Island Girls
The pseudo-spouse and I are heading off for some fun in the sun. First to (Viva) Las Vegas, where we will celebrate my birthday, among other things. And then to beautiful Fire Island, where I will perform the first preview of my new show. That’s Saturday August 9th in Cherry Grove.
I’m excited about both trips, for different reasons. I’ve never been to Vegas before. The “pseud” has been there many times on business, so she knows where all the best kitsch is buried. She once found herself dining by the canal at the Venetian, looking up at the sky and thinking what a lovely night it was…until she spotted a fire sprinkler embedded in the sky-painted ceiling. This I gotta see!
I have been to Fire Island. But I was 12 at the time, so I expect this will be a slightly different experience for me. This will be the pseudo-spouse’s first trip there, and her first time playing stage manager for me. It’s also my musician’s first time (the versatile Nick Russo will be playing both guitar and jazz banjo, though not simultaneously, with his wife as his roadie).
It’s hard to get people to understand that there are no roads (and, hence, no cars) on the island. Even after I explained that to Nick, he shot an email to the producer asking if there was parking at the venue. I didn’t mind the no-car thing so much when I was 12. But I wonder if it will seem strange now.
And about the new show: When I bring it to New York, I’ll be calling it The Road to Romance. But you know what they say - when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when in Fire Island on August 9th it’s The Boardwalk to Romance.
But road or boardwalk, it’ll still feature a number of songs by my friend the late songwriter Lew Spence. Lew wrote the music for hits like “Nice ‘n’ Easy” for Sinatra and others, and the title of the show comes from the lyric to that song: “We’re on the road to romance, that’s safe to say. But let’s make all the stops along the way.”
I’ve released a new CD single, sort of a preview of the show. It’s called Green/Thunder, after the two songs on it - Lew Spence’s “That Green Dress” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road.” It’s available only through my web site. I won’t be releasing it for digital downloads. So come on over to my house and do some shopping.
