The Difference Between Inlaws and Outlaws...

...outlaws are wanted! Har! But seriously, folks

The Lovely Wife(tm)'s father and his wife came to town for a visit (first time in the city since shortly after our wedding) and a whirlwind tour of midtown Manhattan. Saturday night, we dined at Mike's Bistro, the latest attempt at a restaurant in a notoriously hard-luck 72nd Street location (we can count off four different places that have been there in the last five years). We're hoping this one sticks around, though: Mike Gershkovich is a former high school schoolmate of mine, and the man knows his stuff. Limited menu, particularly on a Saturday night, but everything we had was just about perfect. Gnocci with shredded duck, a pan-seared roasted salmon, and fresh sorbets... we're going back, and soon.

Sunday, it was off to Hairspray for my step-mother-in-law's first-ever Broadway show. More than a bit too much over-the-top acting by the replacement cast for my taste, but Bruce Vilanch does a really nice job of making Edna Turnblad his own character without trying to match Harvey Fierstein's efforts. I wonder, though, how much of the matinee audience is composed of non-native English speakers, since many of the wittier lines zoomed right out with no response (a phenomenon also noticed the first time we saw the show, about a year ago).

Brassy & sassy diva time: Kate Pazakis, one of our favorite high belters over at the 'plex, is now doing her completely inaccurately-named show, "The Sexless Years" in the upstairs room. Showing off some nice vocal chops (and a bit more skin than TLW would want me to see from two feet away), Kate goes through a nice little mix of jazzy and soft, with her power belt ready at all times. Highlights for us: the rarely-heard "Nothing Really Happened" from Is There Life After High School? (one of TLW's all-time faves), and Brian Nash's reworked (and completely unprintable) lyrics to Stephen Schwartz's "Defying Gravity" (Schwartz was at the show last night, and didn't walk out, so I guess he didn't mind too much).

Hey, Catherine: you sure you don't wanna convert Orthodox? If there's three sabbath-observant Jews around, maybe the Duplex can finally move its "Mostly Sondheim" night to some other day...