and Hererra was thrilling, and gave me my 15 minutes of Off-Broadway fame. Both Plumb and Herrera referred to me a few times in the show and Paco shot me with bubbles from a bubble gun as I punched back, popping the bubbles of his jealousy. I very much enjoyed being a part of the show and for a few moments, the acting bug was buzzing around, attempting to bite me once again. For the curious ones out there, Eve Plumb looks fantastic! Miss Abigails' Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage is an evening full of laughs, entertainment and plain fun. I'm not sure when the show is running until, but the website shows tickets on sale until dates in February 2011. If you find yourself in New York, I highly recommend this great show! Check out www.missabigailsguide.com for more information.

What's Your Favorite Musical? or Top 5?

What's your favorite musical, or your top five favorites? I don't think I can pick one favorite musical - but I can pick my top 5. They are, in no particular order:

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne Cash put on another stellar performance at the Uptown Theatre in Napa, CA last night! After recovering from recent brain surgery, Rosanne is again touring and promoting her recently penned memoir, Composed. With more than thirty years in the industry, Cash proves she is still relevant, performing mostly songs from her current release, The List, and Black Cadillac. Other songs came from Rules of Travel and The Wheel and a song she has not recorded, Tallahassee Bridge (my best guess at the song title). Cash avoids the "greatest hits" package many performers would fall into after such a long career, keeping her show fresh and packed with songs that have meaning in her life and career. In fact, she only performed two of her hits, Seven Year Ache and Tennessee Flat Top Box. This is the third time I have seen her perform live, and the show has never once been a repeat of the previous show, which some performers can easily fall into (see Bernadette Peters 2008 and 2009). During Radio Operator, a song about her father in the war, her face lit up the stage and her smile practically embraced the audience. Her voice was haunting during Girl from the North Country, heartbreaking as she sang Patsy Cline's She's Got You and just pure pleasure during one of my favorites, Sea of Heartbreak.

After the show Miss Cash greeted audience members and signed copies of her book, cd's, and other treasures fans brought, including a guitar. She graciously posed for photographs, shook hands and told me she loved my name!

The Uptown Theatre is a great venue, our 4th row center seats were amazing. The art deco theatre is charming and warm. The last two times I've seen Rosanne Cash haver been in Napa, first at the Opera House and now at the Uptown. I look forward to our next wine country get together.

Today's Hottie: Roberto Manrique

Ecuadorian model and star of telenovela's in Colombia