Life without a lenscap

I have not posted about this in a while.  This is the 101 in 1001 goal that involves listening to the cast recording from every musical nominated for best musical, best score, or the grammy for best musical album.  I had been doing it by year, and already did a post for all the 2009 and 2008 nominees I listened to.  I have listened to many since then, and I am going to do a brief version of many of them here.  I have heard many more on the list, but not in order since beginning this project, and it only counts in that capacity.  This list is mostly for me, but if you’re a huge theatre dork like me, you may have fun?

Please note: These are my opinions.  I state them boldly because I feel them as such – please don’t take them personally.  I’m not interested in arguing about musical quality- you are more than welcome to disagree and express it, I’m all about dialogue, but I’m not all about getting into a stupid fight about musicals.
( And a whoooole lot of musicals and thoughts on them under here: )

Lord.  That’s it for a while.  That was exhausting.

EDIT: Sorry about that. cut issues!

2008 Winners and Nominees

In the Heights

Won: Best Musical, Best Score, Grammy for Best Soundtrack
Nominated: Best Musical, Best Score
Review: http://theater2.nytimes.com/2007/02/09/theater/reviews/09heights.html
Thoughts: I am so obsessed with this show, it is impossible for me to give an unbiased review. The music is upbeat, fun and original. It takes traditional broadway styles and uniquely and, most importantly, with great skill, infuses latino music, hip-hop stylings, and rap. All the time feeling like a broadway musical The women's parts soar, and the mens parts have backbone... and.. I know this is about the album, but having seen it, I can tell you... it is AMAZING. I could, and have, listened to this every day. I've been in love with this album since I first heard it a year ago, and I have yet to feel any doubt or remorse about that.
Song Sample: In the Heights
Video Sample:

( Nominees under here! [Xanadu, Cry-Baby, Little Mermaid, Passing Strange] )

[Overall Progress]

We got to see the reading/singing of the cast of [title of show]'s new work in progress, And Now This Is Happening.

And let me tell you, it was wonderful. The music/singing was fantastic and goose-bumpy, the words, were clever, witty, and often touching. I had a wonderful evening and even got to meet the cast members afterwards. I even got some words out. "The" "Amazing" "Inspired", and some other ones too! But mostly I blushed and talked awkwardly.

For those of you who don't know [title of show] it is a musical about two guys writing a musical, about two guys writing a musical. It is fantastic, and you should probably listen to the original cast recording RIGHT NOW. Here is a link to a video of them doing their most well known song as an encore at the performance: Nine People's Favorite Thing

And now, more photos from a wonderful evening at the O'Neil!





( SEVERAL MORE! )

A quick day trip to New York today to see the performance of The Happy Sad at the Summer Play Festival at The Public. It was really great, and especially awesome to see how it had changed in the time between the reading we had seen last year, and this performance. An awesome experience, and a really good show.

07/25/09

Have we forgotten what the purpose of theatre is?

To entertain and amuse the masses?

I ask simply because I feel, more and more, as I read reviews of shows which are perfectly enjoyable, and fun, that it seems people have lost sight, and have turned the theatre into a far too serious event.

No, Pirates!, an update of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic Pirates of Penzance, which I confess, I have not seen, nor know how to spell [the original, that is... I saw Pirates!], is not a classy, sophisticated show. But I laughed a number of times, and enjoyed the music, dancing, and even much of the acting. They may not have been the best cast ever encountered in the history of theatre, but I got caught up in the story, and enjoyed the fun, ridiculous tale, and the not even subtly broadway dancing. And good fucking lord can the general sing fast. Both the scathing reviews I read [Boston Globe and the Theatre Mirror] complain about it's variance from the original. To which I kind've have to point out, the subtitle is "Gilbert and Sullivan plundered", not "Gilbert and Sullivan tactfully updated to please those who came to see the original show and not an updated version"

The shows are not written or performed for critics, or uptight theatre people, who are far too aware of the fact that they are supposed to only appreciate the most high class of work. I am not calling anyone out here- I am incredibly guilty of this as well. [Seriously. Ask me how I feel about Wicked sometime] They are written for everyone. And maybe if we all got off our high theatre horse and simply enjoyed these shows without a head of requirements and purity, we could see the show as a incredibly fun, bawdy piece of fluff, meant to be embraced in its silliness, not over thought and criticized. It's hard not to notice that when everyone around you in the audience is laughing quite happily.

A few months ago my theatre company did a production of Fools by Neil Simon - a terrible show, which we did a pretty poor job of [my set was glorious though]. However, as bad as it may have been, my parents, and indeed, most of the audience, loved it. This is because it's not something they do 3 or 4 times a month. It's a rare occasion that they see a show, and so they don't over think it. They don't go into it thinking "this will probably be another piece of community theatre shit" they go in expecting to be amused and entertained, or affected in some way. And they are. I learned a lesson from it. Theatre is an art... but it didn't have beginnings as a high-class art, and it certainly shouldn't end that way. or middle that way. It's about the event and spectacle of live theatre. [and Pirates nailed that, PS]

I just... think we need to lose the pretension a little bit, fellow theatre folk. Stop analyzing everything, stop being so critical, and sit back and enjoy the moments, however campy, silly, or ridiculous they may be. This isn't to say that we shouldn't all try to make the best thing we can... but it is okay to enjoy some mindless tripe for what it is, and not look down on it.

Did I mention how fast the general could sing?

It was kind've astounding.

No matter how many times I see Spring Awakening, I will never tire of it.

This makes 3, and my second time on stage.

5/16/09

I don't know, I'm feeling all theatre-y this morning. Been listening to sound... er... original cast recordings... [That pained me, Ian... I hope you're happy.] all morning. And I realized I hadn't updated or posted this in a while.

Time period: Play name : Acted or Crew : Role/Crew Job : Type
4th Grade: Paddington the Bear : Acted : Paddington : School
4th - 5th Grade summer : Grease : Acted : Sonny : Camp
5th Grade : A Christmas Carol : Acted : Ebenezer Scrooge : Madison Community Theater
5th-6th Grade Summer : Romeo And Juliet : Romeo : Camp
6th Grade : Pinnochio : Acted : Tabor Community Theater
7th Grade : Alladin : Acted : Kazaar (Jafaar equivalent) 2 nights, Wazier 2 nights : Tabor Community Theater
7th Grade : The Secret Garden : Acted : Dr. Kraven : Tabor Community Theater
8th Grade : The Wind in The Willows : Acted : Chief Weasel : Tabor Community Theater
8th Grade : The Wiz : Acted : Scarecrow : Tabor Community Theater
8th Grade - 9th Grade Summer : Oklahoma : Acted : Ali Hakim : Tabor Community Theater
9th Grade : The Odd Couple : Acted : Oscar Madison : School
9th - 10th Grade Summer : Bye Bye Birdie : Acted : Harvey Johnson & Mayor : Tabor Community Theater
10th Grade : Acted : Heaven can Wait : Acted : Delivery Man : School
11th Grade : A Christmas Carol : Acted : Peter Cratchit / Street Urchin (the one that gets the turkey) : Shoreline Arts Alliance (Semi-proffesional)
11th Grade : You Can't Take it With You : Acted : Boris Kohlenkov : School
12th Grade : The Man Who Came to Dinner : Acted : Sheridan Whiteside : School
Freshman College : Out of The Looking Glass, Into the Fire : Acted : Wilbur (White Rabbit Equivalent), and several others ... it was complicated, student written play based on alice in wonderland with several characters for a 7 person cast) : Providence College
Freshman College : Brigadoon : Crewed : Flies : Providence College
Sophomore College : The Tempest : Crewed : Flies : Providence College
Sophomore College : My Sister in this House : Acted / Crewed : The Photographer / Flies : Providence College
Junior College : Amadeus : Crewed : Flies : Providence College
Junior College : Beyond Therapy [Faggot Scene] : Acted : Bob : Providence College
Junior College : Clue : Acted : Prof Plum : Brown Square Players
Junior College : Alladin Jr. : Directed : Director : St. Pius V School
Senior College : Noises Off : Crewed : Stage Turning/Flies/Plants/Doors/etc : Providence College
Senior College : Honk Jr. : Directed : Director : St. Pius V School
Sophomore - Senior College : Harry Houdini's Box of Doom (Long Form Improv) : Acted : Improv-er : Providence College
Summer 2008 [Post College] : BARE: A Pop Opera : Crewed : Assistant Technical Director : F.U.D.G.E.
Fall 2008 [Post-College] : Training Wisteria : Crewed : Master Carpenter : F.U.D.G.E.
Winter 2008 [Post-College] : The Lion in Winter [Bedroom scene] : Acted : Geoffrey : Emerson College
Spring 2009 [Post College] : Fools : Crewed : Master Carpenter : F.U.D.G.E.

It's just a list for me to keep track of what I've done.

I enjoy it.

Okay theatre nerds. Get to it. Whats your list like?

SO!

Hi.

I have the missing images to update.

but as one of the sets is the photos from Fools, I figured I'd upload the photos I never did from Training Wisteria.






( About 18 more )

WATCH YO'SELF!

It's DRESS REHEARSAL NIGHT AND I HAVE A FUCKING CIRCULAR SAW.

[self-portrait]