Category Archives: General

The trailer for ‘Wicked: For Good’ is due to premiere just as I am writing this post, so by the time I plan for it to go live, you may have had your first look at the new ‘Wicked’ movie coming out on November 21, 2025 (I’ll come back to post it once it’s up). To say this is the movie I’m most excited to see this year is no surprise, especially after how many times I saw the first one. Fellow fans have been chomping at the bit for any new ‘Wicked: For Good’ info and promotional news, so this first trailer drop is a very big deal, as was this poster reveal, which finds Elphaba reaching out toward each other, or perhaps pulling away. There isn’t enough credit given to the complexity often at work in the movie, and especially the original book. Anyway, I’m eagerly awaiting the hints and teases to come, because I love the… anticipation. From now until November, I’m here for all the edging. 

A hint of our summer theme glistens on the surface of the pool, as the era of coquette has already drawn to its close. This year shall be lighter and looser, and perhaps a little more fun. The older I get, the less I know, and in acknowledging our limits and failings, there is freedom. Wouldn’t it be striking if we took a summer, designed it for fun, and found ourselves inadvertently leaning into mindfulness through the very essence of living in the moment and letting things go?

And so we shall begin in a few weeks, when summer officially arrives, and he veil of spring is lifted at last. It’s bee a trying one – we are headed for our 30th consecutive weekend of measurable precipitation and the soul is weary. Already, the peonies have powdery mildew, the garden is overgrown, and all the rain has prevented me from getting a handle on anything. It’s merely the universe telling me to let go and have a season of pure lazy enjoyment. If a bit of a jungle vibe sneaks into the official summer theme, it’s not entirely unwanted. We can go with the flow. 

Stay tuned – summer whispers on tonight’s warm breeze…

You know how when you drop a blueberry on the floor, it takes up, what, maybe 1/10,000 of actual floor space? Like, it’s the smallest amount of floor space compared with the vast expanse of non-blueberry-covered floor. 

Why is it, then, that of all the fucking floor space available without a blueberry on it, that is the exact space where your bare foot decides to land? 

(There’s a real blueberry shit story from my childhood, but that one deserves its own post. This one comes to you from a rainy weekend of agitation brought on by all the rain.)

A multi-talented multi-hyphenate Renaissance man in the truest sense of the term, Ricky A. Schroeder is currently at the top of his game, starring in a Broadway show (Boop! The Musical), releasing new music, and making his annual daring splash in Broadway Bares. Schroeder has a number of theatrical credits under his dance belt, having performed in ‘Kinky Boots’,  ‘Footloose’, and ‘Becoming Nancy’. His television and film work includes memorable turns on ‘Pose’, ‘Hairspray Live!’, ‘The Last Five Years’, ‘Tales of the City’ and ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘. As his singing/song-writing alter-ego Ricky Asch, he’s given us ‘He’s A Ghost’, ‘Don’t Try to Find Me’, and ‘town of eternal snow’ – with new single ‘Come With Me’ due June 13. For Broadway Bares, he’s single-handedly raised over $100,00 in the years he’s been part of the enterprise. Taken together, it’s a life and a career that merits the first-ever third crowning as Dazzler of the Day.  (See his most recent honor in this post.)

Check out Ricky’s website here, pre-order his new single ‘Come With Me’ here, and donate to his Broadway Bares page here.

The current weekend posting schedule for 2005’s Divine Diva Tour project, subtitled ‘A Fairy’s Tale’, is being given a brief hiatus for this weekend, as all this looking back has me getting lost in the past. Given that the past has already happened and is set in stone, there’s no reason for it to be so murky, yet here we are.

Approaching the age of 50 (yes, I am working on my birthday registry, stop pestering me – there will be more than enough choices for the world to make and send my way – focus on how you’re going to afford it because 50 comes but once in a lifetime!) I find myself indulging in nostalgia more than I usually do. That dovetails neatly with our revisiting (and virgin online posting) of The Divine Diva Tour: A Fairy’s Tale. Lest anyone forget where we left off, here’s a list of all that’s come before:

~ The Divine Diva Tour: A Fairy’s Tale ~

1. Pink Frilly Fairy: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three
2. Homage to Herb: Part One, Part Two and Part Three
3. A Purple-Hued Interlude
4. Style & Panache: Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.
5. Purple Puff Confection: Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.
6. A Blue-Hued Interlude
7. Fuchsia Fabulousness: Part One. Part Two and Part Three.
8. Bad Boy Bangs: Part One, Part Two. and Part Three.
9. Vanity Under Where: Part One, Part Two. and Part Three.
10. Sugar Plum Ballerina: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
11. A Pool Frolic: Part One, Part Two. and Part Three.
12. A Cemetery Interlude: Part One and Part Two.
13. Powder Blue Fur Doll: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
14. A Milky Interlude 
15. Rock Out, Cock Out/ Hang Out, Wang Out: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
16. Cocktail Cocktale: Part One and Part Two.
17. A Fairy’s Interlude: Part One and Part Two.
18. Willy Wonkers: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
19. A Peacock In Everything But Beauty: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
20. Swan Lake Fantasia: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four.
21. Black & White in Briefs: Part One, Part Two. and Part Three.
22. Weave of Basket, Weave of Rope: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five.

The spring of 1995 was a tumultuous time in my life.

There had been suicide attempts, reckonings with self-destruction, and the typical growing pains of a young gay man coming of age in the 90’s. Remember, it was a very different world before the internet could act as a salve for solitude, or bring together those who felt different or strange. While I never much minded being alone – and actually preferred it most of the time – the universe was nudging me toward the people who would become my tribe. 

Fittingly, it was my very best friend/sister-figure Suzie, the person I felt safest and most comfortable around, who would introduce me to the happy circle of people I would soon count as friends. I couldn’t foresee how lucky those introductions would be, or that we were setting up something that would last a lifetime; I didn’t even realize how badly I needed a few friends at that moment. All I knew was that I was visiting Suzie as part of my Friendship Tour: Chameleon in Motion and she had roommates. 

The steep incline of College Avenue in Ithaca, NY afforded a few parking spaces near their rented house, and in the last days of that winter of 1995 the weather had decided to be relatively kind. As I pulled out a bunch of glittering clothing from the hanging rack in the back of my parents’ Blazer, I eyed the address and wondered what would greet me on the other side of the door. (Some people rode with skis or bikes on their vehicle – I rode with a removable clothing rack.) 

Suzie brought me into the fold of roommates, most of whom were busy going about their college lives – studying, working, and doing what college kids do late into the night. They welcomed me without hesitation or condition, and the nonchalance of acceptance, and the happy realization that this is the way life could be, and maybe should be, instantly melted my heart and set me at ease. They each had a striking and powerful personality, and getting to see them at home and behind closed doors gave me a glimpse into their complexities as well. None of us was perfect in every way, or any way if we’re being brutally honest, but we were entirely perfect for each other. 

So much of determining who gets dropped into our lives to stick depends on who the universe was pushing into our path at the times we were open to it. For most of us, that’s during our college years, as we cross into our twenties and really enter into adulthood. Those are the friends who see us through that final stretch of childhood, as we shake the last vestiges of innocence and ignorance off and move into the people we will soon become. 

That it is largely dependent on school and work locations – a mere combination of logistics – seems to remove a bit of destiny and kismet from the equation – and with age comes the somewhat sad realization that perhaps anyone who happened into our circle at such a time might have fulfilled the same need. 

The romantic side of me, however, isn’t quite ready to give up the sense of charm, or the spark, that comes when two compatible people enter each others’ orbits. There was something more than circumstance at work – and that’s the magic of friendship, of love. 

Whatever the case, and however the magic and science might marry, I was damn lucky to find all of you at a time in life when I so badly needed to find you. And it couldn’t have just been anyone. It had to be you. Each one of you. I think we were all lucky that way, perhaps me most of all, and no matter what happens, no matter how far apart we live, or how much time passes between visits, you will always be the people in my life who enter my heart when the world turns cold, when loss and grief come, whenever I need a happy thought of someone I love. 

(This may very well my favorite photo of my friends. I took it just before we were all set to see ‘Evita’, at my insistence. They were as excited as they appear to be, but they never questioned going; they knew what it meant to me, they sat through the whole thing, and since that moment they’ve been my tribe. This summer we are scheduled to come together again, in honor of us reaching the age of fifty, and thirty years of friendship… and fun.)

Trump

Always

Chickens

Out.

{See also FAFO.}

This tree peony, gloriously emitting a fragrance of spiced tea, is situated in a semi-shady nook of the garden, beneath a coral bark maple tree and beside a stand of lady ferns. It is the only flower in the area, and it’s really more a ut flower than one that forms an impressive grouping. We only get two to three blooms per year, and they are so top heavy they fall to the ground if not plucked. 

Happily, they make great cut flowers, lasting longer indoors with the risk of chipmunks and other hungry rodents at bay. You also get a better look at the architecture and shading of the bloom when it’s brought up to eye level. The perfume is a potent part of its charm, scenting the surrounding air with an exquisite aroma of tea accented by spices. It has come to define this special section of spring, and is especially appreciated when so many of the florals are exceedingly sweet right now. 

Sometimes we forget how strong we are because we forget how strong we had to be. 

Muscle has memory.

Strength does too. 

Getting back into the groove isn’t as difficult as you think it will be.

We’ve all been through our own little hells. Sometimes we made it through the wilderness without so much as a sunburn; sometimes we let ourselves be burned to ash. But if you’re here, if you’re reading this, you lived to see another day. Pat yourself on the back for that much – one short day, depending on when it falls, can be insurmountable. Never underestimate the strength and determination it takes to power through a single day. 

More importantly, never underestimate your own capability of getting through the damn thing. 

If you did it yesterday, you can do it today. And you can do it tomorrow. 

Truth be told, this was a pre-comfort doughnut, procured last week on my lunch break from the office, just a couple of days before this weekend’s vacation in Maine. I’m posting it now as I reacclimatize to the daily drudge, dipping back into the swirling waters of stress, all while trying to retain some of the calm that being in our happy place by the sea always conjures. Those posts are coming, but first the simple comfort of a doughnut, even if it’s just a doughnut in memory. 

When returning to reality, it’s best to take things in small steps, which is really the best way to deal with just about everything. On the Tuesday after a long weekend, when just getting out of bed can feel insurmountable, I will endeavor to follow this, taking one tiny step at a time. 

And perhaps I’ll have a doughnut.

This dinosaur of a website (22 years old and counting) once focused on reviews of theatrical productions, cologne, and underwear-clad men, so this past week brings us back to basics as all three get featured in prominence. But you don’t have to take my word for it, check out the weekly recap below (and a few more gratuitous shots of Theo James for Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue fragrance).

Well DUH.

Broadway review: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ – an enchanting new musical.

Paul Richmond brings back the Cheesecake Boys in fine semi-naked form.

Fragrance review: ‘Magnetic Wood’ by The Harmonist.

Hello Rhody, my old friend.

Stars of green.

Ten years ago the BroSox Adventures began.

In and out of the foxglove.

Social media round-up.

It was Friday night and the lamp was low.

A weave of basket brought us back into the realm of The Divine Diva.

A weave of rope unrolled this ongoing fairy’s tale.

A slipping of hope.

Riding crop and laced gloves.

Crop cutting through the sky.

Ambivalence is a rope.

Dazzlers of the Day included Helen J. Shen, Darren Criss and Bella Ramsey.

A gratuitous Cooper Koch crotch shot.

Social media is toxic shit these days – I go on about three times a day, and for just a few minutes each time – only to link to whatever blog post is up. The comments are absurd, the news is unconfirmed, and people are just awful. Unfortunately, that seems to be where large swaths of ignorance originates, and I’m not the person to stop it or even care at this point.

Sometimes, however, I’ll give my social media feeds a little extra love – a photo not seen on the blog, a meme I found funny, or some other nonsensical thing. If you’re interested in such random tidbits, follow me and my handles on all the following:

• Instagram ~ @alanilagan
• Bluesky ~ @alanilagan.bsky.social
• Threads ~ @alanilagan
• FaceBook

It was ten years ago that Skip and I were planning our very first Red Sox adventure, not knowing quite how it would go, whether it would be a one-off trip to tick off the bucket list of being a close friend, or maybe turn into something we would want to do again. As history has shown, this became one of summer’s grand traditions, and this year marks a decade since that first fateful trip. We are working on honoring that, as well as simply having another chill adventure next month, because summer means baseball… and a BroSox Adventure. Here’s a look back at our most recent journeys:

BroSox Adventure 2021: Part One and Part Two.

BroSox Adventure 2022

BroSox Adventures 2023

BroSox Adventures 2024: Part One and Part Two.

While I’ve been behind on much of the spring garden maintenance, and the ferns and cup plants and fountain grass have already overtaken the bounds I should have previously delineated, I am ahead of the game on capturing the starburst-like “blooms” of the Chinese dogwood. Usually, I don’t get them until their sepals have turned creamy white, all but demanding to be captured for posterity. The wayward weather of this spring has many of us playing catch-up. 

This is the general state of things I like best – the time before the real show. 

The anticipation, the lead-up, the excitement – and all of it with an idea of perfection just around the corner. 

This is the moment when all of that is possible. 

A moment of green. 

When we first moved into our current home, a grand rhododendron bush stood in front of our bay window, blocking out much of the light and view for all of the year (except on those exceptionally frigid days when even the evergreen foliage saw fit to curl up and into itself). It was such a large and healthy specimen that we left it there for several years, until it stopped reliably flowering, and I had to make the difficult decision to dig it out. It was the common magenta variety that it everywhere at this time of the year, and in its place went a viburnum, and then the Japanese umbrella pine that is currently being wrangled with rope to keep it upright. The winding journey of a front yard is never completely done. 

Whenever I see a rhododendron in bloom, I remember this bit of our past, and I pause whatever I’m doing to appreciate its prettiness.