Yeah, it's absolutely (sp?) amazing here. I got here on Sunday and it's.....well, now it's Saturday, NYC time. Friday where-I-live time. Since arriving, I've seen [1]Aida, [2]The Producers, [3]The Boy From Oz, [4]~*~Wicked~*~, and [5]I Am My Own Wife. I also went to the world famous [6]Apollo theatre in Harlem.
1 [Aida is a spectacular show. I wish for more historical accuracy, but hey---Disney is not perfect. It stars Deborah Cox, but the night I saw it it was her u/s, Saycon Sengbloh, who was (apparently) better. She was v. v. v. good, and I liked the entire show overall. I actually teared up at one point.
The story is this: Aida is a Nubian princess captured by the Egyptians during the Egyptian/Nubian war. The Egyptian captain who captures her, Radames, is betrothed to the Pharoh's daughter, Amneris. Aida impresses Radames with her sword skills (by nearly killing one of his men *evil grin*), so he spares her life and her womens' lives by not sending them to work in the copper mines. He instead sends the women to work for the harvest, and Aida he gives to Amneris as a handmaid. Amneris and Aida become close friends, and Amneris confides her concerns with Radames' lack of affection in Aida. Aida and Radames fall in love, and the story is tragic. Despite the tragedy, there is hope. I'm not telling you the rest; you'll have to watch it for yourself. *v. evil grin*
The music and dancing are excellent in this show. I love the songs.......... ........must.......get............sound...track.]
2 [Mel Brooks is, of course, a genius. I don't think I've laughed more in my life. It was not with the original Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick playing Bialystock and Bloom, but the actors who did were stellar and the show was well-staged with excellent timing. Ulla was well-done, and despite the very thick Swedish accent one could understand everything she said. Debris, et al hangers-on, were flamboyant and funny as first director/crew, and then Hitler. One of my favorite lines in the play? "We may be sitting down, Miss Ulla, but I can assure you we are both giving you a _standing ovation_." Another: "I'm a German Ethel Merman!" And yet one more: "Don't be stupid, be a smartie: come and join the Nazi Party!" I'm not typing out the plot: everyone knows The Producers.]
The story is this: Aida is a Nubian princess captured by the Egyptians during the Egyptian/Nubian war. The Egyptian captain who captures her, Radames, is betrothed to the Pharoh's daughter, Amneris. Aida impresses Radames with her sword skills (by nearly killing one of his men *evil grin*), so he spares her life and her womens' lives by not sending them to work in the copper mines. He instead sends the women to work for the harvest, and Aida he gives to Amneris as a handmaid. Amneris and Aida become close friends, and Amneris confides her concerns with Radames' lack of affection in Aida. Aida and Radames fall in love, and the story is tragic. Despite the tragedy, there is hope. I'm not telling you the rest; you'll have to watch it for yourself. *v. evil grin*
The music and dancing are excellent in this show. I love the songs.......... ........must.......get............sound...track.]
2 [Mel Brooks is, of course, a genius. I don't think I've laughed more in my life. It was not with the original Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick playing Bialystock and Bloom, but the actors who did were stellar and the show was well-staged with excellent timing. Ulla was well-done, and despite the very thick Swedish accent one could understand everything she said. Debris, et al hangers-on, were flamboyant and funny as first director/crew, and then Hitler. One of my favorite lines in the play? "We may be sitting down, Miss Ulla, but I can assure you we are both giving you a _standing ovation_." Another: "I'm a German Ethel Merman!" And yet one more: "Don't be stupid, be a smartie: come and join the Nazi Party!" I'm not typing out the plot: everyone knows The Producers.]
3 [The Boy From Oz stars none other than the delicious Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine in the X-Men movies and Leopold in Kate and Leopold. He's gorgeous and lovely in this play, which follows the life of Peter Allen, husband to Liza Minnelli, protege of Judy Garland, and singing sensation---a native of Australia. I don't know if Jackman is gay or straight (nor do I speculate): if he's the first, he is an excellent actor because he can portray a straight man very well, and if he's the second, he's an excellent actor because he can play a bi/gay man very well. Either way, he's a God.
I saw this on Wed, and tonight (FRI) I hung out by the stage door to get his autograph. He's a lot shorter than I thought he'd be. I was expecting Wolverine to be 6'5". He's only 6'. Of course, I say 'only' because I'm 5'10". He walked out and I was looking up----like, "Whoa, where are you?" He's just as gorgeous in real life as he is in the movies and on stage, which was great. And he's left-handed.
I've decided I want to cast him as Jules in my major major film, Bellica. This film is the movie adaptation of my novel, which isn't finished on paper but is in my mind. If I stopped wasting time on this blog and my sites, et al, I'd have time to finish the damn thing. :P
Anyway, go see Boy From Oz. Do it. Now. I command it.]
4 [Wicked blew everything away. It's the untold story of the Witches of Oz (not Australia, Frank Baum's Oz.) I plan on being Elphaba (the lead char, wicked witch of west.) It's now my favorite musical---the only one I bought merchandise from. I have a Shiz University Athletic Dept.
Shirt, a poster, a piano/vocal book, and the soundtrack. Which is awwwweeee----sooooommmmeee. *listening* [//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen//let his flesh not be torn//let his blood leave no stain//though they beat him//let him feel no pain//let his bones never break//and however they try//to destroy him//let him never die//let him never die//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka...eleka//augh//what good is this chanting?//i don't even know what i'm reading//don't even know what trick i ought to try//fiyero, where are you?//already dead or bleeding?//one more disaster i can add to my//generous supply//]~~No Good Deed. This musical rocks my world. I will be Elphaba. I am Elphaba. Elphaba is me. Not only is the music great and the dialogue well-written, it has meaning. There are political undertones in this play: the animals are losing their ability to speak and Elphaba sets out to stop the evil. She thinks the Wizard will help, but think again. He's the cause. The Wizard represents Hitler, as he appeared after the Great Drought and united the Ozians against a common enemy: the Animals. Elphaba tries to stop him, but he turns the table and makes Oz believe she's wicked. Which she isn't. She's just amazingly powerful, and has green skin. She and Glinda (formerly Galinda) are best friends, but they must go their separate ways: Glinda is a public figure, as Glinda the Good, so she must not be seen to have any ties to Elphaba.
The plot is well-detailed, and there's no way I could explain it all. Read the book. Or watch the musical. Either way. Do it now.]
I saw this on Wed, and tonight (FRI) I hung out by the stage door to get his autograph. He's a lot shorter than I thought he'd be. I was expecting Wolverine to be 6'5". He's only 6'. Of course, I say 'only' because I'm 5'10". He walked out and I was looking up----like, "Whoa, where are you?" He's just as gorgeous in real life as he is in the movies and on stage, which was great. And he's left-handed.
I've decided I want to cast him as Jules in my major major film, Bellica. This film is the movie adaptation of my novel, which isn't finished on paper but is in my mind. If I stopped wasting time on this blog and my sites, et al, I'd have time to finish the damn thing. :P
Anyway, go see Boy From Oz. Do it. Now. I command it.]
4 [Wicked blew everything away. It's the untold story of the Witches of Oz (not Australia, Frank Baum's Oz.) I plan on being Elphaba (the lead char, wicked witch of west.) It's now my favorite musical---the only one I bought merchandise from. I have a Shiz University Athletic Dept.
Shirt, a poster, a piano/vocal book, and the soundtrack. Which is awwwweeee----sooooommmmeee. *listening* [//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen//let his flesh not be torn//let his blood leave no stain//though they beat him//let him feel no pain//let his bones never break//and however they try//to destroy him//let him never die//let him never die//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen//eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka...eleka//augh//what good is this chanting?//i don't even know what i'm reading//don't even know what trick i ought to try//fiyero, where are you?//already dead or bleeding?//one more disaster i can add to my//generous supply//]~~No Good Deed. This musical rocks my world. I will be Elphaba. I am Elphaba. Elphaba is me. Not only is the music great and the dialogue well-written, it has meaning. There are political undertones in this play: the animals are losing their ability to speak and Elphaba sets out to stop the evil. She thinks the Wizard will help, but think again. He's the cause. The Wizard represents Hitler, as he appeared after the Great Drought and united the Ozians against a common enemy: the Animals. Elphaba tries to stop him, but he turns the table and makes Oz believe she's wicked. Which she isn't. She's just amazingly powerful, and has green skin. She and Glinda (formerly Galinda) are best friends, but they must go their separate ways: Glinda is a public figure, as Glinda the Good, so she must not be seen to have any ties to Elphaba.
The plot is well-detailed, and there's no way I could explain it all. Read the book. Or watch the musical. Either way. Do it now.]
5 [I Am My Own Wife is the story of a transvestite who lived in Berlin during WWII and then the Stasi police after the Wall was put up. S/he ran an underground gay/bi/les/etc. bar for 30 years, keeping it a secret from the Stasi. Really amazing story, and it's a one-man show. The guy won a Tony for Best Actor, and I can see why. He plays several wildly different characters with speed and accuracy. Really good play.]
6 [The Apollo has Amatuer Night every Wednesday. We went to see it, and it was a lot of fun. I got to meet Capone and talk to him, and there was a lot of love in the audience and w/ the performers. Harlem isn't that scary, despite the rumors. It was really cool.]
Yeah, NYC is fun. I have to go and do my hw now, and then mom and I are going out to a movie or something. Maybe Spider-man 2 or Chronicles of Riddick or something.
Love and mouseheads
JAGGGGY
6 [The Apollo has Amatuer Night every Wednesday. We went to see it, and it was a lot of fun. I got to meet Capone and talk to him, and there was a lot of love in the audience and w/ the performers. Harlem isn't that scary, despite the rumors. It was really cool.]
Yeah, NYC is fun. I have to go and do my hw now, and then mom and I are going out to a movie or something. Maybe Spider-man 2 or Chronicles of Riddick or something.
Love and mouseheads
JAGGGGY
