A Day That Has It All — Markets, Mixers, and Music
Today is going to be so great on so many levels, I can hardly stand it! First, at the crack of 8:30 this morning, Deborah Cole is picking me up and we are going to the Coapinole tianguis. Her, for the first time. Deborah is a gifted photographer, specializing in black and white dramatic pics of all kinds of subjects. We shall see what we shall see.
Our plan is to then hit the other two C’s – Costco and La Comer. So a morning filled with shopping and ogling. Then, one of my favorite parts of Season is the Out & About Puerto Vallarta Magazine’s Gay Mixers. They start at 6 pm tonight at the Cuale Condo Hotel on Aquiles Serdan. Last year, half the city descended upon the Cuale Condo Hotel to be blown away by their gracious and generous service. It set the bar for the season. – a really high bar.
And I get to see and visit with my dear friend, publisher of O & A, Jerry Jones, who is responsible for these great get-togethers that occur almost weekly, all Season long. A brilliant idea that showcases the advertisers of Jerry’s Out & About Puerto Vallarta magazine: I have developed so many contacts, met amazing people, and have become hard and fast friends with a lot of them. Nobody seems to mind that I am not gay. Next life!
From the Cuale, I plan to leave a bit early and run over to The Palm Cabaret and Bar, for their Opening Night featuring everybody who has a show this year.
The Palm, and its sister Cabaret, Coco (which opens tomorrow night at 9), have nothing but superstars under their roofs. The Palm starts its 26th year in the entertainment business in Vallarta; it has come a long, long way, and every year, another layer of greatness is added.
At the heart of their success lies cooperation. From the owners, the singers, dancers, directors, and producers, the ones who man the box office, the tech crew, the wait staff, and the volunteers who help find seats with a smile — all of them there for a single purpose—to entertain you and me.
Gathering all the loose ends, handling phone calls, managing bruised egos, conducting numerous meetings, and coordinating the schedule for all performances for the entire season for both theatres is the responsibility of Mark Robert Rome. Unflappable and so kind, he is quick to answer a message, handle any unforeseen calamity, and he keeps smiling even under the enormous pressure. He is a rare talent.
I am excited to see what changes – if any – have been made to the inside of the Palm. It’ll be super to see familiar wait staff for hugs, and the audience members will be almost as important as those on stage. Opening Nights are my fave. Hundreds of hours of rehearsals, fittings for costumes, learning new songs, new moves, practicing and failing, then, boom: It’s Showtime!