Blushing Brides and Basic Bitches

Romance yielded to a cruel, cruel summer.

Friends recently returned from a romantic trip to Italy where they were married and tonight they celebrated with all of us who didn't make it across the pond for the wedding.

The celebration was held at the Roosevelt, so Virginia wine flowed and the buffet table groaned with Southern delights.

Fried chicken sliders and Gabriele Rausse Vin de Gris may be the most sublime reception food I've ever tucked into.

The highlight of the night, besides so many people I rarely see in one place, was the slide show created by the blissfully happy looking groom.

Throughout the evening, images of Italy played on the restaurants wall: colorful boats in a harbor, winding, cobblestone streets, hillside towns, everything that makes Italy seem like a desirable destination.

But once everyone was pleasantly lubricated, we saw the true work of art, a visual testament to what Italy does to two people in love.

The pictures of the bride, whether in her white dress or a t-shirt and shorts, were exquisite.

Maybe it was the Italian light, maybe it was the thrill of marrying her handsome hunk of man meat by saying "Si" instead of "I do" but every picture of her was drop-dead gorgeous, no matter how or where she was being photographed.

Let's just say guests cheered and clapped every time her radiant face showed up on the wall.

And, yes, the far fewer pictures of the groom showed a clearly happy man, too.

After hours of celebrating, things began to wind down and my date and I got ourselves to a very different kind of revelry.

It was the Ghost Light Afterparty at Richmond Triangle Players.

You know, where a roomful of theater types and lovers spend five or so hours singing whatever they want for the amusement of us non-singing types.

This month's theme was "Cruel, cruel summer" and the stage was appropriately set with a beach umbrella and several brightly-colored beach chairs.

Since we'd missed the first couple of hours, everyone was pleasantly tipsy when we arrived to buy a bottle of Rose' and slid into our third row seats.

How tipsy? When the stellar accompanist Ben asked, "Can I do the other song?" after a rendition of George Micheal's "Faith," host Matt laid it down.

"You can do whatever the hell you want."

And therein, my friend, lies the beauty of the Ghost Light Afterparty.

Everyone does whatever the hell they want.

We got to hear "Broadway is not just for gays anymore!" from the 2011 Tonys.

We're asking every hetero to get to know us better, oh...
So put down that Playboy and go make a plan
To pick up a Playbill and feel like a man
There's so much to discover with your different sex lover

Yes, even we breeders had a reason to enjoy a night of Broadway.

Susan Sanford was the night's guest because of her impending departure.

At one point, she took the mic and said of her last role, "Spring Awakening, neither spring nor awakening. Discuss," and went on about her business.

She, along with hosts Matt and Maggie, wore large purple flowers in their hair.

Composer Jason Robert Brown was described as "the love child of Stephen Sondheim and Billy Joel" and it was meant (mostly) as a  compliment.

Tonight we even got comedy from Mary, who warned the crowd, "This is raunchy as hell if you're easily offended," before going on to explain the concept of the "basic bitch."

Come on, we've all known a few.

DeeJay sat while Audra sang "Popular" to him, shaking his head "no" when she sang, "You'll be good at sports."

Not likely.

Some of the cast of the new Joe Jackson musical opening next month did "Love Got Lost" with violin, cello and a stellar vocalist.

Susan did a mad-lib to the tune of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," substituting (what else?) Richmond, Virginia.

She joined Anthony, BC and David for a "Seymour-off," pointing out that despite the song "Suddenly Seymour" being done at every GLAP. there had never been any female representation.

"I'm bringing the female," she warned.

We got a white girl rapping Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" with dancing back-up singers, male and female.

Now, that's a rare treat.

In a nod to the evening's theme, Garth Brooks' "That Summer" put in an appearance and Liz did Cole Porters' "Too Darn Hot."

Late in the night, host Matt observed to no one in particular, "It's so hard to hold on to a drink and do the things we need to do."

That's life, sweetie.

Before we knew it, GLAP was ending, the dance music came on and bodies began gyrating everywhere.

The only thing missing was a finale of "Hit Me Baby One More Time," so I'll just have to hope to be hit next month.

Otherwise, it will be a cruel, cruel summer.