Aubrey Lynch: My Favorite Things

By Keith Boykin, in theater
Monday, January 30 2006, 10:21AM

I first met Aubrey Lynch almost ten years ago. I was speaking at Outwrite Books in Atlanta and a group of guys invited me out to dinner after the book signing event. Aubrey was one of the guys at dinner that night and immediately I knew there was something about him that I liked.

A former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Aubrey started his college career by studying chemistry at the University of Michigan before he moved into performing arts. After spending several years dancing with Ailey, Aubrey joined the new Broadway musical production of "The Lion King," first as a performer, then as dance captain, then associate choreographer, and now as a producer.

Aubrey is one of those people who is hard to keep track of because it seems he's always on the road. He has traveled worldwide leading dance master classes, including workshops for deaf children, and helping to set up "Lion King" productions in different parts of the planet.

As a guest speaker, he has been a regular visitor at The Juilliard School. He played the lead in the film The Next Step, and has appeared commercially with George Michael, En Vogue, and for Tanqueray gin and Rollerballs. Aubrey also owns his own line of hand made wearable art.

The last time I mentioned Aubrey on this site he was sporting his locks at my book signing launch party a year ago. Now he's cut them off and he still looks great. Aubrey lives in New York and can be reached on his website at aubreylynch.com.

Below are Aubrey's favorite sites.

Aubrey Lynch's Five Favorite Web Sites

1. Apple.com/
When I was a child my mother told me, "You're going to have to go to work every day of your life so, you might as well enjoy what you have to do." With that in mind I struggled to keep my Apple computer in a PC world and thanks to the iPod, Mac lovers are on the map to stay. I need, apple.com to keep up with the latest software and hardware for work and for entertainment. If you have to work on a computer everyday, you might as well enjoy every moment. Apple makes working easy and fun and Apple's home page is the perfect hub for every Mac owner's needs. I am the creative associate producer of Disney's The Lion King and need to be completely portable as I hop from country to country with all nine productions. From dial up to broadband, from the latest electronic news and reviews to checking my .Mac email account, this site does it all. It's my default page and I click somewhere on the site almost daily. Call me a computer geek. I wear the title proudly.

2. Phonescoop
I am an electronic gadget freak. I have to have the latest gizmo. Even the useless ones find their way into my computer bag. I've kept the drudgery of travel fun by finding a phone that is entertaining and dependable. I'd buy a new one every month if I could. Since I can't, surfing through phonescoop.com is like owning every phone on the market. I depend heavily on my phone and find that this site has all that I need to keep connected. I really enjoy watching the speed of technology around us. I also check out treocentral.com regularly for specific tips about my phone, the Treo 600 Smart Phone.

3. Playbill.com
In working for Disney Theatrical and being a former principal with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, I try to keep my ear to the pavement for the pulse of the street. I like to know what's going on in the theater industry and I find that Playbill.com usually knows first. They don't always get it right, but it's important for me to know what people are saying about Broadway, touring companies, and London's West End so that I can compare their information to what I know is really going on. Can't be caught...

4. Discovery.com
I don't watch a lot of television but when I do I will most likely be watching some sort of documentary. The Discover Channel is one of my favorites along with The History Channel, and The National Geographic channel. I check out all of their accompanying sites but have been visiting discovery.com the longest. It always has interesting articles, videos, and links to scientific information all over the world. I can get lost there so I try not to open that page too late at night.

5. Rottentomatoes.com
One of my absolute favorite thing to do is go to the movies. I love the whole process. Getting blockbuster tickets early, waiting in line, getting robbed by the cost of popcorn and candy, the previews, (can't miss them!) and then beautiful medium of the silver screen. It's the one place I can forget about everything else. However, there is nothing worse than a bad movie, particularly with today's prices. Rotten Tomatoes makes finding the good ones and the bad ones fun. Anything a movie lover could want to know is there. Reviews, previews, news, and all sorts of links. Because I prefer to see a film as the director intended, without knowing anything about the movie, I will often check the site after I've seen the movie to see what everyone else thought. But, if I think the movie might be bad to begin with, (too much advertising usually means the film is no good), then I definitely want to be warned and wait for the DVD which I get loyally at netflix.com.

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