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Evenings spent with the Queens and the famous...

Queens, Divas and the Famous……

About 2 months Greg and I were invited to take a ride on a tugboat called the “Pegasus”. http://www.tugpegasus.org/index.htm

This came about because our very good friend Lou’s very dear friend Pam owns the Pegasus and extended the invite to us through Lou.  Did you get that?  Needless to say we fell in love with Pam and consider her one of us now.

Pam

 Anyhow, the evening Pam took us out was not just any evening.  It was the last time that the QEII, (Queen Elizabeth 2) and the QM2, (Queen Mary 2), would leave NYC together.  The QE2 was on her final voyage as a passenger ship.  Her destination was Dubai, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai , where she is slated to be turned in to a floating hotel.

Another one of Pam’s guest that evening was a gentleman by the name of Ian.

Ian

Ian was an original crew member aboard the QE2 on her maiden voyage to NYC back in the 60’s.  What an awesome experience to be there as he witnessed her departure for the final time half a century later. We are so grateful to Pam for the opportunity she gave us to witness the Queens leaving together for the final time.

QE2

Of course it was probably the closes we will ever get to Dubai.

 
This next brush is a touchy one for Greg for very good reasons and with his permission I will be brief in sharing it.  Our friend Brad Caswell directed a play called, “Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens” during a recent benefit to raise awareness and funds for the ongoing fight against AIDS.  So before I continue I want to say congrats to Brad for such a successful benefit and on an AWESOME job he did.  We are very proud of him.

Brad

Now back to the story.  Greg was supposed to attend the dinner with me along with our friTim Gunn and Bradend Kim.  Unfortunately something came up with work at the last minute and he could not go.  Among other guest attending the benefit was one of Greg’s most favorite people in the world, Tim Gunn.

When Kim and I arrived we were greeted by Brad.  We told him Greg had to cancel so we were now a party of 2.  It just so happened that there were exactly 2 seats open at Brad’s table so he moved us to sit with him and my very dear friend Rick-Brad’s partner.  So during dinner Kim was on my left with Rick to her left then Brad to his left.  Now here is where my tale becomes bittersweet.  Guess who was sitting to my immediate right as my tablemate......TIM GUNN!!!!!!!!!!no

Tim Gunn and Tony 

Somebody pinch me…….I’ll wrap this up to end Greg’s misery.  What an absolute delight this man is.  I told him all about Greg and what a huge fan he was.  Tim heard about our Trading Spaces episode and said he would love to see it.  And I told him that before Greg had to cancel Greg said, and I quote, “ that before We leave the dinner I am going to meet Tim Gunn and make him my new best friend” unquote.  And Tim told me to tell Greg and again I am quoting, “I am sure we will meet very soon and become very good friends.  He even autographed his book for Greg.  We love Tim Gunn.

 

Ok, so a few weeks ago Greg and I went to dinner with a work collegue of Greg’s, Tracy, for her birthday.

Greg and Tracy

After dinner we went to comedy club to see Joan Rivers.  We mentioned at the door that it was Tracy’s birthday so they seated us so close to the stage our knees were on the stage.

Joan Rivers

On several occasions Joan and Greg bantered.  And if you know anything about Joan Rivers and you know anything about Greg Gude you can only imagine the chemistry between them.  It was actually amazing the energy she pulled from him.  Can you say J & G Comedy Hour?

Our most recent experience was just last night.  Greg took us to see the play EQUUS.  All I have to say about EQUUS is, WOW!!!!!

EQUUS

I don’t know if Greg had been looking forward to it as much as I had because I am a huge fan of Daniel Radcliffe.  For those who don’t recognize his name he plays Harry Potter.  Once we got into our seats, which were awesome seats, Greg opened the playbill and became very excited when he realized Kate Mulgrew was one of the cast members.  Point of reference if need, she played Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager.  Needless to say EQUUS is a must see.

So after the play T. Ryder Smith, one of the cast members comes out to speak to the audience about a completion each theatre has to raise money for “Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS”.   He said that they were so close to beating all of the other cast and theatres and were going to hold a one-time-only auction to try to seal the deal as to the most funds raised.  To do that they were auctioning off a script of the performance autographed by all of the cast members with frued notations by some.  You need to see EQUUS to appreciate the notations.  The auction was to last only 90 seconds.  Again, if you know Greg you know nobody runs up an auction better than he.  And mind you Kate Mulgrew is on the stage about 20 feet away from us so Greg starts the bidding at $100 to get a feel for the competition.  The next person bids $150 so Greg steps it up to $250.  The next bid is $300 so Greg bids $500.  The next person bids $550 so Greg bids $1000. We’re about 60 seconds into the auction and Kate has moved directly in front of Greg keeping and eye on him.  Greg has the entire cast and audience in a frenzy.  All of a sudden this lady bids $1500 so Greg bids $1750.  Kate Mulgrew looks and points directly at Greg and says I love this man.  We thought we had it then at the very last possible moment the woman bid $2000 and the auction closed before Greg could open his mouth.  So we can say Greg helped raise $2000.00 for “Broadway Cares”.  Actually $2250.00 because he did get a poster signed by all of the cast.

 

After the auction I waited out front of the theatre to try to get a glimpse of Daniel as he came out to sign autographs and Greg went on across the street to Sardi’s to wait for me.  He could actually see me from upstairs.  I did not get his autograph, but I did get this photo

Daniel Radcliffe

Only in NYC

 


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