Random Musings


John Lloyd Young's Blog

Read the early archived posts today, which were quite fascinating. JLY started blogging about 15 months before Jersey Boys premiered on Broadway, and it's interesting to see the contrast between his pre- and post-JB lives.

However, certain things have remained the same: his unwavering love for all things Broadway ( be it musical theatre or plays ), a wide ( and ever-expanding ) circle of friends, a passion for performing, and an unlimited appreciation for his fans.

There's a nice entry from January 3rd 2005, about the passing of Law & Order veteran Jerry Orbach ( better known to the younger generation as the talking candelabra Lumiere from Beauty And The Beast ). JLY's recounting of Orbach's grace and kindness is most inspiring.

Also, a funny post from November 20th 2004, about "survival jobs" like ushering and typing. The struggles of a young actor in the cut-throat American entertainment industry is familiar to many, but I find it quite surreal since I've seen JLY in person, and can't imagine how such amazing talent could've been missed for so many years.



Tom Cruise: Legend or Liar?

Am currently glued to Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography of the star, which is keeping me up at night... when I should be sleeping (!).

But what can you expect when the subject matter is super-juicy, the research impeccable, and the writing excellent?

I've never read any of Morton's previous work ( though my mom has good things to say about his Princess Diana exposé ), but have become quite a fan despite finishing only 2 chapters so far.

I've only covered his childhood and teenage years, but you can already see a pattern emerging -- that of a cocky little boy pampered by his mother and 3 sisters yet ill-treated by his father, who later developed an aggressive streak at school, and shamelessly fooled around with countless girls.

However, Morton highlights certain negative traits even at this early stage, i.e. an almost pathological affinity for lying. Quotes from interviews are debunked repeatedly by school acquaintances, friends and even relatives, with one ex-girlfriend pointedly remarking, "Don't let that smile and those teeth fool you. He can have a really nasty streak."

I have no idea why the book isn't on sale here, or why Amazon doesn't ship to Singapore ( assuming previous reports remain unchanged ). Again, my sincere thanks to L, who gamely carried the heavy tome back for me in her luggage. :)

More updates next time.