Christmas Countdown

First it was Halloween that whizzed by me so darn fast it left me in a tailspin and with literal dried fake blood drying on my chin (from the costume. You know.). Then it was Thanksgiving, which was a blur of raw turkey and vegetable stock and simmering cranberries, mixed together with a helping of bittersweet family drama and a climatic coloring contest. ("I'm gonna win!" My mother would sing-song. "Stop it, Tia!" exclaimed one of my young cousins. "You're making me nervous!")

And now we move on to Christmas, and I feel like I've barely taken a breath! But Christmas remains my favorite time of the year, and this time, I'm determined to actually put some thought into my Christmas mix and not let it pass me by like I did the Halloween mix.

I've discovered that life just has no 'hold' or 'pause' button and while it's exhilarating, it's also a little exhausting!

Notable Things of the Last Few Week:

1. "The Grinch" at the Pantages Theater - Eh. It was cute, but honestly as far as Grinch stories go, I preferred both the movie and the cartoon. The Grinch himself was hilarious, but he was clearly doing a Jim Carrey impersonation, and honestly, for 80 bucks a ticket, I would have rather had something a little stronger than what I saw. The music was forgettable (except for the two you already know), the jokes were silly, and the dog, usually my favorite part of the movie and the cartoon, rapidly began to annoy the crap out of me. So there you go.


2. Movies, Movies, Movies - Two really great ones, and one that had me just plain perplexed.
a: Everybody's Fine - youtube trailer
With Kate Beckinsale (PRETTY!), Drew Barrymore (PRETTY!), Sam Rockwell (...COOL!) and Robert Deniro. It was actually a very sweet movie about a widowed father who, when his grown children all cancel on him for a visit, decides to hop on trains and buses to surprise them one by one. Along the way, he discovers that his children are not as 'fine' as he thought they were, and that thanks to his demanding nature, have grown to lie to him about how things are in order not to worry him.

Enjoyable movie, if sad and bittersweet.

b: Precious - youtube trailer
What's sad is I grew up in the inner city in LA, and I knew plenty of kids like Precious. There are too many true life stories of kids with abusive families and no hope, and this movie really got to me in that sense. Definitely worth watching, even if sitting through it can be an uncomfortable experience.

c: Twilight -
Er... what? Yeah, I rented it. I finally got curious. And I just don't get it guys. I tried, I did. But OMG it made my brain hurt. This movie is like a sugared-up Harlequin romance for a preteen so I get why they would love it so but... yeah. I was bored silly. And honestly, nothing drives me more crazy than 'telling' and not 'showing' and so I really wanted to scratch my eyes out because I couldn't figure out WHY Edward and Bella loved each other so much. There was NOTHING there but 'she smells good' and he 'couldn't read her thoughts'. I need MORE. Plausibility! Please! Find a nugget of it and I'll latch on! It's all I need!

Coming up? A Christmas Masquerade at the Disneyland Hotel, and 'the Wedding Singer' in Irvine. Yes, the musical. Am I excited? Oh you have no idea.

Anne Hathaway, 'Triple Threat' Garland?

Opened up the Variety this morning to this headline: Anne Hathaway gets 'Happy'. The actress, who nabbed an Oscar nomination this past year for her role in 'Rachel Getting Married', has been quietly gaining buzz for her voice, culminating in a live Oscar performance with Hugh Jackmen. Her name has been bandied about as a possible Elphaba in the musical version of Wicked (well okay, mostly by me), and she's set for her stage debut this coming June in 'Twelfth Night' in New York.

Even so, the news that she has tapped such a high profile role in both the stage and movie adaptation of Judy Garland's most acclaimed biography is a bit of a happy shock for me. I'm a fan of Anne, I'll admit it, but the fact that the producers have taken such a chance on Anne and her largely unproven voice (at least in film/theater - she's a gifted soprano) to helm such a challenging role of such an icon not just in the movie adaptation, but the theater run as well is a testament to how Anne's star is rising.

But it's going to be a challenge. Judy Garland is one of those Hollywood icons that defy representation. Her tragic story is told well in 'Get Happy'. I'm a loyal Judy fan and I own the biography, and man it's a downer. Most film lovers remember Judy as the young precocious Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' or the gifted struggling musician of 'A Star is Born', but the MGM cultivated actress led a life that was both fascinating, tragic and uneven.

A vaudeville baby, Judy was signed by MGM at a young age. Judy had a very big voice for a very small child, but was often given 'Ugly Duckling' roles, until her big break came in both her pairing with Mickey Rooney and MGM's inability to acquire Shirley Temple for 'The Wizard of Oz'. From then on she became one of MGM's biggest draws, genius at what she did, but their habit of working their child actors to the bone, giving them uppers to keep them up and downers to put them to sleep, the constant issues with Judy's weight and her own insecurities of never being a bombshell like fellow starlets Lana Turner and Hedy Lamarr took their toll. She became a problem for directors and the studio alike, and after a few too many missed days work on 'Annie Get Your Gun', she was replaced and fired from the studio. The rest of her too short life was one attempt after another to break herself from her addictions and her insecurities.

But when she was in her element, Judy Garland was incomparable. Anne Hathaway has her work cut out for her to truly embody the complicated wonder that is Judy Garland, but I'm definately excited to see what she could do.

To show you what I mean, here's a youtube link to one of Judy's more memorable numbers - from her last MGM film 'Summerstock', here's Get Happy:

The Phantom of the Opera @ The Pantages Theatre

I confess - sometime I'm just a slave to the pretty. I can be a shallow fool, and I admit it readily. But sometimes, things are just too too pretty not to just sit and stare in awe!

Like Gorgeous Spanish Model Laura Sanchez.

Or pretty pretty Jon Kortajarena.



I'm on a Spanish Model kick. Sue me.

Anyway - like I said, I'm a slave to the pretty. When that happens on a tv show or in a musical, I tend to forgive a whole heck of a lot in terms of story/plot/direction, mostly because I'm so easily enthralled. It's not often that I get to watch something that is both pretty and well done.

I was so so happy that The Phantom of the Opera turned out out to be both. I have to admit, I never had much interest in seeing the musical until the movie. I knew a lot about it, I knew the general story, and I enjoyed the music, but there were other musicals I wanted to see before Phantom. Boy, i was missing out! I heard the production was lavish, but I've never been as boggled by set design and costumes as I was this time around. It was just so... pretty!

The decadance of the costumes, and their lavish detail was astounding. There's no less than three 'mini' operas in the musical, and for each there is a menagerie of costumes and sets that work as if they were for an entirely new production. I didn't want the 'Masquerade' number to end because I couldn't get enough of eying each and every distinct costume created for the number. The smoking mist and pyrotechnics and constantly moving sets prove consistently that there is no 'box' when it comes to theatre. There is simply imagination. And the music - haunting and wicked, rife with lust and sadness and pathos, takes over the theatre, and leaves you enthralled. One of my favorite ballads 'All I Ask of You' comes from the Phantom of the Opera, and it was beautiful to hear live.

A gorgeous, GORGEOUS experience. And a definate must-see. Especially if you saw the movie, because Christine in the musical? Actually HAS a brain. And uses it! I know! She's not just a passive reactionary character!

... so maybe the pretty doesn't blind me as much as I think it does.

The B**** of Living (In 19th Century Germany) - Spring Awakening @ The Ahmanson

"Well," I noted to my theatre going best friend as we settled into our balcony seats at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, "This may be the first time we're older than most of the people in here."

"It's Spring Awakening," she responded, flapping open her program and settling down. "It's the new Rent."

Fitting, I thought, as I eyed the crowd of young teens and twenty-somethings crowded together chattering excitedly in the 'cheap seats' (which for theatre, is an 20 bucks). Rent, the celebration of life and study of AIDS in the Bohemian slums of Alphabet City during the nineties, was a cultural, controversional phenomeon that lasted on Broadway for ten years. The rock musical based on the opera 'La Boheme' featured drag queens, lesbians, drug users, and the plea to ignore conventional shame and live for the moment and who you truly are.

The exploration of shame as dicated by society may be one of the few things that bridge together Rent with it's perceived successor, Spring Awakening.

With music by artist Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening reimagines the original play of the same name with some added rock numbers, which serve to express what these sexually repressed kids stuck in the onslaught of puberty in 19th century Germany can not.

At a critical point in their lives, these adolescents struggle to come to grips with their newly discovered sexual urges. Because their world is lined with strict morality and expecation, there is no one they can turn to to understand them but each other, and the result is tragic: the blind leading the blind.

There is handsome Melchior, almost too brilliant for his own good. He has discovered the truth in books, and has developed his own ideas about sexuality, government and shame. In his teenage arrogance, he takes under his wing a far less confident lad named Moritz. Moritz, struggling to pass his classes and aware of the consequences that will befall him should he fail, unravels in the face of his increased sexual distraction.



Their old childhood friends Ilse and Wendla face extreme opposites. Sheltered Wendla is naively curious and innocent. Protected her entire life, she does not understand why she cannot wear her too-short girl dresses and begs her mother to explain to her about where children come from, but is rebuffed and therefore remains ignorant. Ilse, however, beaten and sexually abused as a child, has become a outcast.

These four characters, along with their classmates, fumble with the urges they cannot ignore but can never speak of to the adults meant to protect them and keep them from harm. Their pain and wonder is instead released through song, accompanied with angry guitar riffs or a haunting melody plucked out on a piano.

Unfortunately, the silence of the adults, and each teenager's desperation to understand and cope with their own changes fit together to create a tragic ending for the four pair of childhood friends.

Yeah. It's not the cheeriest musical you're going to find (Rent, with all the aids and the dying, still ends much more happily). Instead Spring Awakening instead seeks to transcend the time period to speak to every person who has grappled with the frightening onset of puberty and it's accompanying shame. It seeks to speak what has not dared be spoken.



It's raw and frank and seeks to prove it with bared breasts and bared butt, and a lot of cursing and rage. Because that's what it's like to be a teenager.

I was fortunate to catch a production of the smaller, less known play that preceded the musical a few months ago, and as a result, found myself torn. While Spring Awakening is powerful, I preferred the less preachy, darker quality of the stage play than the musical, awesome soundtrack not withstanding. Still, it's a musical worth seeing for the amazing performances and frank reminder that being a teenager can be a literal hell. As an adult in her late twenties, I find myself not missing it. I can barely figure myself out now, but in high school?

Forget it.

Sadly, Rent has finally closed its Broadway doors after it's long run. Shockingly, Spring Awakening is soon to follow, a victim of a slow economy and a slough of strikes that have hit Broadway. Catch it while you can.

Just don't bring your parents. Or your kids. Unless you're ready to answer every question this show asks.

This Beautiful City @ the Kirk Douglas Theatre

Thanks to the Free Night of Theatre program, I got a chance to see the musical drama 'This Beautiful City' at the Kirk Douglas Theatre this past weekend.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but the play was free and I had always wanted to visit the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Nestled in the middle of downtown Culver City, I drove past it every day on my way home from work, but my type of theatre-fare tends to be fast-moving musicals, not slow moving plays. Mostly because I find it impossible to sit still for any length of time unless I'm totally absorbed (thanks to my ADHD).

And when I heard what the play was about I nearly choked in a disbelieving guffaw. 'This Beautiful City' was crafted together by a group of playwrights from a theatre company called 'The Civilians' who visited Colorado Springs. I know nothing about Colorado Springs, except that that is where Focus On the Family is from. Apparently, according to the play, it is also the Christian evangelical capitol of the world. And the lady who wrote 'America the Beautiful' wrote the song there. Because of the Rockies.

So basically, at first glance, this play is about a city. My inappropriate urge to laugh came not from snarky wonder, but from an unfortunate image of sitting through something of 'Waiting for Guffman' proportions.

What instead unfolded was a fascinating character study of life in an area where the Christians are working hard to 'take the city for Christ' while the other denizens work just as hard to claim bits and pieces for themselves. It didn't hurt that the team descended on the town in the midst of a proverbial (and relevant, considering what is going on in California today with Prop 8) firestorm, in which an amendment to the consitution was on the ballots to ban gay marriage in Colorado, and another measure was requesting equal rights for civil unions. Also, there was this head preacher of the New Life Church (with 14000 followers), who unfortunately chose this brilliant time to get caught for solicitating homosexual sex and drugs.

Interesting time to do interviews.

The cast was strong, and the music, in the vein of the Christian revivals resonated strongly with me. I may not have grown up Evangelical, but sitting through some of the 'church' sermons, I found myself transported, and nearly had to sit on my hands to keep from raising them or bowing my head in prayer when prompted. The majority of the second act consisted of this type of performance, and as a result felt weaker for me. Sitting through ONE sermon on Sunday was always tough on me, but sitting through ten? It brought back memories of my church heavy childhood, somewhat bittersweet. I may still love God and will always be a Christian, but the division of the church on matters that I support (gay rights being a big one) is nothing new to me.

The result was an interesting contrast of experiences for myself and my friend, who grew up in Catholic churchs and was fascinated by the differences between them.

Religous experiences aside, the play delves into the town without favoritism and with ferver, quite a feat considering the hot topics presented. Worth seeing, but beware, depending on your experience with the church, you'll be challenged to disengage.

A much more coherent review of the show is here at the LA Times.

And for logical argument regarding the great Prop 8 Debate, head over here.

WICKED Savings...

If you haven't seen WICKED at the Pantages in Hollywood, you're running out of time. The musical about the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West (who, it turns out, might not have been so wicked after all) will be leaving the Pantages at the end of the year.

I highly reccomend you see it. Even if you don't want to. Why? because EVERYONE has seen it, and that way you can either be like, "OMG! I saw it too! I can't wait for the movie!" or you can be like, "I saw it. I don't know what the big deal was. It's not even that good."

I tend to fall in the middle of either opinion. I traveled to London to see Idina Menzel play the part she originated on Broadway, but when I go to see Idina Menzel concerts and hear people singing 'No Good Deed' or texting the lyrics to 'The Wizard and I' the big chyron up front, I want to commit mass murder.

But it IS the Halloween season, and what better way to celebrate than getting some of your Wicked on?

And here's another reason. If you go on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to see the event before October 31st, you can buy your seat for up to 40% off.

Use code FALL12 when you CLICK HERE TO ORDER ONLINE or call 213-365-3500 to buy the tickets.

Don't tell them I sent you. They won't know who the hell I am.

I'd like it to stay that way.

In Which Melissa is Very Grateful that AAA thing finally payed off...

Yesterday evening, I swear to you, my car was possessed. Not the fun posessed either. The lights dimming, non-starting, cd-changing reeling, cigarette-lighter-charging, weird kind of possessed.

It was frightening. And then I realized I just had a dead battery on my hands and it was less frightening and more annoying. Luckily, my AAA Plus membership has saved me yet again. Within twenty minutes, a hunky tow-trucker driver was there with this little battery guage and charger and had my on my way. He told me my battery just needed to charge a little and I should be fine.

He lied. My car was still dead this morning. Luckily, in addition to AAA I also have 'THE DAD'. Who is better than the AAA because he will get me a battery and save me the confusion of trying to navigate PepBoys.

Still. My car hath burned me before. But usually it's just the tires. Or the gas mileage (stupid SUV). Never the battery. Oh car. Why hath though forsaken me?

Upside, I at the very least, did manage to have a GREAT dinner at this funky place on Sunset called La Isla Cantina. We ate there via gift certificate, and we met up with Igor, the really really excited owner, who welcomed us to the establishment and also introduced to the chef. The place has only been open for three months, but the meal was fantastic, the margaritas were wonderful, and the souffle we had for dessert? Decadant. They also have Tequila Thursdays, which features tapas and tequila tastings and an amazing happy hour.

A great experience and I highly recommend checking out. Reasonable prices, amazing food with some home cooked flair and high class presentation, and did I mention the tequila? You should go. Tell them Melissa sent you. They won't remember me, but I'm sure Igor will be thrilled regardless.

Also, here's a pretty fantastic deal if you want to get to a theatre but, like me, you don't necessarily have the budget to get there all the time.

Free Night of Theatre 2008, which features free tickets to select theatres around the country for featured plays in over 120 cities in the month of Octobor.

But you need to reserve your tickets now, beacuse they're free, and because of that? They're going really really fast. To be honest I shouldn't even be telling you this. Because I want them for myself. And now you know. And you will steal my ticket.

That's mean of you.

9 to 5: The Musical @ the Ahmanson Theatre w/ Dolly Parton

Is this because I'm a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot? - Frank Hart, 9 to 5

My songs are like kids, and as I get older, I want them to support me." - Dolly Parton

My mother was a working gal in the seventies. She hasn't said much about those days, but even now, I think we can safely say that '9 to 5 was the quintessential office movie way before we got 'Office Space'. It was more than a movie about empowerment, more than a satire on the working world, but it became an instant classic, with a message that speaks to every generation of woman (and men) who get to see it.

And you know what? It's also damn funny. Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton were pitch perfect as working girls stuck in unique ruts, brought down by the ultimate man, Frank Hart, the sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot.

Needless to say, when I, the ultimate musical theatre junkie and lifelong fan of Dolly Parton, heard that not only was there a musical in the works, but that Dolly Parton was writing the music, Patricia Resnick (the screenplay writer) was writing the book, and Megan Hilty (favorite Glinda ever), Allison Janney, and Stephanie J. Block were in talks to star as Doralee, Violet and Judy respectively, I nearly flipped my lid. Quite publicly. To an almost embarrassing degree.

Luckily, I'm not the only gal thrilled to see this play finally come to fruition. When word got out, I was able to gather quite a little crowd for our September 9th playdate: my mother, my sisters, and my friends. Altogether, we had the back row in the Orchestra section, for what we imagined would be the second week of production.

As the date grew closer, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that production had actually been pushed back, and as luck would have it, our tickets were now falling on opening night. This filled me with a geeky sort of delight, because I've never actually been to an opening night of any really big play. As a Los Angeles girl, most of our theatre comes by way of national tours, small independants or big productions of Broadway Tested Powerhouses ala Wicked. To have 9 to 5 work out their kinks with us before it went to New York was kind of an oddly enthralling honor, and one I didn't expect to have.

The excitement only got grew when we got to our seats and I got a better look at the cast. In addition to the three ladies, there was Andy Karl (aka the UPS guy from Legally Blonde: The Musical), and Ann Harada, the original Christmas Eve from Avenue Q (who I got to see in London, where she re-originated the role). The thing I dared not hope for was a surprise visit from Dolly Parton. It was opening night, a given that she'd be there, but usually those kind of stars stay out of the way on nights like this.

Not Dolly. Five minutes before the show started the audience erupted with a roar, when the original Backwoods Barbie strolled up to the front of the orchrestra, grabbed a mike, and introduced the show. There were a few hiccups left to work out, she informed us, and promised us a few minutes of improv and gabbery if we ended up with an unexpected stall. This got my entire row hoping for technical difficulties almost immediately.

The audience was psyched, the theater was dark, and then the musical started.

Before we go into it, let me just say that we DID have a technical glitch, and as promised, Dolly went up front, grabbed a mike, and proceded to not only gab the hell out of herself, but sing a couple of songs: 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You. Despite the stage manager's best intentions, cameras were flashing everywhere, and a few lucky people even came video camera prepared:

She was, as usual, amazing, and made a half hour wait for technical bugs to be fixed seemed like a thrilling, special surprise. Her willingness to mingle with the audience and her genuine gratefulness that we were all there was just another reason why the lady is a superstar.

But back to the musical itself:

In a nutshell? Not bad. There definately needs to be some kinks worked out (but that's what these out-of-town previews are for), and the opening 9 to 5 musical number has been tweaked to the point of non-recognition (perhaps it's not the smartest idea to have the musical start with a GUY singing 'tumble out of bed and I stumble through the kitchen'), but once the musical got going? Pure gold.

There was a lot cribbed from the script - most of the one-liners are in there, which can be a catch-22, and the storyline is changed only a bit. What is changed isn't, in my opinion, helping the story much (Violet gets a love interest, Roz becomes more than a flunkie and a full-on stalker), but there's a reason the story is so successful. It just works.

Megan Hilty is PITCH perfect as Doralee - she takes Dolly Parton's inspiration and steps it up a notch, with a flawless voice, and the double D fake boobs to prove it. Her rendition of 'Backwoods Barbie' was showstopping, and she delivers Dolly's quips and sardonic notes with a twang that is so damned sincere you're hardpressed not to believe it's really Dolly, twenty years younger.

Stephanie J. Block, in the 'straight man' Judy role, does what she does well, belts out tunes like nobody's business. Her transformation from lonely divorcee to proud single woman is fun to watch, particularly in her part of the pot-fantasies, where she sassily cha-chas around Frank Hart and then shoots him twice. Her song with her ex-husband (Get Out And Stay Out) was a little .... melodramatic for my tastes, I would have preferred something more joyful and faster in a 'Check out how Awesome I am without You' vein than the somber 'Get out and stay out but everytime you try to leave I'm going to stop you to belt out another angsty chorus' song, but she performed it well.

Out of the three, Allison Janney struggled the most. Not a surprise: she's a film and tv actress, not a musical broadway star. But she's Allison Janney, which means even when she struggles? She's the best. Her range was not what the girls' were and as a result, her slower songs lacked the same punch. This is particularly glaring in her ballad with her love interest Joe, in which they discuss taking a chance on love (Let Love Grow) as if they're discussing who went to the bathroom five minutes ago. Despite that, when she got going, and let the nerves go, she just had a blast. Her number 'One of the guys', in which Violet envisions being CEO of the company and finally joining the boys club, was pure fun, and she was at her best when she was playing ringleader in the musical numbers, such as the 'showing Judy the ropes' number 'Around Here' and silly pot fantasy 'Potion Notion'.

Marc Kudisch (who reminded me a LOT of Billy Campbell), was scene stealing as Franklin Hart. His song Mundania, in which he is literally hanging from the ceilng in padlocks and chains, was hilarious and riveting.

The climax itself was the weakest selling point. It seemed to wrap up TOO quickly, which worked in context for the movie but not so much for the play. The act 1 finale 'Shine Like the Sun' had much more punch, and a much better fade, but that didn't mean that as soon as the curtain closed, I wasn't on my feet whistling and cheering. The show did what it was supposed to do. It made you laugh, it made you stomp your feet, and the actresses, when given the opportunity, really allowed you to channel the excitement of the moment, particularly when they finally hog tie Mr. Hart like you've been wanting them to do since the opening number.

I heartily recommend the show. Since I saw the first showing, you might see a tightened up, tweaked up version, and if that's the case? You're in for a real treat.

While I'm in this country music kick -

Is there any song more depressing than Tammy Wynette's 'Stand By Your Man'? I mean, look at these lyrics:

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
Givin' all your love to just one man
You'll have bad times, and he'll have good times
Doin' things that you don't understand

But if you love him, then you'll forgive him
Even though he's hard to understand
And if you love him, oh, be proud of him
'Cause after all he's just a man

Stand by your man
Give him two arms to cling to
And somethin' warm to come to
When nights are cold and lonely

Stand by your man
And show the world you love him
Keep givin' all the love you can
Stand by your man


REALLY? I mean, people sing this song all the time, but do they really listen to it? This like, the abused woman's anthem.


On a happier note, if you're in Los Angeles, please consider checking out a musical in which the women actually EMPOWER themselves : 9 to 5 the musical! Starring Alison Janney, Megan Hilty and Stephanie J. Block! Scored by Dolly Parton and written by Patricia Resnick, who wrote the actual screenplay of the movie! It's playing at the Ahmanson Theatre September and October of this year.

And if you're in NY? It's going your way next.

I'm going to flip through this playlist for some more uplifting female country songs... OOH! SheDaisy!
.

Hairspray 2 - Electric Boogaloo

According to Variety, New Line has asked definitive director John Waters to pen a treatment for a sequel to the popular Hairspray movie musical that was the adaptation to of the broadway musical that was the adaptation of the John Waters movie starring Ricky Lake *inhales*. So yeah, that movie.

They're writing a sequel. I'm simultaneously frightened out of my wits and kinda excited. John Waters is kind of a genius, and if they get the music right it might be interesting to follow Tracy, Link, Penny and Seaweed into happily-ever-after to find out what happens when their big thinking collides with the stupids of the world.

But on the flipside? This started because of the 'High School Musical' fad. If this is a success, what's next? Wicked 2 - Escape to New York - in which Fiyero and Elphaba run away from Oz and end up in New York City, where they encounter hilarious escapades as only a green witch and a straw man can?

I'm just so confuddled.

No Good Musical Goes Unpunished: Casting Wicked

It was just a matter of time, wasn' t it? Although the rights had been bought years ago for Wicked, the tremendously successful fluffy musical adaptation of the much darker politically inspired book written by Gregory Maguire, it seems, according the Variety, that steps are finally being made to bring the story of BEFORE Dorothy came to Oz to the big screen.

Honestly, I'm less intrigued by this than I would be if someone actually adapted the actual book. Because the book itself? Complicated. Brilliant. Dark as hell. It tells the tale of a land in the midst of political upheavel and corruption, so entrenched in it's own dirty deeds that an outcast turns her back on the only true friendship she's ever known in order to do what little she can to try and change it.

The musical? ... Let's call it a fluffy version of those events. No bloodshed. No murder. Just a lot of singing, a lot of magic, and a twist ending that makes the audience think about The Wizard of Oz in a whole new manner.

Still, it's a powerful musical, and a damned successful one. Part of the sucess was thanks to the originators of the two lead characters. Idina Menzel as prickly do-gooder Elphaba (aka The Wicked Witch) and Kristen Chenowith as shallow, charming Glinda (aka The Good Witch of the North) - both scored Tony nominations and legions of fans. Of course, the problem is, that as wonderful as the actors are, they're just too old. They are. These are supposed to be college age girls who are driven by their idealistic zeal. Casting thirty-somethings Idina and Kristen would be like watching poor Gabrielle Carteris pretend to be a high school kid when she was in her late twenties in 90210. They tried casting the originals for RENT the Movie and all that really did (despite the fact that I LOVED Rent) was make you want to smack the whiny 30-somethings who didn't want to pay their stupid rent and tell them to get a job already.

The success of a Wicked movie depends on the leads, for sure. Elphaba, the girl born green, driven to try and help the less fortunate and forced into a life as an outcast and 'Wicked' because of it, speaks to the inner outcast in everyone. She is angry, she is timid, she is hopeful and earnest and bitter. Glinda is the incarnation of every mean girl that's existed, who lives on stereotypes and finds herself challenging her own beliefs and reinventing herself thanks to her unexpected roommate and best friend.

So much hinges on finding the RIGHT Elphaba. The right Glinda. Even the right Fiyero, because how do you find a shallow pretty boy who has enough depth hidden deep down to appeal to both the outcast and the popular girl?

It's worth taking a look at. We need young girls - mid-twenties who can play college age and still older. Who can sing an incredible range and act the hell out of a role that could EASILY be over-acted on the big screen. My friend Angela had some suggestions. I've got some of my own.

ELPHABA

aka the Beautifully Tragic

The Shortlist (aka My choice - and Angela's): Anne Hathaway
I know what you're thinking. What? Princess Mia? Yes, Princess Mia. The girl has grown up, and as a former soprano has the range and the chops to pull out the subtle, nervous Elphaba. And if you don't think she has the right internalized rage, let's witness the tabloid fervor that has driven the industry the last few weeks over her public breakup with her con artist boyfriend. Or being forced to work with Kate Hudson on a film called 'Bride Wars' after hanging out with Steve Carrell and The Rock on Get Smart. That'd drive anyone batty.

Youtube Evidence: Anne Hathway performing on stage.

The PLEASE GOD NO List: Katherine McPhee
Okay, so the American Idol Runner Up sang 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. For the love of GOD keep her away from this film. No, okay? Just... no. There is just not enough experience. And she is NOT Jennifer Hudson.

GLINDA

aka She'll Make You Popular

The Shortlist (aka My and Angela's choice): Kristen Bell
The girl is a trifecta of talent. She can sing, she can dance, and she is hot as hell. Oh yeah, and she also has that acting thing down. A perfect Glinda if there ever was one.

Youtube Evidence: : D'ya remember her in 'Reefer Madness'?

The PLEASE GOD NO List: Scarlett Johansson
Yes, she's beautiful. Yes, she can sing. No, she cannot be Glinda. She's got a low, smoky voice. Hearing her try to hit those soprano hits? Ouchies.

FIYERO

aka Mr. Life isn't As Painless Being Brainless As You'd Think

The Shortlist (aka My choice): Zac Effron

I'm just going to pretend High School Musical doesn't exist. Life is so much better for me when I do. And I'm going to remember what a DAMNED good Link this guy was in Hairspray. And let's face it, isn't that exactly who Fiyero is? The pretty boy who falls in love with the outsider? And dumps his blonde girlfriend? Come on. We know he can play the part. Recent pictures have shown him buffed up, and with those looks, that voice, and that body? He can be my deadbeat prince anyday.

Provided I don't remember about those damned High School Musical movies...


Youtube Evidence: Link living it up for 'Ladies Choice'

The PLEASE GOD NO List: Any of those Jonas Brothers.
I'm not even bothering to link them. Keep those guys away from my musical, yo. I'm serious.

*ahem* But you don't have to take my word for it. What are your cast suggestions? Lindsay Lohan? James Marsden?

The Drowsy Chaperone @ the Ahmanson Theatre

The last of my season tickets for the Center Theatre Group went to 'The Drowsy Chaperone', a play that I knew next to nothing about, except that a good friend claimed the ticket and exclaimed that it was 'awesome'. That, and it was supposed to be about the twenties, which I'm all for. The twenties were crazy. What with the gangsters and the prohibition and what not, but I do feel like my Broadway experiences have been semi limited. I mean, I've never seen Les Miserables or Cats or any of the genuine classics. So despite the fact that I knew nothing about the show, in the season package it only cost me 25 bucks for a balcony seat.

I was expecting roaring twenties. Color me surprised when the curtain lifted into a drab, modern apartment set, and we were introduced to a gay narrator, wrapped in a Mr. Roger's style sweater, proclaiming to everyone that he was 'feeling blue', and the only cure is to listen to an original recording of a broadway musical. Also? This guy is really, really gay. In case you haven't noticed. Which is, of course, the perfect musical cliche, and one that's destined to be made fun of.

Our narrator then decided to treat us to his favorite show 'The Drowsy Chaperone', and as the 'record' started, we began to witness the show coming to life in his own living room.

It's kind of genius. It's a show, within a show, within a show. So very META. So very on crack. Not only are we watching the show, but frequently the narrator 'pauses' to provide tidbits about the 'actors' behind the roles. The result is a geniunely hilarious, off-beat musical with great music that's not at all shy about poking fun at itself and the cliche of musical theatre at large. Over-acting, silly lyrics, impossible set changes, and mind-boggling farce abounds, and it's all so tongue-in-cheek you can't help but adore it.

Linked below is a youtube video of the TONY's performance of the show-stopping, aptly named 'Show Off':

You see what I mean?

A Chorus Line at the Ahmanson Theatre

One of the best things I did with the meager amount of cash I had last year, was spend a few hundred bucks on tickets for the Center Theatre Group. I love musicals, but as a broke wannabe screenwriter, I often barely have cash for anything other than gas (thanks, Iraq!), much less the steep prices these big ticket venues require. Because of my little splurge, I was able to see My Fair Lady, Avenue Q, Sweeney Todd, The Jersey Boys, A Chorus Line and coming up, The Drowsy Chaperone.

I've never seen A Chorus Line; not the movie, not the play, so it was a pleasent surprise to watch it come to life on the stage, particularly because the original 'Brooke' Nikki Snelson from Legally Blonde on broadway was playing the lead Cassie. I love her. Her entire role on Legally Blonde was to do the world's hardest jumprope routine, freeze in crazy uncomfortable positions, and still wail with an insane voice:

Needless to say, I was thrilled when I saw she was playing Cassie. She has her own ten minute solo midway through the production, and it was through her, and the contrast she depicts with the other dancers, that I truly understood what it means to be part of 'A Chorus Line'. The play itself centers around an audition. The actors never really leave the stage, apart from three solos, and there is constant dancing, and singing. It's a tough, tough role for anyone to play, and the dancers really rocked it out.

I will never, ever stop envying dancers bodies, and their ability to do incredible twists and flips without twisting their ankles. My feet ache just thinking about it. And they're jealous.

As am I.

That said, the show was particularly poignant for me because of the theme 'what do you do when you can't dance'. To these dancers, getting into the chorus line was EVERYTHING, and when do you really say when?

How do you know when you should stop, when you know you're never going to do what you wanted to do and need to settle for something else?

For an aspiring screenwriter, it's an intimidating thought. And a little sobering for a matinee, but I coulda just been projecting.

I tend to do that.

Idina Menzel @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay

Okay, is anyone else getting overrun by ants in the heat wave? I mean, geez. They're all over the place!

This morning I was picking them off my bed! I don't even know how they got there!

Buggy problems aside, I did have a good time this week. Thanks to a couple of friends and deep appreciation for Wicked and Rent, I got the chance to check out Idina Menzel in concert. Now, I'll admit it readily, I'm not the biggest concert fan. A lot of it is, I'm sure, the ADDness peaking through, a part of it has to be my big distaste for crowds, but I didn't buy the ticket, and I do LOVE Idina Menzel. I love Idina Menzel enough to go to England to see her perform as Elphaba in Wicked, so I suppose I could sacrifice a weekend to head to San Diego and see her sing her little heart out. (Thanks to angela for the pics).

In case you don't know Idina (and you should), Idina Menzel is a broadway Tony award winning singer/actress (but sadly, not the best dancer), who originated the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked. She is also featured in Enchanted (as McDreamy's fiancee), but mostly, she's known for those two roles, and her incredible singing chops. Oh, and she's married to this kinda hot actor guy named Taye Diggs. Yeah. Tough times for Idina Menzel.



The concern took place by the bay, at a restaurant/hotel called 'Humphrey's'. It took place outside, and the view from the bay really was gorgeous. The crowd itself was eclectic, not really surprising when you think about it. Little kids were there, sporting Wicked Witch hats, and holding Grimmerie books (song books from the musical). There were a lot of couples there; gay, straight, older, younger, and also crowds of young females, which made the event ... loud, to say the least.

While we were waiting for Idina to show up, we were 'treated' to the opening act, which was okay for an opening act. Not really a band as much as a couple guys with a guitar and a violin, singing songs that sounded as if they belonged in "A Prairie Home Companion." The most amusing part of this was the seagulls who landed on top of the stage and glanced down with perplexed birdee expressions, wondering what all the fuss was about.

An hour after we were seated, the crowd exploded in a slowly increasing roar of cheers. Was it IDINA?! No, dammit. It was that insanely hot TAYE guy. You know... the one who gave Stella her groove back. He actually had the balls to sit in the audience. Touche, Mr. Diggs.

And then, Idina came out. In skin tight gray pants and a beautiful swagger, and man can that girl sing. She's also a bit of a spaz, but that's to be suspected. She was nursing a cold (I really have to stop french kissing my fans, she said) and seemed increasingly distracted by the view from the stage, interrupting her monologues repeatedly to tell the audience how gorgeous the water was ( I wish you could see it, she said generously), and basically winging her performance.

She really is a great performer, and man do the people love her.

Most hilarous parts? Her responses to her crazy audience shouting requests:

Audience member: Sing Defying Gravity!
Idina: No, you don't get to tell me what to do. Shhh.

Audience member: Will you sing at my wedding?
Idina: No fucking way! Please! Are you kidding?

She did however, produce a couple really touching shout outs - one to a couple who had just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, and another to a gay couple who had just gotten married that day.

I really did gain a new appreciation for her album, Brave. It just comes off so much more powerful when she sings it live.

And her encore rendition of 'Defying Gravity'? Left me breathless.

Idina is a spastic kind of adorable diva, and man was I glad I got to see her do her thing.

Being Mexican Means Getting Locked Out of Your House

The weekend passed by with a varying state of affairs. It was my Mom and my god-daughter's birthday, concurrently, so that pretty much filled up my dance card. Particularly when the greedy god-daughter in question showed up on Saturday for her present and stayed the whole weekend.

Saturday was nice though, because I got to see My Fair Lady at the Ahmanson, and it was AWESOME. Totally made up for Sweeney Todd. Startlingly, it was so amazingly like the film that it was almost distracting, but there were a few things that were done with the musical that made it even more awesome. For one, there was a fierce implication in this version that Colonel Pickering was gay. None of the dialogue was different, but certain throwaway lines, and looks were now laden with meaning, and it caused for absolute riotous spurts of laughter from the audience. The actress who played Eliza Doolittle was the alternate, but she had an absolutely lovely voice, and looked absolutely stunning in the over-the-top gowns that were prepared for her. And the song numbers featuring Eliza's Dad, usually my least favorite in the film, were absolutely show-stopping. They completely took over the show, and the theatre, and by the time 'With a Little Bit O' Luck' finished, the entire audience was on their feet, clapping. It was a really great time.

Also? Upcoming season for the Pantages is gonna be fantastic. Legally Blonde! I don't care if it's cheesy. It's awesome.

Sunday was not too great. I was on my way to PETCO with my god-daughter and the pups, my mom and sister were on their way to Old Navy, when we were invaded by Larios. Larios are my dearly beloved first cousins, of which there are nine. Five girls. Very young. Adorable. Result in a lot of energy. They own the house next door (I know. That's so Mexican) and it's currently vacant, so they're doing repairs to it. They came without calling first, and met us on the porch as we were leaving. In a fit of stupidit- er... generosity, I offered my Tia my key so they could let themselves in while I went to Petco, since mine was a relatively simple errand and I would be back shortly.

It was a simple errand. I got baby fish food and little shoes made out of rawhide that the pups like to chew on, and came home to an empty and locked house. I discovered then that my aunt had decided on a whim to accompany my mother to Old Navy, and take with her, my key.

The result? I was locked out of my house for two hours, stranded with kids and pups. Annoyed. And cold. With an IPOD, but, in a picture of irony, no headphones to hear it with.

Two hours later, my mom finally gets home, and relays to me some story about being harrased by cops for double parking and somehow forcing a female officer to give her an apology at the precinct. After she was done shopping.

Which I would have been fine with if she wasn't demanding an apology from the copy while I WAS WAITING OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE.

But whatever. I'm over it. I am.

Next week? Poppies. No, not in Oz. In Antelope Valley. There's a story to go with that, but that's for another post.

Kill A President - Assasins: The Musical

Over the weekend I had the chance to see Assassins, a reimagining of the musical by Stephen Sondheim which details and explores the lives and motivations behind 9 would be and sucessful assassins of US Presidents. Iffy topic, but then again, we are talking about the man behind Sweeney Todd.

The theatre was small, and the troup was in your face, to the point of sitting with the audience and never exiting the stage once they entered it. It made for a tense hour and a half, though the funniest part of it to me was watching the audience on the other side of the small theatre, and noticing two ladies in the front row falling asleep.

Still, a great performance and incredibly thought provoking. Next up? Sweeney Todd.

Until then, here's a preview of the production I went to see:

Working 9 to 5 - On Stage. In LA.

Okay, theoretically, I shouldn't be as excited as I am over the fac that the Ahmanson Theatre is premiering a musical version of 9 to 5 later this year. But I am. I'm over the moon.

Here's why:

• Dolly Parton is writing the music.
• Megan Hilty (aka. favorite.glinda.ever) is the new Doralee
• Stephanie J. Block (killer Elphaba) is the new Judy
• Allison Freaking Janney as the new Violet.

Better yet, something in LA that we get to see first? Before NY?

I'm so there. Just try and stop me.

In the tradition of buddy features, hilariously offensive It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia got renewed for a fourth season. Maybe they're not quite as progressive as Lily Tomlin and company were back in the day, but they're just as damned funny.

At the Ahmanson: The Color Purple

As my Christmas present for my mother, I went and bought tickets to the Color Purple and 'My Fair Lady'. Mom is a theatre fan, but she won't really think of going on her own, and she's expressed some bitterness over the fact that I'll go to the plays like 'Avenue Q' or 'Jersey Boys' with my friends rather than her, so I think this was a nice surprise.

Unlike London or New York, Los Angeles doesn't have quite the theatre reputation it deserves, and when the big Broadway musicals come to town, I do what I can do see them.
I heard great things about the Color Purple, but the only thing I really remembered about the story was watching the film in the theatre as a kid, with my mom and my sister. I remember having to go to the bathroom and being generally fidgety (I couldn't have been more than 8) and having my mother get so frustrated she got up and took us home. Needless to say, not much of it stuck.

Still, I was really pleasently surprised. The story had a lot of heart to it, even if it was hella depressing at first, and the singing was out of this world.

Highly recommended for any Los Angeles people looking to do something a little different.