The Rapture

Every Day Rapture was Sherie Rene Scott's past engagement with Second Stage Theatre.

A show featuring song by U2, Judy Garland and Time Rice- Elton John among others, tells her story of growing up as a half mennonite in Kansas, her two greatest loves: Jesus and Judy and her coming to New York and becoming a "semi star" or so she says (a full broadway star in many eyes of the theatre goers tough...) and a minor youtube mishap.

This is was more than a one woman show or a singer's cabaret, full of heart and with a good

story to be told, plus Ms Scott has a nice sense of herself and a good sense of humor about life.

I specially liked Tom Kitt's (Next To Normal) arrangements to the music, which gave the song a refreshing sound.

In the end I was able to have a few words with Ms Scott and she was delightful as her show, teaching me that we all can live our lives through a song.

Letting the Sunshine In

HAIR is THE revival of the season, winning in it's category as the best one this past june 7th at the Tonys, I'll agree that it was an award well deserve for this flamboyant production of peace loving hippies.

We could talk about why Hair is such as successful show, not only among those who actually lived in the 60's (as my dad) or those who got to see the original production of it back in the park a long time ago but why is it that among the new generations as my self Hair is the rage.

I could say it's the timeless music that somehow you know without having seen the show before, a friend of mine pointed out that he loved the harmonies.

Maybe is the talented cast with stars as Gavin Creel, Will Swenson or Kacie Sheik but the whole tribe is such a an amazing cast of never ending energy and surprises that for two hours and a half will have you in endless shock at the end of your seat wanting more.

My personal opinion is that the success of Hair stands beyond song as Let the Sunshine In, Hair or I believe in Love but in it's story, and how is amazes humanity, since we clearly haven't change in almost half a century.

The shock of seeing we're still the same, killing one another fill of hatred, and still youth fighting with all it's might for a brighter tomorrow, a peaceful and understanding society.

My generation may not wear flowers in their hair, or wander around Washington Square while tripping trying to convince people that Vietnam is wrong.

But we definitely make a stand for what we believe, the new generation still tries to fight for human comprehension and love of our fellow men, no matter what religion or cultural background you might have grew up with.

Fighting for marriage equality and war to end.

Hair make you realizes that there's something bigger than our selfish beings, that we eyes and mind open we can come together and try to save our world, as they say in the show "what a piece of work man" and it so true that you'll certainly will have an out of body experience and will come out of this show with so much energy you'll only want to put flower in you hair and do something for the progress of this world.

I can say that even if the critics say that the show was far much better in the Park the last two summer, and I think it may be true since I saw both. There's something magical about being outdoors is Central Park, but it's still an eye popping magical mystical show that will leave you wanting more, and although it's indoors now there's some scenography and audience interaction that will leave you static.

So since it's the Age of Aquarius I will tell you this... Go see Hair!

P.S

If you want a little more of Hair, or just to see it's wonder by yourself here is the link to the tribe's performance at the Tonys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1GzYCsoVv4

It's all about love

New York is going crazy about two revivals that opened this past spring:

West Side Story (WSS) and Hair.

Luckily I was able to see both, although getting tickets for both of them was almost a miracle since they are sold out... specially WSS.

They do not do student tickets nor rush, so your only chance to see it for less than a 100$ is doing the lottery, I didn't win for either but guess what! There's an alternative way for WSS, which is their partial view tickets (which aren't partial at all! but you are way back in the theatre - Palace Theatre- ad since it's a big one they sell them for 24.50$).

With Hair I just got lucky, tired of going almost every single day to play the lottery and coming out empty handed -which is weird since I'm always really lucky at it- I decided I really wanted to see it so one Sunday I finally thought of buying one of their cheapest tickets for 37$ (last tow rows of the theatre) and little did I know that the box office lady gave me for that price an orchestra ticket row M center!!!

I still do not know if it was my lucky day or the fact that I was there half an hour before the show started and they where giving me a cancellation seat for that price...

Both of them are really good shows.

WSS is the classic Romeo and Juliet story, Tony and Maria here, where Juliet doesn't die.

This show has always been a favorite of mine for three strong reasons: Sondheim, Bernstein and ROBBINS. If you also take into account that the book was written by Arthur Laurents and Hal Prince was one of the producers it's just pure, at it's best theatre magic.

This Production stayed with mister Robbins original choreography, and his idea of the original staging of it. Although the direction was given by Mister Laurents himself.

It's a top production and the idea of the sharks being latin american performers thrilled me so much, Josefina Scaglione, who came for Argentina is so talented with a lovely voice and cute as a button, Karen Olivo performance as Anita was quite good she even won a Tony for it and her dancing impressed me! (although Chita Rivera will always be Anita in my mind).

The only two things that I regret is the songs performed in Spanish, I thought at first this was a brilliant idea plus Lin-Manuel Miranda was hired as the translator for the spanish lyrics and dialogue. What could go wrong?

Well although the dialogue in spanish was good, the songs I'll admit I didn't like that much... and spanish is my mother tongue... so believe me, I should now!

The second one was Cody Green in the beloved role of Riff. This shows that winning a reality t.v contest does not make you a broadway star. He's a terrific dancer, that can't be deny but he certainly is not an actor or a singer.

If you, like me, grew up watching the movie with Russ Tamblyn or listening to the Original Broadway Cast with Michael Callan, you will be disappointed. You'll notice the one who steals the show from Mr Cody is Curtis Holbrook in his role as Action.

I like to think that part of this show success is that it has always been a work of love, since the first moment Jerome Robbins came up with the idea which also makes me think that Art means Time. Did you know it took Mr Robbins 8 years to finally get it done!

Still WSS is a timeless show that both young and old will thoroughly enjoy.

Long time no see

Hi everyone!

I hope you are enjoying what's left of the summer holidays.

I've been really busy but I left New York for the summer, before I did, I saw tons of shows, most of them Tony nominees but since the Tony's where a long time ago I see no point on talking about them now, although some of the plays and musicals where phenomenal.

So my next blog will probably be about those shows... some still playing in New York, other have closed all ready.

Also this past spring I was fortunate enough to meet people like David Hyde Pierce, Sherie Rene Scott and Geoffrey Rush and hear them talk about their work on the stage! plus I got some playbill signed... so that was cool.

See you soon

Lion

Dolly Makes it to Broadway

  in this picture from left to right: me, Rebecca, Nettie and Allison Janney
 my 9 to 5 Playbill signed by all the cast.

Dolly Makes it to Broadway ...

And she works it perfectly in her new Musical 9 to 5.

I went with two of my friends and we where lucky to win the lottery, which always makes me stress when I really want to see a show, but oddly enough it wasn't crowded for a Sunday matinee and they are nominated in three categories for the upcoming Tonys (june 7!!).

The main reason we went it's because Allison Janney (nominated as best leading lady in a musical) is starring in it, and she's a graduate form our alma mater, so as good Playhouse students we went to support her, and I didn't was sure on what to expect.

I respect Dolly Parton as a musician of pop country culture, but I would have never thought she was able to compose a whole musical by herself, was I ever wrong. She's quite amazing at it.

Every song fit perfectly into the structure of musical theatre and each of them is a breath of fresh air from what's playing on the Great White Way at the moment.

She's so clever that if you are really into musical theatre you can notice some references she plays with on her lyrics, that you'll spot the people who gets it cause they are laughing at odd moments in the show, i.e Stephanie J. Block singing at one point that "there's no good deed that goes unpunished", Miss Block was recently seen on Broadway as Elphaba on Schwartz's Wicked, so there's the joke. Pretty clever ha?

To this add Miss Janney brilliant performance, Megan Hilty's voice, Kudisch, who either is a real a*hole in life or one great actor because his performance as Franklin Hart, Jr is amazing.

Then we have amazing costumes, lighting and set combined with Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography (he won last year best choreography for In the Heights... so well deserve).

Mr Andy B's foot work in this show is perfect, I absolutely adored it, so precise and ad doc to the music and the show's feeling... he's someone to watch... he reminds me of a young Michael Bennett and we still have much more of him to see in the future I hope.

Now the cherry on top of our show is Joe Mantello as the Master Puppeteer... sorry! Director I meant. 

What's not to like? I just one superb surprise unfolding in front of your eyes each moment of the show... wouldn't be shock if they leave next June 7th with at least three of the awards. 

It's such a well produce show... Worth playing the lottery, and although the lottery tickets are 36.50$ each (which is such a scam when every other show is 26.50$, keep in mind this are words of a brooke 21 year old student) It was money well spent.

Now that's not all, at the end of the show my friend and I  waited for Miss Janey to come out since we wanted to meet her and tell her we attended the Playhouse. 

She was such a darling, she took time to talk to us, and we even did "repetition" which is the basis of our acting technique (Meisner) just outside the Marquis Theatre Stage door. I couldn't believe my eyes... I meet Allison Janney AND did repetition with her! What a gal!

I've always been proud of my school, but after sunday I felt even prouder!

That's what I call a great Sunday Afternoon. 

P.S

By the way, if you don't know this, the show is adapted from the movie 9 to 5  with Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda, after seeing the show and Miss Fonda on 33 Variations, I can't wait to get the movie and watch it over the summer... let's see how that one goes.

Desire Under The Elms

... No witty title for this one on my behalf.

Desire Under The Elms. 

Well I was glad school took us to see it for free... I would have been really sad to loose my money if I had pay for the ticket.

And this is a show where I'm very puzzled.

Most reviews have been pretty good, but worth of mouth speaks otherwise, including mine.

Some people say is the playwright they don't like, they say Eugene O'Neill is dated, and that it is  the show the one that gets boring,  but they liked the actors.

I'm of the other side of the public opinion, I don't have a problem with Mister O'Neill's work, actually I think the story is rather interesting, of society in a different time that although  we are rather much liberated nowadays we can still seem traces of past cultures and behaviors in our modern civilization such as greed, pride, chauvinism and intolerance, which are still issues in the modern world and I found rather interesting to see how they play with them in this new production.

Here, as in Guys and Dolls I blame the director... those southern accents are so badly done, and although people try to defend him saying that's how they are also written in the original script, can somebody tell me how I'm able to understand them in the script and here I just snoozed for the first half hour of the show, since I didn't understand a single word they where saying, which by the way is 90 minutes long with NO intermission, god help you if you go see it... you won't feel guilty of taking your own pee break in the middle of the show... air is very much needed.

And even if it has really good moments, specially those steamy parts where  Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber interact together or where Brian Dennehy speaks his mind. Still you'll snooze 30 minutes of the show (I looked around... most of us did), Be deeply into it for another 30 minutes and then look at your watch for the other 30 left in the show.

Wondering in the end what in hell just happened and thinking that next time you want to see a straight none comedic show you'll choose Mary Stuart or August: Osage County... that's a really good show... And just leave O'Neill resting peacefully in his grave . Where with this production it seems like the right place where the father of american contemporary theatre should be.

Long live the 80's!

"Just a small town girl living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going"... to Times Square and it was actually around 12:00 p.m! (ha... bad 80's reference... I know!)

But if you where growing up in the 80's (I was born around the end actually...1987) this is a show you will have a blast with, is called Rock of Ages and currently performs at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

Featuring hit songs from bands like Journey, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Posion, this show is sure to make you laugh, the band is pretty electric and the cast amazing.

It's not Shakespeare and it won't change your life, but you'll sure have a good time... I should not say this... but i wouldn't mind going to a pre-show dinner and having a couple drinks before getting to the theatre... if you get my drift ;)

Even if the story is only there for the songs, clearly written to carry them moment to moment I have to say it's pretty witty, and  the cast is great together, all good performers , of course I have some favorite performances as James Carpinello (I was sitting on the front row so he was right in front of me... he is gorgeous!) and Adam Dannheisser and Mitchell Jarvis make a great comedy duo, they really carry each other "home", and it's hilarious 

In the end everybody just has a blast, Constantine Maroulis (American Idol graduate) shake hands with me... awkward! but I had a blast.

Is like a great big concert that's not filled with drunk guys, shirtless girls and you wont get either step on or pushed, and you still get all the fun a top quality band a great music.

My friend Gaby wanted to met them and they all signed our Playbills, and even outside the theatre they where pretty laid back and no big egos, which is a plus!

Some Enchanted Evening...

... or SOUTH PACIFIC and what a genius Oscar Hammerstein II was.

This revival has been running uptown at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont theatre and it's a beautiful reminder of Broadway's golden days and the glory of  musical theatre glory.

With it's original orchestrations (which where a break trough back in 1949 and a challenge for modern orchestras nowadays due to such a big orchestra itself) This new revival plays it amazingly and it's just a non stop rush of joy.

Hammerstein's and Rodger's shows where innovating, and South Pacific is to my personal taste their masterpiece, lucky we are to be able to have this show running once again.

And although  if I have to be totally honest there's one or two thing on the main characters acting that is not quite convincing, but with  the rest of this grand performance.. who cares?! It's just a lovely sight you don't want to miss... and student tickets are just 20 dollars!! so worth it. 

I found myself having a hard time writting about this show, since I'm so moved by it that the only thing that comes to my mind are the lyrics and thousand of Hammertein's quotations, when I should be talking about this show breaking tabus for their time since it was only 1949 and they where talking about racial and political issues  and it's done in such a way there's no way that you won't be move even now in 2009, 60 years after it was originally done!

It has been greatly praised by the new New York Press and now that I saw it I totally agree with them...

Treat yourself, go see it!

That's theatre magic. 

"I'm as corny as Kansas in August,

I'm as normal as blueberry pie.
No more a smart little girl with no heart,
I have found me a wonderful guy!".... Men and their names where Rodgers and Hammerstein!!

P.S

here's the link to a video of the Original Cast of South Pacific Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin performing "Some Enchanted Evening". Just delightful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1qpQb11YWc

Guys turned out to be Dull

First let me apologize for the long absence, It's been a while.

Well, now let me tell you a sad little story (Broadway isn't always glitter and lights)

Last April (I KNOW...APRIL) I went to see a show I really wanted to see against odds, Specially when Miss Cole (my arts Obi Wan Kenobi... gosh! can I be dorky or what?)  told me not to.

Being the rebel I am I went.

GOD WAS I WRONG.

I went to see Guys and Dolls

The show is slow... I mean Broadway shows can be many things, but when they are slow that only means one thing : bad. This coming from someone  (me) who considers herself picky although is called a "cockeyed optimist" and "easy audience" by her theatre teachers, peers and Miss Cole.

The Nederlander usually gives really good student tickets, specially since it's a trend they started with Rent, before them no other Broadway theatre did it!

Well guess what, for the first time I got a bad student ticket there!

I was so on the side I could not see the back drops and I the performers are so careless they walk through the side of the stage as if elephants, I rather picked through the side and see them going on and off the stage to see what was happening on the play at times, ain't that sad?

Lauren Graham is surprisingly the best one in the hole show, she actually sings quite pretty if I may say so, Craig Bierko plays second to her, although she needs either acting classes for the stage or stick to t.v. 

One would expect better and bigger performances from known faces as Oliver Pratt, Tituss Burgess and Steve Rosen, but a song such as "Fugue for Tinhorns"  which is around a minute and 35 seconds seems to last hours, plus the fat suite Mr Burgess is in just look ridiculous.

On their behalf you see they are giving the best each minute of the performance and they haven't give up, I don't hold it against them neither blame them... The responsible for this 2 hours and 45 minutes reck is the director and his crack head vision for this classical: Mr Des McAnuff.

What on earth was he thinking?

Now I know why critics ate him alive for this show... good grief!

Even the animation in the back is so out of shape for this show plus the choreography (Although as a dancer I'll admit they are pretty sweet) they have nothing to do with the show... And even if I really respect Mr Trujillo's who in my personal opinion he's one genius choreographer.... this time is just a little bit narcissist and overdone.

How on earth can they be nominated for a Tony as best REVIVAL?! 

Either they are going crazy or -the real and sad truth- is that there's not enough shows and they needed a minimum of 4  be in the category 

Do yourself a favor, Don't see it... you don't want to spend a weekend evening in a place filled with giggling gilmore girls fans asking yourself why you spend you money on this.

Better get the Movie with Sinatra or the the revival record with Nathan Lane which is nice to listen to and save your money for a better show, dinner or clothes!... Even gambling it would be more productive than seeing this show. 

Ghostly Brits.

So, 2 sundays ago I decided to get off of my bed take a shower and run off to Times Square, to see what I was able to catch.

I wanted to see S.R Scott's new show at this little Off-Broadway Theatre on 43rd street.

Turns out that previews were not to star until next week, so the closest thing to me was the Shubert theatre, where Blithe Spirit is playing.

Very much to my liking the cast was being lead by Angela Lansbury, whom my grandfather loves, Christine Ebersole, whom I've seen in various occasions before (42nd street being my first time),

Rupert Everett, that although a lot of people seem to not like him I consider great, I love his movies except that one with Madonna (blah!) and for being 49 he's pretty hot! and last but not least Jane Atkinson.

Well. I had no idea what the show was about.

It is a story about a writer who, through a medium (play by Lansbury), gets in touch with the ghost of his first doll face-die-to-young wife, which causes a riot in his house, his life and his relationship with his new-more-mature-and-serious, now wife.

Needless to say that Ebersole plays the dead wife, and Atkinson the not dead one.

It turn out to be a comedy, I had a big laugh, so I guess the comedy part was true.

And although the story seemed a little bit dated in certain parts, an some of the jokes where delivered with any response of the audience (which was awkward), mainly due to their "out-datedness". Which threw me in and out of the story, so at times I had to pay attention even harder not to get lost... so that makes me somewhat nervous... anyway.

The performance of all the cast made my Sunday afternoon and my 26$ bucks very worth it (yes this show, has student tickets, big plus)

Ms Lansbury moves around the stage with such grace and comfort that she owns it, plus is inspiring to se someone her age mover better than a lot of people of my generation, she's a true trooper, and clearly loves doing her job.

Rupert has such a good time doing his monologues and scenes that the audience can feel his energy and it's contagious in a good way, made me enjoy the show more.

All people in general worked together pretty well, and it is an ejoyable show.

Plus the secenry is gorgeous, makes me whish I lived there, ghost or no ghost!

I read somewhere that there's a movie version of this play with Rex Harrison playing the writer (Everett) hope I can find it and I'll let you all know latter if I like it.

Oh and by the way just a little off the side story.

Last Sunday I was having dinner at my favorite thai place, located in 48 street, (it is also my favorite place to eat in Times Square) and guess who was having dinner in the table next to mine... Cynthia Nixon, she was pretty humble and down to eartH, having a normal sunday dinner with her kids, and friends, nothing big.

She was so nice to all the waiting staff, and has such a great energy.

I didn't look or talk to her (had to hold my self) cause I didn't want to interrupt her privacy, but when I saw she was done, and leaving, I got some nerve and talked to her!

She was so nice, I told her that her performance in distracted was great, she thanked me for going to see the show, we talked about it for 5 minutes and she was pretty graceful.

Liked her, nice chick!

Between Pills and Spiders

So this past week I went to eat thai... I love thai food,  I usually get either pad thai or sweet and sour beef with sticky rice.

The thing with Thai food is that you can get a big meal for a low price and you end up killing hunger, plus takes care of your pocket money, which is somewhat essential when living in such an expensive city as New York City has turned out to be.

And even if this isn't relevant for this post I wanted to mention it.

Anyhow, afterwards I saw Distracted with Cynthia Nixon... O.k to start I have to say that I didn't know what to expect about it, cos seeing a t.v star on broadway can be either dazzling or disappointing.

Too much expectations, and talk of the town in your ears, you simply get one side of the coin leaving no space for middle ground.

The show was pretty good I must say, It's the story about a modern mom trying to cope with her sons ADD and how nowadays children get drugs almost as if it where candy.

Have to say that I love the playwright's point of view on this one, and a with this show you simply can't get bored or distracted.

That kid in the show amazes me... he must be no older than 13 and has a full broadway career ahead of him with all ready enough credits to shut me up. I'll admit I'm a tad jealous, and YES I know it is ridiculous to be jealous of a teen...if he is one... but come! show business is a tough business and he's all ready making his way into it... good for him tough, he clearly works hard.

Go see it if you can.

In other subject.

I just wanted to Know what's going on the Bway right know....Spiderman the musical!!! you gotta be kidding me.

Didn't Bono have a career? or he just want's to kill U2?

All right I give up... I thought Legally Blonde and Shrek the musical would be Broadway's doom, and both I enjoy, even own the soundtracks, but being honest they are no classics or ground-breaking show, they are feel good/ nice tune shows... in my personal opinion.

But can you imagine a guy in tights pretending to be a spider fighting crime?! Do you even want to imagine it?

Let's see what happens with this..."show".

Some Previews...

Well, this past week I saw 2 shows!! which hasn't happen in such a long time.

On wednesday I saw Distracted with Cynthia Nixon.

And this weekend I saw Finian's Rainbow at City Center Encores! with Jim Norton and Cheyenne Jackson.

Both I liked a lot.

Hope I'm able to write more about them in some spare time that I may find between going to school to rehearse my scene, baking cupcakes and cookies for the second year showcase and doing laundry...

Music For Fonda.

33 Variations.

33 Variations is the new Broadway Play starring Jane Fonda at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Directed and Written by Moisés Kaufman.

One lazy saturday afternoon walking 'round the theatre district I decided to just hope into the nearest theatre to me and see something.

I was at the Hershey's store located in 49 street and the O'Neill was the closest theatre.

Jane Fonda in a serious play called 33 Variations was playing at the moment  (still is).

I had no idea what it was about, who else was in it or anything about it, but the chance to see "Barbarella" live was tempting.

Being 20 to 2, I had to rush into the box office and see if the had any student tickets available, otherwise I would have had to let it go.

To my surprise they did have some left, and they weren't partial view or the last row of the theatre. They where in the center of the first row in the Mezzanine... I was amazed.

Seated, waiting for the show to start a peek trough my Playbill and saw that Colin Hanks was also in it along a well know cast of stage actors.

The Show Started, the scenery, although somewhat simple, work really nice to my taste. 

33 Variation is a show about a musicologist trying to find an answer to Beethoven's obsession with Diabelli's waltz. (I like waltzes, but a piece of music i triple meter generally in slow tempo ain't always my favorite thing, I'm more of a "canon" gal)

Anyhow... she goes all the way to Europe to find out and in her journey we see the story take place between the now she's living in and Beethoven's present (as she read his journal).

Thin action between the two main characters was one of my favorite things in the show, which to my personal opinion really favored how the story developed at the moment.

I would love to go on about it but maybe I should wait cause the show is still playing and I do not want to ruin it for someone who might go see it.

I can say that the thing I liked the most was the little things I learned from the story and to see beauty in simplicity and learn to listen. Also that "that thing" we fear the most may be the same thing that cripple us to go on, either one we go trough it or once we learn to fear no more, we can a) go on with our life and b) realize that it wasn't so bad... we humans tend to agonize so very much.

Although I somewhat believe that Mr Collins isn't ready to take broadway by the horns, you could clearly see his lack of stage experience, it was also gratifying to see Susan Kellermann, a Meisner trained actress who's work in this show I liked a lot but also studying Meisner technique myself (that's what I learn in school nowadays), seeing her work and think of what I  see in school day in and day out was magical.

Overall I really enjoy the show and would recommend it.

Lots of luv and good night

LIO∏