#sundae matinee

[apoemaday]

What Sex Becomes

by Olivia Gatwood

I remember being a waitress on Valentine’s Day and loving the newness on a couple’s face,

how I watched, like the only patron at a matinee, as they shared everything they ate.

I would deliver their sundae with an extra cherry – the one she would slide into her mouth – a preview of what was to come.

I felt like a school teacher who goes home to no children, a cab driver without a car,

a therapist who cries in the middle of the night and can’t figure out why.

[lovenona]

silver fox toji always likes it when he gets to babysit meg's kids bc he gets to stuff them with ice cream and inappropriate movies and trips to the mall and leave megumi to deal with the aftermath

a day out with silver fox toji is the highest of all pleasures if you are an eight year old child. starting with a matinee at the movie theater to see whatever film megumi wouldn’t let the kids watch, toji then brings the kids to get an ice cream sundae (or three, depending on the vibes) and lets them loose on the playground while he plays random games on his phone or tries to flirt with you through text. 

the best part? toji never says no when the grandkids want to buy something. he’s brought them home after a day out with pet lizards, a stuffed animal too large to fit on their bed, four goldfish, and an array of random clothes – glittery boots, capes, a few light-up sneakers – that he lovingly charged to megumi’s credit card. 

toji does not give a shit about how much sugar they consume, or whether the movie wasn’t appropriate, or whether they get grass stains and dirt on their knees. i’m just here for a good time, toji dismisses megumi with a wave of the hand. who am i to deny my beloved grandkids?

[outoftowninac]

DADDY DUMPLINS

1920

Daddy Dumplins is a play in three acts by George Barr McCutcheon and Earl Carroll based on McCutcheon’s novel. It was originally produced and staged by Earl Carroll starring Macylyn Arbuckle. 

The play takes place at Mr. Dumplins' country estate and his New York apartment.

Henry Daniel ‘Daddy’ Dumplins has been left a big fortune by a distant relative. To bring pleasure and happiness to others, he has adopted  seven children, making an addition to his family every two years. The huge fortune keeps them in comfort until the will is declared void and the money is given over to another heir. Daddy Dumplins is left without a cent and the children are returned to an orphanage. Christmas dinner is prepared in his now humble home where he has been able to have the children again for the holiday. All ends happily when the oldest child arrives with news that her real father has left her a fortune! 

Maclyn Arbuckle (1866–1931) was the brother of actor Andrew Arbuckle and cousin of silent screen comic Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. He performed on Broadway between 1899 and 1924 and also appeared in silent films. He was an attorney for a year before giving up the law to become an actor. 

In an unusual move, the play premiered in Canada by the Edward H. Robbins Players of Toronto. For this international opening, the title role was played by Thomas A. Wise.

Between the Toronto production and the US premiere, the leading role was recast with Maclyn Arbuckle for an October production on Broadway.   

“Maclyn Arbuckle is studying his role at his home at Waddington-on-the-St. Lawrence. There he uses his barn for a stage, with a life preserver to represent the leading lady, a keg of nails for the heavy man, a rocking chair for the old woman, and an old saddle for the child, who figures so prominently in the play.”  ~ NEW YORK TRIBUNE

In mid-August, Abruckle started studying his script in advance of September rehearsals in Manhattan. 

Daddy Dumplins had its American premiere at the Rochester NY Lyceum on September 27, 1920. From there, the play moved to Wilkes-Barre PA for one performance at the Grand on October 4th.  

For the Wilkes-Barre engagement, a local drug store named a sundae after the play!  On October 5th and 6th the play performed at the Rajah Theatre in Reading PA. Next stop, Atlantic City!

It is said that Atlantic City was Earl Carroll’s favorite working environment and playground. Daddy Dumplins followed his play The Lady of the Lamp, which opened in Atlantic City in August 1920. His iconic revues The Earl Carroll Vanities were nearly all tried out in Atlantic City before moving to Broadway. For several years he also judged the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. 

The play opened in Atlantic City at the Woods Theatre on October 7, 1920. Although this was Carroll’s first solo producing effort, he rented the Boardwalk theatre of his former producing partner, A.H. Woods.  At age 27, Carroll was declared the youngest producer working in the theatre. 

Carroll wrote the play while staying at the Traymore Hotel in Atlantic City during the winter of 1920.  The Traymore began as a small boarding house in 1879 and expanded and to become one of the city's premier resorts. By the early 1970s the hotel was abandoned and severely run down. It was imploded and demolished in 1972, a full four years before legalized gambling came to Atlantic City.

When the play opened in Atlantic City, he again stayed at the Traymore, registering the nine children (ages 3 to 13) cast members and understudies, as well as their attending nursemaids and stage mothers.  

Not only did the play feature children, it also featured a dog! Rags was rescued from the pound and incorporated into the play. 

Child actor Elizabeth Gulick was paid $75 a week for speaking 59 words, eight times a week making her the highest paid speaker in America! 

After AC, and before NYC, Daddy Dumplins visited the City of Brotherly Love at the Lyric, the Nation’s capitol at Poli’s, where a free school matinee was performed on November 4th.  Just before moving to the Big Apple, it played Stamford CT.

Daddy Dumplins opened on Broadway at the Theatre Republic (now the New Victory) on 42nd Street on November 20, 1920, and played through January 1921, closing after 64 performances. 

“Do your Christmas theatre shopping early with this play and take your handkerchief along." ~ NEW YORK HERALD

Elizabeth Gulick donated a toy to underprivileged children’s auction - to great publicity. 

The children of the cast also to involved in the NY Daily News’ new shoes drive for underprivileged kids. 

After finishing their engagement at the Republic in mid-January 1921, the play moved to Brooklyn at the Majestic, then to the Lyric in Bridgeport CT and Yonkers NY. 

After Yonkers, Arbuckle left the play and was replaced by Louis Mann. Carroll took the opportunity to re-write the script and re-titled the play to the grim moniker The Final Decision. That title was met with dismay, so Carroll instead chose the more apt His Sweethearts. Mann’s more svelte frame would require him to pad his costumes to conform with the image of the paunchy ‘Santa Claus-like’ figure of lore. Like his movie star cousin Roscoe (aka ‘Fatty’), Maclyn was known for his girth. 

But before the curtain could rise on Mann’s reinterpretation, the production was postponed. Instead, the title reverted to Daddy Dumplins and the original script was licensed for stock and amateur performances. 

In January 1921, as Daddy Dumplins was wrapping up on the East coast, Maclyn Arbuckle’s cousin Fatty starred in the silent film Brewster’s Millions, which also had a story written by George Barr McCutcheon, the author of Daddy Dumplins. While not exactly the same plot, the two scripts dealt with a man who inherits a fortune from a relative - with consequences. Brewster replaces Dumplins children with prospective brides. In reality, Brewster’s success led to McCutcheon writing Dumplins. 

The film opened in Atlantic City at the Virginia Theatre on the Boardwalk on March 22, 1921. It inspired remakes in 1926, 1935, 1945, 1985, 2018, and one now (2022) in pre-production from Nasser Entertainment.  

The story had also been a Broadway play in 1906. It tried out at the Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City, but that’s another blog!  

[ohsh1t2wksl8]

What Rhymes With “AY”?

Warning: This survey has 114 questions 1. Do you enjoy listening to reggae music? 2. Have you ever rolled in hay before? 3. Has anyone ever broken a promise they made? 4. Last time you went to a café, what did you order? 5. Have you ever been to a matinee performance before? 6. Would you like a chance to ride in Santa’s sleigh? Why or why not? 7. Have you ever taken ballet lessons before? How about any other type of dance lessons? 8. Do you own any sexy lingerie? 9. Have you ever caught a bouquet of flowers at a wedding before? 10. Do you know how to do the Whip/Nae Nae? 11. Have you ever played croquet before? 12. Has a horse ever neighed at you before? 13. How much do you weigh? 14. Do you ever wear a beret? 15. When’s the last time you’ve been to a buffet? 16. Have you ever attended a cabaret? 17. Have you ever eaten at Swiss Chalet? 18. Do you know how to crochet? How about doing macrame? 19. Do you have a duvet on your bed? 20. What was the last thing that ricocheted off of a surface? 21. What do you put on your ice cream sundaes? 22. Have you ever woken up to the “Reveille” bugle wake-up call at summer camp? 23. What is your favorite entrée to order at your favorite restaurant? 24. Is crème brulee your favorite dessert? 25. Do you know anyone who wears a toupee? 26. Have you ever made a soufflé before? Was it good? 27. Do you prefer ice cream or sorbet? 28. Do you know anyone named Renee, Jay, Clay, or Ray? 29. Have you ever had café au lait? 30. Have you ever gone to a restaurant called “Chez ______”? 31. Hey, how’s it going? 32. When’s the last time you wore a lei? 33. Did you obey your parents when you were younger? 34. Who do you want to hunt down like prey? 35. Have you ever had whey before? 36. What message would you like to convey to someone right now? 37. Whose survey did you take last? 38. Have you ever been to a bay before? 39. Do you have a bae? 40. What’s your favorite day of the week? 41. Have you ever had to read “The Cay”? 42. Are you feeling okay? 43. Do you know anyone who is gay? 44. Do you like the acting of Tina Fey? 45. Have you ever listened to The Fray? 46. Do you have any frayed clothing? 47. Do you prefer bluebirds or bluejays? 48. Is May your favorite month? 49. May I ask you some more questions? 50. Have you ever voted “nay” to anything before? What? 51. Have you ever wanted to make someone pay for something that they did? 52. Do you ever just lay around all day? 53. Are you a happy little frickin’ ray of sunshine? 54. Is there something that you would like to say to someone? 55. When’s the last time that you were so excited that you exclaimed (or at least thought) “yay!” ? 56. Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your way? 57. Do you ever wish that people would just go away? 58. Have you heard an animal bray before? What animal was it? 59. What’s the last thing that you made out of clay? 60. Are you starting to go gray? 61. Are you feeling okay right now? 62. Do you pray? How often? 63. What’s the best play you’ve seen before? 64. What did you like to play with when you were younger? 65. Do you know how to sashay? 66. Would you like to slay dragons? 67. Have you gotten your pets spayed? 68. Have you ever begged someone to stay with you? 69. Has the room ever started to sway before? 70. When’s the last time you ate a meal on a tray? 71. Do you know how to do math arrays? 72. Have you ever experienced a delay of any sort? 73. Do you have any tooth decay? 74. When’s the last time you wrote an essay? What was it about? 75. When’s the last time you competed in a relay race? 76. Have you ever wondered how you could ever repay someone? 77. What did you do today? 78. Would you ever take in a stray animal? 79. What’s the last cleaning spray that you’ve used? 80. When’s the last time you splayed your fingers? 81. Has your airway ever been blocked before? 82. Has anyone ever led you astray? 83. When it’s hot out, do you sleep with blankets anyways? 84. Have you ever felt betrayed? 85. When’s the last time you listened to a DJ? 86. What’s the last unfortunate thing that happened, to your dismay? 87. When is payday? 88. Do good moments or bad moments replay through your mind more often? 89. Do you prepay for anything? 90. Have you ever walked on a runway before? 91. Do you know a runaway? 92. Have you ever ridden the subway before? How about driven on the skyway? 93. Have you ever used an ashtray before? 94.How do you feel about public displays of affection? 95. Where would you like to go for a getaway? 96. Do you do any gateway drugs? 97. Have you ever felt like someone wasn’t meeting you halfway? 98. What were you doing at midday? 99. Have you ever stopped midway through a survey before? 100. What’s your favorite holiday? 101. Do you like to drive on the highway/thruway? 102. Have you ever put something on layaway before? 103. Have you ever been cornered in an alleyway? 104. When is your birthday? 105. Do you know anyone who was a castaway? 106. How long is your workday? 107. What do you typically do on the weekdays? 108. Is there a walkway or a pathway to your front door? 109. What do you want to be someday? 110. What is something that you do everyday? 111. Do you park in your driveway? Do you even have a driveway? 112. Have you ever won a giveaway? 113. How important is foreplay? 114. Hooray! You’ve made it to the end! What are you going to do now? [a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

[lovemesomesurveys]

What Rhymes With “AY”? Warning: This survey has 114 questions

1. Do you enjoy listening to reggae music? I haven’t listened to much reggae music.

2. Have you ever rolled in hay before? No. I’m actually allergic.

3. Has anyone ever broken a promise they made? Of course. 

4. Last time you went to a café, what did you order? Coffee.

5. Have you ever been to a matinee performance before? No.

6. Would you like a chance to ride in Santa’s sleigh? Why or why not? Would it be like the one in The Santa Clause that had a hot chocolate and cookie dispenser? ha. Swap the hot chocolate with coffee, though.

7. Have you ever taken ballet lessons before? How about any other type of dance lessons? No. That was actually something I wished I could do when I was a kid and in high school. I thought the dance team was cool.

8. Do you own any sexy lingerie? Nope.

9. Have you ever caught a bouquet of flowers at a wedding before? Nope.

10. Do you know how to do the Whip/Nae Nae? I do, actually.

11. Have you ever played croquet before? Nope. 

12. Has a horse ever neighed at you before? No.

13. How much do you weigh? I’m not exactly sure, but I am definitely underweight. 

14. Do you ever wear a beret? No.

15. When’s the last time you’ve been to a buffet? Back in February. There was a breakfast buffet at Disneyland where you got to visit with various characters while you ate. It was cute.

16. Have you ever attended a cabaret? No.

17. Have you ever eaten at Swiss Chalet? No. Never even heard of it.

18. Do you know how to crochet? How about doing macrame? No.

19. Do you have a duvet on your bed? No.

20. What was the last thing that ricocheted off of a surface? My phone did.

21. What do you put on your ice cream sundaes? I’m good with just vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup, but sometimes I’ll add chocolate syrup as well. Bananas and whip cream are also great additions. Wow, it’s been yearsss since I’ve had one but that sounds really good right now.

22. Have you ever woken up to the “Reveille” bugle wake-up call at summer camp? No. I’ve never been to summer camp.

23. What is your favorite entrée to order at your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant is Wingstop and I always get the garlic parm and lemon pepper boneless wings.

24. Is crème brulee your favorite dessert? I don’t like actual creme brulee, but I like the creme brulee latte at Starbucks that they offer in the winter.

25. Do you know anyone who wears a toupee? I don’t think so.

26. Have you ever made a soufflé before? Was it good? Nope. I like the spinach and artichoke breakfast souffle from Panera, though.

27. Do you prefer ice cream or sorbet? Ice cream.

28. Do you know anyone named Renee, Jay, Clay, or Ray? I know someone whose middle name is Renee if that counts, and I also know a Jay and a Ray.

29. Have you ever had café au lait? Yes.

30. Have you ever gone to a restaurant called “Chez ______”? No.

31. Hey, how’s it going? It’s almost 730AM I should be going to sleep. My medicine I took a bit ago is making me feel a little nauseous, too, cause I took it on an empty stomach. That wouldn’t have been a problem if I just went to bed, but nooo. :/

32. When’s the last time you wore a lei? It’s been several years.

33. Did you obey your parents when you were younger? Yes.

34. Who do you want to hunt down like prey? No one.

35. Have you ever had whey before? No.

36. What message would you like to convey to someone right now? Nothing at the moment.

37. Whose survey did you take last? I don’t know who made it.

38. Have you ever been to a bay before? Yes.

39. Do you have a bae? “Or nah.” Ha, old Vine reference. Anyway, no, I do not.

40. What’s your favorite day of the week? They’re all the same to me, really, since I’m not in school nor do I have a job.

41. Have you ever had to read “The Cay”? Nope. That title doesn’t ring a bell.

42. Are you feeling okay? I’m feeling tired, hot, and kind of nauseous. 

43. Do you know anyone who is gay? Yeah, a few people.

44. Do you like the acting of Tina Fey? Sure.

45. Have you ever listened to The Fray? Yes, I like a few of their songs.

46. Do you have any frayed clothing? No.

47. Do you prefer bluebirds or bluejays? Bluebirds.

48. Is May your favorite month? No. I only like saying, “It’s gonna be May” haha. You know, the NSYNC/Justin Timberlake meme.

49. May I ask you some more questions? Sure.

50. Have you ever voted “nay” to anything before? What? Yeah. I was a board member for a club in college and there were things we voted on. 

51. Have you ever wanted to make someone pay for something that they did? I’m not a revengeful person.

52. Do you ever just lay around all day? That’s all I pretty much do everyday. 

53. Are you a happy little frickin’ ray of sunshine? No. I’m a little black raincloud. 

54. Is there something that you would like to say to someone? “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know howwww.” 

55. When’s the last time that you were so excited that you exclaimed (or at least thought) “yay!” ? I said that the other night when my brother said he was making his bomb spaghetti. haha.

56. Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your way? I’ve been feeling that way for the past few years.

57. Do you ever wish that people would just go away? lol I’ve felt that way in some situations.

58. Have you heard an animal bray before? What animal was it? Yeah, a donkey.

59. What’s the last thing that you made out of clay? Nothing.

60. Are you starting to go gray? I’ve found a few here and there. D: It was like the minute I turned 30 I found my first one, ha.

61. Are you feeling okay right now? No. I still feel how I felt earlier when you asked how it was goin’. :/

62. Do you pray? How often? Yes, but not nearly as much as I ought to. 

63. What’s the best play you’ve seen before? The Phantom of the Opera.

64. What did you like to play with when you were younger? I was obsessed Barbies, I could play for hours. I also liked playing house and school.

65. Do you know how to sashay? “Sashay away.”

66. Would you like to slay dragons? Nah. I wouldn’t want to mess with a dragon.

67. Have you gotten your pets spayed? All my dogs were fixed/spayed. My doggo was spayed before we could take her home from the adoption shelter.

68. Have you ever begged someone to stay with you? Not begged, but I didn’t want them to leave.

69. Has the room ever started to sway before? I hateeee that feeling. 

70. When’s the last time you ate a meal on a tray? Uhhh. I don’t recall.

71. Do you know how to do math arrays? You’re speaking math so no. 

72. Have you ever experienced a delay of any sort? Yeah.

73. Do you have any tooth decay? No.

74. When’s the last time you wrote an essay? What was it about? Back when I was still in school, so it’s been 5 years now since the last time. 

75. When’s the last time you competed in a relay race? I participated in a few wheelchair race events when I was a kid.

76. Have you ever wondered how you could ever repay someone? Yes. I wish I could spoil and take care of my mom one day for everything she has done and continues to do for me. She deserves so much.

77. What did you do today? So far just Tumblr, surveys, and listening to ASMR.

78. Would you ever take in a stray animal? We don’t really have room for another pet, but I’d want to help in some way. Once we had a stray dog wander in our backyard and we took care of him until we were able to find him a good home. We also once had a cat who often went into our backyard and she ended up having kittens, so we cared for them and found them all homes, including the mama.

79. What’s the last cleaning spray that you’ve used? Lysol disinfectant spray.

80. When’s the last time you splayed your fingers? I’ll do it right now. 

81. Has your airway ever been blocked before? Yes. Such a scary, traumatizing experience. It’s why I can’t take pills now at all unless I can crush them.

82. Has anyone ever led you astray? In some ways.

83. When it’s hot out, do you sleep with blankets anyways? Noooo. 

84. Have you ever felt betrayed? Yep. Not a nice feeling.

85. When’s the last time you listened to a DJ? My cousin’s quince a few years ago.

86. What’s the last unfortunate thing that happened, to your dismay? This pandemic.

87. When is payday? The 1st of the month (disability). 

88. Do good moments or bad moments replay through your mind more often? My mind likes to dwell on all the bad stuff instead. 

89. Do you prepay for anything? I typically like to pay all my bills at the same time each month instead of waiting until the day each of them are due.

90. Have you ever walked on a runway before? No.

91. Do you know a runaway? No.

92. Have you ever ridden the subway before? How about driven on the skyway? Nope.

93. Have you ever used an ashtray before? No.

94.How do you feel about public displays of affection? I don’t mind a little bit, like a quick kiss, hand holding, arms around each other, or a hug. 

95. Where would you like to go for a getaway? I wish I could rent a beach house and have my own private beach area.

96. Do you do any gateway drugs?  Some say weed is a gateway drug, but I personally never had any interest in try anything beyond that.

97. Have you ever felt like someone wasn’t meeting you halfway? Yes.

98. What were you doing at midday? I’ll be sleeping.

99. Have you ever stopped midway through a survey before?  Yeah, I did that with this one. I started it last night, but got too tired to finish it.

100. What’s your favorite holiday? Christmas.

101. Do you like to drive on the highway/thruway? I don’t drive, but yeah I prefer taking the highway over driving through town and hitting all the red lights.

102. Have you ever put something on layaway before? I haven’t, personally, but I’ve gone shopping with my mom and added stuff of my own along with her’s that she put on layaway.

103. Have you ever been cornered in an alleyway? No.

104. When is your birthday? July 28th. 

105. Do you know anyone who was a castaway? No.

106. How long is your workday? I don’t have a job.

107. What do you typically do on the weekdays? I do the same things everyday.

108. Is there a walkway or a pathway to your front door? Yeah.

109. What do you want to be someday? A functioning adult.

110. What is something that you do everyday? Drink coffee.

111. Do you park in your driveway? Do you even have a driveway? I don’t have a car, but yeah my house has a driveway that my parent’s use for their cars.

112. Have you ever won a giveaway? Yes.

113. How important is foreplay? I wouldn’t know.

114. Hooray! You’ve made it to the end! What are you going to do now? Eat my ramen. I was waiting for it to cool a bit.

[a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

[carlos-penavega]

Out on the town with ‘Boys in the Band’ star Andrew Rannells: 

A decade or so before “Girls,” Andrew Rannells was doing “Grease” at Elmsford, NY’s Westchester Broadway Theatre. There, above the dinner theater’s clatter of silverware and the scraping of plates, he and the rest of the cast soldiered on till intermission, which often seemed endless. Blame the brownie sundaes.

“They would serve dessert at intermission, and the sundaes were very time-intensive,” Rannells explains. “If a lot of people ordered them, we’d get an announcement: ‘We’re holding for brownie sundaes!’

“But you know what?” he adds, with a wolfish grin, “It was fun! I was 21 and thrilled to be working. And that was the show that got me my Equity card.”

There’s no intermission, brownie-filled or otherwise, at his latest gig, “The Boys in the Band.” First performed 50 years ago — a year before NYC’s Stonewall Riots helped change the gay experience in America — Mart Crowley’s bitchy and biting drama is back. A starry revival opened May 31 on Broadway, its proudly out cast led by Rannells, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer.

“I knew that this was something I would like to be a part of,” he says. “This play is not only a great depiction of how far we’ve come, but it’s a great depiction of friends, and your chosen family … There actually is a lot of love in this show.”

Speaking after a matinee in the Booth Theater’s fusty-looking lounge, the 39-year-old is warm, witty and — unlike the characters in the play — comfortable in his own, well-toned skin.

Rannells had never performed with any of his “Band” mates before, though he bumped into two of them several years ago at the city’s Pride parade.

“There’s millions of people just milling about and who do I run into but Matt Bomer!” he says. Bomer happened to be with Quinto and all three, along with their respective friends, ended up hanging out together. They’re planning to hit the parade together again this Sunday.

There were no Pride marches back in 1980s Omaha, Neb., where Rannells grew up. He knew from an early age that he was gay, and was pretty sure everyone else knew it, too. After all, he says, “I was a little boy who watched ‘Solid Gold’ every week and wanted to be a ‘Solid Gold’ dancer. And I would do very in-depth reenactments of ‘Grease 2’ and ‘West Side Story’ with my sister Natalie in our garage. I was a very theatrical kid.”

Even so, he waited until after high school, just before leaving for New York’s Marymount Manhattan College, to come out to his family. “No one was surprised in the slightest,” he reports. Better still, everyone was supportive.

Once in the city, the theater major skipped classes to go on open calls and auditions. Along the way, he held a string of jobs — coat-check clerk, health-club receptionist, server — but never for long.

“Sometimes, I’d last one night,” he says. One of his longest gigs was a three-month stint at Chez Josephine, on off-Broadway’s Theatre Row. Rannells was a lousy waiter (“there was a lot of yelling” from restaurant owner Jean-Claude Baker), but he got to sing standards with a pianist at the end of the night.

By 2006, he was singing on Broadway, having stepped into “Hairspray” as Link, the heroine’s pompadoured object of affection. He then rode that hairstyle through a two-year run (on the road and on Broadway) as Bob Gaudio in “Jersey Boys.” In 2011’s “The Book of Mormon,” Rannells — minus the pompadour — originated the role of Kevin Price, a clean-cut, perky proselytizer.

Soon after came HBO’s “Girls” and his scene-stealing turn as Elijah, Hannah’s gay BFF: all big emotions and short pants. What started as a recurring role evolved into a main one (and fan favorite) for the show’s final three seasons.

Not surprisingly, Rannells misses Lena Dunham and Allison Williams, his frequent scene partners, the most. Luckily, he says, “the show wrapped in September and aired in January, so there was time to come to terms with the fact that we were moving on.” A few months after the series ended, “a huge, huge box” arrived at his Chelsea apartment. It was stuffed with Elijah’s clothes, including a few bold-patterned sweaters Rannells knew he’d never wear in public again.

“Elijah had some bad taste,” he jokes.

His own style he calls “sort of classic and clean,” which explains what he’s doing in head-to-toe J.Crew: socks, pants, shoes . . . even that alligator shirt? He shakes his head. “Lacoste. Lacoste, for J.Crew!”

Rannells’ hair is something else again. “It is a little pompadour-y, yeah,” he says. “And it sometimes has a mind of its own.” To keep it under control, he swears by Kevin Murphy’s line of hair products: “They have this texturizing dust that’s kind of amazing. My hair is actually pretty fine, so if you put [the product] in at the root and run your hands through it, it makes it a little thicker and stand up.”

Given his predilection for the clean and preppy, Rannells surprised himself by choosing a bottle-green Paul Smith tux to wear to the Tony Awards earlier this month. “Initially, when I saw it, I was like, ‘I can’t wear this,’ and then I put it on and was like, ‘This is cool!’”

He and his “Boys” co-stars presented the Tony for Best Play, but Rannells was a nominee himself last year, for his heart-breaking turn as the doomed lover of “Falsettos.” So wrenching was that musical, set in the time of AIDS, that the cast members took turns meeting fans at the stage door.

No such problem so far at “Boys,” he says, where people come with “Big Bang” memorabilia for Parsons to sign, “Star Trek” paraphernalia for Quinto and “Book of Mormon” Playbills for Rannells. “Boys” finishes its run on Aug. 11, but Rannells is on the move. He just shot a pilot for cable’s Showtime and he has a memoir, “Too Much Is Not Enough,” coming out in February. If it’s anything like the excerpt published in the Times’ “Modern Love” column, it will be a wonderfully honest, poignant and funny account of a gay Nebraskan’s early years in New York. (The actor is currently single.)

And yes, Rannells points out, there are now Pride parades in Omaha, Neb. His widowed mother, Charlotte, even heads the local PFLAG chapter. But he’s quick to say that while America’s become more tolerant since the pre-Stonewall age, coming out is never easy — and should always be a personal choice.

“Do it in your own time, and don’t feel like you have to tell anyone anything until you’re ready to,” he says. “Surround yourself with people who are going to support you regardless of what your sexual orientation is, and you can have a beautiful life, filled with love.”

[thesleepingnotsobeauty]

My family and I have been seeing brand new movies in their opening/second week for anywhere between 5-7.50 dollars. We go to matinee (?) showings, which are just showings in the middle of the day. My sister is an AMC member and occasionally gets emailed "coupons" for free snacks. She also racks up free points you can spend towards tickets or snacks. My parents saw Endgame for free :)

We even got to see Shazam at a fancy theatre with cushy recliner-like seats with a tray, waiters walking around, and a bar at the front. That one was cool. The food is pricey af, but I'm getting a sundae next time we go there.

The AMC theatre is always busy and I can see why.

[fried-demon-potato]

So tomorrow school finishes at 3:05 I have a rehearsal for a show im in from 6pm-10pm. Saturday morning, another tehears at like 9am, matinee show starts at 2:30, show is about 2.5 hours. Evening show is at 7:30. Gotta get up early sunda morning and do the same thing again. AND IM ALREADY SLEEP DEPRIVED HEHEHEHHAHAHAHA Im gonna fucking die. I hope I can stay home from school on monday. Otherwise I will actually be deceased.

[rileyinlondon-blog]

Its the last day of 2016. To start off the day I met up with William and Miriam for Tea. It wasn’t necessarily afternoon tea but tea all the same. William and I planned on meeting up after my show to go see the fireworks at the Eye.

Today we had a matinee show of “Amadeus”. On my way to the theatre there was a little used book stand where I got some really nice copies of a few Agatha Christie novels for my friends back home who love her work, and had the pleasure of lugging them all over the city. The show “Amadeus” was really fantastic. The acting, the music, the story, made the show one of the best I have seen. Although it is slow at first, once you meet Mozart the rest of the show soars. I think part of the reason why I enjoyed it was because it reminded me a lot of “Hamilton”. They were both about a genius told by the perspective of the competition that ultimately kills them. Anyway it was neat talking to my mom later about it since she had seen the play 30 years ago in Boston. 

After the show William and I met up and got some sushi, then made our way to where the fireworks were going to be. While most of the streets and bridges were blocked off for people who paid to see the fireworks, we managed to find at spot across the river at 8 o’clock. We stood waiting for 4 hours until the Big Ben chimed midnight. It was really amazing doing the whole New Years in London, thing. I haven’t done the whole Times Square New Year but I imagine it is similar. After some average fireworks we made our way to the tubes, only to find that most of the stations were closed. Hungry we stop for the best brownie sundaes I have ever had then continues until we found St. James station was open.

When I finally made it back to the Hostel at 2, I got wrapped into to dancing at the bar with all of the sage students and other people around the world. It was so cool talking to these other people from different countries. I meet some nice girls from Amsterdam and we talked for a while. When the bar closed at 4, I stumbled exhausted back to the room showered and crashed. It was a crazy night, but I had so much fun.

[sundae-matinee]

Did you know that APRIL is National Letter Writing Month? As you know Sundae Matinee adores sending mail.  Now, its your turn!  This month, Sundae Matinee encourages you to send us a parcel (we always write back)-- it can be anything your heart desires, we just ask it doesn’t bite. At the end of the month, we will choose our favorite snail mail we have received and the winner will receive a prize... so please make sure to include your name and address.   Now hop to it, you don’t want to be late.   xo.  sundae matinee  write to us:  Sundae Matinee 2505 S. Cleveland St.  Philadelphia, PA 19145 

[sundae-matinee]

Sewing Up a Storm

Bunny Holly has been sewing up a storm in the lab.    

All weekend he has been hopping with excitement as he constructed the prizes for the 2nd Annual Bunny Holly Eggciting Contest.  

Bunny Holly received a great response to the contest!  There ended up being a TIE!  So instead of being one winner there were THREE!  The following Sundae Matinee fans guessed 19 eggs (correct answer 21) and will be receiving their very own Bunny Holly miniature plushie delivered right to their mailbox:   Zooey X Khara Ledonne  Marissa Berlin Thank you to all that entered!  We also received a great response to the Rockin’ with Bunny Holly Photo Contest.  Below are the top 3 submissions. Congrats to “CakesUnderWater” - this Sundae Matinee fan will receive an exclusive Bunny Holly 5x7 portrait.  

Honorable Mentions:

Until next week...  xo.  sundae matinee 

[sundae-matinee]

Bunny Holly’s 2nd Annual Eggciting Egg Hunt

Bunny Holly & The Carton Chick Clique are proud to present: The 2nd Annual Eggciting Egg Hunt! Who’s the Carton Chick Clique you ask?   Click here to learn more about them and watch their short mini mini movie here:  

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST:   Take a look at picture below, count up the eggs and then click here to submit your  best eggstimate.  It is that easy.  The first person that submits the correct guess WINS! their very own miniature Bunny Holly.  Contest closes April 1, so don’t be late.   

Attention SNAIL MAIL CLUB MEMBERS!  Parcels will be en route this week.  Not a member?! Well, what are you waiting for. Click here to SUBSCRIBE TODAY.  

[sundae-matinee]

Bunny Holly’s Quest for Ancestry.

Bunny Holly has always been haunted by the mystery of his heritage. 

Bunny Holly will go down as one of the grandest Sundae Matinee LAB creations.  However, with no family tree or photo album, the poor guy has been seeking answers about his past, his entire life.  Where did his love of dancing come from? Who does he have to thank for his long limber set of legs? How was he gifted with such a wonderful set of pipes? Who is responsible for his fluffy round tail? 

All his quizzical inquiries have fell upon long deaf ears.  NO one gave a fluffy tail of Bunny Holly's misery.  Until that fateful day when our hero hopped down the trail seldom traveled and found the answer himself.

Tucked inside a bag of dehydrated carrots that had been buried in an abandoned bunny hole our hero found the proverbial carrot on the end of the stick!  A portrait of his Great Great Great Grandbunny Bunardo da Bunvinvi! Bunny Holly could not stop his feet from hoppin, his nose was twitching with excitement.  He could feel it from the tops of his slender ears into the fluff of his tail.  All he searched for was with in his paws grasp. He clutched the portrait to his chest, his eyes misted; Bunarado da Bunvinci how I have searched for thee.  Our hero carried the portrait up into the sunlight and that is when he saw for the first time his Great Great Great Grandbunny Bunnalisa!

Bunardo had been a famous painter during his life time and there for our hero to embrace was not only a self portrait of his Grandbunny Bunardo but also a portrait of Bunnardo's forbidden love, Bunnalisa!  All the mysteries were peeled away for Bunny Holly, his questions answer.  His extraordinary long limber legs, his paw tapping talent all made sense by this single portrait.  Bunny Holly realized a life long answer to his questions as he clutched it to his chest all the time realizing that it is true, a portrait speaks when no one else will.

His next quest:  to solve the mysterious race of the tortoise and the hare.  Could he redeem his Uncle from the shame inflicted upon him on that fateful day? ****A special thanks to Mother Wolf for penning this grand tail   Until next week sweet readers.  xo. Sundae Matinee PS.  Don’t miss out on next Sundae Matinee snail mail club parcel!  Next shipment is in the works and it sure to bring EGGCITEMENT.  Click here to subscribe. 

[sundae-matinee]

Oscars in Robe.

I think I have finally found a way to survive the Oscars...by watching it in ROBE with copious amounts of whiskey.

With my completed ballot sheet, a taco buffet within reach, and whiskey cocktail in hand- I was ready to enjoy the Oscars in comfort.  The question shouldn't be who wore it best... the real inquiry is were you able to stay awake? Not falling asleep during the Oscars is truly a feat of strength. The person that can stay awake thru the entire event definitely deserves a shiny lapel pin.  Viewing OSCARS in ROBE was the perfect solution to the madness. I was not only cozy, but was prepared to catch some winks at any moment. During any of the slow/meaningless dribble I was able to catch a quick snooze (example: Spectre song or when that homeless looking dude (Dave Grohl) was performing).

So, let's talk about the red carpet- it was longgggggg. The announcers were buffoons. It is pretty safe to say that one of the requirements for the job is that you don't watch movies. From not knowing the Oscar nominated writer of Brooklyn (Nick Hornby)- to trying to compare the Girl with The Dragon Tattoo to Carol as if they were a similar production... it was a complete shit show. You could just sense the feeling of dread each time one of the interviewers walked up to an interviewee.  They stood there wishing for teleportation to magically be invented or maybe finding a drink in their pocket.  ABC would have been better off having Jacob Tremblay host the event. He seemed more prepared to interview the stars of Hollywood and was definitely more entertaining.

It is amazing that a show celebrating people that make creative things for a living can be so terribly boring and mind-numbing. Is the show really produced by little interns?!  If that's the case it would make complete sense as to why the production seems to be so mediocre.  This would also explain why there were camera and sound issues at the most inopportune times.  Maybe those little interns thought it was funny to have a camera malfunction right when you the Oscar for BEST Cinematography was being announced or how about when the sound cut out just as you were giving the Oscar for Best Sound Mixing.  Oh, you little interns- you're such pranksters.  However, as one of my favorite podcast hosts, Karina Longworth has said, "the Oscars are only as cool as the oldest white guy in the room."  Makes perfect sense to me.

No matter what you think about the Oscars, I think the message is clear that unless people continue to talk about the issues that have been facing Hollywood, diversity issues will never be resolved. Here's hoping next year we see an improvement and less Speilberg.  Because seriously, did anyone like Bridge of Spies?  I think there were many other deserving movies that could have taken those nomination spots.   Movies and change can't be done alone- you need to work together to enact change.  However, after hearing some of the speeches from the various production winners- proclaiming they do all the "important" work on the film, it kinda makes me wonder if change will ever happen... it is called COLLABORATION, you jerks.  High time Hollywood stop trying to teach me a lesson, I think it is time for them to learn a lesson of their own:  be nice. Can't we all just get along?  Come on Hollywood, have an open mind.

After 6 hours, here are the High Points that Kicks can remember before too many Whiskey cocktails in ROBE:

-Chris Rock: acknowledging the elephant in the room right from the start.  He couldn't have said it better- everybody just wants the same opportunities and chances.  Leo gets a good part every year, people of color want this same opportunity.  Also.  Hollywood has been racist for a long time folks, this is NOT new.  Let's do something about it.

-Chris Rock's interviews with the theater goers of Compton: Seriously, where are you getting these movies from? Bridge of Spies: never heard of it?  Maybe this will shed some light on the fact that you need to make movies that reach a diverse audience and not just suburban liberal white people.  It is sad to me that Hollywood would be shocked that not only do white people see movies...but people of color do too and they want to see movies that they can relate to.

-Alicia Vikander, winning for Danish Girl- even though she should have been in nominated as the LEAD ROLE. She drove that film.  

-Costume Designer Jenny Beavan's win.  She is one BAMF (also a highlight: learning what BAMF means.  Thanks @whatjaimewatched)

-Brie Larson, winning for Room and slapping fives with Jacob Tremblay. That girl is going places.  Also, I was a fan of her dress despite what my colleague thinks.  

-Pudgy cheeks Leo: Aw, poor dude was stress eating. He looked so nervous the whole night and I just wanted to hug him.  I bet he ate so many of those Girl Scout cookies.  Miraculously, his name is called and what do you know! Water weight is magically gone and he managed to dust off all those cookie crumbs just in time to grip his golden statue.  He is now the King of the World! I couldn't help but shed a tear...especially when he brought up climate change.  Oh, Leo we heart you, you truly are the way of the future.

-Vampire Cate Blanchett's dress.  That woman does NOT age.  She looked like a dream.

-Tom Hardy breathing in and out.  I heart Mumbles Mcgee.  He may not have won this year, but he will be back.  I just hope he does not turn into the next Johnny Depp.  Instead of being known for a pirate he will just simply be known as Hoagie Mouth.  

-Saoirse Ronan's mermaid dress.  I can't wait to see what this girl does in the FUTURE.  If you have not watched Brooklyn yet, you are missing out.  

-To see Jennifer Lawrence not win.  Joy was a horrible a movie.

So what were your thoughts?  Andddd most importantly, who's going to see Eddie and the Eagle?  After watching this rodeo I'm ready for a feel good, tug at your hearts kind of feeling.  Until next year Oscars.

[sundae-matinee]

After much deliberation, Lil’ Foxie & i selected “Sundae Matinee is Clawsome” submitted by, @jennlukas as the winner of the our snail mail contest.  We will be contacting Jenn via the magical internets and she will receive this form to be completed.  With the information she provides we will construct her a creature pal that is guaranteed to not only be the life of a party, but a forever pal.  Thanks for all the love everybody, we look forward to hosting our next contest very soon.  Until next week.  Xo. Sundae Matinee PS.  Never miss another CONTEST.  CLICK HERE to SUBSCRIBE today. 

[sundae-matinee]

Pineapple Pete Pillow

After being holed up inside all weekend due to the BLIZZARD of the century, Lil’ Foxie & i found ourselves tropical dreamin’ and pining for that dewy sweet Hawaiian air…

To cure our cabin fever and boredom we decided to spend the afternoon with our friends in the LAB…

With their assistance we found the perfect way to satisfy our pining for paradise…

With our design complete, as we prepared our patient for his operation, we busted out one of our favorite detective programs.  Thanks to super sweet Benjamin for this AMAZINGGGG portable DVD player, Lil’ Foxie & i may never leave the LAB! again…

Sometimes tart, but typically sweet Pineapple Pete was sure to bring a smile to our face and aid our winter blues.  Here he is before surgery…

And here is after surgery.  We had a GRAND time creating this fun lovin’ guy… but boy! he sure is a chatter box.  Lil’ Foxie finally got him to stop blabbing when she gave him some cheez it crackers (which apparently are his favorite tasty snack).  We will miss him, but realize that Pineapple Pete will enjoy life much better where the temperatures are warm.  Therefore, he will be taking a trip this week to the city of Houston, Texas where he will live with our cousins Jamie & Hank and enjoy a life filled with icecream for dinner and watching The Burbs. 

Until next week. 

We are starting a NEW! WEEKLY contest here on SundaeMatinee.com called:  Movie MADNESS trivia – que your favorite game show theme music.  It is simple to play.  Read the trivia question below.  Submit your answer.  First person to email us at SundaeMatinee@gmail.com with the right response, will be sent a super small fantastic prize direct from the LAB!  Many will enter, one will win.  the key to winning is: WATCH MORE MOVIES.

TRIVIA ???:  She is Katherine Ross’ best friend, who suddenly starts acting strange in The Stepford Wives.

Best of luck.  xo. Sundae Matinee