So Long, Farewell

All shows eventually come to an end. And this is my end. I had a short run, but I am pleased with the performance.

In my first post I talked about this blog being like a diary for me. Looking back I can still say that in a sense. Writing about these musicals let me express how I felt about these particular shows, how they made me feel at the time and how I feel about them now. I really was not sure what to expect at the beginning. I do not enjoy writing, and this just seemed like a task I could not wait to finish. But I found that I enjoyed writing these posts. It gave me pleasure to go back in time to some of my favorite memories that involved theater.

I also realized that this was a learning experience. This blog presented me with the opportunity to interact with other people in the theater community. Although I love theater, I was really only familiar with my personal experience. Before starting my own blog, I had never read a blog, unless it was for school. But I found myself fascinated with reading other peoples blogs about theater and the arts. It was interesting to see other peoples opinions and critiques of the same musicals I was writing about. Not only that, but I found the latest theater news and gossip, something I do not keep up with. I feel like I learned a great deal and have a much to take away with me.

So, what is next? Only time will tell. Hopefully I will find the time and money to go see more shows and make more memories. What I really would love to happen is to get back into performing. Writing this blog made me realize how much I miss the stage; miss the lights, the sound, miss the audience. I was really happy when I was performing, and I would like to get back to that.

I know not many people have read this blog. But for those who did I hope you enjoyed what I shared, because I know I did. If you take only one thing away from this blog, I hope it is a better appreciation for the theater. And on that note, I bid you all adieu.

The Point of No Return

I have saved the best for last. My choice is not very original I will admit, but Phantom of the Opera has so far been my favorite show. I have seen it five times, if I remember correctly. I have the soundtrack to the London cast, the Broadway cast, and the movie. And I have probably wore out the DVD of the movie. Like previous shows, I saw the movie before the show. I was sold from the beginning. And unlike Rent, the show lived up to all the expectations I had after seeing the movie.

The Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show and arguably the most successful. Andrew Lloyd Webber composed beautifully haunting music for his show based on the book Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. In this musical, the Phantom of the Opera, a horribly disfigured man living in the dungeons of the Paris Opera House, is obsessed with Christine Daae, a young dancer in the opera house. He has anonymously been giving her voice lessons and terrorizes the opera house to get her lead roles in the shows. When he reveals himself to her she must make a choice between him or her childhood sweetheart, Raoul.

Leroux's Phantom was a menace and the bad guy. In the musical he still is suppose to be, but between the enchanting voice and almost good looks, you want him to be the good guy and win Christine's love. I know I did. The connection between Christine and the Phantom is so much more powerful that the audience is hoping they end up together, but we all know that does not happen. I almost always cry at the part where Christine rejects the phantom. It takes place at the end my favorite song "The Point of No Return". Christine and the Phantom are on the stage of the Paris Opera House, and the Phantom sings

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime ... Lead me, save me from my
solitude ... Say you want me with you, here beside you ... Anywhere you go
let me go too - Christine that's all I ask of ....

Yeah, I definitely cry at that part. There is so much heartache and pain in those lyrics. I always feel so bad for the Phantom. And that is why this is my favorite show. It can cause so many emotions that you forget you are watching a musical.

The movie is just as good. And yes, I cry at the same part. Fans of Phantom of the Opera are torn between the musical and the movie. Some people do not think the very handsome Gerard Butler lived up to the standards of the Phantom. Its true that his voice is very different from the original Phantom. Micheal Crawford played the Phantom when the show first opened in London. I personally do not like Crawford's voice, but it is very unique. Gerard, who has no training in singing, has a more rough, rock n roll sound to his voice. Some people think his voice does not fit the role. I disagree though. I loved his sound and I believe he sang with more passion and emotion than Crawford did. I was quite surprised at Roger Ebert's review of this movie. He actually said "I do not think Lloyd Webber wrote a very good musical". Wrong. He continues with many other reasons why he did not like the movie, none of which I agree with.

There is a sequel out this season called Love Never Dies, which takes place 10 years after Phantom of the Opera. I have not read many reviews about the musical, so I cannot decide how the Phantom community feels about this new production. But I do hope it goes on tour and makes it way to Florida.

525,600 Minutes

I consider myself an exception to the rule. I say this because I do not like the musical Rent, yet I have never met anyone who has seen it and did not like it. I am definitely in the minority on this one. I hate saying that I do not a like a show, and Rent is probably the only show that I have not enjoyed. But the movie is a different story. I absolutely love the movie, and can watch it over and over again without tiring.

Rent is about struggling artists in New York's Lower East Side. It deals with topics of AIDS, poverty, addiction, and love. The characters of this show are simple. Roger, a songwriter that is HIV+, meets Mimi, an exotic dancer with AIDS. They start a relationship that is broken apart my Mimi's addiction. Roger, a filmaker, was dumped by Maureen, a performance artist, for Joanne, a successful lawyer. Tom Collins, a computer genius that is HIV+, falls in love with Angel, a transvestite with AIDS, who dies during the show.

Although I am not a fan of the show, I do like the message. These characters struggle with some ugly things in their life and you feel for them. The song "Will I" is what touched me the most in this show. The song is sung my members of the Life Support group, people with AIDS, singing "will I loose my dignity, will someone care, will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare". Half the characters in this show are suffering from this disease, and they feel abandoned by the world. It is very heart wrenching, because this is more than just a song or a even a musical, but a very real life situation. Jonathan Larson, the writer, lost friends to this disease and he did a great job of bringing awareness about it through his show. Sadly, Larson died before Rent opened.

Larson was a great songwriter, and the score to this show is amazing. But the show itself just has way too much going on for it to be meaningful. Robert Crew of the Toronto Star thought "It was messy, emotionally unengaging and had a cop-out of an ending." He later changed his mind in the article, but I still believe that. I saw this show a few years ago when I was working as an usher for the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale. I was real excited to see it, because I had already seen the movie and loved it. I remember watching the show and not knowing what the hell was going on. If I had not seen the movie, I would have been totally lost. The show just did not flow and like I said there was just too much going on. I was very disappointed to say the least. I was probably a little biased, because the movie featured the original Broadway performers (including the amazing Idina Menzel I mentioned in Defying Gravity). I had high expectations and the touring cast just did not meet those.

Depsite my flawed view of it, this musical is a Broadway sensation. There is even a name for the fans, they are called RENT-heads. But I do hope to see this show again, maybe I will have a different take the next time around. If you never see the show, atleast watch the movie. It is worth it.

Only the Good Die Young

I love Billy Joel. And when I heard that there was a musical that was based on Joel's songs, I knew it would be amazing. To this day Movin' Out is still one of my favorite shows.

I find this show quite different from most Broadway musicals. Usually in a musical the characters break into random song in the middle of their dialogue. But in Movin' Out there is no dialogue, just Joel's famous songs. The dancing, choreographed by the very talented Twyla Tharp, acts almost as the dialogue because there is so much emotion behind it. The characters of the show are all based on those that appeared in Joel's songs. The story takes place in the '60s and is based around five people: Brenda and Eddie, a couple, James and Judy, also a couple, and Tony, who is friends with Eddie and James. The three guys are sent to Vietnam. James dies in Vietnam and Tony and Eddie return to broken lives. In the end Judy brings them all together to remember James and the four friends try to start anew.

Yes, it does sound a bit cliche. But with the lack of dialogue, it does not really come off that way. And the music fits so perfect, as if he wrote these songs to tell this story. The music is played by a live band, with the Piano Man singing on a platform above the stage. When I saw the show, James Fox was the Piano Man, and he sang the songs with great power and emotion. I was a little worried that the songs would not be as good without Joel singing them, but Fox proved me wrong. Billy Joel actually appeared at the opening of Movin' Out in my city. I went to closing night with hopes he would appear again. He did not unfortunately, but that was alright; the show was still amazing.

The dancing is what really makes the show though. It amazes me how dancers can tell a story with their body movements. And the dancers for this show do an amazing job at it. In his blog, JK's TheatreScene, JK describes that "the dance that is presented for each song brings out the depth and pain that is hidden throughout the songs". If you have seen this show, then you would agree. They are able to portray such strong emotions, that I actually cried in some scenes. I believe it takes great talent to make an audience member cry without uttering a word. It also shows what a great songwriter Billy Joel is.

Movin' Out is not the only one of its kind. What I mean is that this show is classified as a jukebox musical. A jukebox musical, as wikipedia puts it, "is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score". Other such musicals include Mamma Mia and Jersey Boys. But Movin' Out is nothing like these other musicals. In his review for the New York Times, Ben Brantly states

Nor does "Movin' Out" trade as obviously as "Mamma Mia!" does on what might be
called the karaoke quotient: the pleasure in listening to familiar feel-good
music that makes you want to sing along.

In shows like Mamma Mia you know the songs and want to sing along. Not so in Movin' Out. Although you may know the words you do not feel compelled to sing along. You will be to0 riveted by what is going on on the stage to bother with singing. And that is what makes this show great.

You Never Say Goodluck on Opening Night

Mel Brooks making fun of Nazis makes for good theater. I hope everyone reading is familiar with Mel Brooks; if you do not know who he is, then you should. He is one of my favorite director/actors of all time. Some of his best works include: Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Brooks is usually not politically correct in what he does, and The Producers is no exception.

The Producers was first a movie, then a Broadway musical, and then again a movie. The musical, which won 12 Tonys, starred Nathan Lane (The Lion King) and Mathew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off). It is about a producer, Max Baileystock, and an accountant, Leo Bloom, who decide to produce a show that will be sure to flop. Their scheme is to raise more money than it costs to put on, keep what is left, and run away to Rio. They set out to find the worst script and the worst director. The show they picked is called Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolph and Eva at Berchtesgaden, written by an ex-nazi who worships Hitler. Instead of the musical being a flop, the audience mistakes the plot as being a humorous satire and the show is a huge success. And Max and Leo are convicted and sent to prison.

The subject of Hitler can be touchy and some people may find dancing and singing Nazis inappropiate. Mel Brooks, who is Jewish, does not see it that way. Pam Harbaugh, on her blog for FloridaToday.com, quotes Mel Brooks on this topic in an interview with U.S News and World Report ". . . if you ridicule them, bring them down with laughter -- they can't win. You show how crazy they are." I did not find any part of this musical offensive. It was really funny. And the dancing Nazis were humorous, because the idea of it was just so ridiculous. I would highly recommend seeing this musical.

What I would not recommend is the movie. There are two movies, one from 1968 and one from 2005. I have never seen the original, but I was sadly disappointed with the most recent one. It starred the origianl Broadways actors Lane and Broderick. Having loved the show I was excited to see the movie. I did not even finish the movie. I found it boring and was actually annoyed with it. It is nothing compared to the show. Film critic, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, remarked "It's not all it was on stage and it's not all it could be on film. The result is a often jolly, highly-polished compromise, which can't be what anyone intended. Or wanted. " Some musicals just do not work for film, and this would be an example of that.

What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?

Do you ever wish there was an adult version of Sesame Street? Well there is, and that would be the Tony award winning musical Avenue Q. For those of us who watched sesame street as kids, this show is a lot of fun because it addresses issues that are relative to our age now. But it is definitely not a show for children. The official website for Avenue Q tells parents to use discretion when deciding if their children are old enough because the show addresses issues of sex, drinking, and surfing the internet for porn. Yes, surfing the internet for porn. If you are wondering how that topic could be turned into a song, listen to "The Internet is for Porn".

I know I said Avenue Q is like Sesame Street for adults, but it has no affiliations with the Jim Henson creation, although creator Jeff Marx and puppet designer Rick Lyon both worked on Sesame Street. They consider it be a homage to the show. The reason it is similar to Sesame Street is due to the fact that the show contains puppets and humans working side by side on the stage. Pam Harbaugh in her blog Extreme Culture, said that disclaimers had to be posted when Avenue Q came to Melbourne so people would not think that the show was endorsed by Henson's company. It would be bad publicity if it was thought that the Henson Company was endorsing a show with puppet nudity.

The show revolves around the lives of the residents of Avenue Q. The main character, Princeton, is a recent college graduate looking for his purpose in life. Kate Monster is a kindergarten teacher who falls in love with Princeton. Rod is an investment banker, who is secretly gay, and lives with Nicky, who is unemployed. Brain is a Jewish comedian who is engaged to Christmas Eve, a Japanese therapist. Trekkie Monster is addicted to internet porn, and secretly rich from investments in pornography. Lucy the Slut is a night club singer and regular on Girls Gone Wild, and Gary Coleman ("What you talkin bout Willis?") is the superintendent. The best part about Avenue Q is most definitely the characters. You can tell from some of their back stories that it is definitely not a show for children. There is also puppet nudity and a sex scene. Somehow it does not seem as vulgar because it is puppets and not people, but still it is pretty racy.

Avenue Q is an absolute riot from beginning to end. Not only is the show humorous but through its' comedy it presents issues that are relevant in today's society. In this musical you will find songs discussing racism ("Everyone's a Little bit Racist), homosexuality ("If You Were Gay"), money (The Money Song), and the purpose of Life ("What do you do with a BA in English?"). I believe it is a show that everybody can relate to it one way or another.

Avenue Q has been in the news recently, but not because of rave reviews. Colorado Springs refused to put up ads that featured Lucy the Sluts cleavage when the show was playing there in February. I first read about this controversy on the blog site The Frisky, but found quite a few news articles about it. The advertising company, Lamar, refused to display the ad because of its raciness and the conservative nature of the city. The responses to the blog post concerning this topic were interesting, because they were from people who actually live in Colorado Springs. They were all shocked that the show was even allowed to play in the city. One guy commented that one should expect to find "ultra conservative, Palin loving people" in the city. My favorite was from a woman who exclaimed "I think that the billboard issue is ridiculous, considering that there’s been some hot tub ad with living, real-person sideboob hovering over a main street near downtown for months." I would agree that it is somewhat ridiculous, I did not find the picture to be that obscene. I have definitely seen worse advertisements. But I have been to Colorado Springs several times and it really is a predominately conservative Christian town. I also applaud the advertising companies decision, because they showed respect for the residence who do not want to be subjected to cleavage, even a puppets cleavage.

Aside from the all the controvery to do with the raciness of the show, I highly recommend seeing it. I have never laughed so hard in a musical. The show definitely crosses some lines, but I did not find it offensive in any way. And puppet nudity is always exciting.

One Singular Sensation

Imagine a father watching his little girl sing about tits and ass. Yeah, that would be my father. And I was the little girl, all of sixteen years old.

Out of all the shows I have done, A Chorus Line is the most memorable. Not because I think it is the best show, but because I had a leading role of course. I did not know anything about this show before I auditioned for it. A friend of mine said I should audition for the part of Val, that I would enjoy playing this role. Little did I know this would lead to me standing in front of a few hundred people singing about my tits and ass in the song "Dance: Ten Looks: Three".

A Chrous Line is a cast of seventeen people who are auditioning for the chorus line of an unnamed show. They tell their personal stories about how they got to this point in their lives through monologues and songs. There is no elaborate set to this show. Just people standing on stage pouring their hearts out just to get another job. The best way to describe this show is as a behind the scences look at what it is like to audition for a musical.

I like this show, but it is definitely not one of my favorites. Paul Hodgins of TheArtsBlog made a list of ninteen reasons why he hates A Chorus Line, a few of them being:

13. Unitards. 10. Step-kick lines. For any reason, at any time. 7. Bimbo
clichés. 6. Slut clichés. 4. Never knowing a thing about the accursed show
they’re auditioning for. 2. Getting the phrase “singular sensation” stuck in my
brain for three days.

Althought I do not agree with these as reasons for hating the show, they do speak to why this is not one of my all time favorites. To begin, unitards and step-kick lines. Unitards I do believe speaks for itself. Step-kicks on the other hand look good in a dance routine, unless you are five foot like myself, then it just looks awkward. The bimbo and slut cliches were a little annoying because my character was the bimbo and slut, hence the song about tits and ass. I am niether of these so it was hard to get into the role. Also not knowing what show the characters were auditioning for is fustrating, because it leaves you wondering what they are working so hard for. I think it is a flaw in the storyline. And the least appealing thing about this show is the song "One". It is one of those songs that you cannot stop singing, no matter how much you may dislike it. You will rue the day you heard it.

There is also a movie that came after the musical. I would not recommend seeing it, although it does star the great Micheal Douglas. It is a poor rendition of the show, and would dissuade you from actually seeing the musical, which is certainly more interesting. Robert Sandla in the musical review book, The Theater Mania, wrote concerning the movie

To paraphrase a lyric from the show's opening number, 'God, they really blew
it!' when they made the movie of A Chorus Line....The film
version effectivley killed the movie musical genre until the success of Chicago seventeen years later.

This is certainly true. I cannot think of one movie musical that is worth mentioning until Chicago, and after that the musical movie genre took off again. This movie takes away from the show and is not worth your time.

I obviously have mixed feeling about this musical. There are some things that I obviously do not like about the show, but having been a performer I can relate to it. I know what it is like to have to audition for a show. I know the joys and pains of being good enough and not being good enough. The lyrics "won't forget, can't regret, what I did for love" from the show expresses the emotions than an actor feels when it comes to their experience in theater. I will always remember my time on stage and I will never regret anything I did because theater is my love.