Austin,I am going to go ahead and ignore your last post about Spiderman the Musical. I have already come to my conclusion about that show: it will suck.
How can I be so sure? Simply put: for all the millions of dollars already invested into that show, the best title they came up with was "Turn Off the Dark?" Really? I mean... aka Turn on the Light? Aka WHAT THE FUCK TITLE IS THAT?
No. No. No. Call it "Spiderman, the Musical". Or call it "Spiderman!" Or call it "Spiderman, On Ice!"
Anyway, I wanted to talk about New York City today. I just found out through the Gayvine that a sometimes friend and promoter partner of mine is leaving New York City, and going home. He was only in our fair city for under a year.
It was a shocking announcement. When I met the guy a few months back, he had golden dreams of taking over the New York promoting scene. The best parties. The best events. He was ready for fame. And now, just like that, he's outta here. Kaput. A potent mix of the recession, joblessness, and a roving group of muggers.
This came on the heels of a drunken conversation with an old friend of mine outside of Musical Mondays this week. He had left New York City and moved to DC. And he kept refraining, in his monologue, to the fact that he didn't feel like "he couldn't make it."
And I realized that this is a foreign concept to me, "not making it in New York." I have never even considered that a concern. It took me a bit to figure out why, but I think I've got the answer: having grown up on Long Island, New York City was never a stranger to me. From my first trip into the city without parental units at 13, through my gay twinky club circuit weekends in my 20s, to finally moving here post-college, I have gotten my fair share of New York City.
In fact, since I've been here for so long, I figure that the city no longer views me as a foreign antibody as it does most of the new transfers, and so doesn't bother trying to eject me from its system.
Plus, I know that, should I ever lose my job, I have a ton of savings to fall back on. And then there's always finding roommates. Moving to Astoria. Or Roosevelt Island. And, even if for some reason I should have to "go back home," I would be just as close to NYC as people who live in the farthest reaches of Brooklyn or Queens.
But still, it's weird to see people go. To pack their things and leave. It's also odd to imagine their stories. Packing their bags in a state in another time zone (for example, the guy I'm seeing who packed his stuff and jetted from California to New York on a whim.) For me it was tossing some stuff in my Dad's truck and a quick drive.
I respect the people who make the massive move to NYC, to try their luck. And yes, New York is an ultra defensive organism. It's already filled to overflowing. And it will do everything that it can to get rid of you - whether overcharging you for every little thing, taking your job away from you, or introducing you to shotgun-toting muggers.
If you can live here for any period of time, I consider you a champion. The fact that you didn't explode in a pile of blood and eyes upon crossing the bridge or emerging from one of the tunnels is testament enough to your bravery and strength.
And, unlike the saying that says you can never go home again, you can always give New York City a second shot. I truly believe that.
xoJR
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