GLEE on DVD

Just thought I'd mention that Vol. 1 of Season 1 (entitled "Road to Sectionals") comes out on DVD this Tuesday! And it relates to this blog not only because of the awesome show tunes that are used (Don't Rain on My Parade is a song I like to listen to on more than one occasion), but it stars Broadway alumni Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison! And that's only this Volume! The second half of Season 1 will feature Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff as the coach and head student of Vocal Adrenaline, respectively. Prepare your checkbooks for this Tuesday!

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Cast Recordings

Looking to buff up your knowledge of showtunes without splurging on itunes? There are a few ways to do it.

A) Listen to playbill radio. You can stream it live on your computer from playbill.com. They play showtunes all day, and occasionally their playbill podcasts. These are basically how I keep in touch with the Broadway world. They're very informative, very up to date- you'll be up to the moment on Broadway news by subscribing on itunes (for free).

B) Hit your library!! Librarys usually have incredible amounts of untapped, beautiful cast recordings just waiting for you. I just returned the cast recordings for Rags, The Wild Party, and Bye Bye Birdie and grabbed Footloose, A Little Night Music, solo CDs by Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth, and a concert showcasing the music of William finn. Obviously you can't download these onto your ipod legally, but they're great to try out to see if you'd like to buy the album or just increasing your knowledge in general.

Happy listening. :)

Jess

Give it up!...for Superman!

Ah! I haven't posted on here in forever! Must do it! Now! Thanks Jess for the arrangement-thingy.

Anyway, the latest I have to give this week about the current season at the Dallas Theatre Center in Dallas, TX. Those silly regional theatres seem to be having a ball with the shows they are performing (including the Yale Repertory Theatre performing POP! in it's world premiere). And included in Dallas' lineup this season is there own world premiere. Give It Up! is about a college and their cheerleading squad's attempt to break the basketball team's 30-year losing curse. Yeah, it's like a weird HSM for adults, (I mean the pictures look like it) but show is backed up by a host of Xanadu alumni, including the director, the playwright for the book, and the leading lady. And Xanadu wasn't the most amazing show to hit the Great White Way, but it's not terrible (and don't say Glory Days was...there is a special place in my heart for that show).

So give it up for Give It Up! to hit the Dallas stage January 15th. Along with the Beauty Plays (The Shape of Things, Fat Pig, and reasons to be pretty) to open in late February, Death of a Salesman opening in mid-April, and finally It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman to close out the season in mid-June. That show is one I would love to see, personally. Superman was a show to satisfy the theatre-goers of the 60's when Superman exploded into the American pastime. The show didn't last long on Broadway...at all...but it is one show that cannot go without a revival. Break a leg, Dallas!

As for myself, the Edge theatre in Rock Hill, South Carolina (a community theatre where I have established roots during my time at Winthrop) is putting on the play, The History Boys February 4-7. It's about a group of boys in who are studying to pass the tests for Oxford and Cambridge as they are graduating in a semester. Oh, and it takes place in England. That means accents for all of us! My character is Posner. For more info, the play was made into a movie in 2006 with the original Broadway cast of the show. It's pretty good, but leaves a lot out of the staged production. The last show I did there, bare: a pop opera went very well with a great review from Creative Loafing in Charlotte. Thanks to everyone who came! Go see The History Boys! Until next time.

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http://www.dallastheatercenter.org/
Dallas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45OsKkHhv90
trailer to The History Boys

http://tinyurl.com/yh79onp
review of bare: a pop opera by Creative Loafing

New Arrangement

Philip and I have a new arrangement! He's going to post every Wednesday and I'm posting ever weekend. We might actually remember to update this way. :)

Random thought of the week: Julia Murney is amazing. The end.

Right now, if you are reading this, go to youtube and watch her sing "Raise the Roof" from the Wild Party. You may recognize her name because she's played ELphaba on Broadway. One of the few people, in my expert opinion, that is convincing during "As Long as You're Mine." Go watch her ALAYM with Sebastian Arcelus too. Right now. (Best alaym award goes to Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian- defo cheaters cause they're married, but Julia's and Seb's is also amaazing.)

Second random thought of the week: Kelli O'Hara is amazing.

Kelli is playing Nellie Forbush in South Pacific currently, opposite Paolo Szot. She's recently been in The Pajama Game- based on the old movie- and Light in the Piazza opposite Matt Morrison. Matt Morrison was part of the original revival (paradox?) cast of South Pacific as well- as Lt. Cable- before going off to be some big, famous TV star in Glee. But we all love him anyways. Soo back to Kelli. She also has a solo album out that is on my Christmas list. Judging by the 30 second clips on itunes, I may not be able to go on with out it.

The end. :) More randomness next week.

Love,
Jess

ROCKY HORROR SHOW

I'm stoked.
To keep with the flow of the blog, I'm still in bare rehearsals. Yeah, they're good. Last night the cast started to really come together as a family, and I honestly couldn't be any prouder of who I'm working with. This cast is amazing. Come see the show!

Back to now. Alright, so today I'm headed to Summerville, SC to see the Flowertown Players perform The Rocky Horror Show. I. Can't. Wait. I don't think that they're gonna have grab bags since this is the staged version or because of that, we won't be able to do the shout outs. Well, we might do those anyway. Oh, and my outfit is amazing. My friends (who also used to work at Flowertown, Sydney and dody) also have fabulous outfits. It's in general, fabulousness.

As for broadway, opening last night was the revival of Finian's Rainbow. The St. James Theatre is proud to host this revival of a classic. Boy, I wish I could see it.

Happy Halloween!

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I didn't think to look at the tags. Haha.

So maybe I should come up w/ some legit news instead of just playing catch up w/ Philip. Well, lets see. New shows to check out on Broadway: Burn the Floor, Fela, Memphis, Superior Dougnuts, Oleanna, Bye Bye Birdie (revival), Wishful Drinking (not sure how long ago this opened, but we'll put it in the "new" category). I haven't been keeping up w/ these very well, so maybe more info later?

Movie talk for Jesus Christ Superstar (remake), Wicked, and Les Mis. Casting should be interesting...

Scott Alan just had a concert in London starring a bunch of people from the West End [and Stephanie J. block]. If you haven't checked out Scott's music yet, head to ScottAlan.net. He's got two cds out so far with an incredible amount of awesome people singing on them [Julia Murney, Megan Hilty, Eden Espinosa, Kerry Elllis, Sutton Foster, Heidi Blickenstaff, Norm Lewis, etc.] He's also working on a musical called "Piece", but he told me he's more focused on getting out album no. 3 right now. :)

Jess

Blog Tag

Yeah the show's called, Bare: a Pop Opera, technically. Haven't you seen my tags for my posts, Jess?

Anyway, character is named Lucas.

Sounds like an awesome play! And maybe one day this blog will no longer be a message board!

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Shows shows shows

Bare: A Pop Opera?

And my show is about a spy that ends up falling, unknowingly, for the man she's trying to track down. Lol.

real quick

I'm in a show called Bare. Character of Lucas.

What's your play about, Jess?

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Jason

I'm really excited right now because a show that I wrote is a getting a reading next Wed. so I can work out kinks before I send it in for a theatre conference's contest. Doesn't that sound so official? A reading? hahaha. It's a bunch of my friends chillin for half an hour to read it, but I'm still excited. :)

Glad the run went well Philip! What are you in now?

Jess

[Love how communicate over our blog. Haha.]

Opening Night...Closing Night...Added Show (spoilers haha)

The production came and went, and I have to say that my first college show is one that I will never forget, and could not trade with for anything. The show, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, was a student-directed production for the 2009-2010 season at WU, and did I mention that it was AMAZING?!?!

It was so different and crazy to actually be in a show where I come in knowing absolutely no one, and leaving with the feeling that I have known these people forever. The cast truly felt like a family where everyone has their souls poured into this show to make it an amazing experience for every audience. And the audience agreed. A few minutes before places was called the night of our second run, our director, David Hutto, told the cast and crew how the Dean of the Department of Theatre and Dance was so impressed, he asked us to extend our run. So, we added a Saturday matinee performance to calm down the ticket sales.

It didn't help much as few people came to see the newly added run time, but every audience left with a smile, a tear, and a thought about what they just saw. Was Beethoven gay? Was CB gay? Was Matt jealous or was their something else? What happens to the kids now? Their lives have been thrown for a loop by the death of a dear friend, and no one got to say goodbye. Though, hope comes to all in a letter of hope written by Charles Schultz.

Using the peanuts gang for this show seems necessary as much as it seems that it isn't. Try to imagine the show without the peanuts and just using the same characters but in a generic fashion. The point doesn't come across as hard. This is because the peanuts gang is a group of kids everyone grows up with, be it the newspaper every Sunday, or watching the Christmas special on CBS. To see these genuine hearts be torn into pieces in one fell swoop is shocking but makes the message that this happens. This message is something that the director was trying to stress. That these issues are faced all the time, and even in what we think is purest, the peanuts, its still there.

On a happy note, we sold out 5 of the 6 performances, with many returning audience members. It just shows how impacting this show can be. Especially for the actors, themselves. It was the first time I had played as the antagonist for any show, and I really had fun with it. I hope I don't get type-casted as the average douche-bag from now on.

All in all, a show so good, words can't fully describe.

At least I'm in another show right now.

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Love Never Dies

So, the sequal to Phantom of the Opera is opening in London and on Broadway soon. I'm gonna refrain from making any opinions about it for now.

Here's a music video from the upcoming show starring Sierra Boggess as Christine, and Ramin Karimloo as the phantom.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/sneak-peek-love-never-dies/

N2N Lotto

Uh oh... Next to Normal... lotto? *Sense some uber-fans that are gonna be TICKED.* Up till now, n2n has had a rush policy. First come first serve. On average, to make sure you got a ticket for that night, you had to show up at about 5/6 in the morning with the box office opening at 10 or 12 (on Sundays.) Then all you had to do was chill in line for 5/6 hours and you were guarenteed a ticket (or up to two) for $30...(ish? I don't know the exact amount.) Now, n2n is instituting a lottery like Wicked, Jersey Boys, Shrek, and most tourist-oriented, bigger shows. Basically, for lotto, you show up at certain time (usually an hour and a half/two hours before curtain) and put your name in a drawing. A certain number of names are pulled and those people get to buy discounted tickets.

This, some are arguing, is more fair and more people will get to see the show, because some people simply can't make it that early/can't be there that long. However, a lot of fans that see the show on a regular basis by rushing are very upset. First of all, now you are no longer guarenteed a ticket, and second- the rush experience can be a really fun one. Meeting new broadway crazies willing to spend 6 hours in line for a ticket to that night's show.

Personally, I think it's a good idea. As more people learn about n2n and it's not just the secret most epic show on broadway that only broadway repeat offenders know about, lotto is more practical. Also, back row seats are available in advance for $40- only ten bucks more. The only thing sacrificed is the rush experience. Shame, but we'll just soldier through.

Jess

opening night...thrilling!

Tomorrow is finally opening night for me. The first opening night for a college production. I'm in Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. Would blog about it, but I'm uber-Mctired. As such, I'm going to bed. Go see it!

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This is kind of awesome.

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/theater/reviews/25lizzie.html?src=twt&twt=nytimesTheater

Why can't all rock musicals be this amazing?

Dog Sees God opens in two weeks!

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hey, I'm new...

HELLO!! I'm Chelsea! I am the new blog person! I am super excited, because I LURVE Philip and Jessica, and I LURVE theatre! Haha! Well, I have no internet at my house, so I don't get on very often, but when I do, it will be good! So, yeah. that's all for now! Bye!

I Feel a lot Better

Now that I know that 9 to 5 will be replaced by Spiderman and Elf. UGHH. Broadway. *Dies*.

That is all.

Jess

Now They Can See A True Show...

...because all those disappointed audience members who could not see 9 to 5 can now see Dog Sees God. Kidding, Jess.

Yes, today is sad that 9 to 5 will not be performing on the stages of Broadway for a while, but, if this provides any consolation, the sudden stopped project for Spider-Man is continuing at the end of the month. I guess that this masked superhero will make it to the great white way after all.

Jess - Break a leg with crew!

My birthday in 8 days!

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9 to 5 Closes

This is not an informative post. This is a Jessica gets her feelings out post.

9 to 5 closed today.

Up till today, I'd been so sorry for the entire cast and crew, out of work after today. It was awful. I wasn't that upset for myself, though, cause I knew I'd never see the show again [on Broadway], and esp. not with this cast. Just now, though, a huge wave of depression hit me. I've been following this show since casting was announced. I am a HUGE country music fan, love Dolly, love the movie. And, if y'all haven't figured this out yet, I'm a bit of an sjb fan... (and Megan- I looove her. :)) This show was incredibly epic in my life, cause it was everything I loved. I followed it through out of town in LA to opening on Broadway through when the closing notice was posted. As soon as we found out about closing (probably an hour or two after the cast, hahaha) we started a gazillion different projects to show our love. Not only have I followed it extremely closely, but I SAW it. I have been to NYC twice in my life, and once I was very young. 9 to 5 was the reason I went this summer, and I saw it twice. I can't imagine New York without it. The big video player and marquee in Times Square? That IS New York to me. I've offcially become heart broken.

Ok, enough of me whining, here's day four of my trip:

Birdland, Stephanie J. Block concert

Ok, the first story comes before Something Beautiful. Stephanie was introducing the song and talking about how the composer’s father had scoliosis and was attached to this tree in central park. He’d gotten a picture of it because it was gnarled and bent, but glorious (her favorite Word) and he felt connected to it. Then she went on to add, “And if I’m not mistaken, your (she was talking to the composer) mother is in assisted living and still has the picture of the tree… did I just make that up?” The composer must have nodded “yes” because she got so embarrassed and said, “See, that’s what actors do, we just create!” And everyone laughed.

Story number two: 15 pounds. Tory from 9 to 5 and Jennife Dinoia got up and sang it with her. The intro was her talking about how lucky she was to be married (she pointed out Seb in the back) and how awful dating is in New York City. Through the whole song, Tory (mainly) and Jennifer were throwing out hilarious comments (different from the CD.) When it got to the point where Steph sings, “I ran into him in front of Carmine’s with his brand new wife…” Tory goes, “what a skanky whore!” or something to that effect. Stephanie stopped and went, “We did NOT rehearse that. Look at this poor little girl *points to girl like 5 or 6 years old in the audience*.” It was hysterical.

Third (shorter) story: Before Never Neverland, Steph was talking about meeting Scott and hearing NNL for the first time. “When I heard that song, things moved inside of me… that sounds gross.” Hahaha. That was the end.

The encore was Life Starts Clapping. She said she wanted to send us back to the mean old city or wherever we were from with these words- with positivity.

After the show they announced that Steph and the composers would be over in a corner taking pictures, etc. I grabbed Sebastian [Arcelus- stephanie's husband, Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys currently] as he was trying to fight the crowd to deliver sharpies to Steph. I asked him to sign my Happiness [off Broadway show w/ a limited run- he and Hunter Foster had starred] playbill that I had with me. "Well, nobody’s signing anything till I get these to Steph." But he did anyway. I told him I'd never gotten to see Happiness and he's like, "It was a great little show, sorry you never got to see it." I told him I was leaving the next day, too, and couldn't see him in JB. "I know." I'd told him this at Broadway Barks, but we'd met for like 2 secs, so I didn't think he'd remember. He did.

While we were waiting in line, I started talking to Scott Alan (SUCH a sweetheart.) I told him that Keys and Dreaming Wide Awake [his two albums, gorgeous music w/ EVERYBODY (broadway-wise) you could possibly want singing on them] were both gorgeous and he said, "well, so is your dress so we're even." We talked about all the amazing people he's gotten to be on his albums, and he's like, "Eh, sometimes you just have to settle for hags like this one *points to Steph.*" We discussed Piece [his musical in the works] (nothing happening as of now- he wants to focus of album no. 3!) and how he started making connections in New York. Then we got a picture.

So. Then we got to Steph. I was with my dad, and when she saw us, she's like "Hi guys!!" Cause we had stage doored the day before and I told her we were coming. Then she complimented my dress too (new fav. dress! Hahaha) I put down all the things I was holding at the table she was sitting at and one of them was the Happiness playbill. She's like, "Did you catch Seb?" And I thought she meant in the show, so I said no. She got up and started looking around for him, and I'm like, "No no, we didn't catch him in the show, I found him here." "Oh, ok good… how do you spell your name again?” I’d never told her my name. Hahaha. “J-e-s-s-“ “i-c-a? Good, the normal way.” While she was writing, dad snapped a picture and she's like, "You're a good pop!" Then I gave her a cross necklace I'd found at Scottish fair near where we lived cause it reminded me of The Pirate Queen [a show about Grace O'Malley, an Irish pirate that was a contemporary of Elizabeth I, Stephanie had played Grace.] "Oh, thank you, it's beautiful!" *Hug* (Big hug <3) and then she hugged Dad. Then, we got an adorable pic of the three of us and left.

So ends the Broadway portion of our vacation. I saw my favorite actress four times and met her three of them in the course of a weekend. :)

Ps- Stephanie's album is called "This Place I Know" and you can get it on Amazon or itunes. If you don't want the whole thing, at LEAST buy 15 Pounds (Away from my Love) [hysterical], Never Neverland (Fly Away) [gorgeouuus (it's by Scott Alan and a dif version can be found on his CD Dreaming Wide Awake)], or I Will Always Love You [duet w/ Dolly, nough said.]

*Goes back to sulking about 9 to 5's closing.*

Till Latah,

Jess

Day Three and JB

Day three of my vacation was 9 to 5 again:

It’s so interesting how the show changes every time you see it. For instance, Megan was much more ticked at Hart during the rooster to a hen scene and she played Backwoods Barbie more lightly- not as deeply offended as last time. Marc’s chair fell completely back during the second time it malfunctions this time. Fri, that happened the first time he did it. It must happen a lot. Get Out and Stay Out wasn’t quite as intense emotionally, but the end belt was better (if that’s even humanly possible.)

Then, we stage doored. Stephanie came out first again. When she got to us, I said something about being at the Birdland [small jazz club in the city where lots of Broadway stars have concerts] concert tomorrow and then asked if she had gotten the scrapbook we made her for opening night. “Oh my gosh, yes. You guys put so much work into that. And the handprint on my heart thing? [the theme was "handprint on my heart" (she'd been in Wicked) and we all had a heart w/ a handprint on it somewhere on our pages.] Come on, come on!” *Picture* “I’ll see you tomorrow!” And she moved on.

Got a picture with Tory Ross [who said they’re planning another Daphne video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKl226oeghg- Daphne is a minor character in 9 to 5 w/a couple lines who they decided to make a music video for. Lol! Andy Karl directed (and is singing in the background)] and Megan, and then decided to leave. “Wait, Jess, could you get a picture of ME with Stephanie?” Hahaha, I love you Daddy. She was at the end of the line still signing and taking pics, so he got up beside her and I took the picture. She goes, “See you tomorrow!” And left.
We ran down to Rockefeller Center and hung for awhile. Hit the M&Ms store. Got pizza. Came back to the hotel.

Sorry yesterday's was so ridiculously long. I had to document every moment. Haha.

Philip- CONGRATS! Good luck in your show.

JB- I'm reading it now, almost done. It's in verse- reminds me of Waiting for Godot or Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. There are two main male characters (Mr. Zuss and Mr. Nickles) who decide they are going to put on the story of Job. [show in a show- now THERE'S a new concept!] But it's not as simple as they usually are. For instance, when they are deciding who will play who, Mr. Zuss decides to play God (which is why he's "zuss" --> "zeus" I'm assuming) and Mr. Nickles plays the Devil, but he origionally wants to be Job. He wonders where they will find a Job, and Mr. Zuss says: "All we have to do is start. Job will join us. Job will be there." To which Mr. Nickles replies: "I know. I know. I know. I've seen him. Job is everywhere we go. His children dead, his work for nothing... (he continues listing Job's ills.)" Sure enough, as soon as they start, Job appears. So, it's more symbolic and the language is deeper than, say, A Chorus Line, Title of Show, The Phantom of the Opera or any other show within shows I can think of. It's a good read, but not the first show I'd recommend picking up for fun.

And ps- Philip- I'm just doing crew. :)

In other, sadder news, 9 to 5 closes in 9 days. D:

Fourth day of my vaca (the Broadway part) in the next update.

Till then,

Jess

Cast!

First college play was a success! After a night of auditions, and then another night of callbacks until the cast list was finally posted at midnight, I was cast!

I have been cast in the play Dog Sees God playing the character of Matt. This character is the teenage version of Pig Pen from the Peanuts comic strip as the play is essentially all of the peanuts gang in their high school years. Matt is a germaphobe and a homophobe. This mixture will come together in the crashing ending of the play (it's fantastic). This will be interesting as this character is a step away from what I usually have portrayed on a stage. I will become the antagonist instead of the good guy, and have to really look outside of my comfort zone and do things not usually done by me. It's nothing too odd, but definitely a difference. And one I'm looking forward to.

The other plays that are being done in the season include The Good Doctor and You Can't Take It With You. Also, the one-act festival will begin auditions.

I'm also auditioning for a musical at one of the local community theatres, but I'll talk about that later. Good luck with J.B. auditions, Jess!

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Next Day of Vacation and Brigadoon

Here's the day number two of my epic New York adventure:

Dad and I, in true tourist fashion, chilled on the risers in Time Square until I had to be at Shubert Alley [the alley next to the Shubert Theatre (Blithe Spirit) and the Booth theatre (Next to Normal)- also where Broadway Barks took place. It's also right next to the Marquis where 9 to 5 is, so I basically lived there.] I got there about 11:50 and was maybe the fifth person in line.

For $26, I had a second row seat to see Angela Lansbury and Christine Ebersole. The show was hilarious! Great acting for the most part and Angela and Christine were hysterical. I can’t believe they were 10 feet in front of me. Right there.

Of course, Blithe Spirit-y people couldn’t stage door because, hello Broadway Barks. Concept of Broadway Barks = We’re going to have this huge fundraiser (for local humane societies), invite every broadway star we can, advertise like crazy, and do it in Shubert Alley. What? Shubert Alley is maybe the size of my bedroom. Needless to say, it was a ZOO (literally- everyone was carrying around a dog or cat) and it was impossible to move. On a whim, I decided to move away from the stage [set up in the alley] to see if anyone was coming from 45th street. Hi, Sebastian Arcelus. The people I was with knew him, so we went over and chatted a bit. I complained about how he was going back to Jersey Boys the day I was leaving. “Eh, next time.” I got a picture with him (and Macaco!- his cute puppy) and then he decided to head around the block instead of fight the mob in Shubert Alley.

We also spotted Adam [Chanler-Berat], Louis [Hobson], and Bobby [J. Robert Spencer] from Next to Normal in the crowd. We got a really cute picture with Bobby (and we chatted about how I had just seen Blithe Spirit and how he wanted to but had never gotten the chance), and then they left to be huge Broadway stars presenting at Broadway Barks. The actors and actresses were exiting the stage to the left and heading back towards 45th street, so we decided to wait at the end of the barricade for them. The cast of 9 to 5 was represented by Marc, Andy, Stephanie, and Allison. Allison hadn't come out the stage door the night before, so I wanted a picture with her.

I asked her to sign my playbill (Broadway Barks playbill- $1. Hey, I contributed.) But I had a sucky sharpie so she grabbed someone else’s and signed it and then (after I handed my camera to a complete stanger) took a picture with me. Most people ducked out quickly, but the cast of 9 to 5 hung around and signed and took pictures. Stephanie walked by talking on her cell phone, and then Marc goes, “Wait, where did Steph go?” “That way.” *Smile* I felt special.

I got a picture with John Tartaglia [Pinnocio in Shrek] as well and Karen Olivo’s [In the Hieghts, now Anita in WSS] autograph “KO.” Sutton [Foster] ran off without signing or pics to get to her show… starting in two hours. Whatever. I saw her. Oh, and I saw Bernadette Peters. How cool is that? I didn’t feel like buying the book she wrote for Broadway Barks (which you had to to take a picture with her) so I settled for standing 5 feet away from her and taking a picture OF her. And that was that.

Walking back to our hotel, we saw Louis again and I wished him luck that night.

I almost don’t even wanna attempt explaining Next to Normal. Brilliant. Amazing. Made me cry… more like sob. Holy crap, Jenn and Bobby can sing. And Alice Ripley… she’s fierce. More like SHE’S FIERCE (I think that’s how Alice would like to have it put.) Her acting was incredible. Absolutely let go when Diana got upset (which was fortunately basically the entire show.) We were back of the mezz, but the theatre was so small it seemed like we had great seats.

When I see a show, I’m almost always equally or more excited about the stage door than the show (we’re talking nat. tours here, not even Broadway.) After 9 to 5- ok, the show was fun, but I wanna meet Stephanie J. Block. After Next to Normal, even with all the amazing people to meet, the show was so full and powerful and satisfying, it didn’t even matter.

But then we got to the stage door (after hitting the bathroom and cleaning my make-up up) and it mattered again. Kyle [Dean Massey- Gabe] was the first out, then Adam [Chanler-Berat- Henry] and Louis [Hobson- Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine.] Autograph, picture, the show was amazing. Pretty standard. Next was Bobby [J. Robert Spencer- Dan] who was a TOTAL sweetheart. Apparently the woman next to me had some special connection to the show, because she said something low to Bobby and he hugged and kissed her. She was crying. Then they took the picture. Then he got to me. I told him how beautiful the show was and probably something about his voice (dude, seriously) and he put his hand on my neck and dad took the picture. All the guys, sweethearts. Right? Of course right. But then there’s Alice Ripley.

It was raining by then. Woo. Wait. Waitwaitwait. Is that Alice Ripley? Did the sun just start shining again? Is Jessica over doing the hyperboles? (Maybe, but dude- it was Alice Ripley!) Dad and I placed ourselves next in line (ya, ya, look, it’s not like she’s not gonna stay and talk to everyone there as long as they want.) When we got there, she was asking the person before us if they were her friends on facebook. “Facebook is such an entertaining place!” She gushed. They apparently weren’t her friends, however.

“I’m your friend on facebook,” I laughed when she got to us. “What’s your name?” “Jessica.” “Last name?” “Well, Jessica Marie on facebook.” “Oh.” We’d never talked on facebook. She began to sign my poster in big bubble letters. “I LOVE the bubble letters!” I told her. “They keep me entertained,” she answered. Then I told her about how beautiful the show was (good thing I was there, or she might not have known) and how I was still trying to hold back tears. I asked her if Jenn [Jennifer Damiano- Natalie] was coming out and she said, “Eh, she’s 18. She’s got stuff to do. I have nothing better to do than hang out at the stage door all night.” Dad took a picture of us, and then she moved on to the next person in line. <3

We decided to go over and try our luck with the Blithe Spirit stage door (since Broadway barks had dashed my dreams of meeting Christine and Angela), but after making us wait for 30 minutes they announced that all the actors and actresses had gone home. I was quite proud, though, because during this time, Dad went, “Jess, look!” And it was Megan Hilty walking through Shubert Alley after the stage door that night. Aha! My father recognizes Megan Hilty. My life is complete.

That's day two. Next day- 9 to 5 again!!

Now Brigdoon: So. Much. Fun. I'm in the ensemble and it's a blast. After every show on Sat. night, the cast always goes [read: races] to the same restaurant to chill and celebrate. There's a tradition that we always all pitch in and buy our director and bat mitzvah cake and sing "Happy Bat Mitzvah" obnoxiously loudly. (She's Catholic.) So much fun!

^That was more for Philip (the tradition lives on!)

Tomorrow's the last day. SADNESS. Then strike. What's homework? Ah, well. The next show we're doing is "JB" which is a straight play- a modern retelling of the book of Job set in a circus... that's about all I know. I'm working crew for it. Philip's read it, so maybe he can enlighten us further.

Till latah,

Jess

Sorry I haven't updated lately! Brigadoon opened tonight and is fantastic! We're having so much fun! More on that and my vacation later. Just read Philip's post and I had to comment: I definitly think I belong in a play entitled "Confessions of a teenage Blockhead." That is all.

New Place New Plays

Finally, my first post in my luxurious (word used loosely) dorm room at Winthrop University. Here, I plan to (whilst blogging constantly) work on my degree in theatre performance. Which includes my auditioning for plays including the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. The play is an unauthorized parody of the Peanuts comic strip. Here, the kids are in high school...and horribly dysfunctional. The dramedy starts off with Charlie Brown (known as CB in the play) writing to his pen pal about Snoopy who had just died of rabies. This is when he begins to really think about the idea of the afterlife. He then tries to talk about it with his other friends including Van's sister (the character of Lucy...so I guess you can figure out who Van is) who is in an apparent mental institution after setting fire to Van's blanket. The response from all is clear ignorance as none really care, until CB talks to one kid, Beethoven. This piano player (please tell me you who this is) is shunned from his friends due to his controversial sexuality which discomforts the others. But his conversation with CB really consoles him and he is able to finally come to terms with all in the end with CB's final monologue...a letter to his pen pal. This tale brings life to a somewhat halt with its unthinkable twist on this simple comic strip. I've only read a little so far and its amazing beyond words, definitely a play I would be honored to be in...which is why I'm auditioning. Wish me luck and explain the rest of the play in a later post. I still have to finish my summer reading. Oops.

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New York!!

So, I've simply been insanely lazy. I have no excuse for not updating, especially since I went to NEW YORK this summer! Here's what I wrote while I was there, copied from my trip diary:

First up: 9 to 5. [Marriot Marquis- staring Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, Marc Kudisch]



It was incredible. One of (if not) my only major freak out happened when I saw Stephanie come onstage and hide behind the mob of ensemble. I was squeezing dad’s arm and he had no idea why. *Shrug* Most of the show was the same as LA except for the cut songs and the addition of “I Just Might,” “Always a Woman (or something like that)” and “Change It” which I had seen a clip of on youtube (BEFORE I knew I was seeing the show live. Don’t judge.) A few lines were changed and some jokes were added. Altogether, it was a clearer show.

And then. Get Out and Stay Out happened. [Big 11 o'clock number Stephanie sings @ end of show] *Faints* She outright screamed a few of the lines. It was so much more intense. LOVE. And then… it was over. Sad… no WAIT. This is when stage door happens!

Stephanie came out first. I said something about my birthday present being her Birdland concert. She asked me how old I was turning, and I said 16. Something along the lines of, “oh, that’s great.” And then we took a picture. And then she moved on. Then Megan came out. We chatted a bit, she signed, picture, and then went to take a BAZILLION pictures with every single person there. She was there forever.

Next- Marc. Honestly, I hadn’t been that excited to meet him. I didn’t agree with him on a lot of issues and he just seemed like a really intimidating person. He was BRILLIANT on stage, though. When he got over to us, I told him this was my birthday present. “How old are you turning?” “16.” “Really?” *Nods* “Really?” “I promise.” “Well, for that,” and he drew a mustache and side burns on to the little picture of him on the poster. Then we took a picture. He was such a sweetheart. Then he sped off on his motorcycle. Hahaha. Allison wasn’t coming out, we were informed, so we left.

Maybe I'll do one show at a time. Make it all soap opera-y. Stay tuned: Next day is Blithe Spirit [Angela. Lansbury. Second. Row.] Broadway Barks, and Next to Normal!

Annnnd in other news: 9 to 5 is closing! WTC, theatre world??? The show is so much fun w/ an amazing cast. Stupid Tonys. I refuse to blame RoA, but I will blame the Tonys. And all the lame people that didn't go see it. Seriously, if you can, go, it's spectacular.

The funny thing about closing was that the day closing was announced, I found FIVE different projects to be a part of as presents for the cast. In one of them, we wrote letters to the cast and crew- one for every performance from a month until closing (it's closing Sep. 6). We just got word the cast and crew gathers and reads the letters before each performance. How sweet is that???

Anyway, spread the 9 to 5 love, see it before it closes. Here's a quick vid that cannot capture the awesomeness, but it tries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNQLnxZ_w3Q

Jess

College is here! But is Spider-man?

So...I guess...I took the whole entire summer as a break. But hey, I worked as a counselor to a camp where there is no cell service. Or internet. Ah, so it all makes sense now...

Anyway, according to The Post, the upcoming musical, Spider-man, is in a haze. The lead actress to play Mary Jane, Evan Rachel Wood, is unsure about her role anymore, which then leads to the her agents trying to find those movie roles she turned down for the acting gig in the first place.
The director, Julie Taymor who directed the current running show HAIR is skyrocketing the budget saying her artistic abilities can't be strained by a limit of money...artists.
And finally, the show's composers Bono and The Edge are prepped to take the songs written for the show and turn them into singles just in case the show flops. Great backup.

So there you have it. Hasty actress, pompous director, embarrassed composers, and an imploding show. At least my summer went well. Got a decent job and heading to college to experience the wonders of theatre. Huzzah!

For more info on the Spider-man fiasco...
http://tinyurl.com/klcmdb

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Couldn't be Lazier

Ok, so my summer camp job, which conviently includes no service, has prevented me from watching anything intense recently...like the TONYS!!!! But, never fear because I shall watch them soon.

AND to top it all off, I just got a computer, and this is my first post on it! Huzzah!

Drama Desk Awards

So, the Drama Desk Awards were two days ago. I wish I had something interesting to tell you... I really don't. Sooo, 9 to 5 was nominated for FIFTEEN awards, record breaking number... won one. Thank goodness Next to Normal wasn't considered or Alice woulda snatched up Outstanding Leading Actress (925's only award- it went to Allison Janney.) Billy Eliot won everything. Blah, blah, I guess it deserved it, but geese- I didn't even wanna stay up to watch the end. Seriously- they must have given that show 78 awards. It was really... boring. Meh. The Tonys will probably split between N2N and BE, with a couple for Hair. At least there will be entertainment then!

Songs for a New World

Just got back from Songs for a New World at the local rep. theatre. This is by far my favorite musical score-wise now (and has been for awhile.)

The show doesn't have a single plot line- every song is a new plot. Everyone starts out on a boat going to "a new world" and then they each tell their own story. The boat is a metaphor, so they aren't restrained to telling how they came to be on that specific boat. The stories take place all over and at all different times. In every song, though, the person singing is on a journey (most of them metaphorically) and comes to a point where they have to make a big decision in their life. There's no book- it's just one song after another.

So, the first thing to say about this production is how amazing the set and lighting design was. The set was very simple and never changed- it was a boat on one side, a set of sails on the other that shadows were projected onto to add meaning to the songs, and a bridge over the orchestra pit that led to a walk way around the pit. These were all utilized to add more meaning to the stories being told. The lighting was fantastic. This is what really held the audiences interest through the show. The lights came from behind the actors, towards the actors, above the actors, and some even on the ceiling to add effect.

The cast were all incredible singers and carried the show well. According to some people I was with, it was dificult to understand some of the lyrics because of loud music, but I couldn't tell because I knew the songs so well.

It was an amazing night out with some buds. Great show.

Now the sad news- Philip is leaving me. D: He's going off to college and leaving me all alone to freak out about Tony nominations where no one else even knows what they are. Thanks, Philip.

Well, I guess till later,

Jess

According to my last blog post title, I'm still alive but a coward.

The Tony Nominations have been announced! As recently mentioned in the last few posts, but I wanted to post this anyway!

Huzzah for HAIR! It received 8 Tony Noms including Best Revival of a Musical! I'm really excited for it, but I'm also hoping for it to overcome the treacherous musical known as West Side Story. It is nominated for just about every catagory that HAIR is in. Sad.

But I have my faith in the age of aquarius.

As for Next to Normal...I believe the heavens opened and the theatre gods placed this musical onto Broadway to save it. And Broadway sure needs some saving.

Now, I'm not a big believer against the "fluff" musical, but the great white way needs depth and meaning, and not just something that is flashier, fancier, and all around "So Much Better" (no offense Blonde fans!). This depth is brought to musicals exactly like NtN. This show brings something fresh and original to the stage, and the score is amazing! I'm also determined that it will win Best Scenic Design for a Musical...because the set is so cool!

Counting down the days until Sunday, June 7th 8/7c. CBS!

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Billy Elliot: The Musical is overrated.

Tony Noms

Ok, so the Tony nominations were pretty much a complete failure. http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

Ok, so first of all, yay for Next to Normal- 11 noms! But seriously? Rock of Ages and Shrek in best musical over 9 to 5? I've lost hope for mankind. I might post more thoughts later, who knows....

I will have a new post tonight if it kills me!

Ok, so the TONY nominations are out! Hooray! And yesterday, the TONY non-competitive awards were given! Double hooray!

Enough with the sillies. I can't post anything about the TONY's right now, but when my time clears up I will post tonight!

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9 to 5 Opens

Woo! So, 925 opened last night. I can't post much now b/c I'm insanely busy- we're preforming "Gary" tomorrow (and I'm in two others acts as well), plus you know, that icky "homework." I'll update you later.

Jess

9 to 5

Woooo! 9 to 5 picked up FIFTEEN Drama Desk Awards. Hmm... Looks like that beats Hair's 7? 8? Sorry, Philip!

Dolly is going to be on David Letterman tonight talking about it. Check it out.

Okay so blogging this weekend will be difficult with prom (yeah im just a lowly senior) but fun news which ill say now and explain later. Green day's acclaimed rock opera "American Idiot" is hitting the stage from the team who produced and directed "Spring Awakening". Yay!

[NEWS FLASH! I'll blog the rest later.]

TITLE OF SHOW IS HITTING REGIONAL THEATRE IN VIRGINIA AND ARIZONA!

[Title of Show] Show and Other Random Comments

A new eppisode of the [Title of Show] Show was uploaded today. This is a behind the scenes (yet hilariously scripted) look at Title of Show. It usually features a few big name Broadway star cameos and this one is no exception. At the very beginning, Cheyenne Jackson, and the three lovely 9 to 5 ladies appear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEjjVvDmWHs&feature=PlayList&p=7E2E5DD85F79BDB1&index=14

And we find out the REAL murderer of Mindy, the puppet that was shot at the end of the last season... I guess you just gotta watch it. The eppisode is all about the Tonys and how [Title of Show] could be nominated for several awards.

Not to be a downer, but I kinda doubt that [tos] will be nominated for much. It didn't run for very long, but it became the obsession of theatre dorks everywhere. I honestly don't get what everyone is so obsessed w/. I mean, wooo, it's a ballade for the underdog, but honestly- what show isn't? Wicked is a ballade for the underdog, Ok? I never saw it, but I've listened to the soundtrack a lot. There are some funny parts, but the music isn't amazing. The only thing, in my opinion, this show had going for it was its creative plot and the love of theatre snobs. I feel like I SHOULD be one of them- I'm working on writing my second musical- but I just don't connect w/ this show.

Alright, now you have two perspectives on [tos], on to other things.

Next to Normal: I am so in love with this show. Go. buy. it. now. That is all.

9 to 5: Who's excited? Opening night is the 30th!! The Outer Critics Circle nominated Andy Blankenbuehler (who also did In the Heights) for his coreography, Megan Hilty (Doralee) as "Outstanding Actress" and Kathy Fitzgerald (Roz) as "Oustanding Featured Actress." The Drama League has nominated the show for Distinguished production of a show and Distinguished Performance Awards for Megan and Allison Janney (Violet.)

I'm so happy Megan got two nominations because come Tony time, she's the one that IF IF IF she gets nominated, gets nominated for featured instead of leading. Her character has the least arc to travel personally and she doesn't have a huge chance to show off her voice or acting abilities.

Allison will be nominated for leading. Stephanie could go either way. I kinda hope she's nominated for featured because against Alice Ripley (Next to Normal) in leading? ...no.

Sounds like it's about time for Philip and me to be making our Tony guesses. Hmm... we should have a contest! Haha.

Alright, hopefully those will be coming shortly. Till latah,

Jess

Being nine people's favorite thing really paid off! More, please!

One of the greatest shows to hit Broadway, [title of show], is joining other B-Way stars and comedians for the R Family Vacations Summer Cruise! Amazing!

[title of show] is a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical. I'll continue if you're not confused yet (if so...too bad). This is considered to be the "underdog musical" because of it's original content and fantastic storyline. The actors in the show say that they play more concentrated versions of themselves. This show is a recipient of three Obie Awards and the writiers of the book, music, and lyrics, Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, both received GLADD media award nominations for the show. After moving to Broadway from its wildly successful performance Off-Broadway...it left B-Way. But after a few months, so it had a good run and made its mark as an original Broadway musical like the show intended to be. For more information about it, visit the show's site or check out their soundtrack, available off of Ghostlight Records.

Now, I love this show. The songs never get old, and the story still makes me laugh. Being an aspiring actor myself, its great to see something like this make Broadway. And though I don't necessarily want to be on B-way, I still find a great inspiration in the show as being something imperfect and not flashy, but something true to the heart of theatre. With this, I missed the entire run of the show, which makes me wonder. Will the show return a run? Will it tour like it deserves to? Or is this engagement on a cruise the last stand for this outstanding work of art? Questions, questions, questions, but I really am looking forward to seeing further information about the show.

http://www.titleofshow.com/ the website front page has just been re-done and is awesome!

http://www.sh-k-boom.com/ the site for Sh-K-Boom Records and Ghostlight Records.

http://www.rfamilyvacations.com/ for those who are lucky enough to take the cruise. It's a predominatly gay cruise-line but the purpose is to create a vacation for everyone. Hooray!

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First phoned blog post from PhilipLouis!

I can blog from my phone now! :)

Softball Results

Well, 9 to 5 didn't have enough people to play but they still did anyway.

So, even though HAIR won by default, they still played. And HAIR won!!!! A good day for the tribe. A suprisingly close score of 9 to 8 left 9 to 5 in the losers braket. And don't get me wrong I love the show BUT I love HAIR! Good job guys!

New News! and Old News!

Hello!

First off, this is the new layout. The old one was dumb, and this looks like a playbill anyway. Yay!

Second, I heard (via twitter) that 9 to 5 and HAIR are facing off in a softball game tomorrow. I think that this is hilarious since this these are Jess' and my favorite musicals currently on b-way (9 to 5 is Jess' and HAIR is mine). Will post who wins tomorrow!

www.broadwayshowleague.com

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9 to 5 Previews and Next to Normal

Happy Easter, everyone! I'm sitting here with my dove chocolate easter egg (be jealous) and I'm all ready to catch you up.

9 to 5
!!!!!!!!!! This show makes me soo excited. It's based on the 1980 movie "9 to 5" about three women in the work place that get fed up w/ being taken advantage of and end up kidnapping their boss and holding him hostage until they can prove that he's guilty of fraud. The movie is hilarious- it stars Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin. Go check it out if you haven't seen it. The musical is almost word for word the movie plus singing. It stars Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block (Wicked, The Pirate Queen, The Boy From Oz), and Megan Hilty (Wicked).

Two things really excite me about this show:
1) Dolly Parton wrote the music. You have to understand that I raised myself on country music. This is huuuuuge for me. The music is very upbeat and fun, but has depth. "Backwoods Barbie" is the title of her new CD and also a song for Doralee, Megan's character. You can really hear the country in that song, but I haven't listened to any of the others and gone, "Country." It's a really great score.

2) Stephanie J. Block. Nuff said. Actually, not really. Ok, so Stephanie is my absolute favorite Broadway actress. Her voice is incredible. If you haven't heard her sing, go to the 9 to 5 website and go to the page where you can listen to songs from the show. Listen to "Get Out and Stay Out." This is the point where Judy is kicking her ex-husband out of her house. This song give me chills. Also, go check out her Defying Gravity on youtube (and there's an As Long As You're Mine posted of her and her husband, Sebastian Arcelus (Now starring off-broadway w/ Hunter Foster in "Happiness"), from when they were in the show together, and it's the sweetest thing evvver. <3)

9 to 5 opens the 30th (it's currently in previews.) Go see it!!

Next to Normal
I just bought the soundtrack to this last night. It has an awesome score. It's very modern and interesting. The show stars Alice Ripley as a mental mother who is convinced her dead son is still around and favors him to her living daughter. There's mucho tony tony tony talk for Alice. Guess we'll have to see. It's scheduled to open the 15th.

Jess

Photo of the Arts 2

It is officially Monday as of a few minutes ago. Poo. In a belated note, Happy Easter! Thought I'd give some sort of Easter related theatre photo.

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"The Fantastic Life of a Boy Named Gary Gray"

Just thought I'd make my mark about the show on here. It's a short show about a kid whose going through a tough time with a new school/something-else-that-you-don't-really-know-about-until-the-end. The show has a general sense that keeps the audience without letting their minds wander. I like it. AAAAAnnnnndddddddddd...we're in rehearsals! Sort of, since they start on Tuesday. Break a leg!

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Techies are Better than Actors: Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man."

Ok, so I'm pretty sure that working backstage crew doesn't make you a "techie", but it's the word Philip used. I helped build the set (sooo much fun- I love building things), and paint the set (ewwwww), and run scene changes. Ya, they were pretty awful. The orchestra had to vamp forever b/c it was very unorganized backstage. There were a lot of people in the way, and no one really knew what they were gonna be moving until they grabbed something. I still have a lot of time and a lot of shows before I leave, though, so I'll make sure they get better.

Ok, so the show- not one of my favs. It's a classic you kinda have to do, though, so I'm glad we got it out of the way my freshman year. Some of the music is good, (it gets stuck in your head, that's for sure) the plot is pretty eh... Especially the ending. And the whole show was definitely not up to par for our theatre department (no offense, Philip.) At least, that's how anyone in it saw it. The only thing I heard from people who came to see it was it was the best show we've done in a long time. False. But if they liked it, good for them.

Overall, it was a lot of fun, though. I've discovered being crew is really cool and chill. You don't have to worry about hair or make up or screwing up onstage, you just hang out backstage and watch the show (as much of it as you can see, anyway.) We sang and danced backstage to all the production numbers (76 Trombones, Wells Fargo Wagon, Shipoopi, Ya Got Trouble) and that was a ton of fun. Oh, and on the last show, all of the seniors in the theatre department that weren't in it (just working crew), got costumes on and ran onstage. They definitely fought each other with a fake cat and a fake plant.... on stage... <3 Lol.

So, it was a good experience. Gearing up for Summerstock now and helping out with the theatre camp at school for the little ones. Oh, and I'm in two other shows right now. (Little ones, but don't tell me that.) One is a play (like 10 mins long) that a couple of us wrote about Cleopatra that is moving from the regional to the state competition of National History Day, and the other is a play called, "The Fantastic Life of a Boy Named Gary Gray." Philip is in that one, too. It's a play one of our friends wrote that we're performing at a talent show. :)

AND AND AND --> I don't have time to write about it now, but 9 to 5 started previews on the 7th!!!! More later. <3

Jess

Actors Are Better Than Techies Part 1: Meredith Willson's The Music Man

Ah! I haven't blogged in a while! But that's okay because I have a good reason...sort of. This is because I just recently was in a musical at my school which closed this past weekend. Meredith Willson's The Music Man closed last Sunday, and I may have recently gotten over my Post-Show-Depression-Syndrome...ok not really. MWMM had a very good run with talks from some audience members saying that this is one of the best shows at St. Joe's (my high school) in a long time. As an actor (and being Harold Hill in the show which meant that was on stage for most of the time) I can see shows that have been better and those shows for a little closer than a long time. But, I understand if I did a good job (no ego intended...sorry!).
As a whole, the show came together very well with spot-on performances by the ensemble in Rock Island (very impressive guys!) and the dancers in Marian the Librarian. The minor flaw was the set changes (could've worked on them a little more, but maybe actors got in the way a little) and one of my costume changes which sucked as it took FOREVER. AND IT WAS JUST A VEST! That was a whole lot of dumb on my part, but the vest did look nice.
The show also had many laughable parts to it with the audience chuckling to the end. And finally, the show was rounded out enough with the laughs in contrast to the more touching scenes between Harold and Marian.
Okay, now to burst my ego. Out of the three shows, my Saturday performance sucked. I forgot choreography and lines and a prop. Of course, I did go on stage in a scene I wasn't supposed to. Wow, I was dumb (in retrospect I'm laughing about everything though since I covered well...I hope). It was interesting to notice everyone's reactions on stage when different improv movements were done (just another talent from the lovable actor). And finally, the show entertained the masses and I couldnt ask for a better cast family to enjoy my last show at St. Joe's with.

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Funny Girl, Legally Blonde, and Anne Frank

Woo- I had an amazing weekend: I caught the dress rehearsal of a local community theatre's version of Funny Girl, followed by the national tour of Legally Blonde, and then tonight Anne Frank that Phillip wrote about in the last post.

Funny Girl: I've seen the movie and own the Broadway soundtrack (which is often on repeat in my CD player), but never seen the show live. Funny Girl follows the story of Fanny Brice, a famous commedian, singer, and actress from the 20's and 30's. Barbara Streisand starred in the movie and Broadway versions of the show. The show I saw was very well put together: the singing was great, and the coreography was awesome. There were a few kinks to iron out line-wise, but hey- it was dress rehearsal. The best part about the show (besides seeing all my buddies in it) was the music. If you don't own the soundtrack, at least buy "Don't Rain on my Parade" on itunes or somewhere.

Legally Blonde: Legally Blonde the musical was adapted from the movie of the same name. It just closed on Broadway, but is currently touring across America. The first act dragged a bit plot-wise, and all the over the top-hyperness got a bit annoying. Becky Gulsvig, who starred as Elle, didn't impress me much in the first act, either. However, everything got better in the second act. Becky's voice warmed up and sounded amazing. Once the show got down to the more emotional parts and the actors and actresses actually acted instead of hyperactively jumping around, it got a lot better. Afterwards, my friend and I headed to the stage door where all the actors and actresses were happy to sign our playbills (and one for Philip!) and we got a picture with Becky (who came prepared with her OWN pink sharpie.) Overall, it was a fun night out.

Anne Frank: Wow. First of all: the set. The set designer, Shannon Robert, has worked on a myriad of Broadway shows including *Legally Blonde*, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, and The Pirate Queen (we have not yet discussed my adoration for this show, but as the opening of 9 to 5 draws near, you'll understand.) The set was amazing. Philip described it mostly in his last post. Obviously, there were no scene changes, seeing as the Franks stayed in the annex throughout the entire show. The acting was incredible. Anne, Margot, and Peter were all played by high school students who did a wonderful job and took their parts extremely seriously. There were funny moments and scary moments, but, in my opinion, the best staged was when the Franks were discovered and the Nazis came to capture them. They had just been delivered strawberries, which the children were eating in the attic. Epic music started as the Nazis burst in and seized the adults. The most heart wrenching part, though, was seeing the children, unaware, playing happily above. They were taken and then at the end, Otto Frank (Anne's father) came out and summed up what happened to each member who had lived in the annex. They appeared on stage as he mentioned them. He was the only to survive. Of course, all of my friends (pretty sure we brought half the school to see our friend Emiley as Anne) were sobbing at the end. It took awhile afterwards for us to all calm down. When Emiley came out to see everyone, she laughed, "Everyone is always crying afterwards! Don't cry!"

Sooo- tech week for The Music Man, as Philip mentioned, is starting tomato, so there will probably not be any updates for awhile. Not quite sure how you will go on, but you must try.

Till latah,

Jess

Andrew Lloyd Webber Strikes Again!

Love Never Dies will be first shown in London! This Andrew Lloyd Webber's much anticipated sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. I also know close to nothing about the show other than that it will be first shown in London. Break a leg, Webber!

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Review: The Diary of Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank was recently opened at The Warehouse Theatre in Greenville. I saw it last night since the other shows this weekend were sold out and this was the last weekend, for it.

IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

The story is one that everyone knows, a Jewish girl named Anne Frank was in hiding during the holocaust until she was found. And also, everyone knows that she had kept a diary which she wrote down her story of hiding in strong detail. but what makes the play so amazing is because it's a play. Because of the theatre, this story can be presented in many different ways to show Anne's story again and again, a story that needs to be known.
At the Warehouse, the set was designed the fully see the secret annex from one point-of-view. The set designer did a great job paying attention to detail showing all of what the Franks and the Van Danns had. Along with this top notch set, was the top notch acting and directing. Paul Savas directed this show for the third time, and did the best with this performance. And his cast couldn't have been better. The cast brought the story to life making you feel you were the two families experiencing every laugh, tear, and heart-pounding message of Hitler's invasions. Through the first act, you felt save knowing this was only the first half of the show, nothing terribly bad could happen. Though these presumptions were correct, things change at the end of the second act during the capture. A moment you knew would happen, and a moment you were waiting for, but at the end, you couldn't turn away. The scene was directed beautifully by Savas. He staged the children being in the attic of the annex with the adults in the main room. The nazis invaded the annex as the children were unaware of what was going on until the one nazi went to the attic and took the children. The scene built up with a song from the 3rd symphony of this Polish composer (not knowing his name right now is killing me softly) which swells as the nazis attack. This scene ended the play before Otto Frank came in at the end to tell of how each Frank and Van Daan died.
Overall, I can't say enough about this production but that everyone who has seen it are lucky. This show is one that when performed to its peak, it takes your breath away. And this specific theatre deserves to take a bow.
I was told to be expected to cry in the show, and...let's say I was still shaking when I gave a hug to my friend, Emiley, who played Anne Frank. I thanked her, and I thank the Warehouse Theatre for telling a story that has to be told.

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Photo of the Arts 1

Finally, I have started putting in photos for this blog since I kind have wanted to do that since the beginning...though, I didn't take this picture.

My sister did.

She doesn't necessarily have a blog, but she might as well, since she is a good photographer.

This photo was taken by her, and I love it. It's a great way to kick off the photo segment of this blog. Cheers, Jess! Cheers to our blog!

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Carnage of the Gods!!!!! From London!!!!!

A famous Olivier-winning play from London hits the Broadway stage. Yasmina Reza's, God of Carnage opens today at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre.

The play is from Tony nominated director Matthew Warchus, who also directed the production in London. There, the play received critical reviews. With an all-star cast, God of Carnage will really make you laugh as you see the friendships of two couples unfold from 0 to 60 (and this is all from the small fight betwen their respective sons). This play looks great! Go see it!

And now, I'm tired. So I will stop writing and sleep. Getting close to tech week in the show I'm in, Meredith Willson's The Music Man, so life becomes tiring around this time, at least more than usual. Funny, right?

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West Side Story Opens "Tonight"

Whew- it has been craaaazy and there has been no time to write. Alrighty- main news article for tonight is that West Side Story opened at the Palace Theatre. The music for WSS is by Leonard Bernstain with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (his b-way debut.) The book is by Arthur Laurents. The story is based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"- only replacing the warring families are two different gangs (the Puertorican "Sharks" and American "Jets") from which Tony (a Jet) and Maria (the sister of the leader of the Sharks) fall in love.

This updated revival features many of the songs that the Sharks sing now in Spanish (translated by Lin Manuel Miranda who wrote and starred in "In the Heights.") The new production features Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as Tony, Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as Anita, Maria's sister-in-law, and Josefina Scaglione, a 21 year old Argentinian actress making her b-way debut as Maria.

From what I've heard talking to people, Karen's Anita is incredible and there's mucho talk of a Tony for her.

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Also:

March 26-29 City Center Encores! is presenting "Finian's Rainbow" with Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, and (get out of here) Cheyenne Jackson. Lol.

The "Shrek" cast album will be played on BroadwayWorld.com's radio again tommorrow and then the 24th at specified times (check the website.) It officially goes on sale the 24th.

Jess

Shrek on BroadwayWorld.com

Hey, guys, what's up? I'm Jessica, the other contributer for this blog. I have no aspirations of going into theatre (acting-wise), but I love it!

I don't have very long to write now, but I thought I'd let everybody know that BroadwayWorld.com is previewing the cast recording of Shrek today. It goes on sale March 24, but you can catch it for free on BWW's radio station.

Shrek the musical is... a musicalized version of Shrek the movie. Haha. It has been expanded a lot, giving more backstory. It sounds interesting, and it's FULL of references to other shows (A Chorus Line, Wicked, Into the Woods, etc.) The musical stars Sutton Foster as princess Fiona (who's CD "Wish" just came out) and Brian D'Arcy James as the big man himself.

Go check it out!

Jess

Thornton Wilder = Heck Yes

So, Our Town is being played at the Barrow Street Theatre! Yay for off-broadway! After having been in The Happy Journey to Camden and Trenton (and amazing one act by the playwright) I have grown to love Wilder's works.

Our Town is currently playing off-broadway with an open-ending! GO SEE IT!

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Let the Sunshine In!

To commemorate the first post of the blog, I decided to look at a favorite musical of mine that has just started previews today! The Al Hirschfeld Theatre's newest resident is the revival of HAIR: The American-Tribal Love Rock Musical.

With book & lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, HAIR is the defining story of a generation in the 60's dealing with many issues including personal identity, teenage pregnancy, and the Vietnam War. And that is just the beginning. Though not to sound like a show that drags on the sorrowful lives others, HAIR is filled with a vibrant spirit at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

The revival of HAIR was first performed over the summer of 2008 in Central Park with free admission. These tickets prices led to people from all over flocking to the park and camping outside all day to receive tickets, which led to many extentions until the end of the summer. And though I (sadly) have never seen this show, I have seen the movie, and have listened to the soundtrack, AND have watched as many videos on the internet as legally possible. This yearning that I have to it extends to many people as this musical is very extensive in reaching my generation, as well as the hippies of 40 years ago. Seeing this connection makes one wonder if this show will help the life of the theatre during these economic times. It is very well known that shows have been closing because of this, and some say the newer shows are "fluff shows" with no internal meaning and therefore ruin the value of broadway. This can be debated (with shows ranging from "Legally Blonde: The Musical" to "Shrek: The Musical"), though the matter of saving broadway can still be questioned. And having this musical, as one that will speak to many people and connect them, is something that will do just that. Save the life of broadway.

Hair started preview today, and will open March 31 with an open-ending. Prices range. GO SEE IT!


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Curtain Rises

Good Morrow!
I'm wanting to start a blog on a theatrical standpoint. Lots of stuff about theatre, and maybe even pics here and there (I enjoy taking pictures, too AND think it's fun to upload them AND I like doing fancy things on the computer). Enjoy the show! :)

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