The other day shopping, I came across the Nylon book PLAY. Upon opening it, I was thrown into a world of female artists who rocked their look, as well as studios-- from Janis Joplin, to The Like, to Bjork, to Fiona Apple, to Jane Birkin. It was enthralling-- Nylon is a fashion magazine, so not only did the book focus on their music but their look. It gave examples of products to use to copy the look and how to work it. It amazes me what comes out in literature these days. Needless to say, I came across this book browsing an Urban Outfitters store.

 I decided, hey why not try this out? So in the store while my friend took her sweet time trying on corduroy pants in the dressing rooms, I wrote a draft text in my phone listing a few artists to try out. I recommend Jenny Lewis for more mellow, but Bjork you have to love for her ingenuity and different sounds. I've heard her before from dance routines but never really took time to look up her stuff. Fiona Apple was definitely one of my favorites though. She first had a record released in the mid-90's, and then held off releasing her latest album for several years, Extraordinary Machine. She plays piano and writes all of her music. She even did a cover of "Sally's Song" from Nightmare Before Christmas.

Any fans of Young Frankenstein out there? If so, PLEASE look up the musical! It features Sutton Foster (from Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, etc.), Roger Bart (the creepy pharmacist from Desperate Housewives!), Megan Mullally (Will&Grace anyone? KAREN WALKER) and more great actors uniting to bring to the Broadway stage one of my favorite comedies. Features hilarious songs like "Please Don't Touch Me" from Frankenstein's dear Elizabeth, and just plain cooky Frau Blucher's "He Vas My Boyfriend", an extremely odd yet may I say moving song. My theatre studio had an fundraiser this past July where we had an autographed poster up for raffle, which had I known at the time more about the cast in it, I probably would have chanced a bid on. Go listen to the soundtrack!

Speaking of musicals, Spring Awakening is coming to the Ahmanson this fall, and I'm SO excited! I'm promised tickets for a birthday present to go and see it along with two friends. If you don't know this musical yet, you are definitely missing out. It takes place in 18th century Germany among adolescents, aged around 13, who are coming-of-age and discovering what the adult body yearns for. One character, Melchior, is seen as a rebel, questioning what they are taught in schools to believe in religion, society, themselves. He and Wendla, a young girl who begins to wonder where babies really come from, find comfort in each other. It won eight Tonys, including Best New Musical, and has quickly gained popularity among young Broadway fans. It's extremely controversial, seeing as it's centered solely around sexual awakening in young teens, and includes questioning authority and standards. It's soundtrack is one of the best I've ever heard, technically a "rock" musical although it mainly relies on acoustic guitar and occasionally tribal-like drums. Money would be well-spent on it. I cannot wait to see it live in person and see how the characters are portrayed by the touring company. I'm so used to the original cast recording it'll be a nice change of pace to hear different perspectives. My father and brother went to New York recently and bought me a poster for the musical, and also one for Legally Blonde.

UPDATE: They are even performing Spring Awakening as their school play... I mean, who read my mind and created the perfect show?

I think the same goes when applying for the role of someone's boyfriend. If your dating resume says you're 29 and you've never had a relationship before, your chances of landing the new position drastically reduce compared to someone with a proven track record.

Job seekers need to pad up the resume by taking non-paying or volunteer roles. I'm sure what the equivalent of a non-paying boyfriend role is exactly (as a paying role suggest escort).

Maybe I need to find someone just for the physical company/needs and thus let me concentrate on other things and clear my headspace a bit.

As much as I want love and sex, sex is easier to get and maybe if it was regular I wouldn't get so sexually frustrated and do stupid things.

Of course the other thing is do that time-honoured practice of padding the resume with all those relationships I would have liked to have had!

In fact i got a little leaflet happy in Broadway and now my pin board is covered in them.

So heres a few I like. 

Spring Awakening

Why?

Spring Awakening is a period musical with up to date music which i find really clever. The lyrics are haunting and the score is beautiful. Its passionate and romantic whilst also very dark and deep as its all about a set of teenager's sexual awakening in a time when it was a taboo. Instead of coming right out and saying their feelings everything is in metaphor's which is brilliant.

Favorite song?

I found this really hard to pick but i think i might be 'Don't Do Sadness' which is so rocky that you don't realize the deep lyrical references. In fact if you didn't know better you probably wouldn't even know it was from a musical. 

Wicked 

Why?

This musical gives an insight to the Wicked Witch of the West's point of a view throughout the Wizard Of Oz. You realize that actually she was grossly misunderstood. The music in this very powerful and the voices even more so. It's passion-filled and electric. I really want to see it, i hear the costumes, lights and set are amazing. 

Favorite song?

Ha, I'm going to be very cliche and say 'Defying Gravity' which is always everyones favorite. But I can see why, i have the version with Idina Menzel (the original cast recording) who happens to be an idol of mine and her voice is mind blowing. 

Mamma Mia!

Why?

The way the story is wrapped around the songs from Abba is really clever. But I love this musical mainly because its so feel good. The dialogue and story make you laugh, make you smile and mainly make you feel good. I never really liked Abba before i got involved with this musical but you can't help but loving them afterwards. 

Favorite Song?

It has to be 'Lay All Your Love On Me' just because i love how passionate it is between the main two characters. It really makes you sigh with happiness (and maybe secretly jealous?) plus i really love the lyrics in this one! 

Rent

Why?

This musical comes with a real message. The music, story and acting are all really powerful and moving. I watched it on Broadway and was just blown away. Its about a bunch of bohemes in New York and their struggles with sexuality, the mainstream and AIDS. The score, the songs, the lyrics are amazing.

Favorite Song?

I've always loved 'Goodbye Love' just because the exchange between the two main characters Roger and Mark really just shouts home truths and then the crumbling of Meme at the end. Its beautiful. Oh and the piano at the start is stunning.

Phantom Of The Opera

Why?

What's isn't there to like? Andrew Lloyd Webber is a bloody genius. The songs, the scores and the voices are completely phenomenal. I desperately want to see it because i hear the costumes, set and lighting is just as brilliant. Phantom is a timeless classic and can't be beaten. 

Favorite song?

'Past the point of no return' no competition. Its completely hypnotic, the Phantom and Christine's exchanges and harmonies in this are utterly amazing. I love how passionate but dark it is. 

Evita

  Why?

Another masterpiece by Webber. Every word in the whole musical is spoken, which is no easy feat. Its based on the life of Eva Peron, the wife of Argentina's political legend Juan Peron. The score is fast based and very traditional to the music of Argentina whilst always maintaining a political speech-like quality. Beautiful. 

Favorite song?

It has to be Buenos Aires just because its so upbeat and perfect for dancing too. I love it. 

Honorable Mentions

Jeykll and Hyde 

Sweeney Todd 

Les Miserables 

Sound of Music

Those also count as my favorites but couldn't be put in for a few reasons. With Jeykll and Hyde i don't really know it well enough. Whilst with Sweeney Todd the movie kinda ruined it for me. I'm only just getting to know Les Miserables because i couldn't find a good enough copy before. And Sound of Music was because I only know the movie version and not the stage. 

And lastly.. the musical's i want to get to know after discovering them on Broadway.

Crybaby

Into The Heights

Xanadu

Young Frankenstein 

Jersey Boys

I think I forgot how much I truly love this show. Although I am tired (I am beginning to notice that the increasing demand of SDSU is limiting my ability to commit to long, detailed blog entries), I just wanted to write about the moments in "Spring Awakening" that give me such incredible chills. I want to write about them tonight, while this feeling is still fresh.

1. "Those You've Known" - Melchior grabs the hands of Moritz and Wendla and pulls them close to him.

2. "Left Behind" - The whole blocking of the scene and how Moritz's father crumbles once he is touched for the first time.

3. Dialogue scene between Ilse and Moritz.

4. The beating scene and the fact that Moritz is sitting on the steps during the whole thing.

5. The swing.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The moment where the music replaces the gun shot. The lighting. The counterpoint section of "Blue Wind" and "Don't Do Sadness" where two songs that are completely different fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces.

All of this credit belongs to Michael Mayer. I do think that "Spring Awakening," although behind "Rent," is most likely my #2 favorite shows ("Avenue Q," "[title of show]" and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" rounding out the top five), and it would have to be #1 on my list of Best Directors. I think it is PERFECTLY directed (with the exception of the stupid modern day people singing from the on-stage seats).

I remember telling Cecilia to see it. When she came back from NYC, I asked her if she liked it, and she said, "Yes. This is TOTALLY an 'Ira Show.'" A few weeks later, Bud said the some thing. Apparently, watching "Spring Awakening" reminded my mentors of my type of work.

I used to think that was neat, but after seeing the show again tonight and being blown away even upon my FOURTH viewing, I realize that more than just being neat, it's one of the greatest compliments I've ever received.

"ALL THAT'S KNOWN" is featured in "Spring Awakening." It is sung at the beginning of the show by the young rebel, Melchior (originated by the fabulous and very very gorgeous Jonathan Groff, who was nominated for a Tony for his portrayal in 2007). It sort of outlines his character and sets the tone. His famous mantra, "You watch me...just watch me...I'm calling...and one day all will know..." is then repeated near the end of the show during "Those You've Known."

I picked this song today because 1) I saw the show tonight and felt inspired to feature a song from it and 2) because it's about a young man who through his education, will attempt to make a difference in the world. That is an all too familiar feeling I am having these days. :) There is a very inspiring feeling to this song. It's all about using one's life to make a real difference in the lives of those around you. That is why I'm here at SDSU. We may go about it in different ways, but Melchior and I are both after very similar things right now. Finding ourselves, wanting to help others, mastering our passions, taking risks...this song hit me tonight and just added to my already intense love for the piece.

I feel very inspired right now by this show. I know that one of my favorite moments in my plan for "Songs for a New World" is inspired by a moment in "Spring Awakening," and I am excited by the challenge of making my audience be as moved by my show (and the many more shows to come that I have in my future) as I was tonight.

For an audio clip (and a picture of Mr. Groff), please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-OChjqo7HM

Lyrics:

MELCHIOR:

All that’s known
In History, in Science
Overthrown
At school, at home, by blind men

You doubt them,
And soon they bark and hound you
Till everything you say is just another bad about you

All they say
Is “Trust in what is written”
Wars are made
And somehow that is wisdom

Thought is suspect
And money is their idol
And nothing is okay unless it’s scripted in their Bible

But I know
There’s so much more to find
Just in looking through myself, and not at them

Still, I know
To trust my own true mind
And to say there’s a way through this

On I go
To wonder and to learning
Name the stars and know their dark returning

I’m calling
To know the world’s true yearning
The hunger that a child feels for everything they’re shown

You watch me
Just watch me
I’m calling
And one day all will know

You watch me
Just watch me
I’m calling
And one day all will know

I don't think I even need to say what is wrong with China because most people have heard about all the revoked visas, lip-syncing (b/c the actual is not fucking cute enough?!), the secret of injured volunteers, the 2000-watt smiles (BOTOX!?), and of course, the underage gymnasts. I don't see harmony anywhere! Let them fucking protest, your country won't listen anyway!

China Gives 6 American Protesters 10-Day Detentions

And of course, the very patriotic and oh so intelligent President George W. Bush:

On an AMAZING note: I watched Spring Awakening on Wednesday. I went in thinking I'd be able to see John Gallagher Jr. be awesome but of course, just my luck, the old cast left a few months ago. At first I was extremely disappointed, afraid that the new cast wouldn't live up to this Tony award winning musical. But you know what?!? IT FUCKING DID! It is a much watch. 

Spring Awakening is based on a German play by Frank Wedekind. It's about a bunch of teenagers growing up in 1890s Germany who are overprotected by their parents and shielded from society and reality by their school. They're discovering their own sexuality but the adults don't want them to fucking know what an y of that is. The musical has everything from rape to abortion to unprotected sex to suicide. It was so ingenius, it might be the only musical I will ever watch from now on. Plus, the soundtrack is so rock n' roll and cool that it makes me cry. 

Talk to ya'll later. I'm moving on Tuesday! Woohoo, college! And you know what's a great movie? Lars and The Real Girl

I also might see Avenue Q which you can see a clip from here:

So basically I love musical theatre more than life itself so this is a dream come true. I'm also heading out to Boston for a bit after I get done soaking up the theatre in the Big Apple. I'm more excited than i can explain here while keeping this brief but I'm also really tired. Today I was supposed to get my iphone because I want one and because my old phone no longer works. (I would like to take this time to mention that the technological causalities for the summer are now my computer (I'm sending it to hp tomorrow morning), it's power cord, my new video camera, my ipod, and my phone)....my mom has a theory about my aura being really electric or something and that's why electronics malfunction around me all the time....(no it's not because I drop them) I'm starting to wonder....but I digress....anyway I was really productive this morning so that when I left for Madison to go to my Doctor's appointment with a follow up trip to the apple store for my iphoney bliss I thought i'd have plenty of time to come home and pack and do my vlog and life would be frolicking puppies and rainbows and little heart balloons....instead I spent hours there and did not ever get my iphone and so now I'm going to the east coast with a broken phone....a trip which I haven't started packing for....totally a heart balloon popping realization

So I get back Monday and hopefully I'll be less homicidal and able to update.

I believe that it is also my chance to pick the theme which would start with me next week. If this is the case than I would like to pick a movie theme. I'd like you to discuss a movie that you feel strongly about....either one that you love or love to hate. You can talk about quotes or scenes or actors or plots or multiple movies...I'm pretty open for whatever you want. You can even talk about movies coming out although if you are going to rant about the twilight movie....please include something else....or make it very entertaining. This also doesn't have to be your entire video if you don't want it to be.

Well that's it for me. When you hear from me again I'll have been to the east coast and back again.

DFTBA

Brittany

MP3 File

Soundtrack
Radio LCF and BAAB
Music from London Kevin :)
Matty and Tristin from the now "It's Alive!" site JadedCity.com
Spring Awakening
Gay Leather Bear Cub Radio.co.cc
Boy Meets Boy

VJoicemail: 206-495-6555
vjnetcast[at]gmail.com
radiolcf[at]tpg.com.au

Join the VJNetcast Appreciation Group

Honorable mentions can be found in the Links section or just Google it ;)

I didn't have one single panic attack, not even ONE, mostly cause I took copious amounts of Xanax AND had a fabulous seatmate named Claudia, who is 19 and from Guadalajara, Mexico and loooooves musical theater. We discussed Mary Poppins, Spring Awakening, and Rent, and she was aghast that I had seen none of these. She was probably the best airplane seatmate I've ever had, aside from friends and family, of course. I give her two thumbs way up!

But before I left, I did an interview with the lovely Sean Leviashvili of TheStreet.com network of magical sites of magic. Check out my hot hot talk on cool cool Luke Russert here. And a big thanks to Sean and my girl Amanda Beals for the opportunity.

Tomorrow: KICKBALL IN MALIBU!

P.S. - Hunter Parrish's next gig as Melchior in Spring Awakening = ass shot IRL.

And just for fun, here's a video of him whistling the Weeds theme song, i.e. using his mouth in another way (wow, I need to stop living with guys).

i'd like to dedicate this to bradley... i miss your singing voicemails.

it's a song from the musical Spring Awakening (and it's only audio, no video):

i think that's enough for one day.

PS. I think Jonathan Groff is great, he laughs at everything, and looks like he's about 16, he's like too charming for words. I think he's still in Spring Awakening last thing I heard. Wonder what he'll be up to next.

So here's the American Theatre Wing's November 2007 Episode of "Working in Theatre"... The Next Generation

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1387758&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Drtmp%3A%2F%2Famericantheatrewing.org%2Fatwplayer%26id%3Dwit%2FEpisode_356%26image%3D%2Fimages%2Fwit%2Fepisode356.jpg%26width%3D320%26height%3D240%26displayheight%3D240%26showdigits%3Dtrue]

Update: When I took the time to look it up I found out that Jonathan Groff left the cast of "Spring Awakening" on May 18 of 2008 and will be starring in a revival of "Hair" which opens on July 22.

I left the musical physically and emotionally shaken with the resonance I felt. Discovering my sexuality in utter ignorance was all too familiar. Not that my mom did not give me the books – I shudder as I remember the day she handed me Where Did I Come From? . However, even with the books, I still felt as if sex was something bad and puberty was a dirty word and homosexuality was a sin akin to murder.

Now, I don’t want to put the blame 100% on Catholicism– maybe just 98%. Sexuality education in the Catholic tradition focuses solely on abstinence, neglecting to teach young adults how to make informed and responsible decisions about their bodies. Catholic teaching condemns contraception, denounces sexual pleasure, and rules out masturbation and homosexuality as “intrinsically disordered” – even though decades of research prove the opposite. Spring Awakening eloquently depicts how this miseducation adversely affects young adults.

I find that even among progressive Catholics, we still have trouble talking about our sexuality. I attribute this mostly to years of this miseducation on sexuality which Catholicism provides us - it is hard to erase those misnomers from our heads! Not that all Catholic teaching on sexuality is awful. If you can get past the antiquated, hetero-normative language of the teachings, there is some good stuff on what it means to be in relationship.

Comprehensive sexuality education, on the other hand, gives young people the tools they need to make responsible, value-based decisions. It provides young adults with accurate information about sexuality and helps them to develop their values and beliefs about sexuality. Had the characters in Spring Awakening had comp. sex ed. at school or church, the plot would certainly have ended differently.

To wrap this all up: Spring Awakening was fantastic – the best and most honest musical I have seen in years! It is going on tour starting in August. I encourage everyone to go and see it! Here is a music video of one the hit songs in the production, The Bitch of Living. Enjoy!

And by "do a lot more," I mean something like his scene with Mary-Kate Olsen in Season 3 of "Weeds," but more graphic and involving less clothing (the part I'm talking about is in the last 30 sec of the video):

Martha feels the tears bubbling over; the deep chasm within her filling with anger and hate. Hatred for fathers who had betrayed them; fathers who had taken their trust and twisted it every way. Anger for mothers who had stood by blindly and pretended everything was alright to keep up appearances. The tears stream down her cheeks, soaking delicate lace gloves as she wipes her face angrily with her hands. They burn a furrowed path down her pale cheek as she glares fiercely down at her lap; they branch as they flow down their crooked tributaries. A slight gasp escapes her lips; she hastily lowers her head as the preacher reads on, his voice a calming, steady drone in the silence.

A cold hand closes upon hers. Her eyes meet a pair of piercing blue orbs, completely devoid of any tears. Leaning in close, he speaks softly and rapidly.

“You loved him.”

A statement, not a question.

“Did you think, for a moment, Martha, that he would look at you? For someone like him, who could barely even comprehend what was occurring in his life, his inner turmoil simply consumed him,” he whispers, his breath hot against her cheek.

“Even if his father hadn’t managed to get under his skin, he would have turned against himself in the end. Failure, Martha. That’s something we all have to get used to, don’t we?”

Focusing on the preacher’s words intently, she wrests her hand from his stone-cold grip. Her hands drift towards the roses in her lap as she strokes the waxy petals, trying her hardest to focus on the present.

“I see you running, Martha. Running away, running faster and faster. I know what you’re running from. Last night, I saw you out of the window. You were like a ghost passing under the street-lamps.”

Stone-cold fingers, brushing the gentle slope of her cheekbones.

“You’re so free in the woods. Like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. Like the rest of the world isn’t watching. But maybe the rest of the world is watching on as you blunder on into the darkness. Maybe you’re dying inside even as the scars on your arms and legs heal,” he whispered, his voice low, tickling her ear.

Drip, drip, drip go the raindrops as they continued their incessant patter. Drip, drip, drip go the tears that stream from her downcast eyes.

“You speak to him in the darkness, as though he can hear you. When your girlfriends giggle and chatter, you run again. How long, Martha? How long can you keep running, until you are tired and want to lie down to sleep? But you’re frightened; you don’t want to lie down and sleep, ever, do you?”

Fingers brushing away every errant tear.

“You’re just a shell now, Martha. Any different from his body, which now lays cold and still in a large marble case?”

Fingers pressing to his lips, then to her cheek, as she shudders from the contact, and from the unbelievable consolation it gives her.

“You will go to his grave every weekend to lay wildflowers. Maybe you will scatter a few red roses for remembrance, and maybe he should be so lucky. As for me, Martha? Can you learn to love someone who has sold his soul to the devil?”

Fingers trailing along the edge of her glove, along the cold skin of her arm, tracing the familiar, loathsome scars that she keeps so well-hidden.

“Shall you weep for me, Martha, when I have gone? Shall you toss a lily, or perhaps even a carnation, upon my grave? The Rilow family cemetery,” he murmured, “filled with the ghosts of the past. Of madness, of impossibility…”

Fingers rake through strands of damp hair clinging to the black crepe of her dress. She clenches her hand into a tight fist, even as she yearns for the feel of cool skin against hers. She yearns for tenderness; she yearns for protection. She feels stained, blemished; she fears that she desires the sensations that build upon her skin.

The mournful chords of the funeral dirge ring out as they stand one by one, bowing slightly before his fresh headstone. Girls with white roses ruminate on what they could have done; boys with letters lay them in a neat pile as they ask themselves who could have guessed. She kneels to place the roses upon his grave; as she opens her clenched fist, out splashes the crumpled petals, tumbling onto the grey headstone. They are splayed out, petals detached from stalk; the other girls stare at her accusingly, as though she has committed some grave defilement of the freshly dug grave.

Fingers, closing gently upon her wrist, as he forces her to look at him as she resists the urge to run as far away and as quickly as she possibly can; fingers cradling her face gently as he presses a kiss to her forehead, tender and icy all at the same time, before he vanishes into the darkening evening, a phantasm of ice and stone, the sole remnant of his presence a battered copy of Faust upon the ground.

I leave New York tomorrow for Oberlin, and in the past few weeks I have been trying to suck all the culture of this city dry before I head off to the heartland. I have recently seen "Spring Awakening," "Rent," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Top Girls," "Jesus Hopped the A Train," "Avenue Q," and "November." Living here has been a great way to reconnect with theater, and I've been spoiled rotten going to all these great shows.

I was most looking forward to seeing "Spring Awakening," which I was told would be an incredible pleasure to watch. The NY Times said something about it changing the face of musical theater, so needless to say I was amped when I found a ticket. The place was, of course, packed with tourists and a concession stand that sold $4 water. It turned out the water wasn't the only thing in the theater not worth the price.

"Spring Awakening," for all its hype about being a new kind of musical, revisits well worn territory, and not very well. Like an angstier than average John Hughes film, it tells the story of a group of high school age students in 19th century Germany who are fighting established norms and value systems in their community. Duncan Sheik's pop score lends a touch of anachronism to the tale, clearly rendering it a parable for our time. I thought "Footloose" had pretty much covered this ground back in the 1980's, but nonetheless the players in "SA" go from naive to pregnant and hopeful to suicidal all within the span of a couple of hours thanks to the oppressive and insensitive elder figures in the community who refuse to talk to them about sex or listen to their concerns. "Spring Awakening" manages to confront issues of homosexuality, BDSM, domestic violence, abortion, and suicide, and it ends up sacrificing depth for breadth. Each vignette felt more like an after school special than a scene from a play, and the number of themes and directions weakened my attachment to the characters.

Perhaps it's just my newfound position as a teacher, but I was left wholly uninspired by the saga of angry teenagers and their battles with parents and community expectations. For a play about awakening, I left rather drowsy.

WOW.

So I'm a major Broadway fan, and I'm usually on top of things like this, but I somehow managed to wait an entire year after it won the Tony to get the Spring Awakening soundtrack. AND IT IS AMAZING!

I bought it after this year's Tony awards (along with Passing Strange, and this year's winner In the Heights), and listened to it on the way to Peru, and I am obsessed! Its lyrics are wonderfully dark (almost reminiscent of Sondheim), and it's score is brilliant. Even my little brother, who hates theater, listened to the music and loved it (well, that, and he thought the fact that there was a song called "Totally Fucked" was hilarious). And, it stays fairly true to the play, which is another bonus. I'd heard a lot of hype about it, and was worried I would hear the music and be disappointed, but I was thoroughly impressed. The touring cast comes to San Francisco in September. Unfortunatly, most of the cast has left the show to do more projects (nearly all of the leads... Wendla Bergman, Melchior Gabor, maybe even Moritz Stiefel have been replaced). Nonetheless, I can't WAIT to see it!

Plus, Jonathan Groff is a BABE.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where: Piura, Peru

Currently Reading: Anna Karenina, Lolita, and The Scarlet Letter (yes, all at the same time).

Currently Listening to: "Don't do Sadness/Blue Wind" from Spring Awakening

Current Nail Polish Colour: Blue!

Concert Will Feature Performances from Chicago's Own WICKED and JERSEY BOYS along with Cast Members from SPRING AWAKENING, DIRTY DANCING - The Classic Story On Stage, LEGALLY BLONDE - The Musical and More

Broadway In Chicago, in partnership with the City of Chicago, is pleased to present the BROADWAY IN CHICAGO CONCERT IN THE PARK, a fantastic, free event featuring Broadway's hottest shows during the city's legendary Taste of Chicago festival. 

Performers will include the Chicago casts of Jersey Boys, and Wicked.  Other performers include cast members from the recently announced Spring Awakening, Legally Blonde The Musical and Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage, which kicks off its pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago this September.  Audiences will also be able to preview Broadway In Chicago's upcoming 2009 season with performances by A Chorus Line and Grease.

The BROADWAY IN CHICAGO CONCERT IN THE PARK will be held at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park Monday, June 30, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.  The concert is produced in partnership with the City of Chicago and hosted by ABC-7's Janet Davies and Wicked's Gene Weygandt.  Admission is free.

For more information about the BROADWAY IN CHICAGO CONCERT IN THE PARK visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

-Spring Awakening (travus was right - incredible. but WARNING: if you'd feel awkward watching something about sex with your family, don't go with them. i think if mine had been there i'd be very uncomfortable.)

-HAIRSPRAY - better in person than the movie! i dare say it is impossible to sit through it without smiling and tapping your foot the whole time. AND, photo ops like this with Ashley Parker Angel (of O-Town Liquid Dreams/All or Nothing fame) who played Link Larkin aren't bad either...

-Aubrey was here! (looking purdy as always)

-Danielle was here! (cheetah chasers on display Saturday night...)

-Flute, the champagne bar. Bellinis = awesome, especially when accompanied by chocolate and banana crepes. mmmmmmm

Over recent weeks, the number of new shows either being rumoured, or announced, seems to have accelerated. I thought it was worth providing a round-up of rumours, to give you a sense of what you can expect to see arriving in London over the next 6-12 months.

So, in alphabetical, here are the upcoming shows that are rumoured to be on their way...

• A Little Night Music is strongly tipped to be this year's Christmas musical at the Menier Chcolate Factory, with Sir Trevor Nunn at the helm. If the rumours are true (there hasn't been any formal confirmation from the theatre yet), it's great news to have a Sondheim classic on the way.
• All The Fun of the Fair has already announced its tour dates, and starts in Bromley on 8th September. It's a new show written by, about, and staring the legendary David Essex. Producers are rumoured to be looking at a London run at the end of its run, but in the meantime, you can book your tickets to see it on tour at the show's official website
• Carousel is another show that begins its run at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley in September, and stars Lesley Garrett, an opera star who was seen last year in The Sound of Music. What's On Stage reports that producers will then transfer the show to a West End theatre in November. The show is directed by Lindsay Posner (who recently directed Fiddler on the Roof) and you can find out more here
• Can't Smile Without You is yet another 'jukebox musical', this time based on the music of Barry Manilow. Some people might be slightly happier to know that at least Manilow has written a musical before, the delightfully cheesy Copacabana. The show is starting (you guessed it!) in Bromley, before making its way to the West End. It's produced by Bill Kenwright, and you can out more here or find the official website here
• Eurobeat is another show that... wait a minute, this is all getting quite repetitive. For some reason, all the shows that begin with letters early in the alphabet seem to be starting with a tour before making its way to the West End! Fortunately, unlike other shows, Eurobeat already knows where it's going. It has a 10-week slot confirmed at the Novello Theatre, starting on September 4th, and you can book tickets via the official website 
• Funny Girl has just closed after its run at the Chichester Festival Theatre. It's rumoured to be looking at a London transfer, but at this stage, I haven't seen any formal announcement
• Gypsy has recently been revived on Broadway, and has seen the production, starring Patti LuPone, win 4 Tony Awards this weekend. Apparently producers are very keen to bring the show to London, with LuPone reprising the title role, so keep your fingers crossed. No confirmation thus far.
• La Cage Aux Folles had a sell-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory over Christmas, and may still make it to the West End. No word has been forthcoming from the Menier recently, but I thought it was a fantastic show, and would love to see the leads - Douglas Hodge and Philip Quast - reprise their roles for an extended run.
• Legally Blonde is another Broadway success that's making its way over the pond. The show already has an official website which announces that it'll be starting in 2009. Rumours are linking it with the Piccadilly Theatre where it would replace the current resident, Grease.
• The Music Man opens next week at Chichester Festival Theatre, and judging by availability when I tried to book my tickets, the pre-sales have been remarkable. The show is apparently already looking for a London theatre, but in the meantime, you can book to see Brian Conley, Scarlet Strallen and the rest of the case in Chichester here
• Oliver is one show you'll already know about... Jodie Prenger, chosen as Nancy during the recent TV series 'I'd Do Anything', is joined by a huge cast including Rowan Atkinson, and will reach the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in December. The show's official website can be found here
• Priscilla: Queen of the Desert is also coming to London, as you can see from the show's official website, which announces plans to arrive in 2009. I first mentioned this is my weekly round-up last week
• Sister Act is also rumoured to be on the way but as with a number of the shows, there's been no official confirmation.
• Spring Awakening is opening at the Lyric Hammersmith, opening on 23rd January 2009, which was announced a few weeks' back. It seems to be accepted that the show will move to the West End if successful, but in the meantime, you can find out more about the production at the official website
• Street Scene is the last show to make this list, and opens at the Young Vic Theatre on July 17th. Take a look at the website for more info on this Kurt Weill musical.

CONGRATULATIONS if you have made it this far. As you can see, there are a huge number of shows that are, or may be, coming to the West End in the coming months.

Thank you to some fantastic theatre websites that provide much of the gossip/ information that informs this article - most notably (although not only) The Stage and What's On Stage.

If there are other shows that you think I have missed, do let me know!

****************************************************************************

To recap, here is a recap on the (apparently) upcoming shows:

OH. MY. GOD. If you are already in New York (City), go see it now. If you're planning a visit any time soon, buy tickets now. Even if it doesn't sound like it'll appeal to you (a musical, about adolescents, in Germany in 1891), it will appeal to you. If you were a straight adolescent and remember how it felt to have all those hormones making you pulse when you saw someone of the opposite sex; if you had the same feelings for someone of the same sex; if you were a victim of incest and/or physical abuse at home; if you had those feelings and they were reciprocated; if you had those feelings and they weren't - if any of those characterized your life as an adolescent, you'll love this play. And the music is so amazing, I still can't get it out of my head.

Wordpress won't let me embed a video - at least in the formats I can find them. Go here to see a video of The Bitch of Living. That's one of the 3 songs I can't get out of my head.

I want to see it again. I got the soundtrack. I find myself thinking about Moritz, Ilse, Martha. They made me feel joy and heartache - the proverbial "you'll laugh, you'll cry" kind of thing. I wish I could write more intelligently about it, but right now I'm just so overwhelmed. Really, go see it.

Read on to find out what I think - I'd also love to know if you have any other ideas, or have heard gossip or rumours!

1. Jodie Prenger
There's not much to say about Jodie, as we know exactly what she's going to be doing for the foreseeable future. Whilst she's officially only contracted for an initial 6-month period, I'd be pretty amazed if she didn't end up staying for at least a year. If ticket sales are anything like as successful as Joseph, she's in for the long-haul, whatever Bill Kenwright's reservations might have been...

My prediction: She won't just be a one-hit wonder! I think that Jodie will remain a West End star, even after her time in Oliver finishes...

2. Jessie Buckley
Jessie was hugely popular over this series, and despite the doubts expressed by judges John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen about her readiness for the role, she made it all the way to the final, narrowly missing out to Jodie Prenger. I have absolutely no doubt that Jessie will be a big star - she has a fantastic voice, and real charisma. As with some of the other, less-experienced finalists, she could still do with some training - in particular, her acting and movement leave something to be desired. Once she's done that though, she'll unquestionably be on the West End stage.

My prediction: As the preferred choice of both ALW and Cameron Mackintosh, she is almost certainly guaranteed to make it. At her best with songs that require a big voice, but barely any movement, it's difficult to know where Jessie is going to get her break. Presumably a part that has more singing than acting? Of the shows currently on in the West End, how about Andrew Lloyd Webber's own show, Joseph?

3. Samantha Barks
Samantha had the biggest 'journey' during the competition, and has a big career ahead of her. Her voice is very powerful, although occasional tuning issues in more demanding numbers point to a need for some further training. She is also appears to have been one of the stronger dancers in the competition.

My prediction: she's too young for Cabaret or Chicago, but perfect for something slightly rockier. From what I know of the show, she'd be suited to something like Spring Awakening, which is coming to the Lyric Hammersmith later this year. Alternatively, a role in Mamma Mia, Grease or We will Rock You might be a good bet.

4. Rachel Tucker
Rachel was probably my overall favourite in the competition. With formal training behind her, she is a very assured performer with fantastic acting ability. She could definitely hold her own on the West End stage today, so I doubt it will be long until we hear a casting announcement.

My prediction: Rachel's acting is a major strength, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her in a show that demands those acting skills - an upcoming Sondheim at the Menier perhaps? Alternatively, her semi-final performance of 'Cabaret' was tremendous so maybe we'll see in a Kander & Ebb show - perhaps joining the casts of Chicago, now that Cabaret has posted closing notices? Alternatively, how about her joining the cast of Hairspray?

5. Niamh Perry
As you'll know if you have been reading my blog, I have never been Niamh's biggest fan. I think she was massively over-rated by the judges, and frankly, I find her voice quite unpleasant. She is too inexperienced and raw to deserve a West End role in my eyes, but then, I'm not a producer!

My prediction: the rumours have already started and apparently Niamh is going to join the cast of Sound of Music as Lisel - makes sense I suppose, given that ALW is the co-producer and seems to love her. If not that, who knows? Perhaps something in Grease?

6. Ashley Russell
One of my early favourites in this competition, I thought Ashley will treated quite unfairly by ALW. He didn't rate her voice and his criticism was over-the-top some weeks. I took a different view - her performance 'The Winner Takes It All' was brilliant, and she demonstrated a fantastic ability to vary the style of her voice. She's already got excellent professional training, and seems like a strong actor.

My prediction: Its difficult to know where Ashley will end up going next. She didn't look to be the best dancer, which might limit her slightly. Something like Blood Brothers perhaps? Alternatively, she always seemed to have a good sense of humour - how about Spamalot?

7. Sarah Lark
Sarah was one my favourites (if not my favourite) and I couldn't believe that she went so early. She might still look young, but her acting got better and better over the weeks. She also has one huge strength - a truly phenomenal voice is which is both beautiful and 100% secure at all times.

My prediction: I would love to see her on stage, and can't believe I will have to wait long. Glinda in Wicked would probably suit her? Or how about the next Maria in the Sound of Music?  Either way, it should be straight to the West End.

8. Keisha Amponsa-Banson
ALW was a big fan of Keisha, and was particularly grumpy in the week that he had to let her go in order to save Niamh. As John Barrowman noted when he was on the Jonathan Ross show last week, the upper end of her voice is not strong at all, which will limit the number of parts that she is right for.

My prediction: ALW offered to do everything he can to help Keisha so I think we can be confident that she'll be cast in something soon. Like some of the girls though, I think she would benefit from some training first, particularly vocally. After that, perhaps a role in one of Bill Kenright's touring productions rather than jumping straight to the West End?

9. Francesca Jackson
Of all the candidates, Francesca probably had most to lose coming into this competition, as she was already performing in the West End, most recently in Rent: Remixed with Denise Van Outen. I didn't think she exactly covered herself with glory over the competition, and she seemed to have tuning issues more often that one would expect of a professional.

My prediction: This won't have ruined her career, but I doubt whether it has done her any favours as directors might be more attuned to potential voice issues. Having said that, I expect that she will resume her West End career, without making it to leading lady status... Her voice seems to suit the rockier numbers better, so perhaps a role in We Will Rock You, Dirty Dancing or Mamma Mia will follow?

10. Tara Bethan
Tara seemed pretty good in week one when she sung 'Suddenly I See', but it was very quickly downhill from there for me. She had major voice issuesa and I just don't know if she is good enough to make it to the West End. For some reason, Zoe Tyler (former 'Any Dream will do' judge, thinks she'd be good in Grease.

My prediction: Remarkably, Tara has already been cast in a decision that smacks of crude commercial focus by Bill Kenright. She is playing the narrator in his touring production of Joseph, a role which I don't believe she is up to vocally. But I guess she will help sell tickets. I can't help feeling that there are plenty of more talented girls who aren't getting the chance - but then, they haven't been on TV.

11. Cleopatra Royer
As the 2nd contestant to leave the show, we didn't have much chance to get to know Cleo, and from what I saw, I would have liked to see her stay slightly longer. Untrained, and still slightly rough around the edges, she seemed to have something worth developing.

My prediction: Of all the girls, Cleo seemed slightly less sure about wanting a West End career than the others (even if she did want the role of Nancy). I wouldn't necessarily expect to see her on stage anytime soon, but could easily believe that she will go and get some formal training before trying again.

12. Amy Booth-Steel 
Amy left the competition, despite what seemed a decent performance, so its almost impossible to pass judgement on her overall ability.

My prediction: As with Tara, Amy has already been cast. She's already scheduled to be in the cast of a new musical, All Bob's Women. She is also rumoured to be in the running for a part in The Sound of Music as the governess. Presumably she must be quite good as I can't imagine she's much of a draw commercially after only 1 week in the show!

Am in Orlando this week for work - in my hotel room tonight and watched the HBO movie Recount about the 2000 election on the eve of Hillary bowing out of the presidential race.  I started watching while running through some email and was like whatever, but then I couldn't stop watching and got more and more pissed off - I had FORGOTTEN what a CF that whole thing was.  Made me think, WHAT are we doing this time so nothing like that happens again????   WTF??? Katherine Harris???   I'm all for ethics and morality but I want to see some fight from my party leaders, so ladies and gentlemen, get your can off whoop ass out!!!!!   Or we're going to have 4 more years of $20 gallons of gasoline, "new and strange" weather patterns that of course aren't related to that myth global warming, RECESSION, FORECLOSURES, BAD NEGATIVE ENERGY, oh yeah and that little thing called "the war in Iraq" that has no end in sight.  Instead of asking the royal "we" tomorrow at least i'm going to start asking people if they are registered to vote.  Next Step....tba.....  its all apples and oranges isn't it anyway?

This week we've had 2 major new musicals opening in London and another new show finally announced for January 2009. We've also had some real and confirmed casting news, as well as some more reality TV rumours.

Read on for the full story...

1. Marguerite opened to good, but not outstanding, reviews. Times and Guardian reviews both gave the show three stars, so it will be interesting to see how the show does at the box office. I'll be putting together a review round-up once the Sunday papers have come out.
2. Spring Awakening has finally been confirmed to open in the UK at Lyric Hammersmith, as has been rumoured in recent weeks. The show is scheduled for a 6-run run, opening in January 2009. I'm sure a West End theatre has already been lined up for the transfer, so I'm sure we'll start hearing the rumours on that one soon too. See the original news article from The Stage here
3. Emma Williams will be joining the cast of Zorro, opposite Matt Rawle, when it reaches the West End later this year. For the producers' sake, let's hope this show is slightly more successful that one of Williams' last West End appearances, in the miserable failure that was Desperately Seeking Susan! To see news of the announcement on broadway.com, click here
4. Never Forget opened to generally poor reviews at the Savoy Theatre. Both the Guardian and Times gave the show two stars, with Lynn Gardner (Guardian) suggesting that "it offers an alternative for hen parties who forgot to book for Dirty Dancing in time" - some praise! I'm pretty confident that the show's ticket sales will do just fine!
5. Jesus Christ Superstar is still looking it's next on the list for Andrew Lloyd Webber to cast using a Saturday night primetime show. This is not the first time this rumour has been seen, but check out the What's On Stage site here for the latest story
6. Niamh Perry is apparently already being lined up for a run in the West End after her exit last week from I'd Do Anything. There's a lot of chatter on the digitalspy talkboards that suggest that she's going to be playing Lisel in The Sound of Music . I still don't think she's ready for the West End though...

The show starts out like your typical adolescent coming-of-age comedy, for the most part, sort of like American Pie but everybody's a bit younger. Sure, it's taking place in 1891 in Germany, but whatevs, same diff. There's masturbation humor and homoerotic subtext a la History Boys and Stiffler's mom-type jokes and girl/boy meet-cutes, everything you could want in an adolescent Apotovian comedy, basically. The show opens with a funny scene between main female protagonist, fourteen-year-old Wendla Bergmann, and her mother, as Wendla begs to be informed finally where babies come from and her extremely agitated mother simply tells her that when a woman loves her husband, she becomes pregnant. Now, the contemporary feel of the play distracts you from the blatant irresponsibility of this act on the part of Wendla's mother; my parents never explained sex to me, but I had sexual education in school and I watched television, so I got the message pretty quickly and way before I turned fourteen. But Wendla is a young woman in 1891 and all her girlfriends are just as clueless as she is--they literally have no other way to learn about sex but from the adult women in their lives, who refuse to teach them and thus leave them unprepared for real-life sexual situations that, I'm sorry, have existed since the beginning of human history, namely: TEENS ARE GOING TO HAVE SEX. Ignorance is not an obstacle to that fundamental condition.

This is problematic for several reasons, the biggest being that Wendla has sex without connecting it with the act of procreation; if she had known that was how babies were made, she probably wouldn't have submitted to Malchior in the hayloft. Once she finds out she is pregnant, she reminds her mother that as far as she knew you could only get pregnant by loving your husband, and since Malchior is not her husband she figured she was pretty good on the contraception front. DUH. But I'm getting off topic. Here, an originally comic situation--parental discomfort with teen sexual curiosity and avoidance of the issue, which we see in a hundred sitcoms every year in some form or another--becomes a devastatingly tragic one when Wendla, completely clueless, has sex and gets pregnant and then ultimately (SPOILER! SERIOUSLY) dies from a botched abortion.

Another example of this is the relationship between Wendla and Malchior. Here, we have another typical teen comedy set-up: the smart, secretly sensitive radical falls in love with the sweet, mousy virgin, and vice versa, but forces--parents, teachers, various other teen dramas--conspire to keep them apart. Except that, almost from the beginning, the relationship is tinged with--and then drowned by--darkness, because Malchior and especially Wendla misinterpret sexual and romantic longing and the desire to feel something translates into a violent encounter where Wendla begs Malchior to beat her and Malchior becomes exceedingly aggressive. Though Wendla and Malchior eventually have what appears to be relatively tender (though awkward) sex later, the fact that Malchior knows about sex and its physical consequences (although he, like Wendla, must be ignorant of the social and emotional ramifications of having sex at such a young age) and Wendla so obviously does not makes the scene seem, if you think about it, a little bit like rape. At least, a sort of taking advantage, since if Wendla knew she could get pregnant from having sex with Malchior she probably wouldn't have done it. And, indeed, in the original Wedekind play Malchior does explicitly rape Wendla, but of course they dialed it down a bit for Broadway audiences. So, what is first a romance fit for a teen chick flick becomes much darker and more tragic, especially after Wendla dies.

What I meant to point out about all this is that Spring Awakening is able to effect an emotional resonance by taking the audience's expectations based on reasonable indicators of tone and content presented early in the show and completely subverting them. Light comedy and sweet romance are transformed into haunting, angry tragedy when the characters start connecting sex with violence and never look back. It's an interesting--and effective--narrative strategy that, I think, comes from a narrowing of perspective, like, it's all masturbation jokes and hot for teacher fantasies until you start examining individual relationships and the dark underbelly of sexual exploitation. I don't have much to say about it other than I think it's cool that they're able to so flawlessly cause that effect, and that they manage to say something really meaningful in the process.