While I Was Out: Movie Musicals and My Very Own Weasley

I'm sorry to have run out on you guys like that. Since I disappeared for a couple of days, why not have another installment of....

WHILE I WAS OUT!!!!!

So, to start out, I had an audition on Monday and a shoot on Tuesday, and I am STOKED!! I have no idea if I got the job from Monday, so let's skip past that, shall we? Tuesday I got to hang out with ACE Hardware's Lou Manfredini and learn all about maintaining my home. And learn I did. I'm going home and brushing all the leaves off my air-conditioner, right now. I had a fantastic time, and really appreciate getting to be a part of their project.

Photo Credit: Broadway World

Tuesday night, Thomas and I had tickets to see the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies. It was a recording of a live theatrical production out of Melbourne, Austrailia, and was showing in one of the local movie theatres. Frankly, I'd been hearing rumors about this sequel since I was a kid, and as a "phan" of the original (I wrote a freaking term paper on it in high school, and one of the highlights of my life was getting to sing for a vocal coach who worked with Webber's Really Useful Company, and having him say I sounded like a young Sarah Brightman. I could have died happy right there. I've seen the show twice--touring and Broadway--and have performed pretty much the whole score in pieces over the course of my career, such as it is. You might say I like the show), I was terrified. See, none of those rumors had ever been particularly good. Plus, the reviews of the London production had been...well, let's just say they weren't very nice. Luckily, the Melbourne production was completely overhauled and completely gorgeous. The singers were phenomenal, the sets and costumes visually striking, and the plot and characters much more complex and mature than the original. It was also nice to see the Phantom and Raoul have a real, honest-to-God, gentlemen's argument, sans weaponry. Watching those two let each other have it verbally and on even footing was downright cathartic. This is also one of Webber's finest scores to date, and some of the most emotionally moving music I've had the pleasure of hearing. It's not a perfect show--there are one or two character/plot issues that, if you know the original, might be a little jarring and will definitely spark debate--but it works both as a sequel and a stand-alone. If you leave without tears or chills, there's something wrong with you. The DVD is set to release on May 29th, and is already available for pre-order on Amazon. I highly recommend it.

The biggest news, though, is that we got a puppy!! Okay, so he's a year and a half old, so not really a puppy. He's tiny and sweet, so it counts.

His name is Ronnie, and he's part chihuahua, part angel. Ronnie's already house-broken, understands (and occasionally acknowledges) the word "no", and loves to snuggle and play with his toy zebra. I adore this little guy. In case you're wondering, he came with the name, but since he kind of ginger-y (though you can't tell in the picture, darn it!) we decided he must be part Weasley and kept it. He also has a little white spot on the back of his head, shaped like a lightning bolt. It was meant to be.

So, that's where I've been. How 'bout you? Let me know what you've been up to in the comments.

Breeze It, Buzz It, Blast It!: A Review and Stream of Conscious

Photo Credit: Sephora

About a week ago, I decided to be adventurous (and we all know how "adventurous" I am...) and try the Blasted nail polish that's new from Sephora by OPI. That is, I wanted to test out the new nail polish named Blasted, not that it was "that dagnabbit blasted nail polish." It's not blasted, it's just called Blasted...oh, I give up. You know what I mean.

Here's how it works: you paint a base color on your nails, wait for it to dry, then paint one (and only one) coat of Blasted on top. As Blasted dries, it will separate into patches of color, letting your base color shine through. Finish with a glossy clear top coat (optional, but definitely recommended).

The polish ($9.50, Sephora) is really cool. It actually does "blast" apart as it dries, and was neat to watch (yes, I just admitted to having fun watching paint dry). Blasted comes in several colors, including red, white, turquoise glitter, silver glitter, and gold glitter. I decided to go with what other reviewers had deemed the most versatile shade in the group, and the one that shows up best when "blasted", black. Hoo boy.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Let me start off by saying that I didn't hate it. I think I would prefer to try the gold glitter next time, as I think it would be amazing over a pretty bronze, but I don't hate the black polish. If you can rock the urban look, by all means, go for this. I think it'd look awesome over a neon purple (actually, I may try that). However, if you tend toward a more boho or classic look (like I do), this might look kind of silly alongside, say, a flowy tunic or crocheted Summer sweater. I have to say, rockstar nails and a choir robe was not my best look. However, a lot of that can be blamed on my choice of base color. I thought I pulled out hot pink to go under the black. I know, I know--my nails would be the envy of ever ten year-old girl on the planet. Anyhoo, I thought I pulled out hot pink. In truth, I'd pulled out a creamy, spicy red. Oops. In my defense, it was dark, the pull cord for the light was high up, and I am short. By the time I realized my mistake, three nails were done, and I didn't feel like starting over.

Once I got the black polish painted, and the nails did their blasted thing, I decided that the black over red wasn't terrible. It wasn't embarrassing, but it was...familiar. Where had I seen this look before? Blocks of black over a sea of red? Hmmm...

Photo Credit: Broadway World

Oh, yeah.

I've been humming "A Boy Like That" for days, now. Not that that's a bad thing, or anything. As far as earworms go, this one's actually kind of--MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The hunt for this image did lead me to a really cool Vanity Fair spread from 2009. If you've got a few minutes to spare and want to see some remarkably faithful recreations of scenes from the film version of West Side Story (with designer clothing and J.Lo, natch), I highly recommend surfing over to the site. It's an all-star cast, with the likes of Chris Evans (on the floor, right) and Robert Pattinson (back, right, with Brittany Snow) getting their 50s on.

Photo Credit: Vanity Fair

Zhen Shi Mei Miao*

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been on a bit of a theatre kick since watching Sunday night's unusually entertaining Tony Awards. My husband, on the other hand...eh, not so much. Don't get me wrong, he appreciates the theatre, and has even seen a couple of shows that I (*gasp!*) haven't. Not that I'm bitter. I mean, The Producers wasn't that great, right? Right? *sigh*

Anyhoo, I spent Sunday in rapt wonderment over the performances, while Thomas fiddled on the computer and played around on his phone. I mainly wanted to see the number from Anything Goes, because I played an Angel in the show a few years ago (Virtue: the easy kind, if you must know), and thought it would be fun to see how our costumes compared (nearly identical, I'm happy to report). Well, Thomas actually watched part of the act, and, when I asked him how he liked it, pointed out that it was cute, but he preferred it in Mandarin.

From that moment on, I have had an earworm of Kate Capshaw lip-synching "Anything Goes" over the Temple of Doom opening titles. Thanks, honey. Thanks heaps. So, for your listening and viewing pleasure, I give you:



Ain't that a hoot? As it turns out, today is actually the thirtieth anniversary of the franchise's first entry, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Why not celebrate by re-watching the classic. No, Indy doesn't sing, but it sure beats the heck out of outrunning boulders and avoiding snakes. Plus, I hear number five is going to happen, so we might as well get ready for it.

*Anything Goes!

Zegen--wait for it--dary!

Photo Credit: Zegend of Lelda

If any of you guys are going to be in the New York area June 8-12 and have an extra $18 lying around, you might want to check out The Zegend of Lelda: A New Musical Presented in 8 Bits. It's from the creators of Oedipus for Kids, which I know nothing about, but I feel the title probably says it all. To me, it sounds like a can't miss.

Zegend is actually a fifteen-minute excerpt from the full musical, and is running as part of the 2011 West Village Musical Theatre Festival. From Broadway World:

Who can forget the first time they grabbed their pixelated sword, clutching a wooden shield while fighting off nightmarish monsters in order to collect some weird triangles and save the princess? Or the blinding glow of that golden video game cartridge as you screamed over the eight-bit soundtrack that you'd be down for dinner in just a minute, which easily turned into four hours? Now, one of the most epic and enduring video game series of all time is presented as it was meant to be: as a musical, on stage, and in a fully non-copyright-infringing manner. Join us for this Zegendary adventure, and all attendees who come in costume will receive a free feeling of satisfaction from dressing up in costume in a public place.


With music and book by Robert J. Saferstein and lyrics and book by Gil Varod, THE ZEGEND OF LELDA is a hysterical journey through the video game world in search of bored fairies, questionable power ups, and a chorus of singing deformed villains. Watch as the hero Zink (Ronen Bay) and his trusted friends Boomy (Zack Moody), Sierra Myst (Zoe Farmingdale), and Old Man (Sean Ward) fight to save Princess Lelda (Susanne Nancy Kobb) and the kingdom of Tall-rule from the evil Dannon (Steve Copps) and his Shmoblins (Steve Walker and Amy Van Deusen). Direction is by Ron Grimshaw. Piano and Musical Direction are by Brenna Sage. Featuring vocal arrangements by Scott Stein and guitar by Natalia Garrido Rosa.

Honestly, if I were going to be back in NY, I'd find the eighteen bucks. This is a great chance to see some up-and-coming talent performing new musicals with a variety of styles and subject matter, from some amazing new playwrites and composers. I checked out the line-up, and there is definitely something for everyone, and worst case scenario, the whole thing will be over in an hour and a half. I'm just going to hold my breath and hope there's a cast recording someday.

Tossing Sequins In Our Eyes: Burlesque Movie Review

Wow.

I almost made it through Burlesque last night. Almost. A little over an hour in, I caved. Now, I'm a musical kind of girl. My DVD shelves are littered with Camelot, How To Succeed in Business, Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma (two versions--one with Hugh Jackman!), Rent, Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, tons of Sondheim shows, and I want to say three copies of The Sound of Music. That's barely putting a dent in the collection. Some are good, some are bad, and some are so bad they're good. This one was just so bad it was hilarious, and I made it through Nine, for crying out loud!

I wasn't planning to do a full-on movie review, but why not? I've gotten this far. Let's see...the plot was cliche and totally predictable. A small town innocent packs up her dreams and moves to L.A. with nothing but a handfull of dollar bills and a photo of her dead mother (who will be shoved down our throats anytime there's a need for us to feel any sort of emotion toward said small town innocent). Ali (short for Alice) is somehow cosmically drawn to the seedy, but exceptionally well-choreographed Wonderland (yes, they went there) of the Burlesque Lounge, where she forces her way into a waitressing job, then ultimately onto the stage, where she is realized for the talent she is, and becomes the star of the show. Yay for Ali. Meanwhile, there's a boozy, witchy diva to outshine, and a love triangle between Ali, her best guy friend, and the handsome villain. Oh, lest I forget, they've also got to raise enough money to keep the Burlesque Lounge out of foreclosure. I couldn't tell you if they beat the bank, since I never made it that far, but I'd bet money those plucky dancers saved the day, and probably at the very last second.

It's a train wreck, but Lordy, it's a fun train wreck. The choreography is fantastic, the numbers are hysterical (in a good way) and down-right hot. I don't personally care for Christina Aguilera's style of singing, but you can't argue that the girl's got pipes. Cher sounds amazing, and her heartfelt solo, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me", would be absolutely wrenching in any other less ridiculous context. I also admired the placement of the musical numbers. So many movie musicals have people inexplicably bursting into song. Here, all numbers were confined to the stage, and had dramatic purpose. If only this could have been an all-star Burlesque show! How awesome would that have been?!

Since they did make it a movie, with actors and dialogue and all that jazz, at least they got Stanley Tucci. I swear, that man makes everything better. Poor Peter Gallagher and Alan Cumming were completely underused. I kept hoping and praying they'd let Alan Cumming do something onstage; then they did, and I remembered to be careful what I wish for. Eric Dane makes for a charmingly sleezy bad guy, and Cam Gigandet, as love-interest, Jack, is ruggedly vulnerable, and looks very nice without a shirt. Christina Aguilera is not an actress, but you could tell she really put some effort into her acting, and I have to give her credit for that. Honestly, the writing didn't do anyone any favors. Not to post spoilers, but when all the "good guys" in the movie have sufficiently creeped you out, it's time to turn off the DVD and see what's streaming on Netflix.

This is a movie to laugh at, not with. I don't say that to be mean, either. This is the kind of movie that I can see people giving the Rocky Horror treatment. There are dozens of fabulous, glittery ensembles for cosplay, catchy songs for sing-alongs, and laughably fun lines to yell back at the screen. Case in point, my favorite of the movie: "If you fall off the stage, legs extended, boobs up!" Really, I think that pretty much sums up the whole film. It may be short on substance and long on style, but it plays that style to the gaudy, glamorous, rhinestone encrusted hilt.

Final Verdict: 2 out of 10. Make it a group night, pile on some glitter, and fast forward to the numbers.

Now, for the real reason for this post. Ali wears some excruciating gorgeous Louboutin's in the film:

Photo Credit: Third Avenue Princess

They don't exist in the real world (custom made for the movie, sad to say), but I found two great sites for seriously discounted real Louboutin's. Click here or here to get a pair for as little as $107 (still too rich for my blood, but definitely affordable by comparison). Here's the pair I'm dying for:

Photo Credit: The Best Christian Louboutin Outlet