Rent
Life's all about connections... OK, it's a strange place to start, but it helps to weave together my last 36 hours. The Bowie Ball was such good fun. My phone had died so I left it on charge, but there are photos of me on Jonny and Phil's cameras of me with big, blue, heart-shaped shades, blue feather boa and mustard velvet jacket, with a big blue sparkly star on each cheek - I worked the glam rock look! One of the highlights of being a smoker (if there are any) in a city like New York is that you end up on the street talking to people like Stefan - an Icelander who's over from Rekjavik for Fashion Week, with whom I discussed Project Runway at great length - and Charlie, Christine and Lauren. After the club finished, we went back to Christine and Lauren's place in Alphabet City, and spent the rest of the night hanging out. And here's the next connection, because they live a couple of blocks from 11th, between B and C, which is the setting for...
Rent, which we saw last night on Broadway. Jonny, Ross and Carolyn had entered the lottery for front row tickets, and they came up trumps. I sat with my feet resting up against the stage, literally eyeball to eyeball with the actors. There's a moment in the second act, after Angel's funeral (I wept buckets), where the cast reprises Seasons of Love (525,600 minutes...) and the actor playing Roger stood looking down at me with tears pouring down his face, and I sat looking up at him with tears pouring down mine. So, so amazing. And while I know, with the La Boheme link, that the love story between Mimi and Roger is the central driver of the whole show, I love the love story between Angel and Collins. So you'll have to indulge me...
ANGEL
Live in my house, I'll be your shelter
Just pay me back,
With one thousand kisses
Be my lover - I'll cover you
COLLINS
Open your door, I'll be your tenant
Don't got much baggage, to lay at your feet
But sweet kisses I've got to spare
I'll be there and I'll cover you
BOTH
I think they meant it
When they said you can't buy love
Now I know you can rent it
A new lease you are my love,
On life - be my life
Just slip me on I'll be your blanket
Wherever - whatever - I'll be your coat
ANGEL
You'll be my king,
And I'll be your castle
COLLINS
No you'll be my queen,
And I'll be your moat
BOTH
I think they meant it
When they said you can't buy love
Now I know you can rent it
A new lease you are my love,
On life - all my life
I've longed to discover
Something as true as this is
COLLINS
So with a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
With a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
When you're worn
Out and tired
When your heart has expired
ANGEL
If you're cold and you're lonely
You've got one nickel only
With a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
With a thousand sweet kisses
I'll cover you
BOTH
Oh lover I'll cover you, yeahhhhh
Oh lover I'll cover you
And finally, the last connection... much of the Rent movie was filmed in San Francisco!
Today, the sun's out in Manhattan, so I'm planning to walk across Central Park to the Met Museum, and then see where the day takes me.