Hello Mimi - Sugar Kisses......of DEATH!

One problem with my fabulous job is that about once a month we open a new show. This is nice in that we all get free diet cokes for a day – or if you're me, Fuze Green Tea – but if I actually consider any of the actors friends, then I have the inevitable opening night gift dilemma. Who makes the "I have to get them a gift" cut and what do you get them? Well, if you are me, then they are getting a mix CD. The only problem is, not everyone is a music person. Sad but true: several of the teenaged actors I blessed with mixes recently have said they don't listen to music. (Other than show tunes.) This really doesn't compute with me, but it's what make me hesitate to give a mix. I know it's the thought that counts, but I could envision some folks thinking, "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" So quite often I just skip the actors I feel wouldn't want one.

On the other hand, my good friend Liz, stage manager extraordinare, LOVES music, but doesn't have time to obsess as I do. She can always count on receiving a mix when opening a show. She often gets one for closing a show as well. About a year ago, Liz was stage managing Room Service so I made her a mix. RS had several actors I loved dearly, but none I thought would really want a mix. However I wanted to give them a gift so I said to hell with it and burned them mixes as well. Imagine my surprise when one actor, Barclay, told me how much he LOVED my mix. I saw him one night before a show and he started to serenade me with "A Glorious Day" by Embrace. I was blown away to find another music lover where I thought one surely didn't exist. I'm not sure why I thought he didn't like music. Or he wouldn't like my music. Perhaps cause he's a bit older. Perhaps because he's a lawyer. Perhaps because, no matter how much I love him and think of him as a close friend, there is also the fact he sits on our Board of Directors, which in the back of my mind means he must be a bit boring and stuffy. Surely he can't like Mika. Yeah, shows how much I know.

Of course, Barclay's excitement and appreciation have earned him many more mixes. He is always appreciative and says he loves being able to see my moods in my music choices. I am often surprised by which songs he ends up liking the most. I always considered this music exchange a one-way street although he has occasionally mentioned artists to me. Have I heard Arcade Fire? Yes, but I don't have the album yet. Oh, I need to get the album. I would definitely like it.

And then came the day about a month ago when Barclay told me he had a gift for me. Well who doesn't like a gift? I was sure it must be music related. Maybe a mix he had made. Imagine my surprise when he arrives in my office one day with The Brit Box. It's a four CD collection of "UK Indie, Shoegaze, and Brit-Pop Gems of The Last Millennium." I could hardly believe my eyes. He couldn't possibly mean to give this to me? Surely I was just to borrow it. No this was MY box set. He had ordered one for himself and thought I would like it as well. I didn't have it already did I? Ha! No!

So this little blast from the bast comes courtesy of Barclay. When it came up on my computer I squealed. I had completely forgotten this song and never could have told you who it was by. Music people really are the best. Rock on my lovely monkeys.