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2008
Messages from Lucy
12/8/08
I am just back from Thanksgiving in NZ after which I jetted to NYC to play a role in FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS. It was awesome. Those guys are every bit as cool as you would think and waaaay more intelligent than their characters, as one would hope.
Apart from the jetlag, I caught up with a heap of friends. Co-incidentally, Marissa was preparing to go into her stint on Broadway to finish up HAIRSPRAY in style with Harvey Fierstein. I went to her rehearsals and caught up with Richard Griffiths who is starring in EQUUS with Daniel Radcliffe. Both were excellent in their roles. Richard and I met on the set of BEDTIME STORIES, which comes out December 25. I have had a lot of laughs with that guy and love him dearly.
I also had a crap time in Soho, which is full of poseurs who can barely afford to eat there, let alone live there, and yet, who check out your shoes before they deign to talk/serve you. They never smile. I have renamed it “Sad-Ho.” As far as I'm concerned it's a ghetto for assholes.
So now I am getting excited about the Roxy Show. The juggernaut has begun to move. Today I was out shopping for fabric with Alek Adorian in the deepest recesses of the Garment district in Downtown LA for something challenging. All those of you who are coming, dress for a night at the Pleasuredome! Think sexy. Boys-will-be-girls-will-be-boys Glamour! Prudes need not apply. Check your inhibitions at the door!
I can't wait to see you there. We are all going to be going through a wild night together!
Hoo-hah!
L
11/24/08
Hello Gang!
I am down in NZ where we had a huge Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family. It was terrific. Rob cooked the biggest turkey that ever lived and smoked schnapper (which is how we spell “snapper” Downunder). All the kids went swimming.
Thanks for the many kind words regarding the passing of my Uncle, Kevin Ryan. He was an amazing man, a defense lawyer who went to bat for the lowest on society's totem pole, the most impoverished --financially and spiritually. I have come to have the utmost respect for defense attorneys, whose job is not to get criminals off the hook, but to protect the rights of ALL citizens to a righteous defense, no matter what circumstances you were born into. An aggressive defense is not merely the domain of the wealthy. He was a champion of the underdog, a great husband and father.
Whether we realise it or not, defense lawyers are the bulwark that any of us have against overzealous and improper prosecution.
This week they are auctioning off the portraits of well-known New Zealanders painted by Marty Welch. I love that he has tried to get to the heart of people. These works are great pieces of Kiwiana.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!
L
11/5/08
What a great day for America and the world! Congratulations to you all. Now I can become an American citizen, I guess.
It was a momentous relief for me to hear a President mention “Global Warming” with the gravitas it deserves, not a nebulous concept to be buried under platitudes. Over the course of my life, weather patterns in the country of my birth, NZ, have changed dramatically. Perhaps we are more sensitive being a long, skinny island nation. We also have Antarctica in our back yard, so we feel any threat to the ice caps as our own.
I am sorry for Prop 8. The laws of a nation should be about safety and fairness. They should not enforce second-class citizenry.
I have my own issues with “marriage.” I think it is a throwback to feudal times. It ought to be phased out. We should have agreements that get revised at ten-year periods. I can't think why gay people should necessarily want it, but if they want it with all its strictures and ownership over one another, then let 'em have it. What's the big deal? What the heck are we afraid of sharing? Our sacred heterosexual rite?
Being raised in a moderately religious home, I grew up being taught that marriage was a Sacrament -- Sacred. I was told, "No one must come between a husband and wife." Then I would look over at a relative with a black eye meted out by her husband in the privacy of their sacred matrimonial chamber, and the bruises on her child, and I knew that was bullshit. There was nothing holy there. Only love is sacred and heterosexuals don't own that.
I am thankful that the days of anti-intellectualism are over. The last 8 years were like a steady diet of Ho-Hos for the brain. Both Al Gore and John Kerry were torpedoed by this and the vicious assertions of a wicked propagandist, Karl Rove.
Ironically, it was Karl Rove's own predictions about the outcomes of each state that we were following last night. He's undoubtedly a genius, but something got twisted up inside him and he should go down in history as a creep and frankly, a traitor.
Who the hell forced Palin on John McCain anyway? Some pale imitation of Rove? "Let's put another slogan-totin' cowboy up there, only let's put him in a skirt and get the wimmin's vote!" What a horrible mistake. And yet, THANK YOU!
I must say that Rob and I stopped the tivo and got the boys in to watch John McCain's concession speech. We wanted them to see how a great man behaves in the face of defeat. I believe he is a good man and if he had won the Republican nomination 8 years ago, the world would look very different to us now. Still, this diet of hotdogs with Clinton and Ho-Hos with Bush are what has brought us to a new craving for something holistic and someone substantial who will walk beside us through the dark days ahead.
The next eight years will be undeniably hard, but with Obama, I don't think we will feel so alone.
Up and at 'em!
L
10/27/08
Sharon here: I spent time with Lucy and filmed her latest blog. I'm going to put it up in daily segments. Here's the first one about Feel the Love Day.
UPDATED 10/28/08 -- Lucy talks about working on the Zoe Bell movie, Angel of Death.
Check out the interview with Zoe and photos of Lucy on Tubefilter.tv
UPDATED 10/29/08 -- Next comes Lucy talking about doing the Dave Hill Explosion.
UPDATED 10/30/08 -- Here's Lucy talking about the character she's thinking of channeling at her upcoming Roxy concert in January.
Feel the Love Day Angel of Death Dave Hill Explosion Roxy 09 Concert
QT WMV QT WMV QT WMV QT WMV
10/14/08
Tell the fans I am planning to co-opt the script that Rob and Joe Lo Duca were working on, Pleasuredome. At the Roxy, I will be playing the lead character “Sappho.”
Let's take Sappho on the road!
L
10/3/08
Hi Gang!
I am in Vancouver working on The L Word after a fantastic experience in San Francisco. Michael Orland and the guys from the Rrazz Room helped turn out a splendid show with the help of an incredible band. Ted P made those quiet songs ache! And my backing vocalists, Peggi & Terry, need their own shows!
Sharon managed to pull together four of the best fan videos for the backdrop. There were many terrific ones that we just couldn't get our hands on in time, or use due to technical problems, but the ones we had were awesome. Special thanks to all of you who sent in vids, especially the ones we used, Sara (France), Berkin (Turkey) and Angela (USA).
You are all wonderfully talented and generous. Thank you!
I am grateful to all of you who came from near and far, particularly in this financial climate. You helped raise money for a wonderful charity, REAF.
Thanks also to the St. Francis Westin in Union Square and Fusion Hotel who put us up in support of the REAF.
I am in awe of your kindness towards one another and your committment to Feel the Love Week.
I wish you all love and laughter. Let's all go out and . . .
Rock the Love!
There is nothing else.
LL
9/21/08
Hi guys!
Someone asked me today if I knew that Sarah Palin's supporters are calling her “Xena.” I had to ask, "Oh, is Sarah Palin a lesbian too?!" I don't see it on her bio anywhere . . . nope, not there. Curiously, in her earlier life, Xena traded motherhood for a career as an evil warlord. Hmmmm . . .
But you have got to feel sorry for the kids of Obama and Palin. As a child, my Dad was Mayor of Mount Albert in Auckland, New Zealand. When I was 13 years old, the Springbok rugby team, from South Africa, toured NZ, sparking riots in the streets. South Africa was then deeply entrenched in a system of Apartheid, in which a minority white government enforced strict racial segregation and discrimination. New Zealand homes were bitterly divided between those who “just wanted a good rugby match,” (rugby being the national sport), and those who felt any truc with the South Africans amounted to tacit support of their regime. The main rugby pitch in NZ was located in Mount Albert and I remember being home ill from school during a period of bomb threats to our house.
Even in a period of stability, there are so many people who are enraged that their water rates go up, enraged when they don't like a certain law, enraged when they don't take their medication, who think nothing of ringing the children of the public figure and letting them have it. It's incredibly frightening and hurtful to have your beloved parent mocked, suspected, hated.
I can't imagine how it must be in these days when so much is at stake and fevers are so high. It’s gotta be murder. Mr. Palin and Mrs. Obama are going to have their work cut out for them filling in the parental voids while their life partners are chasing their goals.
Mind you, Chelsea Clinton worked out all right. Improbable, but seemingly true.
I've been off doing a role on CSI: Miami which airs around Oct. 20(?) I play a tart with no heart, for a change.
Also, look for me on The L Word at some point. Can't tell you anything about that -- it's deep in the closet.
L
9/2/08
I am going to Feel the Love this year with a concert at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, September 27. I am inspired by the fans and their incredible generosity of spirit. I will take none of the proceeds from the box office. Anything that might have been my portion will go to REAF's Help is on the Way organisation, which does such a great job with AIDS-related charities in the Bay Area.
Some of you have edited together some pretty amazing video montages over the years. I am going to see if there is the capability to screen them in the background of my September show. If any of you want to donate the use of them for this or any other show, I will try to make it happen. Some of them are pretty genius. Naturally, there will be zero compensation or credit. It's all in a good cause, right?
I just did a guest judge spot on RuPaul's Drag Race which is the new tv version of Paris is Burning. "Who will be the next Drag Superstar?!" It was actually hilarious. I have always loved RuP, whose beauty, inside and out, is undiminished.
Last night I went to a screening of Return of the Living Dead with Tony Gardner and Debbie Carrington and their friend, Don Mancini, who wrote and directed Child's Play. I was able to tell him that there is a whole room in the House of Horrors at Universal dedicated to “Chuckie” with blood-spattered merchandise covering an entire wall. I guess the 20th anniversary is coming up and they are gearing up for a big party. I have to tell you, the folks who make horror movies are way more normal than the rest of Hollywood. Is this because they wear their id on the outside, whereas the rest are in denial of theirs? Or do I just say that because I am a Freak myself?
Over to you.
Love,
The Infamous Miss Butter
7/22/08
Hi, gang!
This is the loveliest place on Earth: Queenstown, NZ. There is no better feeling than you get after a day in the great outdoors. I am thrilled to report that Arturo Mesta's surgery went well, (more on that later.) And my best buddy is expecting a baby in the next two weeks. I am hightailing it back to the States to make an appearance at Comic-Con, aka. Nerdvana.
I hope that you are not all melting in the heat.
Love,
Lucy
6/29/08
Thanks for coming out in force last night, gang! You give me a lot of courage. It would be weird to go out and do a show like mine without you. Imagine all those bewildered movie-goers thinking, "Who is that woman, and what is she bumping and grinding about?!"
I have to say, I have had a miserable flu season and have never truly been well in the last few months, but my voice held up, thanks to Mr. Vetro, who came home from Vegas where he is working with The Divine Ms. M, to give me a vocal warm up.
I think I am going to go more in the direction of that 1970's playmate look. Yeah, I came over all Xaviera Hollander last night. I think it's working for me.
And my special thanks to the band: Michael Orland –- Musical Director and Keys (and Tambourine!)
Lynn Keller -- bass
Candy Girard -- fiddle
Ted Perlman -- guitar
Sammy K -- drums
Terry Wood and Peggi Blu -- my gorgeous BV's
They did the gig for a fraction of their normal fee because they had such a good time at the Roxy. I thank them so much for their talent and generosity of spirit.
And, of course, thanks to Mama Rose for all the bullying and spraying me in the face with throat spray. Nice aim, Ma.
6/22/08
Hi Gang!
I am back from the fiery North. I have finally wrapped on the Adam Sandler/Disney Xmas movie, Bedtime Stories. I spent the last week in a fatsuit, playing a troll in 105 degree weather. It was 90 degrees in the shade and 200 degrees in my pants! I'd love to show you pictures, but I'm afraid I'd be knee-capped by the publicity department.
I met some awesome people. Guy Pearce is truly a doll. He is genuine and gracious, a bit kooky. Russell Brand, also gracious, kooky genius. Keri Russell and Teresa Palmer are Broads! -- the highest of compliments. Debbie Carrington, my drinking buddy, is an awesome actress. She played “Tammy” on the Seinfeld episode about "heightening" – which, incidentally, is purely a figment of Larry David's imagination. The crew were wonderful, like crews everywhere. I will be forever grateful to the Adams, Sandler and Shankman for the experience.
I was on Russell Brand's radio show this week on BBC2, where we generally behaved badly and used language and themes that would make my family in NZ cringe. Tant pis!
I now have about three seconds to get ready for my show up Universal CityWalk next week. Fortunately, I am doing it with Michael Orland, my American Idol, and the gang from the Roxy so we all have a great history. It'll be a little more rock'n'roll than the Roxy show. To whit, I've finally done it! I decided to go dark for summer. Will officially unveil the new look next Saturday at the show.
Love,
L
5/21/08
London was a wicked show! Again, first rate musicians (Thank you, Joe) and venue, (Thanks, Gary and Adam for that.) I always have to come home and put my head under a rock for a few days afterwards. I think I found my new groove this time. Or did I say that last time? I felt I sang so much better the second night, but when I look at some of the performances Sharon filmed, I must admit that the first night had a wild kind of energy that is pretty appealing.
I have been asked to do a set up at Universal City Walk on June 29 and I figure that's a chance to give you guys a free show. So come on along if you are in town. It'll be great to see you.
Not sure what the set will be. I'd like to crank it up to something like London, though I may have to tone it down in terms of the ass-less chaps. Quit groaning! It's a family show. Still the chaps, just with pants on.
I want to thank all the new English fans who came out for the show and, in particular, my crazy American friends who jumped the pond. There was some pressure on me to back out of the London show because of filming commitments (the uncertainty of which made us decide not to go ahead with the high cost of filming it), but I knew some people who had committed their hard earned $$ to barely refundable airfares/ hotel, etc. The show must go on. In the end, it was a wonderful experience and I loved being part of it. So, thank YOU!
Dancing With the Stars is over. Thank God for that. I like that Kristi girl, to be honest. Dancing aside, she and Mark are pretty classy human beings behind the scenes. All Marissa's friends were completely demented in trying to make it fun for ourselves. Every time Cristian, in the long black dress-coat, did that wild pose at
the end of his tango, we screamed "VOLDEMORT!!!!" at the top of our lungs. It's a reference to one of the most watched things on YouTube, a puppet show of all the characters from Harry Potter doing a rap using only their names. It's been watched nearly 40 million times. Can you believe it?
Marissa took all her friends on a wild ride over the past 12 weeks and we are all so relieved to be off.
So on we go!
Up and at 'em.
Hope you are all enjoying Spring, wherever you are.
Love,
L
5/14/08
THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU!!! to all of you for keeping Marissa in the running so long. I was as sick as a dog coming home from London and fell behind in my letter writing campaign, but you guys were awesome and I am so grateful to you all once again.
She has a horrendous denouement in that she has two days of travelling and press saying, "Yes, I got kicked off the show.” But I'm sure you will all agree that her grabbing that mic and yelling that we should all go out, “… and shake what yo Mama gave you!" was pure genius. And if she hadda gone to the final and gotten third or even second, she would never have been given that moment to say goodbye in her own inimitable fashion. We need that on tee-shirts all over the world!
"Go out and
HAVE FUN,
FEEL SEXY
and
SHAKE WHAT YOUR MAMA GAVE YA!"
Wish I had thought of that one myself!
Love, love, love,
Lucy L
5/2/08
I have to rush back to Los Angeles to be with Marissa, who is down to the final 5 in DWTS. She was in the bottom two last week. See what happens when I leave town?! Usually I am there making rude gestures across the dance floor, like I'm pulling a noose tight, just to stop her taking it all too seriously. Still, I want her to get through another week. Please don't forget to vote!
L
5/1/08
Okay, so here I am in London where they are worrying about the election results, petrol tax and the dramatic upswing in the number of women arrested for drunkeness. But don't worry, I should be out in time for soundcheck Saturday.
My chaps arrived from Los Angeles as promised. They are as nasty as all get-out and I am ashamed of myself. The band members are all on the case and seem prepared to have fun. Annie is going to wear her big black boots and long brown hair, just like the chick from the Jets, "BE MY GIRL.” And we're going to break out some Garbage too. It's going to be the sweatiest show ever.
You know what to do.
L
4/23/08
Hellooooo, Kittens!
Congratulations to you all on getting Marissa through the first few rounds. I think the campaign has picked up steam. She has relaxed into the job and is now having fun.
She even inked a deal to do her own talk show next year. I toyed with that myself last year in a fit of pique with acting. But fate intervened and I have now pitched my tent at Camp Sandler. Which, frankly my Dears, is a damn fine place to be!
Getting ready for the London gig and it's going to be a doozy. The whole set is built around “G.L.O.R.I.A.” by Patti Smith. It is reportedly a song written in reaction to her strong Jehovah's Witness upbringing. It's about a punky girl aggressively exploring her sexuality and owning it. Bloody powerful song. It starts "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine . . ." I have to confess this was a tough line for me, Catholic girl that I was -- fallen though I am. The rest is a wild sapphic rant. It's so damn powerful that once you hear it, you can't ignore it. Plus Patti Smith is to American punk, what Nina Simone is to Soul -- both High-Priestesses. I could not back down from the invitation to dance. I met Patti Smith about 1996 and she invited me to visit her in NYC which I did. Some young boy answered the door and I asked if that was her son and she replied, "No, that's X, my boyfriend." She just don't quit.
Wrapped around that is some Garbage "SHUT YOUR MOUTH," some Marianne Faithfull, "BROKEN ENGLISH" and even an ode to masturbation in the Divinyl's "I TOUCH MYSELF."
SO, YOUSE WUZ WARNED!
NO PRUDES AND NO KIDDIES AT THIS SHOW.
WEAR YOUR LEATHERS. IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY RIDE.
BELIEVE IT.
Love to love ya, Baby,
L
4/1/08
Marissa is safe!!! Thank God for that. And thank YOU!!! We were really sweating. Not because we thought she should go but because life just isn't always fair.
When she was declared safe, we all spazzed out. I felt they would at least torture us by making us wait till the final two.
I tell you what, it is very sobering to be voted safe and then to have to watch your beloved co-contestants squirm. It is truly awful for everyone. Been there, done that.
I noticed a new cameraderie happening amongst the contestants this week. They have realised that they are slowly facing extinction. Each week is Russian roulette.
For the first time in weeks, Marissa came out for a bite at a restaurant afterwards. She has not had an easy time of it lately. She and Tony were working waaaay too hard and all the joy was getting squashed out of the experience. I thought Christian really exemplified the spirit of the show last night. He was exuberant. I
think we will see a whole new dance team in Marissa & Tony next week. This is as much about entertainment and relatability (is that even a word?) as precision in dance.
Also, these reality tv people have this format down to a science. Are we all just little sheep, voting along subliminal guidelines? I keep asking, "Who produces this show? Satan?!!"
BSG starts this week, I hear. I am still doing looping for it. Also, I did a chatroom Q&A for Sci-Fi when last in New York. That goes out Thursday.
In other bits of news, Adam Sandler broke his ankle and the schedule is being overhauled. I have been doing some crazy schtick for B-roll. My most insane act to date. I hope you will get to see it soon. Only my fans will know it's me. I am totally unrecognisable these days.
I also did a small role as Mother Superior, alongside the gorgeous, Renee O'Connor in BITCHSLAP, who is a naughty novice in the convent. She is confessing her dark fantasies to my character -- just as she does in real life. Ha-ha, not really. (Yes, really.)
BITCHSLAP is an epic exploitation movie written and produced by Herc/Xena producer, Eric Gruendemann and directed by Rick Jacobson, (one of my all-time fave directors on Xena).
It also stars Michael Hurst; stunt co-ordinator, Zoe Bell. Kevin Sorbo also makes an appearance. So it was a terrific reunion for us all. Renee and I were spectacular. Just don't blink.
On the other hand, it is a very pornographic, un-PC piece of madness and I absolutely FORBID you to see it.
That's it.
go back to work now.
quit lookin' at me
Shoo!
3/25/08
Hi, All!!
As I write this, I have no idea of the vote tonight, though I just know our girl came through. She had a wardrobe malfunction when her heel got caught up in all that pink fringe last night. You couldn't really see it on the tape, but they bunny-hopped their way out of trouble. I am so proud of her. Ahh, costuming -- you live and learn. I just wanted to thank all of you who voted and encouraged others to. Bless you always!
I missed the show last night and tonight because I have been working on Bedtime Stories, an Adam Sandler pic. I have to tell you, this guy is a wonderful producer and human being. He and his partners are incredibly generous of spirit and treat their crew reeeaally well. I haven't been on a set with this kind of levity since Xena. I had completely gone off acting last year, as many of you know, but this job has completely turned my head around. You are going to see me be a wicked, cheeky monkey. Guy Pearce plays my venal boyfriend sublimely. He actually helps anchor my insanity. Sandler pushes me over the edge. I have got to go scrape the goop off my face before the results show.
Love to love, ya, Babies!
L
3/18/08
Letterman went great. I went with 9 other BSG cast members who sure know how to have a good time. Our segment doesn't air until Weds. I am sitting at JFK at 3 o'clock in the morning, LA time. It was the only way I could get back in time to see Mariss dance. I am so excited!!! We have to help her in the first couple of weeks. She doesn't have a fan base yet, but she is a champ and I predict she is going to turn a lot of heads. You wait, she is going to be our little dark horse. I am so proud of the way she has been training. She has never looked better.
WIN WITH WINOKUR!!!
Lucy
3/3/08
Hey, there!
It has been an action-packed few weeks. Right after the Roxy, I succumbed to the flu that had been trying to get me before the show. It was a doozy, as many of you undoubtedly know. But in the midst of the fevers and the bellyachin', magic happened for Ma and me. She scored a place in the line-up for Dancing With the Stars, a longtime dream of hers. Personally, that'd be my worst nightmare but she is beside herself with joy. Now I am driving her onwards to success, telling her my best moves, etc. (Heh-heh!)
We have been working out like fiends and she is training several hours a day, EVERY DAY, with her partner, Tony. He's a bloody slave-driver, but secretly she probably thinks that's hot. Her body is curvy and cut. You gotta see it!
Her first night is the 18th of March and we have to propel her through the first few weeks till the rest of America realises what a damn Champion they have on their hands. I seriously believe that with us behind her, she is going to go all the way. Start flexing them dialling digits, kids!!
The same day Marissa finally got cast in Dancing with the Stars, I got an interesting call.
A woman came to my Roxy show, a friend of Ted Perlman, my guitarist. She came backstage afterwards and gushed that I must come down to her office and meet Adam Sandler. Terrific! Yeah, yeah, let's do that, I said, not really expecting anything from it. Well, the next week, I got a call to come down and meet Adam and his producing partner, Jack Giarraputo. I felt well enough to get off my deathbed. I had lost several pounds from 5 days of a high fever, and looked ungodly pale, which I knew was perfect for the role. Then I had to read for Disney, which I did, but realised I was waaay sicker than I thought and felt clammy and out of it all through the session with the casting director, Roger Mussenden. But I guess something was working for me coz I got the job in Bedtime Stories. (I really owe Roger for that one.)
I nearly did a back flip when I realised that my “boyfriend” was being played by Guy Pearce!!! Plus, I am being directed by the incredible Adam Shankman, who was the mastermind behind the new re-telling of Hairspray in film. I didn't want to like it, I put off going to see it for a week, but when even Marissa admitted it was genius, we went along and I was blown away. It was charming and had real weight in all the right places -- and I don't mean Travolta's arse! Plus, it makes you jive in your seat. Can you remember the last time a movie did that? If you haven't seen it yet, go out and get it. Do yourself a favour.
Between the two Adams, Guy and I there is fabulous chemistry and you are going to see me be naughtier than ever before! Keri Russell and Courtney Cox are starring as love-interest and sister to Sandler's everyday hero, Skeeter Bronson. And I get to be the young Cruella DeVille. No wonder Disney likes me!
In between playing Mama Rose to Marissa All-the-Way-with-Winokur, I am shooting and trying to get a new line-up for the London concert. “Bitch” is certainly in (coz, let's face it . . .)
. . . but I don't know what else yet. Some Patti Smith (G.L.O.R.I.A.). Those turkeys in Utah never sent me my chaps. I'm done with them.
So I'll hunt for new leathers and learn my lines, work on songs, rub salve on Marissa's nasty dancer's feet, and train for the life to come. It's all good.
Love, love, love,
Lucy
2/7/08
Hello, Babies!!!
Thanks so much for coming to the Party!! I had a wonderful weekend with everyone who came to LA. Man, I wish that I had more time to finesse that set; get rid of some songs and pump up the end. That's always the way when you have an extra short run.
Next time, I have some cool ideas. Someone backstage at the con suggested that I do Meredith Brooks “I'm a Bitch.” Funnily enough, that was a song that my friend, Da, suggested, but, two days out from the show, there was no time to get an arrangement done and rehearse. Bummer!! Plus, I was a bit fluey and was already snowed with getting things together for the Roxy. But I promise not to forget that one.
Marissa thanks you for the warm reception, too. She was supposed to be one of my backing vocalists but life intervened and she had to go out of town on family business. But she was a great sport and managed to charm the audience in the “Friend Off,” which is where a so-called best friend of mine goes up against a fan to see who knows me best. Naturally, the fan always wins, since my friends have no interest in my former life or career. And, truly, I am fine with that. With fans like you . . . !
I want to thank Mr. Michael Orland, my Musical Director and friend, who helped pull that show together out of thin air. We first met on the 5th of January, without a clue where we were going to start. It all came together with a minimum of fuss. The band members he found were real virtuosos and so quirky. Lynn Keller was the little devil on the bass, (everyone loved her leathers!), and Candy Girard was the angel on the fiddle. I loved how she jumped in as the romantic violin during the “candle-lit meal.”
Slammin' Sammy K. kept us all in line with drums and brought along some extra percussion to give texture to other songs. Ted Perlman was my Guitar Hero. I loved everything you did, Ted, and am especially grateful for bringing life to “Wide Awake” which demands real virtuosity. That is one hell of a number. My leading ladies –- Terry Wood and Peggi Blu! I love your voices and your generosity of spirit. You girls came to the party and really helped dish back some of the love that my fans bring to each and every show. I have the greatest fans in the world and I never want to let them down. My thanks to all the band for showing my gang a good time.
Of course, there are a few other people that made the evening unique. Renee burst out in song in the middle of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” I had asked her to dance to “Kiss You All Over” and she said, “Lucy, that’s just weird.” Impeccable taste.
Kit-Cat Crimins is the greatest MC in the world and also embodies the spirit of the Roxy experience. She and the inimitable Tig Notaro really round out a great evening. Tig is becoming quite the comedy star nowadays. I am just crazy about her. I only regret that I cannot be out front watching her. So much of her act is visual – you kind of have to see it to believe it. It’s torture standing backstage lstening to her act.
Thanks to Gary and Adam of Creation for rolling out the carpet for us all. It wouldn’t have happened without your support. To Sharon and all the Creation team, thanks for bringing me together with the fans. You can’t please all the people all the time, but I know that is always your aim and you do a great job.
Most of all, thank you to you, the fans who came from all over the
world. You may have been the single greatest support network the striking Hollywood writers had and, by golly, you might have helped resolve the issue, too! Blessings on you always.
You are the greatest!
Love,
LL
1/13/08
Wow! I had a fascinating week. For some reason, NBC-Uni (Sci-fi Channel), wanted me to be part of a panel on “How has sci-fi impacted technology and vice-versa?”
The panel included Neal Stephenson (writer of The Diamond Age and other novels), Walt Mossberg (Techno-guru for The Wall Street Journal) and Dean Kamen, scientist and inventor of diverse "gizmos," (to use his word) such as bionic arms for Iraq vets, heart stents, portable dialysis machines, the Segway, all-terrain wheelchairs that go up stairs and about 436 other patented inventions.
Neal said he was glad I was there so that the panel didn't look like Mount Rushmore, but they couldn't have been more fascinating. I got to know Neal, who is a huge BSG fan, and Dean, who is not, over dinner. Walt was not yet in town.
Dean has sent machines that run off cowshit to Bangladesh to power villages and that distill 1000 liters of water per day, to produce potable H2O out of any goop available. Now you know I have a soft spot for Bangladesh, having visited there a few years ago with World Vision. I have seen firsthand the horrifying effects of arsenic-tainted water that rises up every year with the monsoons. It causes ghastly birth defects, children with double-yolker eyes (sorry, but that's what it looks like!), or legs like a chimp. The fact that this technology is available and yet not attainable is a bloody crime.
Dean and his colleagues are not interested in bureaucracy and excuses. They tend to make things happen and let protocol-bound organisations drag their arses to the table when they can no longer ignore the demands of the people.
He has got me signed up for F.I.R.S.T, his initiative to get more kids involved in engineering and science. It's kind of like the robot olympics and any kids or school can participate and be mentored by experts. It's a golden opportunity to blow a kid's boundaries sky-high. F.I.R.S.T. is very interested in getting more minorities and girls involved. I guess careers in these fields are not presented as being exciting or important. Of course, a starring role on Girls Gone Wild is guaranteed to land you your own reality show! When you meet someone like Dean, you realise that science and invention are the most important tools we have for saving our planet. You can't help loving this guy when you meet him.
Now I am in a whirlwind of Roxy show prep. How to throw you guys a great party?
I've spent my whole life running from country music (despite the fact that Cowboys are my Weakness). I always thought it was too easy, too hokey, too . . . white.
Well, I finally fessed up that I am a white girl and the fact that it seems easy to me is a sign that that is what suits me. Anyway, you've got a heapin' helpin' of Cowgirl Action.
So! I have ordered a new set of Chaps from a special workshop in Utah, where I spent Xmas. Remember Kat Crimins, my MC last year in that red gown that was open to the navel? She was a very handsome debutante! This year I intend to get her in long gloves and something Jessica Rabbit.
As for you, my friend, CLOTHING IS OPTIONAL!! As long as it is Western wear or evening gowns.
You KNOW I am not kidding around here. This is going to be a crazy costume party.
Come prepared!
Love to love ya, Babies!
L
Contents of this webpage ©2013 Lucille F. Lawless/Sharon Delaney
12/8/08
I am just back from Thanksgiving in NZ after which I jetted to NYC to play a role in FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS. It was awesome. Those guys are every bit as cool as you would think and waaaay more intelligent than their characters, as one would hope.
Apart from the jetlag, I caught up with a heap of friends. Co-incidentally, Marissa was preparing to go into her stint on Broadway to finish up HAIRSPRAY in style with Harvey Fierstein. I went to her rehearsals and caught up with Richard Griffiths who is starring in EQUUS with Daniel Radcliffe. Both were excellent in their roles. Richard and I met on the set of BEDTIME STORIES, which comes out December 25. I have had a lot of laughs with that guy and love him dearly.
I also had a crap time in Soho, which is full of poseurs who can barely afford to eat there, let alone live there, and yet, who check out your shoes before they deign to talk/serve you. They never smile. I have renamed it “Sad-Ho.” As far as I'm concerned it's a ghetto for assholes.
So now I am getting excited about the Roxy Show. The juggernaut has begun to move. Today I was out shopping for fabric with Alek Adorian in the deepest recesses of the Garment district in Downtown LA for something challenging. All those of you who are coming, dress for a night at the Pleasuredome! Think sexy. Boys-will-be-girls-will-be-boys Glamour! Prudes need not apply. Check your inhibitions at the door!
I can't wait to see you there. We are all going to be going through a wild night together!
Hoo-hah!
L
11/24/08
Hello Gang!
I am down in NZ where we had a huge Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family. It was terrific. Rob cooked the biggest turkey that ever lived and smoked schnapper (which is how we spell “snapper” Downunder). All the kids went swimming.
Thanks for the many kind words regarding the passing of my Uncle, Kevin Ryan. He was an amazing man, a defense lawyer who went to bat for the lowest on society's totem pole, the most impoverished --financially and spiritually. I have come to have the utmost respect for defense attorneys, whose job is not to get criminals off the hook, but to protect the rights of ALL citizens to a righteous defense, no matter what circumstances you were born into. An aggressive defense is not merely the domain of the wealthy. He was a champion of the underdog, a great husband and father.
Whether we realise it or not, defense lawyers are the bulwark that any of us have against overzealous and improper prosecution.
This week they are auctioning off the portraits of well-known New Zealanders painted by Marty Welch. I love that he has tried to get to the heart of people. These works are great pieces of Kiwiana.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!
L
11/5/08
What a great day for America and the world! Congratulations to you all. Now I can become an American citizen, I guess.
It was a momentous relief for me to hear a President mention “Global Warming” with the gravitas it deserves, not a nebulous concept to be buried under platitudes. Over the course of my life, weather patterns in the country of my birth, NZ, have changed dramatically. Perhaps we are more sensitive being a long, skinny island nation. We also have Antarctica in our back yard, so we feel any threat to the ice caps as our own.
I am sorry for Prop 8. The laws of a nation should be about safety and fairness. They should not enforce second-class citizenry.
I have my own issues with “marriage.” I think it is a throwback to feudal times. It ought to be phased out. We should have agreements that get revised at ten-year periods. I can't think why gay people should necessarily want it, but if they want it with all its strictures and ownership over one another, then let 'em have it. What's the big deal? What the heck are we afraid of sharing? Our sacred heterosexual rite?
Being raised in a moderately religious home, I grew up being taught that marriage was a Sacrament -- Sacred. I was told, "No one must come between a husband and wife." Then I would look over at a relative with a black eye meted out by her husband in the privacy of their sacred matrimonial chamber, and the bruises on her child, and I knew that was bullshit. There was nothing holy there. Only love is sacred and heterosexuals don't own that.
I am thankful that the days of anti-intellectualism are over. The last 8 years were like a steady diet of Ho-Hos for the brain. Both Al Gore and John Kerry were torpedoed by this and the vicious assertions of a wicked propagandist, Karl Rove.
Ironically, it was Karl Rove's own predictions about the outcomes of each state that we were following last night. He's undoubtedly a genius, but something got twisted up inside him and he should go down in history as a creep and frankly, a traitor.
Who the hell forced Palin on John McCain anyway? Some pale imitation of Rove? "Let's put another slogan-totin' cowboy up there, only let's put him in a skirt and get the wimmin's vote!" What a horrible mistake. And yet, THANK YOU!
I must say that Rob and I stopped the tivo and got the boys in to watch John McCain's concession speech. We wanted them to see how a great man behaves in the face of defeat. I believe he is a good man and if he had won the Republican nomination 8 years ago, the world would look very different to us now. Still, this diet of hotdogs with Clinton and Ho-Hos with Bush are what has brought us to a new craving for something holistic and someone substantial who will walk beside us through the dark days ahead.
The next eight years will be undeniably hard, but with Obama, I don't think we will feel so alone.
Up and at 'em!
L
10/27/08
Sharon here: I spent time with Lucy and filmed her latest blog. I'm going to put it up in daily segments. Here's the first one about Feel the Love Day.
UPDATED 10/28/08 -- Lucy talks about working on the Zoe Bell movie, Angel of Death.
Check out the interview with Zoe and photos of Lucy on Tubefilter.tv
UPDATED 10/29/08 -- Next comes Lucy talking about doing the Dave Hill Explosion.
UPDATED 10/30/08 -- Here's Lucy talking about the character she's thinking of channeling at her upcoming Roxy concert in January.
Feel the Love Day Angel of Death Dave Hill Explosion Roxy 09 Concert
QT WMV QT WMV QT WMV QT WMV
10/14/08
Tell the fans I am planning to co-opt the script that Rob and Joe Lo Duca were working on, Pleasuredome. At the Roxy, I will be playing the lead character “Sappho.”
Let's take Sappho on the road!
L
10/3/08
Hi Gang!
I am in Vancouver working on The L Word after a fantastic experience in San Francisco. Michael Orland and the guys from the Rrazz Room helped turn out a splendid show with the help of an incredible band. Ted P made those quiet songs ache! And my backing vocalists, Peggi & Terry, need their own shows!
Sharon managed to pull together four of the best fan videos for the backdrop. There were many terrific ones that we just couldn't get our hands on in time, or use due to technical problems, but the ones we had were awesome. Special thanks to all of you who sent in vids, especially the ones we used, Sara (France), Berkin (Turkey) and Angela (USA).
You are all wonderfully talented and generous. Thank you!
I am grateful to all of you who came from near and far, particularly in this financial climate. You helped raise money for a wonderful charity, REAF.
Thanks also to the St. Francis Westin in Union Square and Fusion Hotel who put us up in support of the REAF.
I am in awe of your kindness towards one another and your committment to Feel the Love Week.
I wish you all love and laughter. Let's all go out and . . .
Rock the Love!
There is nothing else.
LL
9/21/08
Hi guys!
Someone asked me today if I knew that Sarah Palin's supporters are calling her “Xena.” I had to ask, "Oh, is Sarah Palin a lesbian too?!" I don't see it on her bio anywhere . . . nope, not there. Curiously, in her earlier life, Xena traded motherhood for a career as an evil warlord. Hmmmm . . .
But you have got to feel sorry for the kids of Obama and Palin. As a child, my Dad was Mayor of Mount Albert in Auckland, New Zealand. When I was 13 years old, the Springbok rugby team, from South Africa, toured NZ, sparking riots in the streets. South Africa was then deeply entrenched in a system of Apartheid, in which a minority white government enforced strict racial segregation and discrimination. New Zealand homes were bitterly divided between those who “just wanted a good rugby match,” (rugby being the national sport), and those who felt any truc with the South Africans amounted to tacit support of their regime. The main rugby pitch in NZ was located in Mount Albert and I remember being home ill from school during a period of bomb threats to our house.
Even in a period of stability, there are so many people who are enraged that their water rates go up, enraged when they don't like a certain law, enraged when they don't take their medication, who think nothing of ringing the children of the public figure and letting them have it. It's incredibly frightening and hurtful to have your beloved parent mocked, suspected, hated.
I can't imagine how it must be in these days when so much is at stake and fevers are so high. It’s gotta be murder. Mr. Palin and Mrs. Obama are going to have their work cut out for them filling in the parental voids while their life partners are chasing their goals.
Mind you, Chelsea Clinton worked out all right. Improbable, but seemingly true.
I've been off doing a role on CSI: Miami which airs around Oct. 20(?) I play a tart with no heart, for a change.
Also, look for me on The L Word at some point. Can't tell you anything about that -- it's deep in the closet.
L
9/2/08
I am going to Feel the Love this year with a concert at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, September 27. I am inspired by the fans and their incredible generosity of spirit. I will take none of the proceeds from the box office. Anything that might have been my portion will go to REAF's Help is on the Way organisation, which does such a great job with AIDS-related charities in the Bay Area.
Some of you have edited together some pretty amazing video montages over the years. I am going to see if there is the capability to screen them in the background of my September show. If any of you want to donate the use of them for this or any other show, I will try to make it happen. Some of them are pretty genius. Naturally, there will be zero compensation or credit. It's all in a good cause, right?
I just did a guest judge spot on RuPaul's Drag Race which is the new tv version of Paris is Burning. "Who will be the next Drag Superstar?!" It was actually hilarious. I have always loved RuP, whose beauty, inside and out, is undiminished.
Last night I went to a screening of Return of the Living Dead with Tony Gardner and Debbie Carrington and their friend, Don Mancini, who wrote and directed Child's Play. I was able to tell him that there is a whole room in the House of Horrors at Universal dedicated to “Chuckie” with blood-spattered merchandise covering an entire wall. I guess the 20th anniversary is coming up and they are gearing up for a big party. I have to tell you, the folks who make horror movies are way more normal than the rest of Hollywood. Is this because they wear their id on the outside, whereas the rest are in denial of theirs? Or do I just say that because I am a Freak myself?
Over to you.
Love,
The Infamous Miss Butter
7/22/08
Hi, gang!
This is the loveliest place on Earth: Queenstown, NZ. There is no better feeling than you get after a day in the great outdoors. I am thrilled to report that Arturo Mesta's surgery went well, (more on that later.) And my best buddy is expecting a baby in the next two weeks. I am hightailing it back to the States to make an appearance at Comic-Con, aka. Nerdvana.
I hope that you are not all melting in the heat.
Love,
Lucy
6/29/08
Thanks for coming out in force last night, gang! You give me a lot of courage. It would be weird to go out and do a show like mine without you. Imagine all those bewildered movie-goers thinking, "Who is that woman, and what is she bumping and grinding about?!"
I have to say, I have had a miserable flu season and have never truly been well in the last few months, but my voice held up, thanks to Mr. Vetro, who came home from Vegas where he is working with The Divine Ms. M, to give me a vocal warm up.
I think I am going to go more in the direction of that 1970's playmate look. Yeah, I came over all Xaviera Hollander last night. I think it's working for me.
And my special thanks to the band: Michael Orland –- Musical Director and Keys (and Tambourine!)
Lynn Keller -- bass
Candy Girard -- fiddle
Ted Perlman -- guitar
Sammy K -- drums
Terry Wood and Peggi Blu -- my gorgeous BV's
They did the gig for a fraction of their normal fee because they had such a good time at the Roxy. I thank them so much for their talent and generosity of spirit.
And, of course, thanks to Mama Rose for all the bullying and spraying me in the face with throat spray. Nice aim, Ma.
6/22/08
Hi Gang!
I am back from the fiery North. I have finally wrapped on the Adam Sandler/Disney Xmas movie, Bedtime Stories. I spent the last week in a fatsuit, playing a troll in 105 degree weather. It was 90 degrees in the shade and 200 degrees in my pants! I'd love to show you pictures, but I'm afraid I'd be knee-capped by the publicity department.
I met some awesome people. Guy Pearce is truly a doll. He is genuine and gracious, a bit kooky. Russell Brand, also gracious, kooky genius. Keri Russell and Teresa Palmer are Broads! -- the highest of compliments. Debbie Carrington, my drinking buddy, is an awesome actress. She played “Tammy” on the Seinfeld episode about "heightening" – which, incidentally, is purely a figment of Larry David's imagination. The crew were wonderful, like crews everywhere. I will be forever grateful to the Adams, Sandler and Shankman for the experience.
I was on Russell Brand's radio show this week on BBC2, where we generally behaved badly and used language and themes that would make my family in NZ cringe. Tant pis!
I now have about three seconds to get ready for my show up Universal CityWalk next week. Fortunately, I am doing it with Michael Orland, my American Idol, and the gang from the Roxy so we all have a great history. It'll be a little more rock'n'roll than the Roxy show. To whit, I've finally done it! I decided to go dark for summer. Will officially unveil the new look next Saturday at the show.
Love,
L
5/21/08
London was a wicked show! Again, first rate musicians (Thank you, Joe) and venue, (Thanks, Gary and Adam for that.) I always have to come home and put my head under a rock for a few days afterwards. I think I found my new groove this time. Or did I say that last time? I felt I sang so much better the second night, but when I look at some of the performances Sharon filmed, I must admit that the first night had a wild kind of energy that is pretty appealing.
I have been asked to do a set up at Universal City Walk on June 29 and I figure that's a chance to give you guys a free show. So come on along if you are in town. It'll be great to see you.
Not sure what the set will be. I'd like to crank it up to something like London, though I may have to tone it down in terms of the ass-less chaps. Quit groaning! It's a family show. Still the chaps, just with pants on.
I want to thank all the new English fans who came out for the show and, in particular, my crazy American friends who jumped the pond. There was some pressure on me to back out of the London show because of filming commitments (the uncertainty of which made us decide not to go ahead with the high cost of filming it), but I knew some people who had committed their hard earned $$ to barely refundable airfares/ hotel, etc. The show must go on. In the end, it was a wonderful experience and I loved being part of it. So, thank YOU!
Dancing With the Stars is over. Thank God for that. I like that Kristi girl, to be honest. Dancing aside, she and Mark are pretty classy human beings behind the scenes. All Marissa's friends were completely demented in trying to make it fun for ourselves. Every time Cristian, in the long black dress-coat, did that wild pose at
the end of his tango, we screamed "VOLDEMORT!!!!" at the top of our lungs. It's a reference to one of the most watched things on YouTube, a puppet show of all the characters from Harry Potter doing a rap using only their names. It's been watched nearly 40 million times. Can you believe it?
Marissa took all her friends on a wild ride over the past 12 weeks and we are all so relieved to be off.
So on we go!
Up and at 'em.
Hope you are all enjoying Spring, wherever you are.
Love,
L
5/14/08
THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU!!! to all of you for keeping Marissa in the running so long. I was as sick as a dog coming home from London and fell behind in my letter writing campaign, but you guys were awesome and I am so grateful to you all once again.
She has a horrendous denouement in that she has two days of travelling and press saying, "Yes, I got kicked off the show.” But I'm sure you will all agree that her grabbing that mic and yelling that we should all go out, “… and shake what yo Mama gave you!" was pure genius. And if she hadda gone to the final and gotten third or even second, she would never have been given that moment to say goodbye in her own inimitable fashion. We need that on tee-shirts all over the world!
"Go out and
HAVE FUN,
FEEL SEXY
and
SHAKE WHAT YOUR MAMA GAVE YA!"
Wish I had thought of that one myself!
Love, love, love,
Lucy L
5/2/08
I have to rush back to Los Angeles to be with Marissa, who is down to the final 5 in DWTS. She was in the bottom two last week. See what happens when I leave town?! Usually I am there making rude gestures across the dance floor, like I'm pulling a noose tight, just to stop her taking it all too seriously. Still, I want her to get through another week. Please don't forget to vote!
L
5/1/08
Okay, so here I am in London where they are worrying about the election results, petrol tax and the dramatic upswing in the number of women arrested for drunkeness. But don't worry, I should be out in time for soundcheck Saturday.
My chaps arrived from Los Angeles as promised. They are as nasty as all get-out and I am ashamed of myself. The band members are all on the case and seem prepared to have fun. Annie is going to wear her big black boots and long brown hair, just like the chick from the Jets, "BE MY GIRL.” And we're going to break out some Garbage too. It's going to be the sweatiest show ever.
You know what to do.
L
4/23/08
Hellooooo, Kittens!
Congratulations to you all on getting Marissa through the first few rounds. I think the campaign has picked up steam. She has relaxed into the job and is now having fun.
She even inked a deal to do her own talk show next year. I toyed with that myself last year in a fit of pique with acting. But fate intervened and I have now pitched my tent at Camp Sandler. Which, frankly my Dears, is a damn fine place to be!
Getting ready for the London gig and it's going to be a doozy. The whole set is built around “G.L.O.R.I.A.” by Patti Smith. It is reportedly a song written in reaction to her strong Jehovah's Witness upbringing. It's about a punky girl aggressively exploring her sexuality and owning it. Bloody powerful song. It starts "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine . . ." I have to confess this was a tough line for me, Catholic girl that I was -- fallen though I am. The rest is a wild sapphic rant. It's so damn powerful that once you hear it, you can't ignore it. Plus Patti Smith is to American punk, what Nina Simone is to Soul -- both High-Priestesses. I could not back down from the invitation to dance. I met Patti Smith about 1996 and she invited me to visit her in NYC which I did. Some young boy answered the door and I asked if that was her son and she replied, "No, that's X, my boyfriend." She just don't quit.
Wrapped around that is some Garbage "SHUT YOUR MOUTH," some Marianne Faithfull, "BROKEN ENGLISH" and even an ode to masturbation in the Divinyl's "I TOUCH MYSELF."
SO, YOUSE WUZ WARNED!
NO PRUDES AND NO KIDDIES AT THIS SHOW.
WEAR YOUR LEATHERS. IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY RIDE.
BELIEVE IT.
Love to love ya, Baby,
L
4/1/08
Marissa is safe!!! Thank God for that. And thank YOU!!! We were really sweating. Not because we thought she should go but because life just isn't always fair.
When she was declared safe, we all spazzed out. I felt they would at least torture us by making us wait till the final two.
I tell you what, it is very sobering to be voted safe and then to have to watch your beloved co-contestants squirm. It is truly awful for everyone. Been there, done that.
I noticed a new cameraderie happening amongst the contestants this week. They have realised that they are slowly facing extinction. Each week is Russian roulette.
For the first time in weeks, Marissa came out for a bite at a restaurant afterwards. She has not had an easy time of it lately. She and Tony were working waaaay too hard and all the joy was getting squashed out of the experience. I thought Christian really exemplified the spirit of the show last night. He was exuberant. I
think we will see a whole new dance team in Marissa & Tony next week. This is as much about entertainment and relatability (is that even a word?) as precision in dance.
Also, these reality tv people have this format down to a science. Are we all just little sheep, voting along subliminal guidelines? I keep asking, "Who produces this show? Satan?!!"
BSG starts this week, I hear. I am still doing looping for it. Also, I did a chatroom Q&A for Sci-Fi when last in New York. That goes out Thursday.
In other bits of news, Adam Sandler broke his ankle and the schedule is being overhauled. I have been doing some crazy schtick for B-roll. My most insane act to date. I hope you will get to see it soon. Only my fans will know it's me. I am totally unrecognisable these days.
I also did a small role as Mother Superior, alongside the gorgeous, Renee O'Connor in BITCHSLAP, who is a naughty novice in the convent. She is confessing her dark fantasies to my character -- just as she does in real life. Ha-ha, not really. (Yes, really.)
BITCHSLAP is an epic exploitation movie written and produced by Herc/Xena producer, Eric Gruendemann and directed by Rick Jacobson, (one of my all-time fave directors on Xena).
It also stars Michael Hurst; stunt co-ordinator, Zoe Bell. Kevin Sorbo also makes an appearance. So it was a terrific reunion for us all. Renee and I were spectacular. Just don't blink.
On the other hand, it is a very pornographic, un-PC piece of madness and I absolutely FORBID you to see it.
That's it.
go back to work now.
quit lookin' at me
Shoo!
3/25/08
Hi, All!!
As I write this, I have no idea of the vote tonight, though I just know our girl came through. She had a wardrobe malfunction when her heel got caught up in all that pink fringe last night. You couldn't really see it on the tape, but they bunny-hopped their way out of trouble. I am so proud of her. Ahh, costuming -- you live and learn. I just wanted to thank all of you who voted and encouraged others to. Bless you always!
I missed the show last night and tonight because I have been working on Bedtime Stories, an Adam Sandler pic. I have to tell you, this guy is a wonderful producer and human being. He and his partners are incredibly generous of spirit and treat their crew reeeaally well. I haven't been on a set with this kind of levity since Xena. I had completely gone off acting last year, as many of you know, but this job has completely turned my head around. You are going to see me be a wicked, cheeky monkey. Guy Pearce plays my venal boyfriend sublimely. He actually helps anchor my insanity. Sandler pushes me over the edge. I have got to go scrape the goop off my face before the results show.
Love to love, ya, Babies!
L
3/18/08
Letterman went great. I went with 9 other BSG cast members who sure know how to have a good time. Our segment doesn't air until Weds. I am sitting at JFK at 3 o'clock in the morning, LA time. It was the only way I could get back in time to see Mariss dance. I am so excited!!! We have to help her in the first couple of weeks. She doesn't have a fan base yet, but she is a champ and I predict she is going to turn a lot of heads. You wait, she is going to be our little dark horse. I am so proud of the way she has been training. She has never looked better.
WIN WITH WINOKUR!!!
Lucy
3/3/08
Hey, there!
It has been an action-packed few weeks. Right after the Roxy, I succumbed to the flu that had been trying to get me before the show. It was a doozy, as many of you undoubtedly know. But in the midst of the fevers and the bellyachin', magic happened for Ma and me. She scored a place in the line-up for Dancing With the Stars, a longtime dream of hers. Personally, that'd be my worst nightmare but she is beside herself with joy. Now I am driving her onwards to success, telling her my best moves, etc. (Heh-heh!)
We have been working out like fiends and she is training several hours a day, EVERY DAY, with her partner, Tony. He's a bloody slave-driver, but secretly she probably thinks that's hot. Her body is curvy and cut. You gotta see it!
Her first night is the 18th of March and we have to propel her through the first few weeks till the rest of America realises what a damn Champion they have on their hands. I seriously believe that with us behind her, she is going to go all the way. Start flexing them dialling digits, kids!!
The same day Marissa finally got cast in Dancing with the Stars, I got an interesting call.
A woman came to my Roxy show, a friend of Ted Perlman, my guitarist. She came backstage afterwards and gushed that I must come down to her office and meet Adam Sandler. Terrific! Yeah, yeah, let's do that, I said, not really expecting anything from it. Well, the next week, I got a call to come down and meet Adam and his producing partner, Jack Giarraputo. I felt well enough to get off my deathbed. I had lost several pounds from 5 days of a high fever, and looked ungodly pale, which I knew was perfect for the role. Then I had to read for Disney, which I did, but realised I was waaay sicker than I thought and felt clammy and out of it all through the session with the casting director, Roger Mussenden. But I guess something was working for me coz I got the job in Bedtime Stories. (I really owe Roger for that one.)
I nearly did a back flip when I realised that my “boyfriend” was being played by Guy Pearce!!! Plus, I am being directed by the incredible Adam Shankman, who was the mastermind behind the new re-telling of Hairspray in film. I didn't want to like it, I put off going to see it for a week, but when even Marissa admitted it was genius, we went along and I was blown away. It was charming and had real weight in all the right places -- and I don't mean Travolta's arse! Plus, it makes you jive in your seat. Can you remember the last time a movie did that? If you haven't seen it yet, go out and get it. Do yourself a favour.
Between the two Adams, Guy and I there is fabulous chemistry and you are going to see me be naughtier than ever before! Keri Russell and Courtney Cox are starring as love-interest and sister to Sandler's everyday hero, Skeeter Bronson. And I get to be the young Cruella DeVille. No wonder Disney likes me!
In between playing Mama Rose to Marissa All-the-Way-with-Winokur, I am shooting and trying to get a new line-up for the London concert. “Bitch” is certainly in (coz, let's face it . . .)
. . . but I don't know what else yet. Some Patti Smith (G.L.O.R.I.A.). Those turkeys in Utah never sent me my chaps. I'm done with them.
So I'll hunt for new leathers and learn my lines, work on songs, rub salve on Marissa's nasty dancer's feet, and train for the life to come. It's all good.
Love, love, love,
Lucy
2/7/08
Hello, Babies!!!
Thanks so much for coming to the Party!! I had a wonderful weekend with everyone who came to LA. Man, I wish that I had more time to finesse that set; get rid of some songs and pump up the end. That's always the way when you have an extra short run.
Next time, I have some cool ideas. Someone backstage at the con suggested that I do Meredith Brooks “I'm a Bitch.” Funnily enough, that was a song that my friend, Da, suggested, but, two days out from the show, there was no time to get an arrangement done and rehearse. Bummer!! Plus, I was a bit fluey and was already snowed with getting things together for the Roxy. But I promise not to forget that one.
Marissa thanks you for the warm reception, too. She was supposed to be one of my backing vocalists but life intervened and she had to go out of town on family business. But she was a great sport and managed to charm the audience in the “Friend Off,” which is where a so-called best friend of mine goes up against a fan to see who knows me best. Naturally, the fan always wins, since my friends have no interest in my former life or career. And, truly, I am fine with that. With fans like you . . . !
I want to thank Mr. Michael Orland, my Musical Director and friend, who helped pull that show together out of thin air. We first met on the 5th of January, without a clue where we were going to start. It all came together with a minimum of fuss. The band members he found were real virtuosos and so quirky. Lynn Keller was the little devil on the bass, (everyone loved her leathers!), and Candy Girard was the angel on the fiddle. I loved how she jumped in as the romantic violin during the “candle-lit meal.”
Slammin' Sammy K. kept us all in line with drums and brought along some extra percussion to give texture to other songs. Ted Perlman was my Guitar Hero. I loved everything you did, Ted, and am especially grateful for bringing life to “Wide Awake” which demands real virtuosity. That is one hell of a number. My leading ladies –- Terry Wood and Peggi Blu! I love your voices and your generosity of spirit. You girls came to the party and really helped dish back some of the love that my fans bring to each and every show. I have the greatest fans in the world and I never want to let them down. My thanks to all the band for showing my gang a good time.
Of course, there are a few other people that made the evening unique. Renee burst out in song in the middle of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” I had asked her to dance to “Kiss You All Over” and she said, “Lucy, that’s just weird.” Impeccable taste.
Kit-Cat Crimins is the greatest MC in the world and also embodies the spirit of the Roxy experience. She and the inimitable Tig Notaro really round out a great evening. Tig is becoming quite the comedy star nowadays. I am just crazy about her. I only regret that I cannot be out front watching her. So much of her act is visual – you kind of have to see it to believe it. It’s torture standing backstage lstening to her act.
Thanks to Gary and Adam of Creation for rolling out the carpet for us all. It wouldn’t have happened without your support. To Sharon and all the Creation team, thanks for bringing me together with the fans. You can’t please all the people all the time, but I know that is always your aim and you do a great job.
Most of all, thank you to you, the fans who came from all over the
world. You may have been the single greatest support network the striking Hollywood writers had and, by golly, you might have helped resolve the issue, too! Blessings on you always.
You are the greatest!
Love,
LL
1/13/08
Wow! I had a fascinating week. For some reason, NBC-Uni (Sci-fi Channel), wanted me to be part of a panel on “How has sci-fi impacted technology and vice-versa?”
The panel included Neal Stephenson (writer of The Diamond Age and other novels), Walt Mossberg (Techno-guru for The Wall Street Journal) and Dean Kamen, scientist and inventor of diverse "gizmos," (to use his word) such as bionic arms for Iraq vets, heart stents, portable dialysis machines, the Segway, all-terrain wheelchairs that go up stairs and about 436 other patented inventions.
Neal said he was glad I was there so that the panel didn't look like Mount Rushmore, but they couldn't have been more fascinating. I got to know Neal, who is a huge BSG fan, and Dean, who is not, over dinner. Walt was not yet in town.
Dean has sent machines that run off cowshit to Bangladesh to power villages and that distill 1000 liters of water per day, to produce potable H2O out of any goop available. Now you know I have a soft spot for Bangladesh, having visited there a few years ago with World Vision. I have seen firsthand the horrifying effects of arsenic-tainted water that rises up every year with the monsoons. It causes ghastly birth defects, children with double-yolker eyes (sorry, but that's what it looks like!), or legs like a chimp. The fact that this technology is available and yet not attainable is a bloody crime.
Dean and his colleagues are not interested in bureaucracy and excuses. They tend to make things happen and let protocol-bound organisations drag their arses to the table when they can no longer ignore the demands of the people.
He has got me signed up for F.I.R.S.T, his initiative to get more kids involved in engineering and science. It's kind of like the robot olympics and any kids or school can participate and be mentored by experts. It's a golden opportunity to blow a kid's boundaries sky-high. F.I.R.S.T. is very interested in getting more minorities and girls involved. I guess careers in these fields are not presented as being exciting or important. Of course, a starring role on Girls Gone Wild is guaranteed to land you your own reality show! When you meet someone like Dean, you realise that science and invention are the most important tools we have for saving our planet. You can't help loving this guy when you meet him.
Now I am in a whirlwind of Roxy show prep. How to throw you guys a great party?
I've spent my whole life running from country music (despite the fact that Cowboys are my Weakness). I always thought it was too easy, too hokey, too . . . white.
Well, I finally fessed up that I am a white girl and the fact that it seems easy to me is a sign that that is what suits me. Anyway, you've got a heapin' helpin' of Cowgirl Action.
So! I have ordered a new set of Chaps from a special workshop in Utah, where I spent Xmas. Remember Kat Crimins, my MC last year in that red gown that was open to the navel? She was a very handsome debutante! This year I intend to get her in long gloves and something Jessica Rabbit.
As for you, my friend, CLOTHING IS OPTIONAL!! As long as it is Western wear or evening gowns.
You KNOW I am not kidding around here. This is going to be a crazy costume party.
Come prepared!
Love to love ya, Babies!
L
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