World Turning

It was pretty late in the night, after the show, after the strike, after we'd moved it a little further down the street and over to Bleecker and Bowery. Ray and I were at the end of the bar waiting for a drink. "Congratulations," I said.

He looked at me and smiled, "You too."

An hour and a bit earlier we had finished the two-hour-plus Motherlodge fund-raiser at Joe's Pub--what Ray had billed as a Fleetwood Mac Orgy. Ray sat stage-left, drumming most of the night and singing along on more than a few songs and I sat stage right, drawing. On the stage between us, we we were anchored by Louisville's Rumours band while--like a great parade where everything is sort of magic--an enviable string of guest stars that was jaw-dropping in scope and talent came through and shared a Mac Song. Ray and I were the co-curators of the show, so I guess you could say we were both responsible for the night, but really we just had the good luck to have great friends.

There were faces from television and movies, Broadway folk, musical geniuses, a few of the best cabaret performers of our day--one of whom also happens to be arguably the greatest playwright, songwriter and visionary of our galactic zip-code--a genius director who can rock, more than a few indie music folks with whom Ray and I often collaborate.

We had so many great people who could do so many great things in so may great ways, it's no wonder Ray wanted to call it an orgy.

Motherlodge is Ray's vision, a creative conduit of talent between Louisville and New York City that embraces theatre, music and visual arts and mixes them up together into a stew. Or, you know, orgy.

"This is what the world looks like to me," Ray said.

"Yeah, me too," I said as I paid for the drinks.

So, thanks to Taylor Mac, Lady Rizo, Justin Bond, Nath Ann Carrerra, Bathrop, Alabama, Georgiana Starlington, Erin Hill, Adam Rapp, Michael Cerveris, Michael Shannon, Josh Kaufman, Dawn Landes, Alanna Amram, Doveman, L.P. Funk, Chris Buckridge, Alex Suarez, Aaron Latos, Corn Mo, Nate Martinez, Brian Kantor, Rebecca Hart, Rob Beitzel and all of the great members of the Rumours band as well as anyone I might have missed here. It was an amazing night and I can't believe I got to share the stage with all of you.