Hi everyone!
TheatreKAT here and I am very excited to tell you that I will be starting VIDEO blogs very soon…I’m very excited to talk to you about theater and hear you comments and reactions here on TheatreKAT, and on YouTube….I look forward to my first post very soon!
Hope you all are having a wonderful election day!
Hey everyone!
I know… I know. I have not written in a very long time. Well a lot has happened lately! I’m now a senior in college! But I am back and writing tonight! =) It’s nice to be back on here, I truly enjoy writing these posts.
Tonight I want to write a general overview of what I’m seeing lately on Broadway…As I’m sitting here listening to classic standard songs on the Music Choice channel on TV at 2am.
Remember the trend I was talking about awhile back? The one where I said that Broadway is basically getting musicals based on movies and putting them on Broadway. Well, the trend is still going on! Here’s the current movie-musical , musical-movies on Broadway…
9 to 5 the Musical... "9 to 5...working 9 to 5...."
9 to 5. Now here’s a musical that was once a movie in 1980. And guess who took part in making this musical? None other than the star of the movie…Dolly Parton. Now I’ve personally never seen this movie…So I will rely on my friend IMDB to help explain the plot a little better. “Three female employees of a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” find a way to turn the tables on him.” Well, that explains ALOT…Haha. It sounds like the musical will be funny, from this plot. From the sound of it, three women who work for a crazy boss are going to scheme against him as sort of a girl-power-revenge sort of thing…Maybe they’ll get a promotion out of this? The cast looks awesome though…Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Marc Kudisch. This show will come to Broadway on April 7th, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis!
Bloggers: Have you seen the movie?! If so, please let me know your thoughts on this movie turning into a musical!
Billy Elliot. Now this is another movie I unfortunately have not seen. But from what I understand, this is an excellent movie, and I have heard the Broadway show is nothing less. I heard it’s three acts? Is that correct? Regardless, the story revolves around a boy who wants to be a ballet dancer, meanwhile, his family seems to want something else for him. While I’ve never seen the movie or musical…It definitely looks worthy of checking out.
yep.
((Insert Disney Movie Here))… There is also the long-running trend of putting Disney movies onto a Broadway stage… The current ones are Mary Poppins, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. I’m so curious to know how The Little Mermaid is doing. Why you ask? That’s one of my favorite Disney movies..However, while it may be one of my favorites… The movie involves a lot of underwater scenes and I’m very curious to know how Disney took this on… I saw a scene from the show from watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, (the song Under The Sea), and it was very well done…So it must be doing well! Disney has always done a great job with their shows, so these are definitely worth seeing. Recently, The Lion King celebrated their 10th Anniversary on Broadway. I remember going to the Time Warner Shops in NYC and walking through the lobby one day a little while back where they had displays for it.
Shrek the Musical...!!
Shrek. I had mentioned this in an earlier post… But yes, Shrek has made its way to the Broadway stage. And I hear it’s doing well…and I heard from a friend that the show is really good. I hear some of the songs are satirical, which is also very nice. I won’t go into the plot about this movie, but I will say that this one movie has brought many Shrek movies afterwards, and many other videos, video games, etc. that kids and families enjoy today. This movie, like Disney movie, have become a staple of many-a-childhood!
I was going to say White Christmas, but I don’t see it on Playbill’s listings anymore… So did it close? I do not know. This was another musical I watched on TV performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade…But unlike The Little Mermaid, I was shocked by this choice. I know, I know, this movie is another staple to many-a-person…But to see the big poufy dresses and the red lips and everyone singing the classic songs… I wondered if this show would do well. Maybe because it is such a seasonal movie, people cannot see it year round? I simply do not know. But I don’t see it on Playbill anymore.
So that’s just one thing I see on Broadway right now…And honestly, while before I wasn’t so sure about this trend… I think for right now, it is a good idea. With the current state of the economy, Broadway has definitely felt it’s share…With many shows closing this season and just trying to get people to fill the seats lately is difficult. So sticking to what’s familiar will help people to realize, “Hey, I saw this at the movies…I bet this will make a great show on Broadway…Oh yay it’s on Broadway let’s go see it!” There is always hope for Broadway…Broadway is such a beautiful experience…No matter what you go see. There is nothing like live theater!
As I started to mention just now…The other thing I’m seeing is the state of the economy affecting Broadway. I’ve overheard people saying how tickets are cheaper than usual because they’re just trying to fill seats. Maybe this is a great opportunity for first time Broadway-goers and the regular Broadway goers to check out some shows. It’s always good to try new things!! Just like the movies, you can see something with action, something funny, something musical, something dark…There’s something for everyone, which is another thing I love about Broadway.
Bloggers: What are you seeing on Broadway right now? What are the recent shows you’ve seen lately? Let me know how it’s been! How are the prices for tickets right now??
To end this post… I will post a video of a show that recently closed on Broadway, which I actually really loved…It is of the show 13, by Jason Robert Brown.
((pictures from www.applause-tickets.com/, imigliorimusicals.wordpress.com, www.mindflare.com, www.iesb.net))
The semester has winded down and my blog posts required for my class have been ceased. However, this does NOT mean that this blog will die, no! I am happy to say that I will be continuing this blog because it truly has opened my eyes to more about the theater world, and I hope it has for all of you. I hope so far from this blog you all appreciate theater a little more.
Now I write that I am going to be philosophical right now, because in a way, I am, but this theory is partially not mine. I owe a lot of this theory to Kelly Morgan, my professor.
In one of our lectures recently in our Theatre History class, we discussed the whole idea of Theatre being truth. Theater is indeed truth. It shows how us as humans truly feel towards others…We have conflicts, and through different obstacles and tactics, we try to hurdle over these obstacles.
Morgan said in this lecture that he doesn’t understand why people “mask” their truths. I frankly don’t understand it either, yet I too am guilty of it myself.
When one masks, one is putting on a facade in a way. They are hiding their real emotions about something or someone. They hide.
We as humans face these conflicts every day. And Morgan sent us out in our theatre history class to observe people who wear these “masks” and to make observations in class about any “unmasking” we may have experienced.
Everyone had a story. Whether it was a roommate issue, revealing to someone how they romantically felt for someone, or revealing something secret to a friend, there were issues all around. When the mask is off, shouldn’t it be easier?
“You don’t hide behind the mask, you don’t decieve them, you don’t put on heirs. You have to be truthful and make them understand. You can’t hide behind the mask,” says Bridgette G., junior media studies major.
Bridgette has a point. If you mask what you really have to say, you get nowhere. I have learned this in several instances.
We all face objectives in life..We all have goals. To achieve these goals, we have to unmask ourselves and be a little vulnerable every once in awhile… If we can’t fail, then how can we succeed?
The point I am trying to get at is that Theater, what you see, read and hear on this blog, takes place in our daily lives. If one can appreciate the obstacles and hardships we face and the successes we face from conquering these hardships, one can learn to appreciate the work that goes behind theater: revealing truth.
Take any happy or sad play and you will find confrontation.. And if there is any masking, there will be times of vulnerability.
Vulnerability is powerful, especially in scenes. I myself have had several monologues performed in front of my acting class where I really had to unmask myself to let the true feelings come out in the monologue…This is what brings strength, power, and the will to succeed and accomplish anything.
A most recent play that uncovers truth that I talked about is “Whitewashed: A Rough Draft” performed and written by Quinnipiac students and even staff. Through this play they reveal the truths one has in their life. This project is continuing forth for the next few years, and I look forward to see what new stories are brought to the table.
I know this post isn’t “news,” but I’m writing it to reveal that what you’re reading in this blog may or may not exist in your own life. And hey, it’s okay to reveal truths… As the saying goes, “the truth shall set you free”!
I heard this great song on the radio today by John Mayer having to do with this topic, and I think you all may enjoy it! Here it is :
And next post, more Theatre news for you all! =)
Let me tell you!
The Long Wharf Theatre has had some exciting seasons over the past few years…I’ve gotten to experience several plays at this theatre, whether performing with the Quinnipiac Theatre for Community group on Stage II, or watching plays on either Stages I or II.
This season has had a large variety of shows, including Quinnipiac’s own “Medea “and “Whitewashed” on both the first and second stages… The next play coming to Stage II will be a CLASSIC hit, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel”!
I’ve never seen this show before, but I am excited to see what it is like if I get the chance to take a look at it. All I know is that there are a few songs I happen to know from the show from hearing others sing them, such as “If I Loved You”, which coincidentally plays from the clock tower here at Quinnipiac, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which I’ve sang in high school and “Soliloquy”. Other than that, I’ve had no idea what the plot line was or who the characters were.
But now I can tell you!
According to Long Wharf Theatre: “Set in a small New England town in the late 1800s, the story of impulsive, brash carnival barker Billy Bigelow and his bride, mill worker Julie Jordan, spans heaven and earth in its exploration of love, human frailty, and redemption.”
It sounds like it will be an amazing musical to go see! Last year, apparently the same director of this show put on “Man of La Mancha” at Long Wharf which I got to see! So I’m very excited about this show.
The show will officially open at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT on May 14, 2008 and will close June 1, 2008.
If you would like to purchase tickets you can call the Box Office at the Long Wharf: (800) 782-8497 or (203) 787-4282.
The group sales number is (203) 787-4284 ext. 259.
The Long Wharf Theatre is a great theater to go to if you want to see a play in the New Haven area but don’t know where to go!
The theater is right off of I-95 too, which is great if you’re coming from somewhere outside the New Haven area.
To end this post:
1) Go see the show! =)
2) Here’s a video of the song “‘You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the movie version:
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((Pictures courtesy of longwharf.org, theatermania.com))
Well some, a definite yes…
But others…. Oh my.
This week on one of my favorite shows, “American Idol” , contestants were asked to sing from the Andrew Lloyd Webber songbook.
At first I was very excited to hear this news. I LOVE Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music. He’s written some of the greatest musicals of all time, including “The Phantom of the Opera“, “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Cats.” These musicals, going along with my theory, have been made into stage productions, feature films, and back to stage productions. “Phantom of the Opera” is currently the longest running show on Broadway, topping the previous longest running show “Cats.”
The one thing about the music Webber writes is that it is very difficult to conquer…You can either make or break these songs. A lot of them tend to be for a specific voice part, and if your voice isn’t in that range, you may not conquer the song.
So, the top 6 “Idol” hopefuls took on Webber’s songs. Lets see how they did, shall we?
First off, we have Syesha Mercado (pictured left) singing “One Rock and Roll Too Many” from “Starlight Express”:
Now I must be honest, I have never heard this song until today. I’ve never seen “Starlight Express“, so I do not know the original intentions of the musical. But I must say, Syesha pulls off this song VERY well! Her take on it reminded me of a song from “Dreamgirls.” Her outfit looked beautiful, and she very much reminded me of Beyonce (and hey, that’s a good thing!)… While there were a few times she sounded like she was scream-singing, I think she deserves a 4.5 out of 5 stars! =)
Next we have Jason Castro (pictured right) singing the classic song “Memory” from “Cats“:
I must say I was completely shocked by Jason’s song choice. I’ve known this song to be a very popular song for musical theatre auditions. It’s such a powerful, beautiful song, yet so very overplayed. This song is also meant for a woman singer with a large belting voice. Jason…well…doesn’t fit these qualities. He’s a man, and he’s certainly not a belter. I commend him for his efforts, however. He tried to play the part of the old, glamorous cat who’s reflecting on his life… Not entirely well, but he did try. For his performance, I will give him a 1 out of 5 stars.
Next we have Brooke White (pictured left), who took on the GORGEOUS song from the movie version of “Evita,” called “You Must Love Me:”
Oh my. I was actually quite disappointed with Brooke’s performance. As you will see in this clip, she first forgets the words and restarts the song…Which some may agree with, but I’m not sure if I do… I’m proud of her for recognizing she needed to start over, but I don’t believe she succeeded the second time around. She did succeed at being the vulnerable girl looking confronting her lover, but definitely did not succeed vocally… She did look beautiful though! I give her a 2 out of 5 stars.
Next, David Archuleta (pictured right)takes on the BEAUTIFUL song from “The Phantom of the Opera”, called “Think of Me”:
I was blown away by this performance, because I really wasn’t expecting David to take this song on. The original song is meant for a high soprano voice who’s singing to her lover. He actually makes the song into a pop ballad, and he really made it his own. His voice is smooth and beautiful, and always on pitch. He chose the right places to add riffs and hold certain notes. He definitely was the best out of everyone thus far, he gets a 5 out of 5 stars! =)
Carly Smithson (pictured left) then took on the LARGE powerhouse song of “Superstar” from “Jesus Christ Superstar”:
I’d say this was my second favorite performance of the night. Smithson shines as she uses her belting powers along with the AMAZING backup singers accompanying her and the band to back her up as well. She was on pitch, had a gorgeous retro dress on and while she did scream sing a little bit, she entertained the crowd, and that’s what matters. I give her a 4.5 out of 5 stars!
The final performance of the night was VERY surprising. David Cook (pictured right) took on the GORGEOUS, yet challenging song “Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera.”:
This song was very powerful…And I again find myself very surprised that he took on such a challenging song. The voice behind the song was on par, and was very much on pitch…However, he came off a little awkward in my eyes. He was confronting the woman he loved, and he came off as the shy, sweet guy…And then at the end of the song I was especially surprised when he hit the high noted and almost screamed in his his rocker-esque voice. I was impressed by his performance, yet dissapointed by the end of the song when he went for this, and i will say it, awful high note. However, I will give him a 4 out of 5 stars.
“American Idol”, as I said, is one of my all time favorite shows on TV…While i haven’t been able to watch it as much over the years due to being EXTREMELY busy, I was happy I got to catch it last night and experience the “Idol” hopefuls try out some Broadway music. Having them sing these songs on live television shows you how much these songs really are appreciated in the world today.
Bloggers: What did you think of the Idol performances last night? What did/didn’t you like?
Tonight will be the elimination….And honestly, in my opinion, it’s either going to be Brooke or Jason kicked off tonight, just based on their vocals. However, I do understand these two are very popular amongst Americans so you never know who will be kicked off next. Time will only tell!
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((Pictures courtesy of muzix.org, cache.eb.com, idol-mania.com, nancarrow-webdesk.com, nationalledger.com))
This past Sunday I had the opportunity to experience a newly written play at Quinnipiac. Through the cast members’ revealing of their own personal stories to the cast members interviewing others about their lives…Monologues and scenes were written and put together to make up the play “WhiteWashed: The Rough Draft.” Directed by Crystal Brian (pictured left), chairman of the visual and performing arts department at Quinnipiac, this play explores what it’s like to be “the other.”
The “other.”
This could mean a ton of things. Obviously this means you stand out from the rest.. But this could be good or bad…And in this play’s case…It definitely isn’t the good that shines through.
There were monologues and scenes covering a variety of topics, including rape, being fat, ugly, being homeless, being gay/lesbian, the horrible “n” word, and so much more. There are so many things that you could say that make someone else an “other.” But I’m so glad they brought these issues to light.
A cast member spoke to the audience saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me. Wrong. Words hurt. What you say to people matters. Think about it.” While there may be physical reminders of the scars you have from your past on your body, the mental scars stay with you forever. And while many may say “oh I don’t judge people at all, I’m so great and nice!” Trust me, we all judge others. It’s honestly a way of life. But plays like this can make a difference in helping that one person not get raped, or be called fat, or be called a “n*****.” Words like that were written on a chalkboard throughout the entire play. These words hurt. And I hate that people don’t understand this.
This play is an ongoing project, which was another cool thing about this play. The cast members revealed information about themselves to the world in this one weekend. But the actual writers didn’t read their own work, they let other cast members read it. While scenes were memorized for the most part, the monologues were found scattered throughout the stage posted on walls to be ripped down and in garbage cans to be ‘picked up.’ You’ll never know or realize when you will hear a person’s story.
Another topic brought up in this play is the idea of ‘masking.’ My theatre history class of all classes spoke about this. Theatre is truth, my professor Kelly Morgan (pictured left) says. But why then in real life, don’t we reveal truth? Why don’t we confront people when we need to. We need to keep on our ‘masks’ so we feel ‘comfortable’ around the other we are trying to talk to. But this does not help the situation. We should not have to hold back from our feelings. In a way, the society we are in puts us in this masking situation. Following standards, “rules” that were created in the past to make us “better people.” I don’t think segregation made anyone better in the 60s. I think it definitely made us worse. When people judge people before getting to know them, it bothers me.
Bloggers: When you are judged by someone else, how does it make you feel? Post your comments here.
I speak about confronting others because in this play, they strategically wore masks when their characters were uncomfortable with being in their own skin. Once the mask was off, they had to tell the complete and honest truth, and needed to be open and direct with their feelings as well. There were several scenes throughout the play that displayed this, and they displayed this very well. I was very proud of several cast members who were able to read these monologues and scenes with conviction, and facing the reality of the situations they were reading in front of them.
The use of videos and pictures above the actors enhanced the play further. My only issue with the projections was that the curtains they were projecting the information on were ribbed, making it very hard to read whatever was on the screen. If one stared at it for a few minutes, they may be able to somewhat decipher it, but you really would need to stare at it for awhile.
The use of music made the play even more powerful. Mike Castro (pictured left), Pete D’Alauro, Molly Heintzleman and R. Sam Chaney were EXCELLENT. I’ve known Mike for a few years now, and his songwriting skills proved the other night to be extraordinary (You can listen to Mike’s music here). He wrote a song about being ‘white washed’ and being isolated from others in society, being the “other.” His words were powerful, and the music behind him was powerful and triumphant. It was amazing when the triumphant music was playing at the end of the play with the trumpet blaring and the cast members “white washed” the chalkboard with white paint. It symbolized taking a giant leap into this day and age with an awareness of how to perceive others from that day forward.
After the performance ended, I was very emotional. Certain monologues affected me in various ways and brought me back to very dark places of my past I honestly didn’t want to be in. But they reminded me of the play’s message: that words HURT. And it’s so VERY unfair to be disrespected by someone for something that is beyond your control. Because it was an ongoing project the cast had a ‘talkback’ with the audience and took comments, questions and suggestions to improve the piece further. The most shocking comment of the night was “there are no blacks in this play.” This angered me. Yes, there may have been only ‘whites’ up on the stage, but I must say, White people are diverse too, (which this woman also said and noted that there should have been a monologue on reverse discrimination), and there weren’t only just WHITES on stage! I saw someone who was Asian, I believe there were several Jewish and Christian people on stage. People of different sizes and shapes. Different genders , obviously, and (from personally knowing cast members) different sexual orientations.
Diversity is beyond skin deep, everyone. That’s what “Whitewashed: The Rough Draft” was trying to say. And it blew me away with it’s message. This play MOVED me.. It was inspiring and because it is an ongoing work, I very much look forward to seeing what new monologues and scenes develop through talking with even more people over the next few years.
The play is over now, but since it will be put up next year most likely at the Long Wharf Theatre Stage II again, I DEFINITELY recommend either submitting your own stories or just going to see it. Plays like this will make a difference in the community, and it has certainly made a large impact on myself.
Here’s a great poem that speaks about how words can hurt:
And here’s a video that I LOVE which definitely addresses the “race” issue (“Black or White” by Michael Jackson!):
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((Pictures courtesy of Quinnipiac.edu, wordscanhurtorheal.com, firstbaptistchurchfcc.org, scoes.wythe.k12.va.us, imagecache2.allposters.com))
Tonight I thought I’d write about a person whom I’ve known for a very long time..and whom I’ve been meaning to speak about on this blog for a VERY long time. He has grown into an established musical theatre composer in NYC today and I am so very proud of him and his accomplishments thus far.
His name is Justin Paul.
I remember my first play I was in, EVER…“Bye Bye Birdie” at my middle school. Justin happened to be playing the role of Albert Peterson…And I was an “Ed Sullivan Chorus Member” and a “Teen Performer” in the song “One Last Kiss.” That cast was LARGE…SO large they double casted the ensemble I was in. This was 5th grade for me , and 7th for Justin… Honestly, he’s never stopped being amazing to this date. And hey, another thing to the ladies, he’s cute! 
So my next play, “Fiddler on the Roof” comes around and he plays the role of Perchik, who ends up being “matched” with the character of Hodel. This was another play I loved, because the cast was SO talented…All of the leads, and the ensemble too… Middle school plays to me, were amazing…Such a great experience. TONS of talent. And once again, Justin Paul stood out to me…
Now we can fast forward a few years to when I entered high school. I remembered Justin not being in several of the plays I was in at Staples. I remembered he was in plays before I got to high school…But I do not remember him being in “The Music Man”, my first high school drama club experience.
But he was in “Into the Woods” as the Baker. He was PERFECT in this role… His musical and acting talents shined particularly in this production playing this role.
His standout role in high school, in my opinion, was the show “Merrily We Roll Along.” This is a Stephen Sondheim musical that explores the lives of three close friends as they travel backwards in their lives to see what truly went wrong in their friendships. You see their struggles and joys. Justin played the main character (Frank), and I KNEW he would be cast in this role….An aspiring composer who takes his claim to fame very much to his head… He actually played piano on stage as he sung the songs his character composed. I must tell you all, not a lot of people can do this…Really.
Speaking of playing piano…Besides singing and acting, Justin has a GIFT of playing piano. Honestly, he’s one of those people where if you tell him a song I feel he could just play it full out without even thinking. I don’t think I’ll ever understand it, but I LOVE IT. Also in his high school career he conducted several of the shows’ orchestras…Which was very cool, and he did a wonderful job.
Fast forward to a few years later… I’m still in high school (or maybe just starting college?)…And I find out Justin wrote this thing called a “song cycle” (I thought to myself, “what’s that?”) with a guy named Benj Pasek (pictured above, left). They both were attending University of Michigan together for their musical theatre program, and wanted to showcase their songs they had worked on…So they came to Westport (my hometown) to this little center within a church, and brought back 4 UMich musical theater people with them as their “cast”. The show is called “EDGES.”
This show blew me away! I had an idea that Justin was probably good at songwriting but I had no idea he was writing song cycles! I play that one CD that he sold of his original work on my radio show to this day. The songs are uplifting, yet powerful at the same time. They’re very universal too, and speak to the audience about keeping up with the way the world works today and how to socially survive. I agree with the intent of their music fully.
So they had this song cycle, and they took it around the country, literally. It was reworked SEVERAL times, and it still is being reworked to this day!! They now apparently have different “versions” of it, as Justin told me, one for colleges and one for a more mature crowd (more general crowd). “EDGES” can now be officially staged anywhere across the country by obtaining the rights through Music Theatre International. This makes me SO proud.
What else have Benj & Justin accomplished since “EDGES”? Well, a TON…They’ve played their new work around several little club places in New York City and even in Los Angeles. Broadway stars have been able to sing their work in these showcases…Which was SO cool to see ((I saw one at Joe’s Pub in NYC a few years ago)). They’re apparently writing some full length book musicals from what I understand. They’ve written songs for several episodes of the Playhouse Disney show “Johnny and the Sprites” starring John Tartaglia. They were the youngest winners EVER to receive the Jonathan Larson award last year.
“EDGES” is now having several professional theatre runs across the country…And I had the pleasure of seeing the production at the Capital Reperatory Theatre in Albany, NY with my brother. It WAS SO COOL, because there was actually a set with costumes and professionals “doing their thing” to Justin & Benj’s work.
I must say, I am still in complete jaw-dropping awe of their acomplishments thus far…And they’re both around my age- I’d say around 22-23.
WOW!
To conclude, I must write that Justin is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. I’m so happy to say “I know him!” and to be able to write about him on my blog in this manner.
And I KNOW their work is going to get bigger and better from here on out! 
I can’t wait to see what’s next.
If you want to check out more of their work, please check out their website!
And PLEASE check out these awesome videos from their showcase shows:
Here they are singing “Pretty Sweet Day”:
Here’s Shoshana Bean singing “Ready to be Loved”:
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((Pictures courtesy of mtcmainstage.org, wikipedia.com, Broadwayworld.com))
OK.
This is starting to bother me.
When “High School Musical” came out during my freshman year in college, I was SO excited because as you all can clearly tell, I am a theater person. I was wondering how Disney would take this subject on. Amazingly enough, they pulled off the topics of high school theatre and the DRAMA that revolves in the drama club well.
I have experienced similar events like what happened in “High School Musical.” The drama club, I sadly must admit, can be somewhat of a clique. They have their certain “stars” and then there are people that are involved that are “outcasts” and then there are people…Like in this movie…That want to try new things, and want to break out of their shell of things such as playing sports, dance, etc. I’ve seen this first hand, so I must commend them for their efforts.
I think “High School Musical” was my favorite one thus far. I’ll admit, I was excited when they were making a “High School Musical 2″.…But it just wasn’t the same. A lot of people singing in the movie sounded extra wonderful (which made me think they were enhanced by the magic of computers)… But the story really wasn’t as good.
Now they’re coming out with “High School Musical 2″ as a stage production. They’ve already had a stage production of the first one…Which I actually got to see at my middle school, which actually, went very well. Heck, they’ve even had an Ice Show which very well too.
But a second stage production. NO, NO NO! This movie’s story line is simply too rediculous to be put on stage… It takes place at a country club and some of the songs are by the pool and stuff…Rediculous! I’m starting to think Disney’s efforts are a little superfluous.
Bloggers: What do you think? Is Disney going too far?
So now I have other news…If you didn’t know yet, the full cast is coming back for “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” This movie, unlike the others, will be a feature film…in movie theatres. It is slated to arrive in movie theaters this fall.
And NOW…now I find an article on Playbill the other day that says they’re “in the works” with creating a 4th, I repeat 4TH HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.
DISNEY…Come on. What’s next, “College Musical”? Let’s be real here…you can only go so far.
They need to start thinking about their demographics, I feel. A LARGE age range watches these movies…goes to the stage shows, etc. Now if they keep going at this rate, they’re obviously going to make an X dollar amount of a TON of money… At this point, they really don’t need to make extra movies. These shows are good as they are… And they’re certainly not going away/fading away any time soon.
If you feel or don’t feel the same…Feel free to comment.
Here are some clips from “High School Musical” and ” High School Musical 2″ !
“High School Musical”:
“High School Musical 2″:
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((Pictures courtesy of: http://www.soloencostarica.com, http://upload.wikimedia.org, playbill.com, theage.com.au))
That, my friends, is your Harry Potter.
Harry Potter, HALF NAKED, I may add. =)
Excited? I know I certainly am.
You may be thinking…why would she put such a gorgeous picture of Daniel Radcliffe on her blog? Well, I’ll tell you.
I heard last year about this play called “Equus” that was playing in London. I didn’t know who it was by, what it was about, who was in it besides Daniel. All I knew of it was, “the play where Daniel Radcliffe is NAKED!!!!!”
I heard this more than once…And I was like “Wow, is this really what the premise of the play is?” I pictured swooning girls outside all ready to see Harry Potter take off his shirt and pants.
I must admit, I’ve never seen any of the “Harry Potter” movies, and frankly I don’t care to read the books either. But when I saw the pictures tonight… I think I completely understand where the excitement is coming from!
But at the same time… I would hope that this play isn’t an excuse for Daniel Radcliffe to take off his clothes…That’s a horrible way to expose people to theatre…and a horrible representation of what theatre is. That almost makes the people who agreed to run this play in London sound desperate to fill seats.
So tonight, #1, I’m here to inform you that “Equus”, starring yes, DANIEL RADCLIFFE, is coming to Broadway to the Broadhurst Theatre for previews September 5th. It will officially open to the public September 25th and will run until February 8th, 2009.
Excited?! Yay.
But yes, tonight, I am looking to find the answers.. What is this play about? And really, WHY IS DANIEL RADCLIFFE NAKED?!
Here’s why!
Apparently the nakedness doesn’t last that long in the play. Apparently the play seems to be a little more psychological than what I was expecting. Apparently… I don’t think this play is at all what I was expecting!
Here’s the synopsis (thanks to wikipedia!):
The play mostly takes place in a psychiatrist’s (Dysart) office, where he is in session with Alan Strang, a boy who literally, is in LOVE with horses. Throughout the entire play, Dysart is there to help Alan realize what he’s done, and most importantly, why he did it.
While Dysart questions his past, Alan explains his life story. The audience learns Alan’s parents are a major influence in his life, in a particularly negative way. He was very conflicted on religion: his mother being a very strong Christian and his dad being an athiest. Through his mother’s telling of Biblical stories, Alan fell in love with horses. He was intrigued by them through those stories, western movies and his own grandfather’s interest in the animal.
At one point in the play Alan’s father tells Dysart that Alan one time was seen by him kneeling in front of a picture of a horse chanting different Bible-like names…and one of them was “Equus.” From what this synopsis says, Alan believe the “spirit of Equus resides in all horses.”
So the audience also discovers his own sexual self through his parents….He finds himself very sexually attracted to horses, and ever since his first horse encounter at a very young age.
There’s other key scenes involving hypnosis and more of Alan’s discoveries about himself and the people around him. Several confessions later, we find Alan speaking more about his sex life, revealing the ::gasp!:: nude scene.
Now to me, this scene seems to be towards the end of the play. Alan’s given a placebo, and tells Dysart he and Jill ( a girl he met ) go to a pornography theatre (Jill asked him to go)…And lo and behold, they find his father there, watching movies. Once Alan sees his own father watching the act, he realizes “hey, maybe I can do it too!” He goes with Jill back to the stables to “perform the act”..hence the NUDENESS EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT! But unfortunately, Alan gets too nervous to have sex, and Jill leaves…His embarrassment causes him to take it out on the horses he loves so much, and eventually commits the crime of blinding them.
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So there’s some definite themes here, of sexuality, and religion, and maybe some other illusion versus reality themes as well. Through finding the synopsis, I’m amazed that this really has sparked so much buzz; I’m quite proud of the people who put this show together in London. They’ve got guts, and they’ve certainly proved themselves.
So my question to you all is: Despite the fact that yes, Daniel Radcliffe is naked, would you still go see this show?
Let me know your thoughts…
For now, here’s are some interesting video clips for you!
Here’s an interview CNN did with the main characters:
Here’s a spoof on the play:
((Pictures courtesy of maryt.files.wordpress.com, abcnews.com, emmaempire.net, smh.com.au))
Yes, what you are reading is correct.
A show made from entirely new material, which had a very successful Off-Broadway run…is coming to Broadway this July.
What is it?
I heard about this play through my brother. He had seen it awhile back and fell in love with it…He got the CD and told me all about it. He played it for me in the car. Frankly, I fell in love too.
One thing i’ll tell you all: it’s one of those “show-within-a-show” plays.
It stars four people (pictured at left: Co-creators Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell , as well as Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff.) who are making a musical, with the hopes to take it literally to the top- Broadway.
The press notes on Playbill say the following: “[title of show], according to press notes, “takes a thoroughly unique and comical look at the pleasures and perils of the artistic process as two struggling writers [Bell and Bowen] and two struggling actresses [Blackwell and Bickenstaff] take on the seemingly impossible task of creating a new musical about creating a new musical. Now with Broadway as their destination, the quartet’s saga continues anew as they face mounting pressures and deadlines, and are nearly thrown off-track by disagreements, day jobs and insecurities in this funny and unforgettable look at the birth of a musical as it finally comes to life on the Great White Way.”
The show originally debuted in 2004 at the New York Musical Theatre Festival and then premiered in 2006 at the Vineyard Theatre.
It’ll be directed by Michael Berresse, who’s currently starring in “A Chorus Line.”
Tickets will start going on sale for the show April 21st…And if you want to see this, I’d recommend getting them now!
From just listening to the CD alone.. the show is excellent. It is very well written, and it conquers the process of making a musical and the ups and downs behind such a process. The singing is excellent..and I’m so excited to check this show out when it premieres!!
The creators worked very hard to get the show where it is today as well…They created a blog that showed their “process” to getting the show to where it is today. This is SO exciting.
This show is an example of my theory that has won the battle of fighting old material. We need more inspiring stories like this…How people develop a fresh new idea, work hard at it, take the necessary steps and even fallbacks, and then completely succeed.
For more information on this show (if you want to check it out!) , check out their website.
And to end this post, here’s the latest episode of the online video show of ” [title of show] “!
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((Pictures courtesy of blogwaybaby.com, nytimes.com, playbill.com))
