4 posts tagged “musicals”
Gypsy. It just gets me. lol.
How cheesy is that?
I love that damn musical.
I've now seen two professional productions inside of six months.
That's nuts.
I am always surprised how well written the book is-- that unlike a lot of musicals of the time-- there's a play inside it.
Rose-- Don't leave, Herbie. I need you.
Herbie-- What for?
Rose-- A million things.
Herbie-- Just one would be better.
It's such a full story.
Letting go of dreams. and people. and people you see your dreams in.
Growing up when you are a young adult.
Growing up when you are an older adult.
And when you are busy being ignored-- there's always someone you are ignoring . . .
And the things we do for ourselves disguised as what we do for others . . .
Rose-- I guess I did do it for me.
Gypsy-- Why, mama?
Rose-- Just wanted to be noticed.
Gypsy-- Like I wanted you to notice me. Still do, mama. . .
It's okay, mama. . . It's okay, Rose.
But I am busy.
And somehow blessed.
Any strains I have felt throughout this semester have been swiftly relieved.
The last six months have been, as you may have noticed, filled with theatre-going.
As much as I love performing-- and I do, and I miss it--
I have received many gifts through other's performances this year.
One of the most significant has been the Roundabout production of 110 in the Shade at Studio 54.
Anyone could see the beauty and quality of Audra McDonald's performance.
But for me, that show means so much, and seeing such a fine production of this show was so cathartic, especially at the precise time and place I did.
But I had another incredible visit to the city last week.
And I feel so lucky.
I can only hope to elaborate later.
But for now I am off to opening night of our own production of Blithe Spirit!
On Friday night I saw The Light in the Piazza (AKA The light in the Pizza, the pizza play, itsapizza, pizza delivery . . can you tell my friends and I act like we're five?) national tour in Pittsburgh.
That show is LUSH. It is visually stunning. And I have long loved Adam Guettel's music-- nevermind that as the grandson of Richard and son of Mary Rodgers he is musical theatre royalty!
I quite liked the performances, too.
Especially these two. Elena Shaddow for so many of her acting choices. Not that her voice isn't awesome, it is. But she allows her characterization to affect her singing, which I love and I think other Claras don't allow to happen as much. (With the exception of Celia Keenan-Bolger before the show went to Broadway)
And Christine Andreas. Her Laurey in Oklahoma! (in the first Broadway revival back in- I believe- 1980) is my favorite. She is still so beautiful and elegant. Her voice has this very 1950's Judy Garland/Doris Day quality. It makes me happy and was so appropriate for this show. I think I (nobody shoot me) like her better than Victoria Clark, who actually won a Tony for the role and who I already thought was perfect as Margaret.
And those clothes. I want them all.
Alright, enough musical geekiness. Though have I bitched yet about how I had to waste tickets to CATS last week when we got a snow storm? If I didn't, there it is. As I said before, I now have an incredibly expensive souvenir of this year's winter weather. And what you say? There's six inches outside now? And a couple inches of sleet today, too?
Oh goody gumdrops!
UGH.
Can you tell I am trapped at home with a raging headache and no soda or pills to dull the pain?
Oh, and I should maybe mention I went to see 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress at Frostburg last night. Most of the performances were really funny. It's a great play, well written by Alan Ball, creator of the best tv show ever.
Okay, I am off to sleep the day away until the Academy Awards broadcast, whereupon I will wake up to watch and be sad because I am not performing for a living. (Though it shouldn't be the same sob fest that the Tony's usually are for me.)
I know. . . i know. . .
And by folks I mostly mean my poor little credit cards and maybe my spouse. lol.
No, honestly I was going to warn everyone that this was going to be more theatre chatter.
As one might gather from reading, I have been out of control crazy about seeing shows lately.
(I'm going to NYC again in March and will likely be eating jujubes since I will be insanely broke by then. But more on that later.)
Right now I am avoiding a nap to update in the online world.
I'm tired because I saw WICKED last night in Baltimore. Okay, everyone can rave about this show, but my feelings toward it are so mentally unstable that I try to keep them to myself.
a) It's really frustrating to a love a show that is so, well, popular. no pun intended.
b) wait, I'm not sure why I started a list.
Ah, but about my unhealthy love for the show . . . I should begin by saying there are many times, most of my life in fact, when I genuinely believe I was born in the wrong time and place, for a million different reasons. Sadly, Wicked is one of the things that makes me grateful for being right here, right now. Of course, I'm a little bitter I wasn't intimately involved in its creation somehow-- and not just for whatever financial or career benefits would come from such a wildly successful piece of theatre. It's just that the the Baum stories, the MGM movie, Greg Maguire's novel, and now this crazy musical-- which Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman did an amazing job of incorporating and adding to the story-- have affected me throughout my entire childhood, adolescence and young adulthood.
Sometime I will share all of that, including my ludicrous collections.
And though I love the show for less orthodox reasons perhaps, there really are reasons for its success.
This looks like a video, but its not. It's an audio recording of the current Elphaba on tour, Victoria Matlock.
She can belt like mad. It was very satisfying. I would recommend listening, if you have to at least skip to the last minute of the song. She's good.
