INSPIRATION... WITH A SIDE OF SNARK.
Joe Guay is a writer, essayist, actor and voiceover artist who lives in California and is fixated on travel, showbiz and the ironies of life.
Theater Lovers KNOW – Chita Did It First!
You may’ve heard the name in passing over the years . Such a catchy name, but couldn’t quite place her. Old-time movie star? Puerto Rican musical import? Variety show hostess? On January 30th, we lost one of Broadway’s best, at the age of 91. Never fear, my buried musical theater maniac mindset has been reignited. Allow me…
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Allow Me to Just Step Over HERE
Quite a few years back, my then-boyfriend Jim and I were in downtown Los Angeles to partake in a favorite pastime, live theater. As we wandered the plaza, enjoying the kind of evening only Southern California can provide, we noticed two ladies, probably in their early 80s, walking in front of us. As they approached…
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When Mildred Was a Wild One
When I was entrenched in musical theater – doing shows every weekend – there was a general feeling that we actors had to up the energy for any Sunday matinee. The applause could be dismal and lackluster, and the laughs tended to be, shall we say, less enthusiastic, less on the spot, a pitter-patter. The reason? The…
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Angie & Me: Love Affair with a Middle-Aged Lady
Celebrity deaths can be tricky. There’s the “oh I didn’t even realize she was still alive” comment. There are the mega-fans who are devastated, creating shrines or YouTube tribute videos to weep with. Then there’s the gaggle of crazies that want to elevate the death to a level of 24-hour tribute reporting that the general public…
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Jingle Hell – How Christmas Kills
I originally aimed to pen my feelings on this topic later in “the season,” but this past weekend, (please note, mid-October), I was pushed over the edge. I’m not one who enjoys shopping as a rule. So in fairness I was already in a huff, finding myself in a store, looking for a birthday gift…
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You Better WORK
For two summers during college I worked the assembly line at a valve factory. Fun tip: If a party ever gets dull, this simple conversation-starter is guaranteed to provide loads of juicy details, animated returns to past horrors and revelations where even best of friends may be hearing something for the first time: What’s the…
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On Being a Little Light in the Loafers
When I was a kid, we used to visit my mother’s aunt, my Great Aunt Helen (affectionately known to us as “Auntie”) at least 3-4 times a year at her home in Pittsburgh. Trips there included a chance to play with her cute dog, Trixie. I wasn’t old enough or responsible enough yet to be…
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A Trait that Drives Friends Batshit Crazy !
There’s a personality trait I have. Correction: have always had. It’s sort of harmless. Yet, it’s driven some of my closest friends and loved ones insane with frustration, even as early as high school and college. So what IS this illicit trait, you ask? Breaking out into showtunes on the street corner? Having ridiculously strong opinions on James…
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The Weekly Celebrity Sighting
I once saw Melissa McCarthy shopping for a Christmas tree. I was there in the chain-link enclosure at the Lowes parking lot in Burbank, again doing the annual agonizing. Is it really worth it, paying all this money just for a tree that drops needles all over the carpet? Then my brain registered someone familiar – a…
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The Sunday Secret Sauce
It’s a well-known fact that I keep a running list of countries and natural wonders to visit right at my fingertips. Less known, however, is the local list – also at my fingertips – of reborn neighborhoods, attractions and architectural wonders I have yet to see in my own city. LA is sprawling and ever-changing and…
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