this is great.

what was life like without youtube again?

now you know what i did saturday night...

Sure, I had seen many live performances previous to my Saturday night in Manhattan. As a radio and television personality/reporter, I have met many celebrities, and witnessed many concerts and live events, ranging from rock to rap to opera; the good, bad and ugly; the hole-in-the-wall bar and the multi-million dollar theater. I’ve seen musicals in Toronto, concerts in Rochester, NY, and comedy shows in New York. The circumstances usually do not foreshadow the outcome, as some of my favorite performances were on small, dimly lit stages in hostile environments, while other, plusher venues that may have offered a more comfortable setting did not offer a more satisfying performance.

However surprisingly enough, I had never attended a Broadway production. There was one close call – my mother and sister tried to drag me into what would have been my second viewing of Beauty and the Beast (my first – Toronto). But I convinced Mom that it wasn’t worth $45 to snag me a ticket. I enjoyed the performance in T-Dot, and my mother and sister raved about the Broadway version of the musical. However, in the end I concluded that my time and money was better spent drinking Coors Lights (albeit 20 years-old at the time) and taking in some of the finer comedy venues in the city.

And yes, Chuck Nice is just as hilarious in person as he is as a guest panelist on one of my favorite shows, VH1’s Best Week Ever. What can I say, I am a pop-culture junky.

But in my opinion, that revelation makes the fact that I haven’t experienced a Broadway performance even more outlandish. Simply put, while in New York, I enjoyed the nightlife, the Yankees, and my ever-growing population of friends and acquaintances in the area. Consequently, it would take my girlfriend, who currently resides in Stamford, CT, to propose a night filled with spirits, gourmet food, and a trip to Broadway for something other than a picture with the Naked Cowboy or a gawk-session at the massive MTV studios on 1515 Broadway.

As early as last year I heard about a musical that was turning heads, raising ears, and garnering a fair amount of praise from regular theatergoers and critics alike. Spring Awakening is set in 1890-Germany, with adolescent men and women coming into their own sexual beings – and experiencing the same feelings, pleasures, and anguishes as we do in the modern world.

Of course, it certainly goes without saying that 1890 Germany is a bit distinguishable from 2007 America.

And so these young adults awaken into new sexual ventures – the frustration of the “wet dream,” the semi-constant fantasying of a sexual partner – in this instance, the options ranged from two male friends to one student and his mother. The awkwardness did not end there – as adolescent sex experiences would not be completely and accurately depicted without representing both the sometimes awkward “talk” a parent must have with their child, and the facts that may or may not be left out. Finally, the unfathomable: having a parent walk in during a masturbation session.

All of the shenanigans, as well as more serious parts of the production that included domestic abuse, abortion, and suicide; took place amongst a foray of clever set maneuvering, which included cast members and ensemble singers mixed within patrons on special “side stage” seats, as well as a live band, and catchy, yet not over-the-top choreography.

As my girlfriend so eloquently stated, “The musical included all of the necessary emotions.” Although I refrained from tissues, I’ll admit I did come close to choking back tears during one scene in the second half. Comedy, tragedy, loss, and unity were all depicted through the amazing vocal talents of the cast as well as lyrics and melodies that seemed fit for the late 90’s of the 20^th century than the 19^th.

This observation makes perfect sense when its taken into account that the Grammy-nominated group Duncan Sheik claims responsibility for the score of the musical. Duncan’s hit Barely Breathing gained the duo mainstream notoriety in the 90s.

A young, spunky group of Broadway performers, an edgy storyline with in-your-face guitar riffs, drum beats, and lyrics, and a touch of historical perspective – came together Saturday night to make Spring Awakening one of the finest performances I have ever witnessed – period.

And look no further than the consumption of tissues and the purchase of the musical’s compact disc midway through the night to obtain my girlfriend’s concurrence.

Maybe I’ll do this Broadway thing more often.

Spring Awakening recently won eight Tony awards, including Musical of the Year.

i mean, this can't be a good idea...

clearly the bridge of trust between former president bill clinton and his wife, presidential hopeful and senator hillary is stronger than anything structure out of minnesota. look no further than her latest contest...

you can now head to hillary's site and register to win the prizes of all prizes - a date with bill clinton.

only this will not be any date - throw out the fancy restaurants, pricey movie tickets, and trips to the oval office. instead, you and two other lucky winners will sit with bill and a big bowl of chips, watching his wife hillary in her next debate.

somewhere monica lewinsky is frantically searching out a computer with internet access...

read more here. thanks tmz.

how to...

do the dance to "crank that" - because clearly you're wondering. props to soulja boy for taking the time to post this on youtube.

or as he might say... YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUtube!

more exclusive video

party on the square 2007 equation: college kids plus free food equals hot mess. click below and eat up.

exclusive video

what happens when a homeless man visits party on the square? click below.

downtown collegetown

hey,

my life's been a complete blur since i woke up on thursday. little sleep, lots of traveling, and many happenings have filled the past five days. good riddance to recharging the batteries on my weekend off.

nonetheless, i have lots of interesting experiences to share with you, along with corresponding pictures and yes, video! let's begin with thursday.

for the record crowd who showed up at the downtown collegetown party on the square 2007, it was a pleasure meeting you. the event was a huge success - from carnival games to pizza eating. hang tight, like i said, video to follow.

i also introduced on stage/discovered my new favorite cover band - lads you know as go go gadjet. great cartoon. great track off of gnarls barkley's cd. great cover band. what more can i say?

some pictures from the event are below. enjoy.

this makes me smile...

go longhorns!

where do i start?

so much transpired and will transpire in my life over the past/next 48 hours.

road trips, celebrities, nostalgia, dumb luck... all of the aforementioned.

the best part?

i have pictures and video to document it all.

check back throughout the weekend, and have a great one.

oh ps - last campus invasion tonight at the woods. see you there.

the obsession with the juice.

tmz's michael hundgen joined the show wednesday night (9.19) to discuss america's obsession with oj simpson.

click here to listen to the intricacy behind oj's latest legal troubles.

tomorrow the party is at...

kongrats to kanye!

#1 album... #1 song... but can he be #1 on tonight's top 8@8?

you'll decide. meanwhile, watch stronger, 'cause the video is tight (and my girl cassie stars in it)...

the hot mess that is...

britney spears of course. who clearly has nothing better to do than seek out ice cream for that fit bod of hers at a liquor store.

thanks to tmz for the footage. because clearly a liquor store, ice cream, and britney go down smooth... all the time.

tonight on the ralphie radio show...

e-mail your requests! ralphie@97bht.com -or- 877.971.wbht.
---

michael hundgen from tmz to enlighten us on why america is obsessed with oj.
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more free pa lottery tickets!

and sally field trusts mothers...

“I remember taking LSD before I went to Disneyland. I started thinking about Mickey Mouse being a short, middle-aged man in a costume who hates life. Those drugs can be dangerous if you don’t go into it positively - I gave them up long ago.”

- angelina jolie.

heidi montag with a new song.

it's called higher.

red sox fans have no humor.

former swb yankee and current new york outfielder shelley duncan took time sunday to sign autographs for fans at fenway park in boston, regardless of whether they supported the bronx bombers or not. the jovial duncan also joked with a few of the autograph-seekers.

but the joke backfired.

below is the picture of a ten-year old who received an autograph from duncan.

his parents aren't smiling either. i, however, am grinning from ear to ear.

gimme - more brit.

we're siding with our friends at tmz on this one.

entertainment tonight reported that there's a possible contract "hit" on kevin federline. maybe by brit, maybe not. i checked with tony, but news hadn't spread to the bada bing about this.

(shakes head in dismay).

tmz reports that the LAPD investigated, and found no such evidence to believe this is true. case closed.

back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

and it gets worse...

from celebTV.com...

"A source close to Britney Spears tells CelebTV.com the singer was dropped on Monday by her management team, The Firm.

Jeff Kwatinetz of The Firm was hired by Spears in August to help revive her flagging career. He apparently split from the singer due to her recent erratic behavior.

The source close to Spears tells CelebTV.com the change in management may affect the scheduled November 13 release of her new album.

When contacted by CelebTV.com, Kwatinetz referred us to Spears' publicist, Wendy Washington. We did not hear back from Washington by our deadline."

britney spears's life cannot get more dramatic... and then, something worse happens to her.

karma?

monday shmunday.

no, the title isn't a new breakfast sandwich at sheetz, although my schmagel this morning was deelish. just feels like a really lazy monday here in the nepa.

i went to bed a little after 6 am this morning, and woke up before 4 pm. weird doesn't even begin to explain my internal clock and sleeping patterns. but despite the amount of sleep i received, i still feel a little groggy at 6:52. a lack of caffeine could be the issue, and i'll fix that during my first hour of the show with a trip to the coffee machine outside the studio.

of course, many believe monday is simply an extension of the weekend. the past couple days have been spent eating in, drinking out, and napping throughout the day. the gf came to wilkes barre to visit - and after the week each of us had - we decided to just take it easy and enjoy the finer things in life... rest, light beer, red robin burgers, januzzi's pizza, and a mix of boston college, yankees, and bills games on the television.

speaking of which - how amazing was this last night?

what? you missed it because you wanted to see ryan seacrest host the emmy's? boo.

and speaking of the emmy's, how funny was this?

anywho, lots of fun stuff to give away on tonight's show. off i go, with more updates to come throughout the night.