day b4 bday: REID #195

imagine if u opened this and it read like a beautiful ancient poem and not slop

SHORT:

it is two million degrees in New York City, and i haven’t slept in days because i am over-scheduled. it is also the day before my birthday.

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MEDIUM:

i only had one interesting thought this week, which was: remember how there used to be a gay ear to get pierced and a straight ear? we need that for men in Brooklyn who carry tote bags.

if ur gay, wear one on ur right shoulder. if ur straight? wear one on ur left. if you’re bisexual? strap one on each arm. and pansexuals are already probably wearing a dam tote bag as a dress, so they’re all set.

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LONG:

before i entered overwhelmedoverscheduled mode, i had a fabulous time opening for

Josh Gondelman

. his new special is going to be awesome. thank you josh for having me! [also, a big broadway soprano was in the audience, so i was rly NERVOUS, but I crushed!]

Relatedly, I’ll come clean and admit that I, once again, attended the National High School Musical Theater Awards or Jimmys, as a birthday gift to myself.

It continues to be the most joyful event i’ve ever attended.

I urge you to treat yourself to the livestream and online clips, but if you’re in a rush, TLDR: Josh Groban hosted and cried multiple times, they did a medley (pictured above) that inexplicably had “One Day More” mashed up with an upbeat, flamenco-esque melody and ribbon dancers; and Damson Chola Jr. brought the house down with “Suddenly Seymour” in the medley and “Make Them Hear You” as a solo— range!

I was hooting and hollering throughout (stone-cold sober)— so much so that the people next to me asked if “i knew someone onstage”. I told them, sheepishly, that no, i’m just a freak who attends every year because seeing young people belt to the heavens in the middle of the stage otherwise used for Julie Taymor’s The Lion King makes me feel like I did mounds of cocaine.

(didn’t actually say that last part out of fear of being promptly ejected from the Minskoff and institutionalized)

— turns out, they were teachers who had kids in the competition.

I don’t know HOW they stayed so calm and quiet throughout.

If I had a student at the Jimmys I would, I dunno, probably strip naked and scream bloody murder when the kid appeared onstage…

They just nodded and applauded… which, I suppose, is professional.

— couldn’t be me.

Alright, I must go and edit a Late Stage Live! script. We tape a new episode Thursday.

One day, life will slow down and I’ll write a version of this newsletter that reads like an ancient poem. Til then, enjoy this slop¹!

C U Next Tuesday

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Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s not – it’s a lot like when people slip on ice. If this is your first time reading, pls check out the archives.

Sincerely,

Reid Pope

@rpopegram | @rpopetweets

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Bonus Jonas Zone:

how it has felt to b me as of late with my schedule and life and so on and so forth - what do you think is actually going on in this picture? leave a comment

1. Snack Of The Week: slop