Will Kate’s Wedding Dress Be Princess Perfect?

Posted by missfinesse April 29, 2011

Well angels, I cannot believe that I got my Royal heiney out of bed at 4am. I am usually attached to my bed like Velcro until at least 9am.  I did it for love. For the love of all things sacred.  Fashion, jewelry, hats. primp, circumstance and the ultimate in living large. Oh, and the exchange of vows between Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Deemed as the wedding of the century, inquiring minds want to know what and who Miss Kate will be wearing for this fairy tale affair.  I can’t help but think back to the only other time I woke up at such a ridiculously obscene time.  It was July 29, 1981 and there I was with my sister sipping tea and eating scones on our lovely green shag carpet.  We both cried like romantic fools when Lady Di walked down the isle in her grand gown with a train longer than the length of our entire family room.

If Kate is going to make a splash, she should do so in style. I am sure the nuptial gown will have to meet the Queen’s standards and be elegant with long sleeves devoid of an eye-popping plunging neckline.  The Royals are known to live large angels…  That being said, these are my ”Living Large” picks for the blushing bride.

Photo: Diamonds on Fifth

Priced at a mere $12 million dollars, this dress designed by jeweler Martin Katz and dressmaker Renee Straus boasts 150 carats of diamonds. Oh my, that would mean that Kate would have to wear a tiara that sports fewer diamonds than her dress. I’d advise the princess to add simple sleeves to complete the look. To shake things up Kate … send the bill to the Queen.

Photo: Yumi Katsura

Yumi Katsura’s fashion forward dress would look incredible on Kate’s cute figure.  Made of satin and silk, this fashionista’s guilty pleasure is encrusted with 8.8 carats of green diamonds, a rare 5 carat diamond and thousands of hand sewn pearls.  Couture and carats all in one gown!
To make this gown Royal ready, an addition of sheer satin or organza sleeves would be simply divine.
Who will Kate be wearing? Bruce Oldfield? The late/great Alexander McQueen? Jasper Conrad? Jean Paul Gaultier (that could spark a scandal)?
                                                                                                                                                                    The ceremony has started and to my dismay, Kate has not selected either of my choices. She does, however, look stunning in her ivory corset style dress with lovely lace long sleeves created by Sarah Burton, Creative Director for Alexander McQueen. It is simple modern elegance with a modest plunging neckline which looks tastefully brilliant on Kate.
 
Angels, this queen is putting on her pink maribou eye mask and heading back to my plush bed with visions of carriages, couture hats and a glowing royal couple madly in love.  Until next time my angels, keep your Pradas on the ground and Keep On Living Large!
 

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Casey Abrams exits graciously from American Idol

Posted by missfinesse
Angels, was Casey Abrams the next American Idol? No. Is Casey an amazing musician with a unique set of singing chops? Mmmmm… absolutely!  This diva thinks we haven’t heard the last from the bluezy/jazzy maestro.  Saved by the judges early on in the competition, Casey showed us his uncanny ability to wrap himself around a song and deliver it in his own unique style.  After Ryan Seacrest announced his elimination, Casey delivered an electric performance of “I Put A Spell On You” while going out into the audience and kissing fans and family.  He did Nina Simone proud with his amazing rendition.  He handled his elimination like a real pro.  Casey, now that you’re a star, keep your Pradas on the ground and keep on Living Large!

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Blake Lively goes strawberry

Posted by missfinesse April 27, 2011

Photo: David Shankbone

Strawberry blonde that is. The 23-year old “Gossip Girl” starlet departs from her signature blonde locks and is now sporting a sassy strawberry blonde meets copper haircolor.  Why the fancy follicle change? Well, it’s rumored that Blake is thinking about taking on the role of Glinda in “Oz, the Great and Powerful” scheduled to be released in 2013. Angels, let’s hope that she’s glamming up to strut her stuff on the big screen as the good witch of the north. If she’s off to see the wizard, girlfriend needs to bring it! Until next time angels, keep your Pradas on the ground and keep on living large.

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OMG… Raja wins the crown

Posted by missfinesse April 26, 2011

Angels, who would have known that the androgynous Raja would win this year’s coveted America’s Next Drag Superstar title? Well, s/he was in my top three from the get go.  Raja really knows how to work fashion and served fierceness on the runway each and every time.  The girls gave it their ALL this season and painted, plucked, tucked and dragged their way through the race this year. Kudos to each and every contestant; all winners indeed. The top three at the finish line were Raja, Manila and my homegirl Alexis.  Call me a sucker for old school cha-cha glamour - Miss Alexis was my favorite.  Alexis Mateo was always picture perfect in every way and embodies a true showgirl.  So, now that this season is over, what’s a girl to do on a Monday night? Wash and set her hair I suppose.   Raja has shown us that dreams do come true.  So angels, keep your Pradas on the ground and keep on Living Large!!!

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Seth Rudetsky brings “Seth’s Big Fat Broadway Show” to the Broward Center April 21st

Posted by missfinesse April 14, 2011
Seth Rudetsky, Photo credit: Peter James Zielinski

Seth Rudetsky brings his unique and hilarious take on Broadway shows in Seth’s Big Fat Broadway Show on Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.   Seth is quite the guru when it comes to music and all things Broadway. He is the host of the Sirius/XM radio Broadway Channel, Playbill.com’s weekly columnist, vocal coach and accompanist to musical theater’s biggest names, accomplished actor and a playwright. Trust me angels, you don’t want to miss this night of sass and dish!

As a pianist, Rudetsky has played for more than a dozen Broadway shows including Ragtime, Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera.  He was the artistic producer/music director for the first five annual Actors Fund Fall Concerts including Dreamgirls (recorded on Nonesuch Records) and Hair with Jennifer Hudson (recorded on Ghostlight Records and a Grammy Award nominee).

Off-Broadway, Rudetsky wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed Rhapsody in Seth and has authored the books The Q Guide to Broadway and Broadway Nights.  In 2007, he made his Broadway acting debut in The Ritz and recently Rudetsky was the vocal coach on MTV’s Legally Blonde reality show (love it!). 

Seth took a breather to chat with yours truly about his life, showbiz and Seth’s Big Fat Broadway Show.

ME:  Sassy Seth…we’re so excited that you’re performing at The Broward Center!  What warnings do you have for the South Florida audience?                                                         

SETH:  Well, my whole show is all audio clips and video clips, so I need to warn the children in the audience and any pregnant women that not only will they hear Bea Arthur “sings” DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE, they will also witness a video where Cher performs “A BOY LIKE THAT” from WEST SIDE STORY as a duet with herself.!!!!

 ME: You are one of the busiest people in showbiz; I wish I could bottle your energy!  What brand of coffee do you drink?                                                                                             

SETH: It’s not the brand, but the fact that I literally put three tablespoons of sugar in each cup.  Delish!

ME: What’s a typical Seth Rudetsky day like?                                                              

SETH: Help get my kid off to school (my partner does all the work, I literally walk her outside to the bus) walk the dog, go right to the gym or else I’ll dread it all day, then either do writing, go to a rehearsal, go to the radio show, go to an audition or go to therapy.

ME:  How did you birth Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox at the famed Don’t Tell Mama?

SETH: I was a writer on THE ROSIE O’DONNELL show and I told my agent that I thought I could do a talk show.  He suggested I do one live and get industry people to come see it to get it on TV.  Eleven years later, it’s still not on TV.  BUT…it led to my radio show on SIRIUS/XM so it did pay off….-ish. All the money from every show goes right to BC/EFA and so do all the sales of each DVD.  You can see interviews and hear performances from Idina Menzel, Chita Rivera, Nathan Lane, Raul Esparza, Megan Mullally, Matthew Broderick, Betty Buckley, etc.  www.SethsBroadwayChatterbox.com

ME: That is amazing!  So, some people have a hard time laughing at themselves. Have any of the celebrities that you’ve “deconstructed” given you the evil eye?                          

SETH:  Hmm…Well, the only person I’m nervous about is Patti LuPone.  I have a video of her messing up at the Tony Award TV show when she did EVITA ( I’m going to show it in my Florida show as well.)  I showed it at the 2006 Tony Awards…and she was in the audience.  I’ve been avoiding her ever since.  

ME:  If you could rewrite any musical a la Seth, which one would you choose?      

SETH: I’d add some belting and riffs to MY FAIR LADY.  

ME: What is your favorite classical piano piece?                                                               

SETH:  Great question!  I love the Rachmaninoff Second Piano concerto, but I’ve never studied it so I can only play sections of it in a clanky way.  The piece that I can still haul out and still love is RHAPSODY IN BLUE.  Thrilling!

ME: What has been the most jaw-dropping moment on your SIRIUS show?            

SETH:  Well, when we first started doing the Wednesday Live on Broadway show, we were in The Times Square Information Center with big Broadway stars, but nobody really knew it…except for some homeless people.  One day after a taping, I looked next to my piano and saw that someone had chosen that very spot as a bathroom.  A big puddle of pee was there.  Wonderful.  Since then, the show has taken off, but I still watch where I step.

ME: Hilarious! You’ve done it all.  What’s next for Seth?                                                

SETH:  I’m writing a “jukebox musical” using all 1970′s music.  And it’s a stage version (parody) of all those amazing 1970′s disaster movies like POSEIDON ADVENTURE, EARTHQUAKE, THE TOWERING INFERNO and THE SWARM. That’ll be May 23rd in NYC.  Also, my first Young adult book is coming out next year on the Random House label.

ME: Busy,busy, busy. Seth, thanks for your time…..you have truly been an angel!                                                                                                                                  

SETH: And you conducted this interview with true “finesse”!

Angels, make sure you get to experience this delightful and insightful evening.  Tickets are $25 and $35 and available through the Broward Center’s box office at 954/462-0222 or www.BrowardCenter.org .  The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

And remember angels, Keep you Pradas on the ground and keep on Living Large!

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Ernest Borgnine and Doris Roberts in Fort Lauderdale for “Another Harvest Moon”

Posted by missfinesse April 2, 2011

Photo:  Miss Finesse with Doris Roberts

Photo courtesy of Miss Finesse

Photo:  Miss Finesse with Ernest Borgnine

Photo courtesy of Miss Finesse

Angels, angels, angels.  My Pradas are exhausted….but in a good way! Yours truly skirted into the fabulous W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale where Ernest Borgnine and Doris Roberts chatted with the press about their movie, “Another Harvest Moon”.  It’s playing at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale through Thursday, April 7th – here’s the link for show schedules http://www.fliff.com/schedule.asp.

Ernest and Doris were incredible; words can’t describe how it feels to be in the presence of such talented legends.  Ernest, 94 years young, was recently awarded the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.  Doris won four Emmys for her role as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, which brought her international accolades as the most popular actress in television. The consummate professional, to this day Doris takes classes every Saturday morning to perfect her craft.

“Another Harvest Moon” boasts a stellar cast which additionally includes Piper Laurie, Anne Meara, Cameron Monaghan, Richard Schiff and Cybill Shepherd. That’s some serious talent. The movie is a sensitive drama about four elderly Americans coping with life and mortality in a nursing home. I got a chance to see the movie at the premiere and was moved by the honesty of the characters.  The acting was superb, the cinematography divine, and the music score (composed by Ricardo Garcia and William V. Malpede) tapped into every emotion the scenes called for. I left Cinema Paradiso thinking about life and choices.  As Doris herself said at the press conference, “Happiness is 50% DNA and 50% choice”…wise words indeed.

Both Ernest and Doris had such an amazing rapport with us (us being the press), if I had to transcribe the entire conference, this posting would be hundreds of pages long.  Instead, I’ve decided to post a few questions and answers.

Addressed to Doris:

Q:   Hi Doris, I’m Miss Finesse with Living Large with Miss Finesse.  So, just between us girls,  what was it really like working with Ernest on this movie?

A: The best! Absolutely the best. He’s a great inspiration to all of us…and funny.                 (Miss Finesse: Well, you’re both very, very funny.)

Q:  Now this movie deals a lot with the theme of transformation.  How did this movie and your character, Alice, help transform yourself as an actress?

 A:  That’s a hard one. I loved her because she doesn’t give in. She doesn’t settle, she doesn’t give up, she doesn’t take no for an answer even though she is dying and I learned from that part of it.  That’s how I want to be.

Addressed to Ernest:

Q:  What attracted you to this script?

A:  If I like a script, I’ll read it all the way through.  If I fall asleep during half of it; forget it  (laughter). I mean they pay well and everything else, but forget about it.  This one kept my attention all the way through and it’s a story about life as seen through the eyes of a man who writes a script.  You have a life in the rest home that we’re in. You have a life in the people that come and visit you, your family.  So you’ve got two families.  The script is about what happens to this person and the people around him.  The idea is to look at the movie with a sense of you’re getting old yourself and this is what happens when you get old.  The idea of being in a rest home and this life business and what happens to you…it’s quite a story.   I enjoyed it.

I for one am grateful that Ernest and Doris enjoyed the script enough to be a part of this incredible movie. Check out the official movie website at www.anotherharvestmoon.com .  And remember my angels, keep your Pradas on the ground and keep on Living Large!!!

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