Tribeca Report!

I'm back on the blog! I'll return to "Hi, It's Me Again" when I get back, but thought I'd take this time traveling to share some thoughts on my truly action packed New York weekend!

I arrived Friday night, late enough where all I could really do was check in to my hotel and chill out before falling asleep.

Saturday I slept in and walked around a bit - I was staying in Chinatown just up the street from one of me and Capt Carlin's old haunts NY Famous Noodletown. I went there for lunch and had the Sinapore Chow Fun. It was tasty! One of my gripes with Chinatown is their restaurants are often cash only, with an ATM by the entrance with a steep fee - and Noodletown was no different. I barely ever carry cash anymore and I got burned a few times.

Later, I walked up to Times Square to meet Jarred for dinner before our big night: Glengary Glen Ross on Broadway! Yea, I walked all the way from Chinatown up to Times Square - I absolutely love walking in the city. It's just so easy and fun and full of sights and sounds... I was moving along at a nice clip and almost at my destination when we felt a big PLOP on my hair and shoulder and looked to see a bird had shit on me. I was dressed for the theater in a nice navy blue jacket and now it was soiled. I dipped into a convenience store and got a napkin from the man, who laughed with sympathy for me and told me he sold wet wipes which might be more effective. I cleaned up the bird DIRT with the wet wipes and went on my way.

I met Jarred at The Russian Vodka Room, had a martini of course and we shared a bunch of russian style treats: Potato Pancakes, dumplings, lox etc... good stuff. Jarred and I caught up, and had a nice dinner then headed to the theater.

Bob had hooked me up with some PRIMO seats. 6 rows back, right in the center. Jarred and I entered and I got recognized by a few nice guys there to see the show. If you've met me in public you might know that I'm usually happy to say hi and take a pic, because it rarely ever happens! It just happened to my at Terminal 3 at LAX (we're on our way to Japan right now) - I'm happy to talk as long as I can and before it gets uncomfortable.

A few moments after sitting down, I felt the presence of a great man arrive behind me. I glanced back and immediately clocked HENRY WINKLER with his wife settling in. Now, I've never met him, but I did act in a movie his son directed called Flower and after a few moments of consideration, I turned around and introduced myself with the movie as an ice breaker... "Hi, I was in a movie your son Max directed, Flower." Henry clocked me for a second and then warmly grabbed my arm and said "of course you were! Hi!" and we easily slipped into a nice bit of small talk before the lights went down.

Lights up on bob and Donald Webber Jr, sitting in a Chinese Restaurant red leather booth - they launched right into the quick fire dialogue and it took me a second to relax and get over it's Bob right there, about 20 feet from me. No, it's not Bob it's Shelly Levine, but not the Shelly Levine I know, played by Jack Lemmon in perhaps one of the great filmed performances of all time... It's Bob's Shelly Levine. It's different. Bob wasn't doing an impression of Lemmon, he was making it is own and it was funny and precise, a bit more manic... but once I clued in to what he was doing, I relaxed and enjoyed the show. Everyone... EVERYONE was so good. Burr, McKean, Culkin... everyone was funny, quick and sharp as a tack. The sets were excellent, and the whole thing ended too quick - when do you say that about a play?

My only gripe was, even though we had great seats right near the front, the stage was set fairly low and there wasn't much of a pitch to the seating, so certain scenes were largely obscured by the man in front of me who had a huge head. I probably could have sat more upright but was hyper aware of Winkler (not a tall man at all) sitting right behind me. During the intermission we both complained about the sight lines and he appreciated that I was doing my very best to not spoil his view.

After the curtain call, we were all led backstage to say hi to the guys. Bob's wife Naomi was the first person to come out, and we greeted eachother. Warmly. Bob came out and I gave him a big, proud hug. Bill Burr came out and seemed immediatly thrilled to see me, "ah dude, I'm such a fan, Bedtime Stories... Cash Grab!" He was all over me. Michael McKean came over and he seemed to remember me from the night of music we had some months back. Very warm and friendly, all of em... Culkin was friendly, but I didn't talk to him much. Jarred and I went into Bob's dressing room, so Bob could show me a new guitar he'd gotten. He made us both a gin and tonic. Bob was up for a Tony, which would be the next night and there was a party thrown by WME Talent Agency directly across the street and Bob insisted we all go with him. So we darted out the stage door, across the street into a thick room of theater people and agents. It certainly wasn't our scene. In the elevator up I literally bumped into an old friend, the great magician Derek Delgadio. At the party we got a drink and continued our hang with the gang. Bill and I exchanged numbers and promised to get together in LA. I'd expect him to made an office hours visit in the fall... Bob was wiped out and didn't last too long. Jarred and I lingered for a bit then headed out ourselves, not before running into Riki Lindhome. We had a few pleasant words and then Jarred and I split. After a few blocks, Jarred headed west to his car and I picked up an E-Bike and headed down to my Chinatown hotel.

Man, I love biking through Manhattan. The bike lanes have really helped and I put one airpod in my ear to hear directions and just coast (I sprung for the E-Bike) When I lived in New York, I'd bike everywhere, and have a long standing memory of one night, whizzing down broadway and as I worked through Times Square and passing Jackie Mason in a full tuxedo standing on the sidewalk. Too good.

Sunday I walked up to Soho for a haircut. On Fior Di Latte, we had decided to go very short with my hair and a few days before production started we found a barber named Maxx- Maxx was a former Hassidic Jew with thick Woody Allen glasses and a thicker Woody Allen New York accent. But he was young and stylist and very curious about our little movie. We really hit it off. We called him back to set a few weeks later to give me a trim. And so a few weeks ago I reached out to book him for a cut - It was a grand reunion, and great to see him.

Next, I donned my Jerry Lewis suit and headed up to Midtown to tape Adam Friedland's show. I reached out a week ago through Sarah Sherman, letting Adam I'd be in town if he'd like me for his show and he immediately jumped at it. We talked on the phone to feel each other out. I wasn't really sure where I stood with him and his crowd but he let me know how big I was for him and reminded me that we'd met some 10 years earlier at his apartment in DC when James Adomian and I were both on a Comedy Bang Bang tour. So, I arrived with a little foreknowledge of Adam and figured it'd be a fun and easy chat.

And it was! I hope it cuts as fun as it was. It got a bit serious here and there, but mostly it was just too guys getting to know each other with some jabs and goofs along the way, all in good fun. I enjoyed the experience enough to invite him later that evening to the premiere of the documentary about The State!

We met up later and walked it to the room, full of just about everyone from that show - I ran into Thomas Lennon almost right away and he was thrilled to see me! He insisted I come over and meet his teenage sons who were big fans of mine. I hugged Marino, Wain and saw AD Miles with his wife - they sat behind me and we goofed as we do... I met Kerry Kenni Silver who was a delight. Adam was kind of agog that I KNEW all these people! The documentary was sweet, funny and revealing to me, as I honestly had not seen much of The State. I don't know why, I think I was a Kids In The Hall purist who saw The State as not legit or something... They had some very funny stuff, especially considering how YOUNG they were. Man oh Man.

We went to the afterparty and I got to know Adam a bit more, very interesting guy! Goofed about with Marino as I do, and then Showalter come over and we said hi. He told me he's been facinated with Office Hours lately and wanted to know if I'm doing a character. I said, well, not really, but I'm certainly goosing things up for the show. He was dubious. He thinks I'm doing a character... well sometimes I am, like when I'm talking to Kyle Mooney. He couldn't get his head around it and we agreed he should come on the show to get to the bottom of it! Haha.

We got the hell out of there after a while and I headed back to my hotel.

Monday was going to be a big day: The reason for my trip. The premiere of Fior Di Latte - I'd be seeing it for the first time with a packed, sold out crowd later that night. I was a bit on edge, wondering if it was any good.

But first we had to do a bunch of press - I got picked up and driven uptown to sit with Den of Geek website - I was in my Gerry Lewis outfit plus fake teeth and for some reason it sounded really good to do my Rock and Roll Gary voice with the teeeth in so I spoke like that for the entire interview, sitting next to my co-star Marta and director Charlotte. Charlotte loved it. Marta, who had shown up with a 4 person glam squad, ready to been seen as a serious actress and not just a model may have felt slightly uneasy at me goofing through the interview. But i learned a long time ago, the best way to get anyone's attention is to do something silly or interesting. Simply talking about "how you found the inspiration for your character" is just going to do in the black hole of the internet.

We then did a strange sort of "in conversation" at the Soho House with the publisher of the magazine we did a cover shoot for. No one really showed up for it, as it didn't seem very appealing to hear people talk about a movie that hasn't come out yet and only open to member of the soho house and appearing at the very desirable hour of 1pm on a monday. The audience was mostly made up of Marta's glam squad! haha

A rest at the hotel and then back to Tribeca for photos and then off to the theater for the premiere... A fair amount of the crew came out so it was a really nice reunion with them as we worked our way down the red carpet. Really a lovely bunch.

The movie played and I enjoyed it! It got a lot of laughs and while some of the production limitations due to budget and time were apparent it felt like a real special one of a kind film. A hand made deal, with a strong voice. I was happy with my performance and was overall relieved that it wasn't a total disaster.

Another after party for me to work the room. Saw some old friends and continued catching up with the crew. I was partied out and left after a while.

Tuesday, I had zoom interviews for the movie all morning and then I met up with Frida and Trang the wardrobe and hair ladies from the movie who I didn't get to catch up with at the party. Trang, from Vietnam took us to her favorite Vietnamese place a few minutes from my hotel. After a nice, long lunch I met alex ross perry for a coffee. He was showing a film he'd made about video rental stores and we chatted away for a bit. Then went back to my hotel to review a whole bunch of updates we're doing to the Hei Network site and got a rest in before taking the train all the way up to 91st street to meet Charlotte and her family for dinner. Sadly, Kevin Kline wouldn't be able to join us as he'd just started work on a new tv show. but Phoebe (Kates) would be there and Owen, Charlotte's boyfriend, and I was looking forward to seeing them all.

I met them at a Greek place and Charlotte told me that Kevin WOULD be coming! He got off early and a few minutes later he showed up and we had a great reunion. Kevin sat across from me, with his son Owen to my right and we chatted away all through dinner, Kevin telling stories from the set of his new movie, me reporting on the premiere, politics and whatever else. We had a great time. He left before desert to get some sleep, and after a while, we walked back to their apartment where we killed some time before Charlotte and I had to be downtown for another Q&A for the movie. Phoebe is such a welcoming and kind and funny person, and I got to hang with her a bit more this time. I just love the Klines and feel so welcome in their fun little world.

The movie was playing while we sat outside the theater, wondering how it was being received. We had no idea. The night before was about half friends and family, this was largely just a bunch of festival folks - and probably a few of my fans... But as soon as we walked in, we felt that it had played really well... They were excited to see us and I don't think you're excited to see people that just tortured you with a bad movie for 90 minutes. The Q&A was light and fun, with Owen taking over Q'ing duties this time. A short hang after to shake hands with fans of mine and the movie and some long goodbyes with Charlotte, Owen and Marta and then it was time to go. I long walk felt good, walking the east village, lower east side and finally chinatown, I settled in after packing, as I'd be getting up at 5:30am to catch the 8am flight back to LA.

Home for a day to hang with the trinity and you with our fun guests and now back at it, hoping to unplug and enjoy my family and have my brain broken by Japan. I'll give a full report on our adventures next week! Wish me luck!

peace and love, love and mercy, T