A spiderweb of gold around my neck.
I think it’s time for a new necklace.
A bracelet will do too.
Author Archives: Alan Ilagan
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November
2018
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November
2018
23
November
2018
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November
2018
Theater Review: ‘Come From Away’
It struck me halfway through this moving musical that all of my friend’s children have no memory of what happened on 9/11, and therefore the next generation will grow up in a state of innocence at least somewhat similar to how me and my friends grew up. There’s something very sorrowful in that, and something rather lucky too. Both sides of the story are in effect as ‘Come From Away’ weaves its tale of the aftermath of that dark day, when planes were re-routed out of American air space and onto Canadian soil, in a tiny town in Newfoundland. Overwhelmed by the 39 planes that arrived (the airport had only ever seen five or six a day at the most), the town came together to welcome and care for the thousands of scared, confused and shell-shocked new additions who had “come from away†to a land in the middle of nowhere.
While the specter of 9/11 hangs somberly over the proceedings, and there are moments of elegiac reverence that will bring you back to that haunted day, it is the resilience and generosity of the human spirit that ultimately wins out in the end, creating a memorable distillation of a world gone mad and trying to rescue and heal itself in the face of unimaginable horror. I didn’t think a musical could do it such honor, but ‘Come Away Away’ achieves that and more, giving us a voice of optimism in some very dim days.
Brought to glorious life by a cast that sees each member playing multiple roles, this is very much an ensemble piece (nine of the fifteen listed numbers are attributed only to ‘Company’) – and though each performer gets a few stand-out moments, the overall effect is a group working together to make things better – the very personification of the story at hand. Whether strapped convincingly in their airplane seats or rollicking wildly in the local pub, they manage to make a group of disparate chairs (the main set-pieces of a sparse, tree-framed stage) come alive, transforming seamlessly in and out of character from local to visitor, and somehow it never gets confusing.
Backed by an onstage band that stays largely hidden in the shadows of the trees (until the post-finale release), the music on hand is the driving force that buoys the production, providing a compelling foil for all the spoken exposition. It also drives the more rousing numbers, setting things into motion with ‘Welcome to the Rock’ and giving soaring anthemic propulsion to ‘Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere.’ Comedic moments like ‘Screech In’ get ear-worm melodies while the aptly titled ‘Prayer’ incorporates a classic hymn while winding in a world of spiritual sounds.
The pendulum from profound joy to heartrending grief swings back and forth several times during the course of the evening, giving due gravitas to the proceedings, yet the show never stops being engaging and entertaining. As the days slowly unfurl, life finds a way to adapt to everything that came after. One couple comes together while another breaks apart, friendships are made and instantly galvanized under the weight of what the world was going through, and by the end of the show this human experience, which should have by all rights been nothing more than an unbearable exercise in sadness has become an uplifting example of how good we can sometimes be.
22
November
2018
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November
2018
The Annual Turkey Lurkey Post
Thus the gateway to Christmas has been opened and there is no going back. Here’s the annual post of this holiday chestnut, which always inspires me to add some ‘Mad Men’ garb to my office wardrobe for the next few days. (Just don’t ask me to do the dance because I will.)
22
November
2018
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November
2018
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
This year the role of ‘Drunk Gay Uncle’ will be played by Alan Bennett Ilagan.
[All season long – this is a recurring role. And he’s open to nudity in the service of a storyline.]
22
November
2018
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November
2018
A Day To be Grateful
A day to contemplate.
A day to appreciate.
A day to fill your plate.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who dare to enter here, especially those who have stopped by before and are brave enough to come back. You have my eternal gratitude.
Of course, Thanksgiving is about more than that, so I’m going to suspend the snarkiness for a moment and give a few significant shout-outs to those who matter the most in my life. It’s not shoes or coats or bags or even cologne for which I am most grateful. It never was and it never will be. It’s always and only been people: my family and friends.
This has been a rough year for some of us. The older we get, the more we seem to lose. Those who remain are a little broken, but being together makes those breaks easier to bear. I’m thankful for Andy and my parents- my main support system when life gets rough and no one else seems to care. I’m thankful for my brother and niece and nephew, and his girlfriend Landrie, who unexpectedly brighten my days when it’s most needed. I’m thankful for my friends – and the chosen family we have forged together. I’m lucky to have such circles of friendship and love, and the way they overlap and intersect makes the world feel so much warmer.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones too. Hug them all a little tighter this year – we need it.
21
November
2018
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November
2018
The Month of PVRTD: A World of Black-and-White
Here are a few outtakes from the PVRTD project. As you may have noticed, the “drab and dreary†theme has infiltrated the entire look of ALANILAGAN.com, but that’s about to change for the holiday season. By the end of the month I will update all the darkness that surrounds us now, and PVRTD will be relegated to The Projects page. Until then, I invite you to soak it all in. Peruse the project itself from beginning to end – there is a loose arc to it, and despite its somber subject matter, there is something soothing about going through the photos.
There is, hopefully, some stimulation too. With its soft focus and blurry edges, I wanted to convey movement and restlessness, along with a certain tension. Most of my work tends to be much more concise and posed; breaking free from those constricts created an interesting juxtaposition with the oppressive nature of some of the scenes. Such duality often ends up in more compelling images.
Anyway, I’m offering more of an explanation than a decent artist should put forth, but I’ve never purported to be anything close to a decent artist so I guess it’s all right. Check out PVRTD when you get a chance.
PS – It also feels like the world is doing its part to highlight the relevance of this work; the other day a person stood up at an intermission and screamed, “Heil Hitler! Heil Trump!†at a production of, wait for it, ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ Some patrons fled, fearing it was the start of a shooting. The madness is here. The madness is us.
21
November
2018
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November
2018
Downtown Albany Beauty
Even in downtown Albany there are nooks and pockets of beauty and enchantment, such as this little park across the street from my office building. I pass it when taking a lunch and it usually provides a respite in the day, no matter how stressful it might be going. (That’s another life lesson that deserves further exploration in a future post: always take your lunch.)
As seen here, this park is providing its final flourish of beauty before succumbing to the cold. Winter will offer more subtle stretches of prettiness, but for the most part this will be the last show until the return of spring. There will be flowering trees then, and tulips and daffodils will dot the space. The sky will again be blue, and the sun will offer warmth in addition to light.
[Sigh]
It’s too early to be longing for spring.
21
November
2018
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November
2018
A More Natural Form of Fitness By Roger Frampton
Finally, a fitness regime that makes sense and appeals to those of us who like practicality and results. Roger Frampton has designed a routine that utilizes the human body and its natural poses and inclinations to drive us into healthier and more comfortable form. For anyone with back issues, his method is a boon to feeling better and getting in shape. He starts with a simple child’s squat, returning us to how to all began, and after trying it out I have to say my body indeed began to feel better.
He’s been a Hunk of the Day before thanks to his outer appeal – this quick post honors what’s inside as well, and his talent with inspiring others to get in shape by starting small and integrating healthier poses and exercises into everyday life. (He is so inspiring he earned a second Hunk of the Day crowning here.) Check out his website and sign up for helpful tips and advice, or delve deeper by taking part in one of his programs.
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November
2018
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November
2018
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
Have you started crocheting your winter blanket?
We should have started when the goldenrod appeared in August.
Still, it’s never too late.
20
November
2018
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November
2018
Shirtless And/Or Naked Male Momentum
The men are in motion, and while our parade of Hunks of the Day has been relatively steady of late, it’s always nice to do a broader best-of collection to highlight some gentlemen who have been featured here recently, or those from the past who should be seen again. First up is the amazing Adam Rippon, who continues to make splashes into the pop culture world, proving that figure skating can make it to the masses, provided the skater has enough star power and charisma. Mr. Rippon has ample supplies of both – and check out this naked display of his body for additional opportunities for ogling. He recently did a commercial with Danny Amendola, so the pic below is a twofer from me to you. Mr. Amendola has been featured here before as well, so visit that post if you are so inclined.
Jake Quickenden relaxes in a sauna, while his sweaty body reminds us of his turn as Hunk of the Day.
Sidharth Malhotra was recently crowned not once, but twice in as many weeks, an almost-unprecedented feat that sets him up for a third honor at some point in the future.
Some have called him an unlikely choice for Hunk of the Day, but Jay Mohr more than justifies his selection with his wit and talent. Check out his HOD crowning if you don’t believe me. Hunks come in all shapes and sizes.
The many faces of Antoni Porowski all say the same thing: hot. Witness his Hunk of the Day feature to see more.
Giving Tom Daley a dive for his Speedo-clad money, Jack Laugher has brightened up this blog with his scantily-attired appearances here, here, here and here. (Or type his name into the Archives and see what other things come up… hint, hint.)
Finally, a duo unrelated in any way other than their proximity on this blog, which is reason enough to celebrate. Shawn Mendes recently showed the world how he took a shower, while Ray Quinn flexed his shirtless muscles as Hunk of the Day.
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November
2018
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November
2018
A Brief Conversation, Recalled
Whenever I need to smile, I think of this exchange I had with my friend Kira on one of our Boston weekends:
Kira:“What do you call those people who crash weddings?â€
Me:“Wedding crashers?â€
Kira:“Yes, that’s it.â€
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November
2018
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November
2018
Our Week of Thanks Begins With A Recap
Yeah, that’s right, Thanksgiving is at hand.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
It’s too soon.
Why is no one reeeeeeeeeady?
Clearly, some pre-holiday insanity has infiltrated my brain-drain.
Let’s just look back at the last week and see if we can figure out what the hell happened.
My first project in five years, PVRTD, premiered online. Check out The Projects for the latest addition.
A quieter Christmas wish list.
The insomniac’s lament.
A fall fragrance by Jo Malone.
Ben Cohen, Simon Dunn & other foxy gents by Snooty Fox Images.
A Boston reunion with an old friend brings the beautiful hints of holidays to come.
A fall party at the Cape.
These #TinyThreads will build a tapestry.
Hunks of the Day included Charles Venn, Jesse Palmer, Morgan Cipres, Staniel Ferreira, Josh Moore and Doug Armstrong.
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November
2018
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November
2018
Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series
National Song Lyric Day should be a holiday where we have to speak only in song lyrics.
If we took a holiday, everything would be ok.
Stop in the name of love.
One night in the name of love.
Who wrote the book of love?
Who’s Johnny?
Johnny Angel…
I believe that dreams come true.
The beat goes on.
18
November
2018
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November
2018
The Cape and A Fall Party
Kira and I woke to the rain on Saturday morning. (Until we can afford a proper renovation, we are dealing with our condo plumbing issues as they arise.) Those problems aside, we lounged around the condo while the rain fell for most of the morning, idly sipping on tea and cleaning the remaining plates and glasses from the night before. The winter/holiday bedding was back on the bed, along with its dark red velvet accent pillows and sumptuous plush Korean blanket.
As if on cue for our trip to the Cape, the clouds suddenly lifted, the sky appeared, and bits of sun were suddenly scattered about. We gathered our bags together and hit the busy road to Cape Cod. Who on earth is going that way in November? Apparently a ton of people, as the traffic was horrendous, but eventually we made our way over the bridge and into Monument Beach.
JoAnn has always known how to throw a party, bringing people together when they need it the most. The Cape Crew trickled in throughout the day, Wally’s Dickens-Cider was bubbling on the stove, and a roaring fire was the central place where people sought relief from the wind. We huddled around it as Peaches stoked the flames and I was grateful to be around that group of friends again. We’ve all seen a lot in the last twenty years, but somehow we always make it back to the fall party.
17
November
2018
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November
2018
A Beautiful Boston Reunion Before the Cape – Part 2
Inside the condo, all was light and warmth and jazz. An almost-Christmas compilation played in the background, and as this was the last time I would be over before the holiday mayhem I decided to get the bulk of the decorating done. (This year’s Boston Children’s Holiday Hour has been planned and loosely scheduled, as has my Holiday Stroll with Kira.) And on such a frightful evening, bringing out the lights and the garland and the mantle pieces lent it a coziness that would have otherwise been missing. Grateful for the activity to pass the time until Kira arrived, I assembled the smattering of holiday decorations that I’ve amassed over the years. I lit a few candles that smelled of pinecones and tassels (at least according to the Yankee Candle company) and the decorating work was done.
As it was cocktail hour, I sliced off a peel of orange and conjured a Negroni for the fall evening. It was time to set about to making dinner, and I chopped some onion and fennel for the risotto, opened the white wine, and lit the fire beneath the chicken stock.
Risotto is all about the continuous stirring and ladling of the hot stock. It’s slightly monotonous, which gives it a soothing aspect, and a cold night when the wind and rain were whipping about just outside the window, there was no happier exercise in which to indulge. The steam rose around me as the rice slowly took in the stock and flavors of the onion and fennel. The hard white-gray pellets softened and gave up their chalkiness, melting into a creamy but firm consistency, and by the time Kira rang the buzzer, it was almost complete.
I’ve cooked for Kira a few times, and it’s one of my favorite things to do. She has taken up the knife and pot and tried some new things on her own, but for the most part she enjoys the clean-up, while I do the food-and-mess-making. She taught me a few things about how to make a wrinkle-free bed, so it all evens out in the end. On this evening, I made the risotto and we feasted on that and the wine, and all was well with the world.
Outside, the storm raged. A steady downpour ripped the leaves from the trees, while the wind moaned and did its best to infiltrate whatever cracks or crevices age and time had worked to widen. Inside, we basked in the glow and heat of a dinner just cooked, and a multitude of candles giving light and warmth to every corner. This, then was fall. This was coziness. This was comfort. This would be how we made it through another winter.
