Why not celebrate one month before my birthday with some musical theater?
Showing posts with label Reflections about.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflections about.... Show all posts
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Monday, June 19, 2023
Reflections about...My First Time Seeing CATS Live at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 7 PM, and My Many Other Thoughts About the Musical
(I wanted to publish this way before the National Tour of CATS closed but kept needing to work on it more LOL!! Although, it is good that I started early so that it was pretty much ready for publication right when the tour closed and I didn't spend months starting now working on this to the point where it no longer felt current. I didn't know that I was going to have so much to say about this show and I just kept realizing and discovering more things I wanted to talk about. I was originally just going to tweet about it, but then it turned into a full blown blog post.
I eventually published this and aimed to do so on June 12, exactly three months after my show and before their final week of shows in order to meet my deadline of actually publishing this before the tour ended. But now since I talk more about the end of the tour and all of my emotions about that in this too, I felt that it was more appropriate to publish this right as it was ending and after the fact as kind of a send-off. I'm finding that I'm still updating and perfecting this piece as I think of stuff I want to mention while it is live too, including this disclaimer introduction. lol Hopefully I will finally settle it soon though. I wrote a lot here and I feel like I may be rambling a bit, so feel free to just visit when you can. I kinda wrote this conversationally but it also seems to have turned into an academic essay as well, so please enjoy either way. lol
I've seen that fans send the cast fan art. I'm not artistically inclined like that lol, so I feel like this is my way of contributing to that too. Sources of mine include Wiki sites, all around Google and YouTube searches, book excerpts, and others that I cite.)
I'm a dog person, so therein lies a reason for the disconnect between me and this Andrew Lloyd Webber Tony Award-winning musical all this time. lol
But I get it now. After 30+ years, I finally understand the CATS hype.
And now I have a LOT of thoughts and feelings about it, as you will soon find out. lol
Monday, January 30, 2017
Reflections about..."The Bodyguard" at Paper Mill Playhouse Friday December 23, 2016 at 1:30 PM
I've been practically either sick or busy all month, so I haven't been able to devote more of my time to this blog, but I am finally delivering this post!
The Bodyguard was a 1992 movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner about a pop singer who has a stalker, so her manager hires a bodyguard to protect her.
Now this story comes to audiences live in a stage production...but not quite. I say not quite because I read the synopsis of the movie on Wikipedia and it doesn't really match up. It has some similarities, but the musical adaptation is a total retelling and liberties are taken.
Written by Alexander Dinelaris, the show has played in London, Australia, Germany, Korea, and Toronto, all with different casts. Now it kicked off its U.S. debut and tour at Paper Mill Playhouse, starring Grammy Award winner Deborah Cox as Houston's character Rachel Marron and Judson Mills as Costner's character Frank Farmer. It premiered on November 25 and played until January 1.
Going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew about this story is that it was based on a movie starring Whitney Houston who sings "I Will Always Love You" at the end. I didn't know how well this would translate to a stage musical, so I was interested in seeing how it is done.
The Bodyguard was a 1992 movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner about a pop singer who has a stalker, so her manager hires a bodyguard to protect her.
Now this story comes to audiences live in a stage production...but not quite. I say not quite because I read the synopsis of the movie on Wikipedia and it doesn't really match up. It has some similarities, but the musical adaptation is a total retelling and liberties are taken.
Written by Alexander Dinelaris, the show has played in London, Australia, Germany, Korea, and Toronto, all with different casts. Now it kicked off its U.S. debut and tour at Paper Mill Playhouse, starring Grammy Award winner Deborah Cox as Houston's character Rachel Marron and Judson Mills as Costner's character Frank Farmer. It premiered on November 25 and played until January 1.
Going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew about this story is that it was based on a movie starring Whitney Houston who sings "I Will Always Love You" at the end. I didn't know how well this would translate to a stage musical, so I was interested in seeing how it is done.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Reflections about..."The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at Paper Mill Playhouse April 1, 2015 at 7 PM
I got to see the Feast of Fools musical on April Fools. I like how that worked out. It also closed on April 5, Easter Sunday. That was interesting too, considering that this is a Christian musical and it kicked off my Holy Week.
I wanted to make a vlog about this production because I had been anticipating it for a long time, wanting to react to it and discuss various aspects of the show. I then remembered that I have a "Taking a One 'Stef' at a Time" series for this very purpose. :P The last time I wrote a "Reflections about..." piece was in 2012 so it's about time that I wrote another one.
Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, has a reputation for being Disney's most controversial, adult heavy animated musical. Now that musical has been brought to the stage at Millburn, New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse, brought to us by Disney musical legends composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, directed by Scott Schwartz. This is its U.S. premiere.
Except it's not.
The musical actually premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California months prior with a lot of the same cast.
The show played at Paper Mill Playhouse from March 4-April 5. The reason why I was so excited about this is because when I first heard about this show when Paper Mill Playhouse's 2014-2015 Season was first announced, I read that apparently this was its premiere before it goes to Broadway. Like, I thought this was the intention. "Newsies" and "The Little Mermaid" were also Disney movies turned stage musicals that premiered at Paper Mill before their Broadway debuts, but I never got to see them, so I wanted to make sure I saw "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I was looking forward to it for months and when we were actually looking for seats, we kept having to cancel due to circumstances. We finally saw it the final week of its run.
Now I'm hearing that this is questionable. Articles are showing up saying that it will not transfer to Broadway. But one thing is clear...the people want this to happen. They even created a petition to get their voices heard. Even the cast seems to be interested when I ask them.
It was SUCH a popular production! It kept getting sold out and the theater was at its most crowded when I went to see it. The name really drew people to it.
-These are some notes to consider about it just in case in does go on Broadway and you want to see it (I HIGHLY recommend!):
I wanted to make a vlog about this production because I had been anticipating it for a long time, wanting to react to it and discuss various aspects of the show. I then remembered that I have a "Taking a One 'Stef' at a Time" series for this very purpose. :P The last time I wrote a "Reflections about..." piece was in 2012 so it's about time that I wrote another one.
 |
| From Paper Mill Playhouse's website |
Except it's not.
The musical actually premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California months prior with a lot of the same cast.
The show played at Paper Mill Playhouse from March 4-April 5. The reason why I was so excited about this is because when I first heard about this show when Paper Mill Playhouse's 2014-2015 Season was first announced, I read that apparently this was its premiere before it goes to Broadway. Like, I thought this was the intention. "Newsies" and "The Little Mermaid" were also Disney movies turned stage musicals that premiered at Paper Mill before their Broadway debuts, but I never got to see them, so I wanted to make sure I saw "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I was looking forward to it for months and when we were actually looking for seats, we kept having to cancel due to circumstances. We finally saw it the final week of its run.
Now I'm hearing that this is questionable. Articles are showing up saying that it will not transfer to Broadway. But one thing is clear...the people want this to happen. They even created a petition to get their voices heard. Even the cast seems to be interested when I ask them.
It was SUCH a popular production! It kept getting sold out and the theater was at its most crowded when I went to see it. The name really drew people to it.
-These are some notes to consider about it just in case in does go on Broadway and you want to see it (I HIGHLY recommend!):
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Reflections about...Jonah Performance at Sight & Sound Theatres Tuesday July 31, 2012 at 1 PM
A month ago my younger cousin Michael was up from North Carolina visiting us and so one of the things my aunt planned for us to do together is Sight & Sound Theatres, which is something she had been wanting to do for awhile since her friends from Bible study told her about it a few years ago. Sight & Sound Theatres showcases the stories of the Bible in the form of musical theater. "Where the Bible comes to life" seems to be its motto. Sight & Sound Theatres has two locations: Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Branson, Missouri. Naturally, because it is closer, we went to Lancaster to see Jonah.
Jonah is a young prophet in Biblical times whom loves the Lord. One day the Lord gives Jonah a message that greatly troubles him. He wants Jonah to travel to Nineveh to ask the people to repent their sins to gain salvation. However, Jonah does not believe that Nineveh deserves this salvation because they are horrible people and when he was a child they killed his father, so it is personal for him. Jonah runs away from his prophet duties, but God always manages to find him, ultimately using a sea mammal to help Jonah come to his senses.
The Love of God
This just might be the first play I've seen where agape (the unconditional love of God) is the main focus. In other plays, normally the love that carries the plot is romantic love, or perhaps a relationship between family members, but you rarely see a play totally focused on religion, God, and Christianity. Religion and Christianity actually inspired the earlier forms of drama, such as the Wakefield Mystery Plays (which is actually the first thing I learned in my Early English Drama course in my Fall 2011 semester), but as time went on with drama, this trend seemed to no longer be as popular or existent at all. Sight & Sound Theatres seems to be only current theater so far to be trying to "resurrect" this trend in this way and taking it one step further and making musicals out of their interpretations.
The Best Parts
For the Kids
This story is told in musical form and is fit for all ages. What Sight & Sound Theatres does is take a Biblical story and make its own spin on it, adding humorous moments to help tell the story better, some specifically for children. For example, at one point a skunk sprays Jonah because, ahem, sin "stinks." Jonah is sinning because he is running away from God. This is literally written in the program and it literally happens onstage, the animal played by a real live skunk, but of course special effects playing the actual "spray." One of the highlights of Sight & Sound Theatres is it uses live animals in its cast.
Another part that is really cute is when Jonah is on the run and a bunch of kids want to play Hide and Seek with him. Trying to get rid of them, he counts and they all run away to hide, except a young girl. He reveals to her he will not be searching for them, but she replies with something like, "They will forever be lost. How will they be found if you don't search for them?" This symbolically brings up a valid point of the musical, for Jonah must also help the people of Nineveh to no longer be lost.
Music
I never really get the soundtracks of shows as souvenirs, but this time I did. That's how good the music is.
My favorite song, which is one I often play on my iTunes, is the song "The Ocean Sings." I've been using this song as inspiration to write this post. This is the part when Jonah sets sail with a bunch of pirates to further avoid his Godly duty. (Well, they refer to themselves as "sailors" but I call them pirates because to me they all resemble Johnny Depp's "Captain Jack Sparrow" and speak with accents. Plus, calling them "pirates" just makes them sound cooler, which they are. They are some of the best characters in the musical.) I think the reason why I like this song is because it is the one song in the musical that isn't necessarily religious-related. Jonah's mother has a verse praying to God to keep him safe on his voyage, but other than that it is just a song sung by a bunch of "pirates" about what it's like to set sail. This song could be sung in any musical about pirates or sailors and the big blue sea and still work. Another reason is that I have a tendency to enjoy a song sung by a chorus of men more than other types of chorus. It's just a really fun song and it's one of the least emotional ones, because plenty of the songs in this are very heart-wrenching, and I like songs that aren't necessarily going to make me cry.
Another song I really like is "Everyone Has A Nineveh," sung by Jonah's mother once again praying to keep Jonah safe, which always reminds me of Nala's solo "Shadowland" from The Lion King Musical just because of the way it is sung and the subject manner. I know. That's odd, isn't it? Well, maybe not. Both songs talk about how certain locations are giving the characters hardships to overcome and both characters who sing them have hope that they will. What I like about "Everyone Has A Nineveh," other than her voice, is that it speaks so true for everyone in the audience and not one member of said audience can't not relate. Everyone has his or her crosses to bear.
I can't talk about music in this musical without talking about "I'm Free." This is the main song that makes me cry. It is sung by the people of Nineveh (and then Jonah with the Nineveh people) who are grateful for God's grace and the opportunity to reflect on themselves and change for the better, even if their town does not survive. It is a celebration of how when you get closer to God, you feel great about yourself. It is a very beautiful moment and you truly feel the Lord's presence.
The Whale
The whale is the highlight of the musical. I sat in anticipation waiting for the whale scene because we have heard so much about it and how enormous it is. I don't want to give away too much about it because I want you to experience it for yourself, so here's all I will say about it: I kept saying "Oh my God" when it finally made its appearance. The scene with the whale is very intricate because there is no dialogue, for the only character involved with this scene is Jonah, and he doesn't start talking until his is finally swallowed by the whale. As an audience member, you feel like you are underwater and an actual whale is swimming right in front of you. You then feel like you are inside the whale with Jonah! The special effects are amazing!
The whale isn't real (you'll have to see for yourself what it looks like, for I'm not telling! :P), but there is a whole slew of cast members in the animal kingdom that are...
The Animals
Like I said, the animals in this are a highlight of Sight & Sound Theatres and one of the first things my aunt told me about this theater a few years ago, and therefore was one of the main parts I was looking forward to the most.
Normally when animals are incorporated in a theatrical production, they are only kept onstage and don't really do much but walk across the stage. However, the animal cast members of Sight & Sound Theatres walk in the aisles with their human counterparts and do some acting of their own. They know their cues and play along with the scenes very well!
Something That Confused Me
Even though the musical is family friendly and no violence is really incorporated, there is no secret that torture goes on in this world. When Jonah finally gets to Nineveh and delivers God's message that Nineveh will be destroyed in forty days if they do not change their ways, at first the people don't take him seriously. No surprise there. The soldiers go to take Jonah away to blind him, which is something they're accustomed to doing to their enemies, until something very strange happens...
One of the soldiers tells them to stop because he believes Jonah is telling the truth. Why? He "just knows." He literally gives no explanation as to why he believes Jonah. Then he starts praying for forgiveness. The other people of Nineveh suddenly do the same ("Repentance"), eventually leading into the song "39 Days," one of the better songs of the musical.
Here's why this is weird. It happens WAY too fast. The people of the Bible are never this quickly convinced. And the fact that the guy never gives any reason to why he believes Jonah makes it weirder. In the Bible there are always people who need proof, but here they just listen to the one soldier, who does not have any proof nor does he seem to want any himself, and they start praying. If these people are as barbaric as Jonah was making them out to be throughout the entire musical, then this doesn't make sense because they aren't the type of people to totally give in right away.
The scenes with the Nineveh people are the most powerful when it comes to the power of God, and actually quite scary. Not scary in the way that kids will be scarred by it, but more so feeling the tension of being under God's mercy. There is desperation in their tones and you could feel this tension along with them, because this is something to which plenty of people can relate as well. It is the fear of the unknown future and not having any control over it, knowing that a higher power deity that can control anything, does.
However, the coolest part involving the Nineveh people is when Jonah is taken to their king, whom he is told by the soldiers is questioning why all of a sudden his people are praying and he doesn't like it. You think he is going sentence Jonah in some way, but instead he is extremely grateful, preparing to join his people in their prayer. He says that his kingdom has been having issues and he's been praying to all of the gods for help, and the ONLY ONE that responded was Jonah's God.
Now THAT is cool.
The Lobby
You know, I spend a lot of times in the lobbies of theaters, often taking photos of them, but this lobby takes the cake of all theatrical lobbies, so it deserves its own section in this review. It is gigantic and there are a number of gift shops and food stands. In it (and outside of theater as well) blasts music from the show, which got me in the Jonah zone. When I got home I recognized the music of "The Ocean Sings" as one I kept hearing in the lobby. That makes me happy.
Will You Like It?
Well, that really depends. The musical speaks to a certain demographic and yet it doesn't. If you are religious, particularly Christian, you'll definitely get more out of it than a non-believer. It speaks to believers more because the musical promotes faith in God and Jesus so much and expects its audience to share in the same beliefs. As I was sitting there watching it, I kept wondering if anybody other than that demographic would take it seriously or even feel comfortable watching it.
Then again, if you are a non-believer with an open mind, you just might appreciate it. The musical makes you think about your relationship with God and Jesus more and it might help non-believers to believe considering how positively it portrays the love of God.
One thing we can all agree on is relating to Jonah. As I was watching it, I couldn't help but constantly agree with Jonah on his position in the manner. It is difficult to do good things for those we dislike. We travel the story pretty much in Jonah's shoes and share in the same fear and feelings he is experiencing, for Jonah is a very understandable character. But it's also pretty interesting how judgmental he is. He doesn't realize that his attitude towards Nineveh can be just as sinful.
This is one of my best, most memorable theater experiences of my lifetime. I haven't quite seen anything like this one before. There is more than one set and stage in the theater, so the extensions of the stage makes the experience that much more different and big as well. The following is stated on the website, which pretty much sums it up in a nutshell: "Sight & Sound Theatres is the largest faith-based live theatre in the country and has been described as 'Christian Broadway.'" We were thinking this ourselves, but my aunt and I agree that we believe that it is actually better than Broadway. ;) It is a very phenomenal show and very well done.
You have plenty of time to check it out if you want to share in the Jonah experience! The show runs until December 29, 2012! :)
We're already planning to see Noah next year. ;)
 |
| This is the outside of the theater. It looks like a palace inside and out! |
Jonah is a young prophet in Biblical times whom loves the Lord. One day the Lord gives Jonah a message that greatly troubles him. He wants Jonah to travel to Nineveh to ask the people to repent their sins to gain salvation. However, Jonah does not believe that Nineveh deserves this salvation because they are horrible people and when he was a child they killed his father, so it is personal for him. Jonah runs away from his prophet duties, but God always manages to find him, ultimately using a sea mammal to help Jonah come to his senses.
The Love of God
This just might be the first play I've seen where agape (the unconditional love of God) is the main focus. In other plays, normally the love that carries the plot is romantic love, or perhaps a relationship between family members, but you rarely see a play totally focused on religion, God, and Christianity. Religion and Christianity actually inspired the earlier forms of drama, such as the Wakefield Mystery Plays (which is actually the first thing I learned in my Early English Drama course in my Fall 2011 semester), but as time went on with drama, this trend seemed to no longer be as popular or existent at all. Sight & Sound Theatres seems to be only current theater so far to be trying to "resurrect" this trend in this way and taking it one step further and making musicals out of their interpretations.
The Best Parts
For the Kids
This story is told in musical form and is fit for all ages. What Sight & Sound Theatres does is take a Biblical story and make its own spin on it, adding humorous moments to help tell the story better, some specifically for children. For example, at one point a skunk sprays Jonah because, ahem, sin "stinks." Jonah is sinning because he is running away from God. This is literally written in the program and it literally happens onstage, the animal played by a real live skunk, but of course special effects playing the actual "spray." One of the highlights of Sight & Sound Theatres is it uses live animals in its cast.
Another part that is really cute is when Jonah is on the run and a bunch of kids want to play Hide and Seek with him. Trying to get rid of them, he counts and they all run away to hide, except a young girl. He reveals to her he will not be searching for them, but she replies with something like, "They will forever be lost. How will they be found if you don't search for them?" This symbolically brings up a valid point of the musical, for Jonah must also help the people of Nineveh to no longer be lost.
Music
I never really get the soundtracks of shows as souvenirs, but this time I did. That's how good the music is.
My favorite song, which is one I often play on my iTunes, is the song "The Ocean Sings." I've been using this song as inspiration to write this post. This is the part when Jonah sets sail with a bunch of pirates to further avoid his Godly duty. (Well, they refer to themselves as "sailors" but I call them pirates because to me they all resemble Johnny Depp's "Captain Jack Sparrow" and speak with accents. Plus, calling them "pirates" just makes them sound cooler, which they are. They are some of the best characters in the musical.) I think the reason why I like this song is because it is the one song in the musical that isn't necessarily religious-related. Jonah's mother has a verse praying to God to keep him safe on his voyage, but other than that it is just a song sung by a bunch of "pirates" about what it's like to set sail. This song could be sung in any musical about pirates or sailors and the big blue sea and still work. Another reason is that I have a tendency to enjoy a song sung by a chorus of men more than other types of chorus. It's just a really fun song and it's one of the least emotional ones, because plenty of the songs in this are very heart-wrenching, and I like songs that aren't necessarily going to make me cry.
Another song I really like is "Everyone Has A Nineveh," sung by Jonah's mother once again praying to keep Jonah safe, which always reminds me of Nala's solo "Shadowland" from The Lion King Musical just because of the way it is sung and the subject manner. I know. That's odd, isn't it? Well, maybe not. Both songs talk about how certain locations are giving the characters hardships to overcome and both characters who sing them have hope that they will. What I like about "Everyone Has A Nineveh," other than her voice, is that it speaks so true for everyone in the audience and not one member of said audience can't not relate. Everyone has his or her crosses to bear.
I can't talk about music in this musical without talking about "I'm Free." This is the main song that makes me cry. It is sung by the people of Nineveh (and then Jonah with the Nineveh people) who are grateful for God's grace and the opportunity to reflect on themselves and change for the better, even if their town does not survive. It is a celebration of how when you get closer to God, you feel great about yourself. It is a very beautiful moment and you truly feel the Lord's presence.
The Whale
The whale is the highlight of the musical. I sat in anticipation waiting for the whale scene because we have heard so much about it and how enormous it is. I don't want to give away too much about it because I want you to experience it for yourself, so here's all I will say about it: I kept saying "Oh my God" when it finally made its appearance. The scene with the whale is very intricate because there is no dialogue, for the only character involved with this scene is Jonah, and he doesn't start talking until his is finally swallowed by the whale. As an audience member, you feel like you are underwater and an actual whale is swimming right in front of you. You then feel like you are inside the whale with Jonah! The special effects are amazing!
The whale isn't real (you'll have to see for yourself what it looks like, for I'm not telling! :P), but there is a whole slew of cast members in the animal kingdom that are...
The Animals
Like I said, the animals in this are a highlight of Sight & Sound Theatres and one of the first things my aunt told me about this theater a few years ago, and therefore was one of the main parts I was looking forward to the most.
Normally when animals are incorporated in a theatrical production, they are only kept onstage and don't really do much but walk across the stage. However, the animal cast members of Sight & Sound Theatres walk in the aisles with their human counterparts and do some acting of their own. They know their cues and play along with the scenes very well!
Something That Confused Me
Even though the musical is family friendly and no violence is really incorporated, there is no secret that torture goes on in this world. When Jonah finally gets to Nineveh and delivers God's message that Nineveh will be destroyed in forty days if they do not change their ways, at first the people don't take him seriously. No surprise there. The soldiers go to take Jonah away to blind him, which is something they're accustomed to doing to their enemies, until something very strange happens...
One of the soldiers tells them to stop because he believes Jonah is telling the truth. Why? He "just knows." He literally gives no explanation as to why he believes Jonah. Then he starts praying for forgiveness. The other people of Nineveh suddenly do the same ("Repentance"), eventually leading into the song "39 Days," one of the better songs of the musical.
Here's why this is weird. It happens WAY too fast. The people of the Bible are never this quickly convinced. And the fact that the guy never gives any reason to why he believes Jonah makes it weirder. In the Bible there are always people who need proof, but here they just listen to the one soldier, who does not have any proof nor does he seem to want any himself, and they start praying. If these people are as barbaric as Jonah was making them out to be throughout the entire musical, then this doesn't make sense because they aren't the type of people to totally give in right away.
The scenes with the Nineveh people are the most powerful when it comes to the power of God, and actually quite scary. Not scary in the way that kids will be scarred by it, but more so feeling the tension of being under God's mercy. There is desperation in their tones and you could feel this tension along with them, because this is something to which plenty of people can relate as well. It is the fear of the unknown future and not having any control over it, knowing that a higher power deity that can control anything, does.
However, the coolest part involving the Nineveh people is when Jonah is taken to their king, whom he is told by the soldiers is questioning why all of a sudden his people are praying and he doesn't like it. You think he is going sentence Jonah in some way, but instead he is extremely grateful, preparing to join his people in their prayer. He says that his kingdom has been having issues and he's been praying to all of the gods for help, and the ONLY ONE that responded was Jonah's God.
Now THAT is cool.
The Lobby
You know, I spend a lot of times in the lobbies of theaters, often taking photos of them, but this lobby takes the cake of all theatrical lobbies, so it deserves its own section in this review. It is gigantic and there are a number of gift shops and food stands. In it (and outside of theater as well) blasts music from the show, which got me in the Jonah zone. When I got home I recognized the music of "The Ocean Sings" as one I kept hearing in the lobby. That makes me happy.
Will You Like It?
Well, that really depends. The musical speaks to a certain demographic and yet it doesn't. If you are religious, particularly Christian, you'll definitely get more out of it than a non-believer. It speaks to believers more because the musical promotes faith in God and Jesus so much and expects its audience to share in the same beliefs. As I was sitting there watching it, I kept wondering if anybody other than that demographic would take it seriously or even feel comfortable watching it.
Then again, if you are a non-believer with an open mind, you just might appreciate it. The musical makes you think about your relationship with God and Jesus more and it might help non-believers to believe considering how positively it portrays the love of God.
One thing we can all agree on is relating to Jonah. As I was watching it, I couldn't help but constantly agree with Jonah on his position in the manner. It is difficult to do good things for those we dislike. We travel the story pretty much in Jonah's shoes and share in the same fear and feelings he is experiencing, for Jonah is a very understandable character. But it's also pretty interesting how judgmental he is. He doesn't realize that his attitude towards Nineveh can be just as sinful.
This is one of my best, most memorable theater experiences of my lifetime. I haven't quite seen anything like this one before. There is more than one set and stage in the theater, so the extensions of the stage makes the experience that much more different and big as well. The following is stated on the website, which pretty much sums it up in a nutshell: "Sight & Sound Theatres is the largest faith-based live theatre in the country and has been described as 'Christian Broadway.'" We were thinking this ourselves, but my aunt and I agree that we believe that it is actually better than Broadway. ;) It is a very phenomenal show and very well done.
You have plenty of time to check it out if you want to share in the Jonah experience! The show runs until December 29, 2012! :)
We're already planning to see Noah next year. ;)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Reflections about...Dept. of Theatre and Dance Romeo and Juliet Performance Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 7:30 PM
One thing I forgot to mention in my last Romeo and Juliet post is that a reason why I think they chose to perform that particular play at Montclair State University is because it is so well known. They know that this is how they can get audiences. Montclair seems to do this sporadically. They have the intricate, different materials, but then they bring in shows that are more close to home to even it out and of course they all have the same result. Romeo and Juliet was sold out, just like how Sweet Charity and Sweeney Todd were also sold out shows.
So since I ranted last time about just how well known Romeo and Juliet is to our society, here are some observations I have made about the play from this particular performance that perhaps aren't so well known.
"I bite my thumb at you, sir."
This is actually one of the lines that opens up the play. It's so awesome because we can totally relate to obscene gestures, which is exactly what this is. Thanks, Shakespeare! :D
A funny background story about this is how I always thought the line was "I thumb my nose at you," meaning the person would flick his or her thumb on his or her nose. My friends and I in high school, when we were reading the play in English class freshman year, would do this to each other as a joke.
Fast forward to now. My friend Kelly and I always argued about which is correct: "I bite my thumb at you" or "I thumb my nose at you." We would even look it up and they would both appear correct. She and I saw Romeo and Juliet at school opening night, and we finally got our answer. Kelly poked me while we watched the scene to prove her victory.
Thanks, Shakespeare. -__-
By the way, when the servants are having their first battle among each other, Juliet was actually one of the spectators on the side cheering them on. I thought that was odd considering how the character of Juliet wouldn't be expected to have any part of this feud. I know this was a decision to have a good number of people cheer for the battle, considering that it was a small cast, but it's Juliet, you know? It just looks weird lol.
Why are they fighting?
Does anybody else wonder how this family feud began in the first place? Is it said and I just missed it? I feel like Shakespeare might have included this detail. I know it doesn't really matter, but it's just something that crossed my mind as I was watching it. Knowing the reasons why something is happening helps the audience comprehend the story better and can also help the characters settle their disputes better. I'm just under the impression that the two families have been fighting so long that they have forgotten what the fight is about. Either that or their ancestors started the fight and it continued down the generations.
Why Juliet is actually a strong female Shakespeare character
I used to really dislike this kid. I just pictured her such a teenage drama queen, and Romeo no better. I really don't think I'm the only one.
What's funny to is, in this Peak Performance, Juliet was actually excited about her attachment to Parris. It wasn't until she meets Romeo that everything goes haywire and she starts to get miserable and fight against it.
The thing is though, I've now realized that she is pretty intelligent Shakespearean female character regardless of how she is often viewed. She is constantly being suppressed by everyone around her so she has to figure out what to do on her own. She goes to get help from other people of course, but the fact that she even takes the initiative to do so, being a young girl, is pretty admirable.
I disliked her too because I felt she was too young to be so passionate about love. However, in this time period, she is old enough to get married, so it does make sense that she would be so mature about men and how she handles situations.
Couldn't she just have told family/Parris?
Well, maybe not her family, because they seem pretty domineering and wouldn't even consider her explanation, but I feel like they wouldn't get as mad at her. She doesn't give them any reason for being defiant, so that is why they get so angry. But, telling them that she is in love with and married to the son of their greatest enemy may not go over well anyway, so I guess it's for the best.
At least tell Paris. He seems like a nice enough guy to understand. He seems like one of those guys who would do anything for the object of his affections, even let her go. Sad to say it, but he also seems like he would make a pushover of a husband. The only reason why he has issues with Romeo is because Romeo killed Tybalt and he considers him a threat. He has no idea about the connection between Romeo and Juliet.
I also don't understand why she doesn't tell her Nurse about the potion she takes from Friar Lawrence. She tells her everything else in her master plan so why not this? It would have been nice if she knew about this because perhaps she could've helped matters.
Something Lady Capulet says to Juliet
I never really noticed this until I saw this play, but Lady Capulet says the following words to her daughter after Juliet defies her father:
Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word.
Do as thou wilt, for I am done with thee.
Then afterward Juliet gets all upset. However, I took this line as "Well that's nice of her, letting her daughter do what she wants." If a mother were to say these words to her thirteen-year-old daughter nowadays, the daughter would be like, "Fine! Screw you, Mom! I will!" And because, like I said, Juliet is in an adult position to take matters into her own hands, I'm surprised she doesn't take this as a blessing and adopt the rebellious teenage attitude. A lot of times teenagers consider themselves old enough to handle things they cannot handle on their own. Here, Juliet is a teenager but in this time period IS old enough to handle things on her own, but she freaks out when her mother verbally abandons her.
There's something that has to be said about how Mercutio gets stabbed by Tybalt in Romeo's arms.
I first I thought Zazzali included this, but apparently the script calls for it because later on Mercutio gets mad at Romeo for getting in the way and perhaps he would not have been stabbed if he didn't. It's just such a powerful scene because the music stops playing, the action is done, and the audience focuses on Mercutio collapsing and Romeo holding onto him. It almost looks slow motion and silent. It's a very mesmerizing moment.
This is the main thing that struck me that never did so before. Okay, so we know that Tybalt stabs Mercutio in Romeo's arms. Benvolio drags him off and he dies offstage. Romeo, out of vengeance, goes to kill Tybalt, succeeds, and then runs away seeing the error of his ways. When this happens the whole cast runs onto the stage around Tybalt's body and mourns his death.
Um...Mercutio died too...
What the heck? Nobody seems to care about Mercutio! Mercutio dies and nobody but Romeo and Benvolio react right away but when Tybalt dies suddenly all of Verona gets bent out of shape? They ignore the fact that Tybalt was not the only one to die in the brawl. Mercutio is totally disregarded by everybody besides his two friends. His death is acknowledged, I will admit that, but it isn't acknowledged until Tybalt is killed. I think that's what made me take notice of this. It makes it seem like he was such an insignificant person to them, like they don't care, as if they wouldn't have noticed his death if Romeo had not killed Tybalt as well. That's not fair!
It's definitely obvious that blood is thicker than water here. Everybody cares about Tybalt's death because he is Lady Capulet's brother's son. Mercutio was just a friend of Romeo's, or like Kelly refers to him as when I asked her about this, "a kid who lives up the street." I think the thing is I've always associated Mercutio with the Montagues, and therefore put him in the family as a brother/cousin figure, when in reality he's kind of an outsider everywhere. Or, perhaps he is a median between the two. He does land himself on the guest list for the Capulet party. How did THAT happen? That's another thing this performance brought to my attention. How do the Capulets not notice that the Montague kid's friend is coming to their party? Wouldn't that bother them? He goes by his own name on the list, so it's not like he disguised the fact that he is attending. I guess he's just such a party goer that he knows his ways around the system.
However, this little observation I made has helped me to connect Romeo and Juliet with another Italian classic: The Godfather.
Oh yeah? Don't believe me? A bit of a stretch? Keep reading.
After Tybalt is found dead and Benvolio explains what happened (That's his only purpose in this play, let's be honest), Ben reveals that Romeo did the deed and so therefore Romeo is exiled by Prince Escalus and if he is found, sentenced to death. Much like in The Godfather, you mess with a family member, your mess with the whole family. You're going to get it and they will not yield until you do.
But another thing both of these Italian classics bring to the table is the idea that friendship equals family. When Don Corleone forms a friendship with someone, he forever has an alliance with them and he would do anything to help them. In Romeo and Juliet, it's the same thing. I already said about how I consider Mercutio a Montague family member even though he is just Romeo and Benvolio's friend. When Tybalt disrespects Romeo, Mercutio gets all pissed off and challenges him to a duel to protect Romeo's honor. When Tybalt kills Mercutio in this duel, Romeo mourns the death of his friend and vows to kill Tybalt in their own duel, and succeeds. The only difference is, I don't think death is the intent when it comes to Mercutio and Tybalt's battle. As you can see, respect is a huge theme in both Romeo and Juliet and The Godfather as well. And, of course, they both involve Italian families. Everything I have mentioned here has a connection to the Italian family culture.
Alright, so that should be the end of my Romeo and Juliet ranting...for now. The play has been closed for like a week and a half now lol.
I actually saved this post for today for a reason. It's the final day of February...and... Happy Leap Year Everyone! This is my only chance to post something on here on February 29 for awhile lol.
So since I ranted last time about just how well known Romeo and Juliet is to our society, here are some observations I have made about the play from this particular performance that perhaps aren't so well known.
"I bite my thumb at you, sir."
This is actually one of the lines that opens up the play. It's so awesome because we can totally relate to obscene gestures, which is exactly what this is. Thanks, Shakespeare! :D
A funny background story about this is how I always thought the line was "I thumb my nose at you," meaning the person would flick his or her thumb on his or her nose. My friends and I in high school, when we were reading the play in English class freshman year, would do this to each other as a joke.
Fast forward to now. My friend Kelly and I always argued about which is correct: "I bite my thumb at you" or "I thumb my nose at you." We would even look it up and they would both appear correct. She and I saw Romeo and Juliet at school opening night, and we finally got our answer. Kelly poked me while we watched the scene to prove her victory.
Thanks, Shakespeare. -__-
By the way, when the servants are having their first battle among each other, Juliet was actually one of the spectators on the side cheering them on. I thought that was odd considering how the character of Juliet wouldn't be expected to have any part of this feud. I know this was a decision to have a good number of people cheer for the battle, considering that it was a small cast, but it's Juliet, you know? It just looks weird lol.
Why are they fighting?
Does anybody else wonder how this family feud began in the first place? Is it said and I just missed it? I feel like Shakespeare might have included this detail. I know it doesn't really matter, but it's just something that crossed my mind as I was watching it. Knowing the reasons why something is happening helps the audience comprehend the story better and can also help the characters settle their disputes better. I'm just under the impression that the two families have been fighting so long that they have forgotten what the fight is about. Either that or their ancestors started the fight and it continued down the generations.
Why Juliet is actually a strong female Shakespeare character
I used to really dislike this kid. I just pictured her such a teenage drama queen, and Romeo no better. I really don't think I'm the only one.
What's funny to is, in this Peak Performance, Juliet was actually excited about her attachment to Parris. It wasn't until she meets Romeo that everything goes haywire and she starts to get miserable and fight against it.
The thing is though, I've now realized that she is pretty intelligent Shakespearean female character regardless of how she is often viewed. She is constantly being suppressed by everyone around her so she has to figure out what to do on her own. She goes to get help from other people of course, but the fact that she even takes the initiative to do so, being a young girl, is pretty admirable.
I disliked her too because I felt she was too young to be so passionate about love. However, in this time period, she is old enough to get married, so it does make sense that she would be so mature about men and how she handles situations.
Couldn't she just have told family/Parris?
Well, maybe not her family, because they seem pretty domineering and wouldn't even consider her explanation, but I feel like they wouldn't get as mad at her. She doesn't give them any reason for being defiant, so that is why they get so angry. But, telling them that she is in love with and married to the son of their greatest enemy may not go over well anyway, so I guess it's for the best.
At least tell Paris. He seems like a nice enough guy to understand. He seems like one of those guys who would do anything for the object of his affections, even let her go. Sad to say it, but he also seems like he would make a pushover of a husband. The only reason why he has issues with Romeo is because Romeo killed Tybalt and he considers him a threat. He has no idea about the connection between Romeo and Juliet.
I also don't understand why she doesn't tell her Nurse about the potion she takes from Friar Lawrence. She tells her everything else in her master plan so why not this? It would have been nice if she knew about this because perhaps she could've helped matters.
Something Lady Capulet says to Juliet
I never really noticed this until I saw this play, but Lady Capulet says the following words to her daughter after Juliet defies her father:
Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word.
Do as thou wilt, for I am done with thee.
Then afterward Juliet gets all upset. However, I took this line as "Well that's nice of her, letting her daughter do what she wants." If a mother were to say these words to her thirteen-year-old daughter nowadays, the daughter would be like, "Fine! Screw you, Mom! I will!" And because, like I said, Juliet is in an adult position to take matters into her own hands, I'm surprised she doesn't take this as a blessing and adopt the rebellious teenage attitude. A lot of times teenagers consider themselves old enough to handle things they cannot handle on their own. Here, Juliet is a teenager but in this time period IS old enough to handle things on her own, but she freaks out when her mother verbally abandons her.
There's something that has to be said about how Mercutio gets stabbed by Tybalt in Romeo's arms.
I first I thought Zazzali included this, but apparently the script calls for it because later on Mercutio gets mad at Romeo for getting in the way and perhaps he would not have been stabbed if he didn't. It's just such a powerful scene because the music stops playing, the action is done, and the audience focuses on Mercutio collapsing and Romeo holding onto him. It almost looks slow motion and silent. It's a very mesmerizing moment.
Why mourn Tybalt and not Mercutio?
This is the main thing that struck me that never did so before. Okay, so we know that Tybalt stabs Mercutio in Romeo's arms. Benvolio drags him off and he dies offstage. Romeo, out of vengeance, goes to kill Tybalt, succeeds, and then runs away seeing the error of his ways. When this happens the whole cast runs onto the stage around Tybalt's body and mourns his death.
Um...Mercutio died too...
What the heck? Nobody seems to care about Mercutio! Mercutio dies and nobody but Romeo and Benvolio react right away but when Tybalt dies suddenly all of Verona gets bent out of shape? They ignore the fact that Tybalt was not the only one to die in the brawl. Mercutio is totally disregarded by everybody besides his two friends. His death is acknowledged, I will admit that, but it isn't acknowledged until Tybalt is killed. I think that's what made me take notice of this. It makes it seem like he was such an insignificant person to them, like they don't care, as if they wouldn't have noticed his death if Romeo had not killed Tybalt as well. That's not fair!
It's definitely obvious that blood is thicker than water here. Everybody cares about Tybalt's death because he is Lady Capulet's brother's son. Mercutio was just a friend of Romeo's, or like Kelly refers to him as when I asked her about this, "a kid who lives up the street." I think the thing is I've always associated Mercutio with the Montagues, and therefore put him in the family as a brother/cousin figure, when in reality he's kind of an outsider everywhere. Or, perhaps he is a median between the two. He does land himself on the guest list for the Capulet party. How did THAT happen? That's another thing this performance brought to my attention. How do the Capulets not notice that the Montague kid's friend is coming to their party? Wouldn't that bother them? He goes by his own name on the list, so it's not like he disguised the fact that he is attending. I guess he's just such a party goer that he knows his ways around the system.
However, this little observation I made has helped me to connect Romeo and Juliet with another Italian classic: The Godfather.
Oh yeah? Don't believe me? A bit of a stretch? Keep reading.
After Tybalt is found dead and Benvolio explains what happened (That's his only purpose in this play, let's be honest), Ben reveals that Romeo did the deed and so therefore Romeo is exiled by Prince Escalus and if he is found, sentenced to death. Much like in The Godfather, you mess with a family member, your mess with the whole family. You're going to get it and they will not yield until you do.
But another thing both of these Italian classics bring to the table is the idea that friendship equals family. When Don Corleone forms a friendship with someone, he forever has an alliance with them and he would do anything to help them. In Romeo and Juliet, it's the same thing. I already said about how I consider Mercutio a Montague family member even though he is just Romeo and Benvolio's friend. When Tybalt disrespects Romeo, Mercutio gets all pissed off and challenges him to a duel to protect Romeo's honor. When Tybalt kills Mercutio in this duel, Romeo mourns the death of his friend and vows to kill Tybalt in their own duel, and succeeds. The only difference is, I don't think death is the intent when it comes to Mercutio and Tybalt's battle. As you can see, respect is a huge theme in both Romeo and Juliet and The Godfather as well. And, of course, they both involve Italian families. Everything I have mentioned here has a connection to the Italian family culture.
Alright, so that should be the end of my Romeo and Juliet ranting...for now. The play has been closed for like a week and a half now lol.
I actually saved this post for today for a reason. It's the final day of February...and... Happy Leap Year Everyone! This is my only chance to post something on here on February 29 for awhile lol.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Reflections about...Jersey Boys on Broadway Performance Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 2 PM
The play opened up with a black guy and three French girls rapping "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," one the Four Seasons' singles. Um, not exactly the kind of opening one would expect in a musical about a sixties Italian-American pop group from New Jersey. Thankfully, walking Jersey Italian stereotype Tommy DeVito, played by Dominic Nolfi, entered the scene and explained what was happening to ease our confusion. Apparently the black guy and French girls were singing a Paris 2000 remake of the original from years ago. They exited and you never saw this foursome again in the play. It was a random opening, but it does get you pumped for the rest of the musical and it was an energetic opening number, so I liked it. Once DeVito entered, the play had the Jersey Italian aura I was expecting.
Let me go back to the Jersey Italian stereotype that DeVito and the rest of the characters seem to represent. Now here is a guy who had everything covered to satisfy the stereotype: the dialect, the hair, the attitude, and the uh, hehe, life of crime. See now, this is part of the reason why I was never really interested in seeing Jersey Boys. I remember around the time the musical first premiered people from New Jersey criticized this, and now after I saw it I feel that their accusations were proven correct! As an Italian from New Jersey, I find this kind of behavior somewhat offensive. I mean, if Tommy DeVito literally acted and sounded this way in real life and Nolfi is portraying him correctly, then that's fine. I have no problem with that. However, if the characters are acting this way because it is assumed by everyone that that is how Italians from Jersey act, then that's not right in my opinion.
At first I didn't think the show was going to be that good because of this and considering how it was choppy at beginning with its quick scenes portraying Frankie Valli's (who at the time was known as Francis Castelluccio before he changed his name) teenage years, the role played by Dominic Scaglione, Jr., and how Tommy DeVito took him under his wing to prepare him for the music business and acted as a big brother figure. However, the show worked its way up and was ultimately very relatable with the Jersey references and mannerisms. Tommy DeVito (who, according to my father, owned a pizzeria around the corner from my grandparent's house with his brother Joey) is actually from Belleville, New Jersey, which is where Lauren and her family are from, so this and many other Jersey references in the show really hit "home" for us. There was even a brief mention of Bloomfield, MY hometown! :)
Scaglione did a magnificent portrayal of Frankie Valli. It seems to me that Frankie Valli would be a difficult guy to cast considering his voice pitch and short height, but Scaglione had Valli down pat! In fact, after seeing footage and photos of the actual Four Seasons, everybody was accurately portayed height-wise and had a lot of other similar features!
What I liked too about the musical is that it displayed a pretty decent background story for the Four Seasons. Of course, they did hit snags in the road and had to work up to their life of fame like most artists, but their story as a whole was very heartwarming and humorous, making the show very comfortable to watch. Of course, to be safe, I'll also mention that there was a lot of adult related material as well.
What I found most interesting of all was discovering the origins of different Four Seasons songs and the group's general background. For example:
- Did you know that a well known actor from Jersey actually introduced DeVito, Valli, and Nick Massi, the third original member (Matt Bogart), to their fourth original member and songwriter Bob Gaudio (Ryan Jesse)?
- Did you know that Gaudio wrote a famous Four Seasons song on his way to a group practice because he thought about it on his way there and jotted it down because he didn't want to forget it?
- Did you know that Gaudio wrote a song because he was inspired by a line in a movie?
- Did you know that a song Gaudio wrote specifically for Valli and had so much confidence that it was going to be a hit almost never saw the light of day?
These and much more I learned from this musical! If you want to learn more Four Seasons trivia, and also gain a new appreciation for their music like I have, I recommend you go see Jersey Boys!!! :D
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Reflections about...Arcadia on Broadway Performance Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 8 PM
It finally happened. I finally got to see Arcadia on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theater! I had been looking forward to it and was so excited about it when the day finally came. When we got to the theater, I was so thrilled and in awe to actually be there. It made it real for me. We had really nice seats as well. Because my father had helped me out with the contest, I decided to invite him along to have the other ticket and also considered it as part of my Father's Day gift to him. It was time well spent with him. :)
I really loved the play! The cast, crew, scenery, and music all put together made for a very nice production. As opposed to when I first saw it, which was my freshman year of college for a class in the Alexander Kasser Theater itself, I found myself understanding it more. (In fact, the Ethel Barrymore Theater reminds me a bit of Kasser due to its shape and size.) This time around I had already done my research, read it, and learned more about it, so I wasn't completely clueless. Let's be honest. The play has a tendency to be confusing lol. However, it also has a tendency to be very intelligent as well, which I really appreciate and why I like the play in the first place! What is interesting as well is that I was able to compare and contrast the production on Broadway to the one at my school, and in many ways it was similar, thus bringing back memories. :)
What was really admirable was the enthusiasm of the actors. They were so passionate about their characters' intentions and also seemed more relaxed and at ease with each other than what I recall seeing in my school's production. For example, the characters of Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale sport this rivalry and in many ways I considered Bernard the villain of the story because of how I have seen him portrayed and described and what he says and does in the play. At times I thought they hated each other because of their differing beliefs and personalities and how the often butt heads. However, this time around, Lia Williams and Billy Crudup, who each portrayed Hannah and Bernard respectively, seemed to still argue about their respective beliefs but were more friendly about it. They often laughed and were extremely lighthearted. Even the "insults," didn't seem to sting as much. When one seemed to fail, the other one showed compassion. Hannah didn't belittle Bernard's every move in a way that made her seem condescending and Bernard wasn't as harsh with his critiques. They both wanted to see the other succeed and joked and bantered in a way that friends would, not enemies.
Even when it comes to the relationship between Bernard and Chloe, Bernard was a little more likable in the Broadway version. At the end when Bernard was about to leave, he and Chloe parted on okay terms after he revealed to her that she will not return to London with him. However, in Montclair's production, they included an act that isn't in the script. In Montclair's Arcadia, Chloe slapped Bernard for his rejection because he acted more inconsiderate of her feelings, which is another reason why I feel that the characters' relationships with each other was more on the rocks in the Montclair version than in the Broadway version. It was an interesting addition and I liked it for being unique, don't get me wrong, but it definitely makes a difference when it comes to how one perceives the relationships between characters. It certainly adds a different aura to the final outcome and what you witness on the stage.
I also found myself liking Valentine, played by Raul Esparza, more this time around. Allow me to remind you that I am an English major and Valentine's field is in the mathematics and science department, so obviously I wouldn't connect much with him as I do with other characters. Upon first meeting Valentine, I did not understand him or his purpose in the play at all considering his work while Hannah and Bernard focus more on literature and history. I didn't see the connection, and once I did, I still didn't fully understand what Thomasina discovered, which is what Valentine eventually determines. Don't give me credit though. I still don't now after seeing it on Broadway. I just kind of get it better now than I did. Regardless, I liked Valentine on Broadway because he was so laid back and comical at the same time. I probably understand him a bit better now too, which helps.
What was really cool was finally seeing the show live after seeing clips of it on YouTube. There's something about seeing a show live and seeing performers right there in front of you. It's like, "They are real!" (I feel the same way anytime I attend a "So You Think You Can Dance" Tour lol.) It also gave me a chance to reminisce about my freshman year when I first saw the play with friends and had to write a response paper about the show (which I am thinking about sharing on this blog). It was actually the first show I saw at the Alexander Kasser Theater as a student at MSU, which itself had a magnificent cast, crew, scenery, and music as well, so it is one of my fonder college memories, the main reason why I wanted to attend the Broadway production so badly. :)
Oh yeah, and did I mention that THE MERYL STREEP WAS THERE THE SAME NIGHT I WAS??? She and her daughter were there to support her other daughter Grace Gummer, who played Chloe. That woman is a New Jersey legend and one of my favorite actresses so I am so honored to have been in the same theater with her at the same time! It was funny because when I saw her before the show started walking in with her ticket I thought she looked familiar but it didn't dawn on me right away. Then I was like, "Oh my gosh, that's Meryl Streep!" People were getting her autograph during intermission but I wanted to take a picture with her after the show and perhaps talk with her and do one of my video interviews. But, sadly, she left during curtain call and I wasn't able to find her. Regardless, she was still there, sat a few rows in front of us and on the aisle like us, and walked right by me at one point!
Just in case you don't believe me, I provided you with the status update on the Arcadia on Broadway Facebook page about Meryl Streep's presence to prove it to you. (I edited it for privacy reasons.)
The last point I'd like to make is that I really like the theme music as well. It's so cheery and catchy! It gets stuck in your head, but you don't mind. ;) It is actually the background music of this video and is played at the beginning, middle, and end of the show.
I even have some multimedia content for you! Click here to see the numerous photos I took. For the documentary film I took of my experience, which includes ferry rides and Sardi's Restaurant and Grill, please click here.
Thank you so much to the marketing team at Arcadia on Broadway for creating the "My Arcadia Photo Upload Contest" and to all those who liked the photo! I had been interested in seeing the Broadway play since I first heard about it and when it first premiered, and had also wanted to see another production of it since I saw it at school, so I am extremely grateful for being able to see it before it closed. It was a really close call too, because I saw the play only a few days before the last showing. :D
Even when it comes to the relationship between Bernard and Chloe, Bernard was a little more likable in the Broadway version. At the end when Bernard was about to leave, he and Chloe parted on okay terms after he revealed to her that she will not return to London with him. However, in Montclair's production, they included an act that isn't in the script. In Montclair's Arcadia, Chloe slapped Bernard for his rejection because he acted more inconsiderate of her feelings, which is another reason why I feel that the characters' relationships with each other was more on the rocks in the Montclair version than in the Broadway version. It was an interesting addition and I liked it for being unique, don't get me wrong, but it definitely makes a difference when it comes to how one perceives the relationships between characters. It certainly adds a different aura to the final outcome and what you witness on the stage.
I also found myself liking Valentine, played by Raul Esparza, more this time around. Allow me to remind you that I am an English major and Valentine's field is in the mathematics and science department, so obviously I wouldn't connect much with him as I do with other characters. Upon first meeting Valentine, I did not understand him or his purpose in the play at all considering his work while Hannah and Bernard focus more on literature and history. I didn't see the connection, and once I did, I still didn't fully understand what Thomasina discovered, which is what Valentine eventually determines. Don't give me credit though. I still don't now after seeing it on Broadway. I just kind of get it better now than I did. Regardless, I liked Valentine on Broadway because he was so laid back and comical at the same time. I probably understand him a bit better now too, which helps.
What was really cool was finally seeing the show live after seeing clips of it on YouTube. There's something about seeing a show live and seeing performers right there in front of you. It's like, "They are real!" (I feel the same way anytime I attend a "So You Think You Can Dance" Tour lol.) It also gave me a chance to reminisce about my freshman year when I first saw the play with friends and had to write a response paper about the show (which I am thinking about sharing on this blog). It was actually the first show I saw at the Alexander Kasser Theater as a student at MSU, which itself had a magnificent cast, crew, scenery, and music as well, so it is one of my fonder college memories, the main reason why I wanted to attend the Broadway production so badly. :)
Oh yeah, and did I mention that THE MERYL STREEP WAS THERE THE SAME NIGHT I WAS??? She and her daughter were there to support her other daughter Grace Gummer, who played Chloe. That woman is a New Jersey legend and one of my favorite actresses so I am so honored to have been in the same theater with her at the same time! It was funny because when I saw her before the show started walking in with her ticket I thought she looked familiar but it didn't dawn on me right away. Then I was like, "Oh my gosh, that's Meryl Streep!" People were getting her autograph during intermission but I wanted to take a picture with her after the show and perhaps talk with her and do one of my video interviews. But, sadly, she left during curtain call and I wasn't able to find her. Regardless, she was still there, sat a few rows in front of us and on the aisle like us, and walked right by me at one point!
Just in case you don't believe me, I provided you with the status update on the Arcadia on Broadway Facebook page about Meryl Streep's presence to prove it to you. (I edited it for privacy reasons.)The last point I'd like to make is that I really like the theme music as well. It's so cheery and catchy! It gets stuck in your head, but you don't mind. ;) It is actually the background music of this video and is played at the beginning, middle, and end of the show.
I don't often visit the city, which is surprising considering my theatrical self, because I often like to stick to theaters in New Jersey considering on this side of the river there is not as much hustle and bustle. However, Arcadia and New York City has inspired me to try to see more shows. It is exciting there, after all. In fact, next week I am going to be seeing Jersey Boys with my friend Lauren and her family, so I will probably reflect on that performance as well. :)
I even have some multimedia content for you! Click here to see the numerous photos I took. For the documentary film I took of my experience, which includes ferry rides and Sardi's Restaurant and Grill, please click here.
Thank you so much to the marketing team at Arcadia on Broadway for creating the "My Arcadia Photo Upload Contest" and to all those who liked the photo! I had been interested in seeing the Broadway play since I first heard about it and when it first premiered, and had also wanted to see another production of it since I saw it at school, so I am extremely grateful for being able to see it before it closed. It was a really close call too, because I saw the play only a few days before the last showing. :D
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