Theatre Junkies Anonymous Confession Time

I know it's very much in alternative culture vogue and also a bit in mainstream vogue to dislike Romeo and Juliet. I get it, I really do. Because in most productions of Romeo and Juliet, it's hard to get the audience to care about two kids who fall in love, seemingly on a whim, and cause all these problems and kill themselves at the end. (Spoiler alert for Romeo and Juliet.)

But I do not share this hate for Romeo and Juliet because I have seen a little version of Romeo and Juliet directed by one Baz Lurmann. (otherwise known as my favorite film director of all time.) In this version, Baz Lurmann used the source material exactly, but he understood how in Shakespeare's day, very few instructions were given as to the blocking of the show except in the actual words spoken by the actors. Some amateur directors take that as a sign that anything that's not there should not be included, but that robs the show of what is needed for a sympathetic love story: the setup. Why do these characters love each other so much? What drives them to risk so much and ultimately die rather than live apart?

Baz Lurmann is brilliant for many reasons, but in my opinion, the most important part of his movie is the scene when Romeo and Juliet see each other for the first time. Instead of a corny moment when crowds part, they see each other, and are instantly in love, you see a very true moment of connection that grows to attraction and then finally to love. Without this moment of connection, the rest of the movie loses meaning because the audience wouldn't be able to CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS.

I digress. This post isn't technically meant to be about Romeo and Juliet, but whenever I talk about Baz Lurmann's movies, I get excited.

The confession I have to make isn't that I love Romeo and Juliet; my confession is that I really don't like A Midsummer Night's Dream. I preface this by saying that I have not seen a version of this play actually performed. I reserve the right to change my mind if I see a really good performance of the show that's able to change my mind.
Every single time I read A Midsummer Night's Dream, I finish the play and wonder, "Why did I just read that?" Most recently, I have an answer: It's what my current Art and Performance Elements class is discussing. But I didn't like the play much more than when I first read it. I'm glad to understand more of the elements we talked about in class such as the historical context and the mythology Shakespeare alludes to. I also really enjoy certain passages of the play because Shakespeare was wonderful with words.

But I really don't care about the characters. I am given no reason to sympathize with Hermia and Lysander running into the forest and eloping. I understand they need to run off to give the opportunity for Demetrius the Douche and Helena the Hopeless to follow them and get caught up in hilarity, but other than the funny situations, I really don't see the point of that whole love rectangle.
The fairies are even worse. Other than the fact that the world is screwed up because the Fairy King and Queen are fighting, I don't care. I don't care which of them gets the kid, and I don't care about the power struggle.

Does anyone have ANY recommendations of a good version of A Midsummer Night's Dream that I could watch that could change my mind?

A Stream of Consciousness Discussion of the Nature of "Christian Artists" by Genre

(Mid-way edit: This is becoming a bit of a train of thought, stream of conscious discussion, so bear with me.)

I've been pondering the nature of being a Christian artist but not a "Christian artist" by genre for a few weeks. (I've thought about it before, but I've been mulling around this particular train of thought for a few weeks)

This has come to a climax this evening when I watched the movie Godspell for the second time within a week. There are few "Christian" movies that minister to me the way Godspell does. The only one that comes even close is Bella, and even that movie isn't quite "Christian" by genre.

If you'll allow me to digress a moment, I'll go to an interview of Andy Hunter, my favorite trance artist who is also a Christian, who says, "I think what I find frustrating is there are so many talented people within the church that are just not given room to express their gift in worship.  So it’s always the same format and songs. On a weekly basis where’s the poetry, painting, dance, sculptures, different genres of music?"

Bringing this back to Godspell, I connect more to that show/movie/music than I do to most contemporary Christian music. I'm trying to figure out whether it's because I'm a theater actor myself, and as such that genre ministers better to me than the Christian music genre. Or, I've wondered whether it ministers better to me because the church environment I've been influenced by for the past seven or eight years takes things so dreadfully serious all the time and I think God has a better sense of humor than they do.

Watching the movie more than once recently, I was struck with something that I love. The movie portrays Jesus (played by Victor Garbor, who is fast becoming one of my favorite actors) as our teacher and master, yes, but also living WITH us--as symbolized by his dancing in the background in other characters' solos. He's the God of the Universe, but He doesn't have every solo. He clearly values every disciple's artistic contribution.

This brings me to another section of this overall "Christian artist" discussion--- Owl City is becoming one of my favorite artists these days as well. He is another artist who is Christian but is not a "Christian artist" by genre. I was touched by his music before I ever found out he was a Christian. 

Here's an excerpt from that interview: 

"Q: When you write, do you ever consciously think, "This will work well with the Christian market; that will work well with the mainstream"? Or do the songs just fall where they may?
A: In a manner of speaking, my music has an extraordinary way of writing itself, and I'm usually just "the guy at the desk"—and the same goes for lyrics. I never consciously think about what specific line or lyric will resonate with what audience. I merely try to push all that aside and write sincerely from the heart, as if myself and God will be the only ones ever to hear it. In that way, I believe it keeps my music very pure and uncontaminated by whatever preconceived notions I might start injecting into the writing process. I just sit down to write a song as if it's the first and last piece of art I'll ever have the privilege of working on. And a privilege it is."

The "preconceived notions" he mentions is something I wonder if Christian fiction writers (by genre) struggle with. One of the problems I have with Christian fiction is the fact that they can kind of be god themselves when writing whatever situations their characters get into. The one they use the most that also annoys me the most is the typical Christian character who doesn't think they "evangelize enough" but then when they least expect it, some other character they had no idea had any interest in religion is touched by their (the main character's) life and ASKS the main character about Christianity and boom! The secondary character hears about Christ and is saved then and there.

Now, I'm not saying God doesn't use situations like that. But they're not exactly the norm unless I'm very much mistaken.

Whenever I've considered becoming a "ministry actor" by trade (meaning I only perform in Christian plays for the purpose of devoted ministry or evangelization) I've resisted the idea, partially because I don't like a lot of Christian-by-genre movies for those trope-y reasons. I had a fleeting thought because of that once that maybe I was wasting my talent on secular entertainment, but I don't think I am.

As spiritual and thinking beings, we don't have merely physical desires. We also have desires to be challenged mentally, to laugh, and to FEEL. If I can make someone laugh who has had a bad day in a farcical role, then I've made a positive impact in the world. It doesn't matter if I'll never write a play or portray a Tony award winning role in New York. What matters is that in my own little corner of the theater world, I've made a positive impact. 
If people have the same emotional response to the song "Fireflies" that I did, then Adam Young has made a positive mark on the world, not with a "Christian song," but with a song written for the glory of God. Likewise, my stage performances don't have to be only of historical Bible epics and Christian contemporary cliche stories to be to the glory of God and to have a positive impact. Paul didn't say "Do all exclusively Christian things to the glory of God;" he said "Whether you eat, drink, or WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL for the glory of God." 

And so I'm gonna keep playing my drunks, whores, and comedic villains to the glory of God. 

Why is it...

...that when I need new music, the library catalog is being updated, ergo I can't put anything I want on hold?! Well....for consolation, I'm going to go to the bookstore today. So there.

In other news, the first rehearsal for my show is tonight...I'm very excited. After much rigamarole, we have a cast again. In order to get a replacement for someone who had other commitments, I had to brush up the phone voice again. I called...what was it?...four people before I got someone who could do it that actually had an interest.

Lesson learned: Don't count your cast members before the first rehearsal.

And so this post isn't completely lame, I leave y'all with a song I'm really loving right now from a musical called Curtains.



To make up for the angst of that song, and because I told myself I was going to be HAPPY today, I'll also leave y'all with links for Muppet Show songs I'm also loving right now.

Old Fashioned Love Song

She Loves You

"There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met."-Gonzo

Things Learned from the Second Audition Session/Casting Process

1. For as many gut reactions for casting certain people that were right (four) there are going to be at least two that will blow your original perceptions out of the water.

2. There are going to be certain people you really want to cast in a certain role, but if they just don't have enough intuition or maturity or whatever to be able to handle it, it's disappointing.

3. Alpha-numeric system for distributing scenes = better than system used on Sunday. Yelling out "Who has B-3?" is much easier than "Who has the Kennedy-Sally-Russell-Schultz scene?"

4. Easy, "this is your person" casting decisions are incredibly awesome. I had one of those.

5. Learning that someone you cast in your show in a part that they were great for can't actually be in your show is frustrating. No hard feelings toward the person, of course, but they were going to be PERFECT and UGH!! Anyway...

6. Directors shouldn't be surprised when they have to alter the schedule...again...

7. Good mentors are absolutely wonderful.

It's really strange coming to a show from this angle. I'm used to waiting for the cast list with bated breath, wondering who's going to play which character and stuff like that.
This time I've released the cast list; I know who's playing who; and now I'm wondering what kind of flack (if any) I'm getting behind my back for the decisions I've made. Not that I should get any argument; I followed all of my impartial casting person's advice, but still.

I'm glad that casting is over. I think that's probably the thing I was most worried about.

Things Learned from the First Audition Session

1. Just because you're super organized with scenes and lists and things like that doesn't mean it all won't fall apart when everything gets going.

2. You can learn more about directing in one two-hour session with a mentor than by reading ten books on the subject.

3. For those who don't like talking on the phone to those they don't know well, a good phone voice = A. A shield when talking to said people they don't know well and
B. Entertainment for those they do.

4. When conducting scene readings, directors should not be afraid to stop a scene in the middle to ask for the auditionees to try something different.

5. Having a casting advisor much more experienced than yourself is a BIG BIG BIG advantage. He can see things about people you've known for years that you never thought of.

6. Comfortable (yet still eccentric) director's outfit + green eye shadow + favorite perfume = happy director.

7. It's good to have an abundance of pens and pencils but only have one on the director's desk at a time because otherwise, they'll get in the way.

And finally,
8. Being in charge is pretty awesome.

The Beginning of My Directorial Journey

The title of this post isn't completely accurate, because the journey probably technically began when I was approved to be a director for the season, but I didn't really feel like a director 'till this past Sunday.

Plus, "The Beginning of My Directorial Journey" sounds better than "Starting in the Middle of My Directorial Journey." So, for the purposes of making the name both cool and accurate, I'll start with the amusing story of the night I was approved to direct.

I was on the play-selection committee last year. I had inquired about directing sometime then, but the response I got was that while I was technically more qualified than most of the people that directed, because I was only 17, people might not respond well to my direction.
I was perfectly content with that and continued on. During last season, while in It's a Wonderful Life, I not only acted in it, but also gained more experience stage managing and assistant directing it.
When January and with it the beginning of the play selection process rolled around, I had high hopes of being considered old enough to be able to direct.

The night we had the first meeting I could attend, was I cool, collected and on time?
...Nope! I was coming from my Sensei's mother's funeral viewing, so I was disheveled and late. Despite my stress, I waltzed into the meeting, plopped myself down at the table, and was promptly asked by our technical director, "Now, are you available to direct any slot of the year?"
Though taken aback, I answered (somewhat) calmly, "I'm available all year, but I would prefer the fall slot."
"We needed a fall director. What do you want to direct?"

Wait a sec...what?!?!?! Really?!?!?

So it began!! I still find it amusing how I simply waltzed in there and was told I got to direct.
Over the next couple months, I narrowed down my choices (I considered doing Reserve Two for Murder, And Then There Were None, Angel Street, The Importance of Being Earnest, and You Can't Take It With You.) eventually choosing Reserve Two for Murder because A: I thought it was better for its intended audience than most of the other choices I had considered, B: It was a relatively simple production; I didn't want to do anything too complex or incredibly hard for my first directing stint, and C: I've acted in it before, so I'm incredibly familiar with it already.

Once chosen, it was eventually approved by the board, so the pre-production work began. I've enlisted an old acting teacher as my impartial casting advisor, started to tweak changes we need to make to the script, and gotten most of my audition materials ready. I only need to print up my character descriptions and rehearsal schedules on that front.
I've also decided to re-set the play in the 1980s, so I've also done research on script changes pertaining to that issue.

And that brings us to Sunday. Sunday was the end of our last show, so I was explained the process for opening and locking up the theater and then given the key.

That key is what made me finally almost feel like a real director. Thus I count that the beginning.
I hope that as this journey continues, my thoughts and musings on directing will continue to entertain you.

Until then, my (probably few) readers, remember Ford Prefect. I hope that you and I will continue be hoopy froods that know where our towels are.

This is Why I Should Not Be Trusted With a Curling Iron

Current Oddities of My Life

*My little brother teaching me how to tie a hangman's noose today.

*Getting sugar ants...in my BATHROOM???

*Sleeping in our library last night because of the smell of ant poison leaking into my room...it's not a BAD scent per se, (it's a natural swill type spray) but it is very...pungent.

*Washing out crusty hairspray still in my hair from this past weekend of shows. Oh, the joys of doing 20s hair and having to schlack it solid.

*Recovery from tech/hell week last week? 12 consecutive hours spent in my bed. (Including sleeping and reading time.)

*Good recovery, but then being hit with insomnia two nights in a row....urg...

*My favorite: After finally getting to sleep last night, having a dream that I was planning to go to a college that was run by Disney. I was on the computer planning to buy "school pride" swill which was all Disney characters. And I was probably an arts major.

*Bruises on my shins and ankles from having to fight in the line at tae kwon do class yesterday.

*Finishing my online English Comp. 2 course and managing to get through with some sanity despite hating most of the short stories we were forced to read and write papers over.

Directorial Thoughts

I am attempting (yet again) to return to the blogger world.
News that probably has not been discussed on Cease Repining: I am directing a show at my theater in fall!!! Despite my being incredibly young compared to all of our directors (I'm a college student!) I get to direct a murder mystery.
Now, this summer I was/am in Singin' in the Rain, (the run isn't over yet) and in my opinion, the direction left a bit to be desired. So, to prepare for my own show, I have come up with a list of things I will NOT do when I direct.

I will NOT...set rehearsal time to be 6:00 then spend half an hour talking and waiting for people to get there to start. I will try to be prompt and not waste anyone's time.
I will NOT...put off rehearsing and setting major technical things until a week before the show starts.
I will NOT...make a long director's speech before every show. Mine will be short and sweet.
I will NOT...be closed minded at auditions. In fact, I will most likely let my casting advisor do all of the casting.
I will NOT...ever, ever, ever block a scene where all the actors do is stand in a line the whole time.
I will NOT...be unprepared in my rehearsal schedule. I will have a plan for every rehearsal and stick to that plan.
I will NOT...put off running the show until three rehearsals before we open. We will have at LEAST three or four run-throughs before tech rehearsal.

I will NOT...be without a plan.
I will NOT...ever take anyone who assists with my show for granted.


So, yeah. That's the general plan.
In other news, other than Calculus 2, all I'm taking in fall is business courses! Joy...

My Poor Blog.......

....has been abandoned for months. I know.

I have excuses, but probably nobody wants to hear them. College, theater, tae kwon do, etcetera.

Assorted thoughts:
Mockinjay was great, but I liked the first two books better.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie was a TERRIBLE adaptation of the book, but an ok movie.

Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead=Awesome movie.

Wonders if putting the status, "I really miss being a hooker..." would result in something bad.
Those of you who don't know, I played Violet in the play It's a Wonderful Life last month. You say, "I didn't think she was a hooker!"
Well, in the play version's alternate world she is. And it was very fun/challenging to play a sexy character and actually get to attempt to seduce George on stage.
Hence the status.

I would really like to start writing on my blog again, so if anyone has any requests for rants, reviews, or other such scribblings, please comment!

Hysterical....

"Getting Married Today" from Company....I need to learn this.



This version with Madeline Kahn is also excellent.

Dream Roles/Other Theater Stuff

Stolen from the lovely Aria of an Amateur:

Dream Roles I Could Play (conceivably)
Jane from the Jane Eyre musical
the Lady of the Lake from Spamalot
Essie from You Can't Take it With You
Lucy from Jekyll and Hyde
Fantine from Les Miserables
Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd (I'm not sure whether this goes on the list under this because I'm not old enough for Mrs. Lovett, but I'll leave her here for now)
There are more than that, but those are the main ones.

Dream Roles I'm Not Right for but I'd Love to Play
Christine/Carlotta from Phantom of the Opera
Eponine from Les Mis

Dream Roles I've Played
Miss Hannigan in Annie
(there's only one because I'm counting a "dream role" as a part I've wanted to play before I knew of a production somewhere I could audition for. If that makes sense.)

And I'm adding a new category:
Roles I've Played that Became Dream Roles
Helen Smith from Reserve Two for Murder
Myrtle Mae Simmons from Harvey
Alexander from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

In other theater news, Harvey is over, (*sigh*) but I am on the play selection committee for the next season and might also possibly get to assistant direct something.

Does anyone know anything about the Crucible (Arthur Miller) or Picnic (William Inge, I think)? And does anyone have opinions on a Streetcar Named Desire?

Theatre Accomplishments Tag

A fun tag stolen from Costume Queen.

Now, I'm drawing from a memory of a long span of showcases and performances, so some of these I may have actually done, but can't remember it.....bear with me.

Put an "x" in the brackets of statements that are true.


Over the span of your theatre experiences, you have been cast in..
[x] A chorus role
[x] A cameo role
[x] A minor/supporting role
[x] A principal role
[x] A title role
[x] The lead role

You have played...
[x] A character that is very similar to you
[x] A character that is very different from you
[x] A character you loved
[ ] A character you hated
[x] A ditsy/scatterbrained/clueless character
[x] A character of the opposite gender
[x] An obnoxious character that no other character likes
[x] A boring character
[x] A "show-stealing" character
[ ] An ingenue
[ ] A "prima donna"
[x] A character in love and/or loved by another character
[ ] A character abused or ridiculed by other character(s)

For a role, you have...
[ ] Cut your hair
[x] Dyed your hair
[ ] Gained weight on purpose
[ ] Lost weight on purpose
[x] Changed the sound of your voice
[x] Changed your way of moving
[x] Changed your posture
[ ] Developed bad habits as a result of characterization
[ ] Become depressed as a result of characterization

You have played a character who ________ onstage.
[ ] Cried
[x] Had an emotional or mental breakdown
[ ] Kissed another character
[x] Slapped another character (I'm counting biting under this category)
[ ] Was slapped by another character
[x] Got into a catfight
[x] Was carried/picked up by another character
[ ] At some point in the show, wore only underwear
[x] Fainted
[ ] Died

Onstage, you have sung...
[x] As part of a chorus
[x] A solo in a chorus piece
[x] A duet while other characters were onstage
[x] A duet while no other characters were onstage
[x] A solo while other characters were onstage
[x] A solo while no other characters were onstage

You have been...
[ ] Asked to sign an autograph as your character
[x] Asked to sign an autograph as yourself
[x] Recognized by someone who saw you perform
[ ] Asked by a director to audition for their show
[ ] Given a role without auditioning
[ ] The first person to play a specific role in an original show
[ ] The inspiration for a character in an original show

You have had your name...
[x] In a newspaper.
[ ] In a magazine
[ ] On the front cover of a playbill
[ ] On a poster
[ ] On a billboard
[ ] On a marquee

You have had your picture...
[x] In a newspaper.
[ ] In a magazine
[ ] On the front cover of a playbill
[ ] On a poster
[ ] On a billboard
[ ] On a marquee

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas, and has a great New Year!!
Lady Brainsample signing off.

Bloggy Business, Theater News, and Other Ramblings

I really really really wanted to come up with something interesting to post today, but I have nothing original, creative, or unique to say....this makes me really sad....
But, you ask, if I have nothing original, creative or unique to say, why are you even posting? I'm glad you asked. I'm posting to say that I have made a new header! I haven't changed it in months, and I WAS going to change my layout too, but the one I was going to add was going to make me re-add all my sidebar stuff.
No. Not going to work out.
So hence only a new header. I say this in the post because I know there are PEOPLE *cough, cough you know who you are cough, cough* who receive my blog from a feed.

Theater news:
I stage managed another show. That was fun, but I was getting sick of stage managing. Because I was getting sick of stage managing, I went into my last audition really, really freaked out. BUT I am not stage managing again. I actually got the part I wanted, so I will be playing Myrtle Mae in Harvey. Yay!!

Film news:
Keep your eyes peeled. I may just have a trailer for Doting on Your Absence up at some point. That is, if I feel like editing a trailer. We'll see.

In seasonally related news, it's about a week to Christmas, and I haven't done a lick of Christmas shopping. Well, if you don't count the gift I got accidentally for someone. I don't, because that was a fluke.

I leave y'all with an awesome youtube video.

A Post About Theater! No, Hair! No, Piano! No, EJC! No, ALL of Them!!!

I find myself in the same position as last time...I really want to post, but nothing interesting comes to mind.... With all the rehearsals and stuff I've been doing, whenever I do have an idea for a post, I'm busy, but whenever I want to post, I have no ideas....
Well, I guess I'll discuss
The Foreigner...
We have a trap door device now!!! Yes...I am happy. No longer does our Ellard have to yell, "Aah!" then just climb into the hole. Now we have this thing that I have to pre-pump, stick a crate on, then kick off as he's coming down so that there's room for him. This week I'm not supposed to let the actors call line anymore, so this should be...interesting. The Foriegner is a really difficult line memorizing play because many of the lines are, "What?" "Uh-huh" "Charlie!" "Ril good!" "Yes'm." and things like that.
Let's see...what other topics can I discuss....
Hair...
I finally got the tips of my hair dyed purple, yay!!! After the...let's see...fifth attempt over the past year??
Piano...I'm getting better! ("No, you're not! You'll be stone dead in a moment.") Showtunes and Titanic music are basically all I've learned so far by the way of pieces. Well...I take that back. I'm *attempting* to learn My Immortal, but I've only learned the easy last page...
Film....
OH! Film! Right.... New EJC film up called

The Balcony Scene.

One of our sillier films, I must say, which serves to answer the question what if there were no trellices or vines for Romeo to climb on? What will he resort to? Yes...this film is the second in our Stream of Consciousness Unscripted Film Series. We bascially made this film because we walked past that area and my friend said, (paraphrasing) "Hey! How's this for a film idea? Romeo and Juliet balcony scene in which Romeo makes a fool out of himself trying to get up there!"

Hmm...while I'm shamelessly promoting our films, I may as well shamelessly promote our best past films.
So here they are:
Outwitted ~quite possibly our best film
Eye of the Beholder ~our attempt at a mystery/thriller (the director has a thing for Shyamalan/Hitchcock type endings...I don't understand it.)
The Fireman Song ~parody of the Lumberjack Song with a Fahrenheit 451 theme
A Film About Amnesia ~basically what it is. This film was inspired by my saying, "We should really do a film about amnesia." The silliness that is this film resulted.

And while I'm on the subject of EJC, I can shamelessly tease our upcoming films! Next on the schedule we plan to shoot a parody type film about a film crew who shoots vignettes of musicals. But you know with EJC there has to be more than that... It feautures the return of the Famous Producer!
After that, we plan to shoot a sequel to Eye of the Beholder, which is still in the script writing phase, so I'm not at liberty to reveal anything.

Well...I feel that y'all can only take so much of Lady Brainsample being so random, so I will depart...Dancing with the Stars calls to me....

Theater Exploits and Sequels on Mini-Review Day

So I wanted to post something profound...or intelligent...or along those lines. But nothing of that sort came to me. Instead I've been drowning in the prop list for the Foreiegner. Ah, yes. I've been sort of absent from the blog world as of late, so I haven't mentioned the news. I am stage managing my very first play! It has been completely awesome for many reasons, but one of the more humorous ones has to do with my age... See, I'm the second youngest person in the cast/crew (the only younger person being the sound operator) yet I get to boss around (nicely, of course...) a bunch of adults. It's awesome...

Books...
I have read and finished three sequels, so on Lady Brainsample's Mini Review Day, I'll discuss sequels in the Hunger Games series, Oracles of Fire series, and Ender's Game series.

.

Bones of Makaidos: Took me a while to get into, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Bryan Davis tied up all the loose ends I can think of from the series very well.

Catching Fire: Took me in on the first page and kept me in its clutches to the very end. Very, very frustrating ending because it completely sets itself up for the next one, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

Children of the Mind: I really love how after Ender's Game and the Shadow series, Orson Scott Card focused less on action and more on character and philosophy. But...(spoilers follow) Ender dead?? What?!?!?! And how can this be the conclusion when there are so many other things that need to be explained such as whatever happened to Bean and his kids? Orson Scott Card takes too long in writing....

With all: I highly recommend reading each of the previous books in the series before taking on either of these books, especially for Bones. Each of them are great series, so it's worth reading them all.

Final bit of news: two new EJC films up. One of them made to showcase my friend with an amazing Gollum voice, the other completely unscripted to showcase each of my dear friends who play the piano very well.
Without further ado, presenting

Gollum's Present (the Remake)
and
Piano Problems

Lady Brainsample Returns!!

So, I realize I haven't blogged in over a month...not for lack of wanting to, though. So for this randomish blog post, I will discuss some random things.
~
First, My Fair Lady has been going extremely well. The set changes have been going smoother, the music sounding great, and my hat hasn't fallen off during a show as of yet. The crowds have grown significantly, but we haven't had a full house yet. Oh well, we still have two shows left.
~
I have REALLY enjoyed the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card. I'm in the middle of Xenocide right now, and I'll be rather sad when I finish Children of the Mind because it'll mean I need to get ahold of some new audiobooks. If I had to choose, I'd say my favorites so far are Ender's Game, Shadow Puppets, Ender in Exile, and Speaker for the Dead.
~
And so this post is not completely lame, I will leave y'all with some favorite quotes:

"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." -Robert Frost

"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." -Terry Pratchett

What's Up With French Mobs??

Ok, has anyone else ever noticed the constant presence of French mobs? In every musical I know of that takes place in France, there's a mob of some kind.

First of all, there's Les Mis. This one is probably the most prominent with all the revolution going on. I mean, this French mob has got it all: the flag, the barricade, the rousing call to arms with "Do You Hear the People Sing." How can you go wrong?

Phantom of the Opera: This mob is less prominent, but it's a mob nonetheless. How can it not be a mob when they're shouting/singing, "Track down this murderer; he must be found!"and the like.

Hunchback of Notre Dame: It's been quite a while since I've seen the movie or the musical they used to have at MGM Studios, but I remember distinctly there's a mob of some kind.


Marie: I saw a ballet once that was based on the life of Marie Antoinette, and ohhh...that mob. That was not a pretty one.

Beauty and the Beast: This one should get a special reward because they actually have a song called, wait for it.... "The Mob Song" !!!



I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of any at this time. If anyone can think of other French mobs, leave a comment!
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My Fair Lady rehearsals are going very well. We had the first big stumble-through last Saturday, and it went surprisingly well considering all the people who were out of town. I have to say that my favorite role in the musical (I have three, Maid 1, a cockney chorus girl, and a woman at Ascot) is my cockney girl. I mean really, the cockneys get all the fun songs: Loverly, Little Bit O' Luck and Reprise, and Church on Time. And my character is the one who spends most of her time philanderin' with Doolittle, so I'm in all of those. Score! Plus, cockney is an 'ole lot more fun ta speak than proper British.

This is a Total Bloody Disaster!!!

I found that whilst looking for inspiration for my own choreography for that number and just had to share... That's gotta be the silliest version of that song ever.

Phantom of the Opera --- ON STAGE

Well, recently I had the amazing privilege of seeing The Phantom of the Opera live on stage, and there are many words that come to mind to describe it: amazing, fantastic, gripping, tragic, beautiful. But a review that just describes something in such pithy undescriptive tones would be boring, so I'll try to think better ways to relay my awesome experience. As always, spoilers are a constant presence, so beware. Also seeing the musical makes me even more suspicious of the sequel, as I posted about earlier.

Times I cried in the whole show: four.

Three times in Act 1 and once in Act 2, though that time was rather...extensive, we'll say.

Favorite scenes:

Chandelier going up:

We were in the mezzanine, so we had a spectacular view of the chandelier and how it ascended from the stage, over the heads of the orchestra pit and people in the first few rows, then all the way up the theater.

When Christine and Meg were singing Angel of Music:

The ballet chorus girls kept making hilarious mistakes. There is always the constant question of whether art imitates life or life imitates art: I think in this case, art imitates life because I've made many of the same silly mistakes those girls have made when dancing.

Title song:

Ohhh......my.........gosh...... There are no words sufficient enough to describe this scene. This one in my mind was the thing I had anticipated the most, and it did not disappoint. Think of how the movie version had an elaborate set, then stuff it down to moving platforms, fog, candles that come out of the stage, moving boat, and the Phantom himself. With a hat! I'm so used to the movie, I always forget that he has an awesome hat in the musical. Add to that the music itself and the actors singing it, and... ugh! I'm flabbergasted trying to explain, so I'll just move on... Well wait, before I go on I have to say something: I was obsessed with Spamalot before I was obsessed with many other Broadway musicals, Phantom being one of them. But seeing "Phantom of the Opera" (individual song) on stage made me completely get how brilliant "The Song that Goes Like This" was in parodying it in its staging. I don't think I'll ever be able to choose my favorite musical.... It's either Spamalot, Phantom of the Opera, or Les Miserables...such a decision...but moving on.

Music of the Night:

Rocked. His high light note literally made me and a friend I was seeing it with gasp in amazement.

All I Ask of You and its Reprise:

This Raoul actually wasn't annoying! It's amazing how this has happened two times in a row... the Lovesick Tenor in love with the Main Soprano usually never fails to annoy in movie versions or soundtracks. In both Les Mis and Phantom, their Marius/Raoul and Cosette/Christine were not completely annoying!

Phantom lowered down on the statue: completely amazing.

And of course, the Chandelier Crash.

Really, it crashes. Right back onto the stage. And it rocked.

Past the Point of No Return to the end:

I'm really coming up with nothing descriptive that wouldn't completely ruin the musical for someone who hasn't seen it, so I'll just say this: it made me cry pathetically.

Overall, I had an incredible time, and I was so blessed in that I got to see it with some of my dearest friends and family, which made the time even more amazing.

To leave y'all, here is the condensed title song and Music of the Night as performed in the Tony Awards in 1988, by Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, the original Phantom and Christine. This'll give you a tiny taste of the awesomeness of the set, especially the title song.

Ok, a mini-speech... I always find it interesting how as an actor, I've always been taught never, Never, NEVER to turn my back on the audience, yet in shows like Les Mis and Phantom, there are times when a performer has his back on the audience for long stretches of time... I just find that amusing...

After note: See my review of the movie that started my obsession here, and review of the book continuing my obsession here.