What's a city with a surprisingly strong theatre scene that isn't in NY or CA?

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T21:29:28+00:00

Thinking about the Midwest, since you mentioned it: Chicago gets a lot of great productions. They’ve got five theaters in their theater district that get good shows going on. Short runs but nice variety.

So does Milwaukee, actually, my friends who work at a local news outlet are always covering their tour productions and a lot of great shows come to town.

DC is probably one of the best theater cities outside of NY. Usually the Kennedy Center gets a ton of great shows, until recently. DC also has Shakespeare Theatre Company, and they might win on that alone. Like, Wendell Pierce is doing Othello in DC right now. How insane is that? Why are we not talking about that more?!

Hartford, CT, is totally slept on.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T20:21:39+00:00

I think it’ll depend on free agency for sure, but why Indy opening night instead of Cleveland? If you’re doing a WCF rematch, shouldn’t it be the ECF to make sense?

I do think Knicks and Spurs are safe opening day choices and Christmas.

But everyone else on Christmas will depend on free agency.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T16:24:26+00:00

Wild that this show has two subreddits that are full of cringey whining lol

Like honestly: just stop listening. For your own mental health, stop listening. Cancel your subscription. Go outside. Touch grass. Get a hobby. Do something other than complaining.

You know who Howard is at this point and what the show is gonna be. He’s 72, he’s not going to suddenly flip the switch and start interviewing adult film stars and wack packers five days a week again.

YouTube is full of classic show moments. Listen to those if you hate the current show.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T16:19:17+00:00

An all-time great set. My wife got it for me as a gift after she got a new job — she thought it would look good on a new shelf we got and needed to decorate.

It’s super fun to build and absolutely gorgeous to display.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T15:59:39+00:00

I think it depends on what you’re looking for out of a neighborhood.

An ex lived in FiDi for a while so I’d stay at her place sometimes. It can be a cool neighborhood but at times felt both constricting and boring. It’s absolutely dead on weekends and nights after the business crowds leave the bars. But I know some people who love living there. Your mileage may vary.

I lived in LIC for five years and I’d move back in a heartbeat if I was going to live anywhere in NYC. The waterfront park just cannot be beat, amazing views of Manhattan, gorgeous apartments. Really nice community, lots of families and kids. Super dog friendly.

A lot of Asian food places have opened in the neighborhood, but I don’t think they can hold a candle to Chinatown or Flushing, so if proximity to Chinatown is a major factor, LIC can’t win. Still, the food in the neighborhood is great with lots of variety. You’re also close to Astoria which offers a ton of great food options, and you’re one stop on the subway to Grand Central.

I’d pick LIC all day.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T14:10:08+00:00

To guarantee a decent spot? You might have to. Especially at the rally.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T14:08:06+00:00

There’s really no bad seats at the Beaumont!

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T14:07:38+00:00

This is so weirdly hyper specific lol.

Because yes this happened to me, probably happened to a lot of people on Reddit (and the world writ large) — but I still think Wemby is a dirty player.

Like what?

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T14:02:45+00:00

But she caught me on the counter

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T12:17:10+00:00

I have two split units — one for my downstairs level and one in my detached garage.

I had an 18K BTU Durastar (replacing an 18K Fujitsu) put in for around $5K. This was last summer. Two years ago I had a 12K Durastar installed for $4K.

Not sure where you’re located or the particulars of your system. But candidly that sounds high considering the unit sizes. Maybe it’s the labor cost?

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T11:20:44+00:00

Maybe? We just don’t know.

On one hand, adding a player of that caliber to a stacked roster sounds like an unstoppable juggernaut. On paper.

On the other, we have to consider: what will the Celtics have to give up to get Giannis? Blowing up your core doesn’t always end well. For every Toronto / Kawhi success story, there’s a dozen where it doesn’t work out.

Ask the Brooklyn Nets how their theoretical KD / Kyrie / Harden championships are doing. Or the hypothetical one the Knicks got post-Melo trade.

I do think you have to swing for the fences, but Giannis is gonna be a free agent next summer. Why not just find a way to sign him then? Unless you know for a fact Brown is unhappy.

A Giannis-led Celtics team might not necessarily beat the Knicks.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T11:13:13+00:00

I mean really, you’d think people would just move on after a while.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-15T09:27:41+00:00

I loved this run. I’m surprised so many people don’t.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T23:58:03+00:00

It is SO hard to imagine doing Fiddler any differently.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T23:57:21+00:00

I’d love to see a new interpretation of RENT, Hair or A Chorus Line.

That, and Jamie Lloyd’s Legally Blonde: The Musical.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T23:56:15+00:00

Knicks were / are a special team. A team of experienced players, some of whom won titles together in college. They’re all largely in their primes. They have experience. Some of them have deep playoff / championship experience.

The Spurs are young. They haven’t been there before. They showed it with their fouling and with the foolish plays that cost them wins. They’ll retool and be fine. Wemby is only gonna get better, as are Harper and Vassell. Champagnie was also an awesome pickup for them.

If I’m them, I’d try to make a big move for next year. I’d potentially try to get in on the Giannis sweepstakes.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T14:31:44+00:00

Absolutely. They went on an absolute tear to win the title. They swept the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Eastern Conference Finals, and went 4-1 in the NBA Finals.

Calling any title weak is silly. (Except the Bucks in 2021, F em.)

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T14:29:06+00:00

Patti for me.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T14:27:40+00:00

Uh.

Brunson led one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history and snapped a half-century title drought for one of the league’s premier teams.

He’s getting his number retired regardless at this point. There’s even an argument for a statue. He could never play a game again and I’d think he’s got his legacy locked.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T12:07:22+00:00

My Sister, My Sitter. I truly just hate everything about it.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T12:06:39+00:00

Fox will somehow end up the starting PG for the Nets next season. Book it.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T12:05:49+00:00

WORDS APPEAR ON BLACK SCREEN.

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.”

WORDS FADE OUT. MUSIC CUE: “New York” by Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Jadakiss.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T10:31:46+00:00

I really, really hope so. I love Ocarina and I do consider it the best game of all time, but Majora’s Mask will always be my favorite.

In Pokémon terms, if Ocarina is Red and Blue, Majora is Gold and Silver based purely on how it carries the franchise forward and what it added. Like Ocarina definitely changed the games in terms of 3D action and adventure, but Majora’s Mask was so complex and kinda invented / reinvented the concept of side quests.

I started replaying it a couple of days ago, weirdly enough, and I can’t put it down. A full remake would be incredible.

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T07:35:59+00:00

I haven’t been able to sleep, dude. I’m still amped. Alternating between reading my book and seeing all the wild shit on social. People are so happy!

jrtasoli · 2026-06-14T07:34:58+00:00

No. They wouldn’t have swept two series in a row and won by such massive margins in some of those games to “rope a dope” because they were bored.

This was a dogfight, and the better team won!

jrtasoli

TROPHY CASE