Nothing For Me

I'm so disappointed. I have been for quite some time. The theatre company that put on The Music Man, the Fine Arts Center, is about to start their 2009-2010 season, and there aren't any shows for 13 year old girls! I know...very disappointing! And the worst part is that the one show I could've been at least teen chorus in, Sweeney Todd, already had auditions but they were for 16 years and up. The bright side is that I will have more time to focus on my Alleycat Theatrics shows and of course, the spring school musical, which I'm totally stoked about! Hopefully, I can get into YouthRep at the Fine Arts Center next summer as well. That would be equivalent to being in another Fine Arts Center show. So I cross my fingers, (and yes, my toes too) that I can still be successful without Sweeney Todd.

Patti, Patti, Patti!

OK, so you have heard me put down Patti LuPone. Well, is there reason not to? I'm just glad she's 60 now and soon will be done with Broadway...unless she's the next Liza Minnelli, which would anger me deeply. The number one reason I hate LuPone is that every Broadway geek I talk to goes on and on about how wonderful she is. WHAT IS SO WONDERFUL ABOUT PATTI?!?! She has bad phrasing, she can't take on Ethel Merman's roles; sure she can sing loud, but honestly, she needs some phrasing lessons! I'm still wondering how she keeps getting cast, let alone get one part in a Broadway show. I seriously think Patti needs to retire from Broadway and sing for nursery homes.

Dishin' On the Robot

The Music Man has always been a timeless and classic musical...until Matthew Broderick was Harold Hill in the 2003 movie with (OMG!!!!!!!!) Kristin Chenoweth. I've heard that he was incredible in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but guess what; that was over 20 years ago! His acting ability has certainly changed (and yes, based on the title, I think his acting is very robotic and stiff.) Now I can't really say that I'm an expert on this robot, but I have seen, (okay ONE of his works) him before and I know his acting capability. The very first minute of 2003' s The Music Man with Broderick, I instantly said, "UGH!!!!" and have hated him since. Why does he keep getting casted when directors should know how stiff he is?! I can understand where people may think that Matthew Broderick is charming, but personally, I think he sounds like he is reading his lines for the very first time. I can't even imagine why anyone would be a fan of his, let alone bear his performance for more than 5 minutes!

The Top Ten Best (according to me!)

We see lists of the top ten or maybe hundred best musicals of all time. In fact, a lot of times, I don't even agree with the author's opinion. (But that's probably because I'm a teen who likes the newer stuff!) Well, here's my opinion on what the best musicals of all time are:

1. Wicked- There's proof I'm like other teenage girls. But you've gotta love how Kristin Chenoweth (my idol!) and Idina Menzel portray Elphaba and Glinda! And who could hate Stephen Schwartz's awesome music and lyrics?

2. The Phantom of the Opera- This musical BLOWS me away! Although the voices can get quite operatic, this is definitely an amazing musical (and I'm not surprised it's been on Broadway for over 20 years!) Christine and the Phantom's chemistry is incredible, and I absolutely LOVE the ending when the spotlight is on the mask. It's so shocking but so awesome!

3. Spamalot- My parents have always been huge fans of Monty Python, and, while I'm not as much, I LOVE this musical so much! I saw the national touring company with the amazing John O' Hurley (of Seinfeld fame) and I just adored everything about the musical, especially the flashy dance numbers.

4. The Music Man- A timeless classic, this musical is one I've grown up with and always loved. While Robert Preston isn't the best singer or dancer, he's very charming in this musical and I've always been a fan of his. I also recently was in this show at the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs and I had a blast with it!

5. Hairspray- This is another teenie-bopper musical that I love. I missed the national tour of Hairspray and never saw it on Broadway but I did see the 2007 movie. Despite of this, I love the original Broadway version with Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein. Plus, I don't think it should've ended on Broadway so soon!

6. Legally Blonde the Musical- I can't wait to see this fun and peppy musical in February! The songs I've heard from it ("Legally Blonde: Remix", "Serious" and "Omigod You Guys") are fantastic, the story sounds hilarious and Laura Bell Bundy (from Hairspray) is just phenomenal. And it's filled with a bunch of pink and a lot of blondes, which I've always wanted to be.

7. In the Heights- After seeing a number from it at the Macy's parade 2 years ago, I'm totally thrilled to see this musical. I also read the synopsis on Wikipedia and it sounded awesome! The whole theme is just great and I LOVE the song "Just Breathe". It's incredible!

8. Annie- This is another musical I've grown up with and it's always been one of my favorites. The touching story of an orphan who still has hope is what I love most about this musical. Andrea McArdles powerful voice at 13 also blows me away!

9. Godspell- I've seen this musical 7 times and every time I've seen it, I was impressed. And Victor Garber (in the movie) was wonderful and every Jesus I've seen in Godspell has always done a fantastic job!

10. Jesus Christ Superstar- You've gotta admit that Andrew Lloyd Weber is an amazing guy. Almost all of his shows are powerful and this show is no exception. I saw the national tour of this musical and Ted Neely, who was in his early sixties at the time, still could scream and do everything he used to do! Plus all the music is so amazing!

I really don't care if you hate all my choices. If you want to make a list of your least favorite blogs and put mine as number 1, be my guest!

I Have No Fear

I am finally over my fear of puppets. Yes, I know, very hard to even think it's possible. But after seeing A Pilgrim's Progress, I was humbled by how beautifully each marionette was created. I never even knew puppets could be so wonderful! I was also very impressed with David Simpich's different voices. I lost count at 5! And this guy does it all: the voices, the puppet's movements, creating the puppets, the lighting, even writing the script. On top of that, he puts on a new show every 2 or 3 months. I guess you could say that yes, I'm over my fear of marionettes and I can't wait to see what Simpich has in store for his next show!