Posted by Otto
Hey, Bitches. Guess who’s back… Everybody’s favorite Queen of Sass! No, I’m not talking about Ryan Seacrest. I’m talking about ME! Otto Titsling. And in case you missed my Head Over Feels debut last month, take a minute to catch up. I know. It’s fabulous. You can thank me later.
This January, Otto caught as much theatre as possible: Mark Rylance’s Shakespearean double bill, Fantasia Barrino’s wonderful “Stormy Weather” in After Midnight, and much more. But it was Debra Messing’s astonishing Broadway debut in Outside Mullingar that melted Otto’s cold gay heart more than any other this winter.
Messing plays Rosemary, a lonely Irish woman (with a flawless accent, P.S.) minding her late parents’ farm and pining for the next door neighbor Tony (the always formidable Brian F. O’Byrne). This 100-minute and intermission-less play by John Patrick Shanley (Doubt) isn’t bogged down by shocking revelations. Instead, it’s a sweet look at loneliness and the ways it can bring us together. But it’s Debra Messing’s performance that elevates the evening to something more. And so, in honor of her magnificent Broadway debut, Otto Titsling gives you:
Four Amazing Reasons To Appreciate Debra Messing
1. Smash might be long-gone. But Julia Houston’s stylish scarves will love on forever in our hearts. I’m happy to report that Miss Messing was wearing one at the stage door. Granted, there was a Polar Vortex that evening. But I like to think she just hasn’t been able to let go of her days as a talented, but horny librettist.
2. Grace Adler likes Chinese food. Grace Adler likes fashion. Grace Adler likes alcohol. Grace Adler likes musicals. Grace Adler likes gay men. Grace Adler likes hunky crooners with nice biceps that look remarkably like Harry Connick, Jr.. Grace Adler’s mother looks remarkably like Debbie Reynolds. Grace Adler snorts when she laughs. Grace Adler slept with a guy who looks remarkably like Woody Harrelson (who Otto has always imagined is awfully good in the boudoir). In short, Grace Adler is awesome. Even if she does squirt water from her bra sometimes. And let’s face it, we’ve all been here before…
3. The girl made out with Dermot Mulroney. #EnoughSaid
4. Debra Messing has a history in the theatre. She even has a history with Outside Mullingar scribe John Patrick Shanley. But when she decided to make her Broadway debut, she didn’t just pick any old character. Nope. This very brave Jewish ginger went all out and mastered one of the hardest accents to learn. And with her thick Irish brogue, Messing steals the hearts of everyone in the audience.
And so, in appreciation of Debra Messing, I propose something so splendiferously awesome that you may not be able to handle it:
In everybody fantasy’s world, My Best Friend’s Wedding will be made into a Broadway musical. And since we all know how Julia Roberts’ last Broadway outing went (ouch), I’ve got the casting suggestion of the century:
DEBRA MESSSING AS JULIANNE POTTER.
But before you see her belting “I’ll Say A Little Prayer” eight times a week, be sure to catch Messing’s enchanting Broadway debut. Outside Mullingar runs through March 16th at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, part of Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2013-2014 season. Learn more here.
– In other theatrical news, Broadway is abuzz with excitement for the new musical Rocky. It’s got a few things going for it: a hunky leading man (Andy Karl) who will spend most of the show shirtless; a score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Seussical, Once On This Island); and some very beloved source material. Yo, Adrian! Don’t muck it up.
– A musical version of Beaches is opening in Virginia this spring. Clearly, Otto Titsling is going to have to hijack a Greyhound bus and get his ass down there to check it out. But only if they promise to pay homage to yours truly with a very special musical number:
– And last, but certainly not least, is the Broadway bow of Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman’s new musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County. There won’t be a dry eye in the house. Even the straight guys will be crying… for mercy. But in all seriousness, this is one of Otto’s most anticipated new musicals. Expect a full report next month!
Enjoy the rest of January, bitches. Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.
Hugs, kisses and sass,
Otto Titsling
xo
I have known every word of “Otto Titsling” since I was 6 years old. And when I listened to it (after a long time away) as a teenager, my brain EXPLODED, because I hadn’t known what it was about. –S