Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was nice.
Went to a drinks thing at the lovely Park Slope apartment of Liz Jasicki, who used to go out with Anil Desai and is now something of a big-deal, New York-type actor. Her place was full of Brits (which was kind of disorienting, since I've not been back that long) and, running with the expat theme, she served mince pies and sausage rolls, holiday items less typical here, I think, than they are over there. (I'm a latke boy, myself.)
Hattie Hayridge was there, which added to the geographic disorientation. And I met Stephen Frost, whose name I know but who I didn't know by sight. (Does this make me a stupid American or is that a separate issue? I guess the smart Americans watched "Whose Line is it Anyway?" regularly and would have been more aware/alert than I am.)
Actually, I didn't meet Stephen Frost, I met a guy named "Steve", who -- I was told -- was a comedian. I only know it was Stephen Frost, 'cause I looked him up on the web so I could identify him for you.
And it seems we we had an American performer of some note too, 'cause another of the guests was a guy who was one of the leads in the movie "United 93". (I just looked him up -- his name is David Alan Basche and he's the second-billed male.) I've not seen "United 93" (I was too busy not watching "Whose Line is it Anyway?") but Hattie Hayridge got all excited when she realized who he was.
At first, he seemed not to want to answer Hattie's questions about the film, but he warmed to the challenge, revealing an intelligence and sensitivity you couldn't help but admire. Liz said he's a genuinely modest guy and that's probably why he was initially reluctant to talk about his work.
Anyway, he and his wife left early (to hit another party, I think), but the rest of us sang carols, accompanied at the piano by Liz's British journalist boyfriend. (Liz passed out sheets with complete lyrics and we sang verses even the baby Jesus has probably never heard before.)
Then, the Jewish guy with the Mexican wife/girlfriend and her parents (also Jewish, I think), who I haven't talked about 'cause they weren't notable showbiz types, left citing other commitments. (When the Mexicans left -- oh yeah, I should mention they looked extremely prosperous -- I said, "Liz, they left without cleaning," which only Hattie was willing to openly find funny. She seemed also to appreciate that I took it even farther by saying, "I don't think you should pay them their full fee.")
And hot on the heels of the fleeing Mexicans, the British comedy contingent departed for additional fun. (I wanted to tag along but didn't know how to ask.)
But I had no other engagements (I was lucky I had this to go to), so I stayed -- along with a British textile publicist, her grown son and his girlfriend -- 'til the bitter end.
Which is good because the last thing we all did was to go up on the rook and survey the city skyline, vast and brightly lit and thrilling and beautiful.
And that was Christmas Eve.
__________________________________
26 December, 2006 @ 14:25 GMT
http://blogs.chortle.co.uk/andrewjlederer
Went to a drinks thing at the lovely Park Slope apartment of Liz Jasicki, who used to go out with Anil Desai and is now something of a big-deal, New York-type actor. Her place was full of Brits (which was kind of disorienting, since I've not been back that long) and, running with the expat theme, she served mince pies and sausage rolls, holiday items less typical here, I think, than they are over there. (I'm a latke boy, myself.)
Hattie Hayridge was there, which added to the geographic disorientation. And I met Stephen Frost, whose name I know but who I didn't know by sight. (Does this make me a stupid American or is that a separate issue? I guess the smart Americans watched "Whose Line is it Anyway?" regularly and would have been more aware/alert than I am.)
Actually, I didn't meet Stephen Frost, I met a guy named "Steve", who -- I was told -- was a comedian. I only know it was Stephen Frost, 'cause I looked him up on the web so I could identify him for you.
And it seems we we had an American performer of some note too, 'cause another of the guests was a guy who was one of the leads in the movie "United 93". (I just looked him up -- his name is David Alan Basche and he's the second-billed male.) I've not seen "United 93" (I was too busy not watching "Whose Line is it Anyway?") but Hattie Hayridge got all excited when she realized who he was.
At first, he seemed not to want to answer Hattie's questions about the film, but he warmed to the challenge, revealing an intelligence and sensitivity you couldn't help but admire. Liz said he's a genuinely modest guy and that's probably why he was initially reluctant to talk about his work.
Anyway, he and his wife left early (to hit another party, I think), but the rest of us sang carols, accompanied at the piano by Liz's British journalist boyfriend. (Liz passed out sheets with complete lyrics and we sang verses even the baby Jesus has probably never heard before.)
Then, the Jewish guy with the Mexican wife/girlfriend and her parents (also Jewish, I think), who I haven't talked about 'cause they weren't notable showbiz types, left citing other commitments. (When the Mexicans left -- oh yeah, I should mention they looked extremely prosperous -- I said, "Liz, they left without cleaning," which only Hattie was willing to openly find funny. She seemed also to appreciate that I took it even farther by saying, "I don't think you should pay them their full fee.")
And hot on the heels of the fleeing Mexicans, the British comedy contingent departed for additional fun. (I wanted to tag along but didn't know how to ask.)
But I had no other engagements (I was lucky I had this to go to), so I stayed -- along with a British textile publicist, her grown son and his girlfriend -- 'til the bitter end.
Which is good because the last thing we all did was to go up on the rook and survey the city skyline, vast and brightly lit and thrilling and beautiful.
And that was Christmas Eve.
__________________________________
26 December, 2006 @ 14:25 GMT
http://blogs.chortle.co.uk/andrewjlederer
posted by Andrew J. Lederer at 11:00 AM
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