How Do I Love Thee, Oh, Let Me Count the Ways

In honor of my newfound goal to read/watch everything inspired by Broadway musicals or that inspired Broadway musicals, today I watched the 1967 film adaptation of the Fosse musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I found it to be absolutely precious, and seeing it live is now on my list.

In my curiosity, I decided to watch some videos on the current revival of How to Succeed which is currently starring everyone's favorite wizard, Daniel Radcliffe. Who knew this man who grew through his awkward years onscreen was also a fantastic singer and dancer?! Apparently the producers of How to Succeed and the producers of his previous Broadway debut in the revival of Equus. Anyway, needless to say I loved it and now wish to get on down to the most famous avenue in America to see it live.

This spawned an idea for a blog that might actually spark interest from the general public who so love my pictoral numbers. Here's a list (with images) of my favorite stars on/from Broadway and why.

Since I already discussed it here, I'll just start with Daniel Radcliffe.

 

Aside from the previously mentioned incredible voice and talent to dance (which are essential elements in my search for a husband) he is also constantly described as down to earth, remains out of the negative eye of the media for the most part, has the accent necessary to raise children who would have the proper accent to sing The Wall, and, oh yeah, he's beautiful. So really, I love him because I would marry him.

Then there's my favorite, Kristin Chenoweth.

Not only does this tiny little diva have the most beautiful powerhouse voice, but she dazzles in the higher octaves like none other I've heard (and I sat through a Frederica von Stade concert last spring). Even at 42 this powerhouse continues to be phenomenal and I fully intend on watching the upcoming commedy Good Christian Belles simply due to her presence in the show.

Then there's the woman who's gaining in the ranks on my list, Lea Salonga.

She is living proof that Filipinos do everything better. I just stated to the bestie that she turns every show she touches to gold. Apparently she is best known for her work in Miss Saigon; however, I prefer to think of her as the flawless interpretation of not only Ephonine but also Fantine in the anniversary concerts from Les Miserables. Listening to her perform the epic number Memory from the classic, Cats, also sends shivers down my spine. It might interest you to know that she also voiced two Disney princesses in terms of musical performances, Jasmine and Mulan (despite the fact that Mulan was technically not a princess since she was not the daughter of the emperor, but I digress). The more I listen to her voice, the more I challenge Chenoweth's position at the top of my list.

Then there's Matthew Morrison.

Unfortunately, I must admit that my first acknowledgement of his existence came from watching the pilot episode of Glee and determining that he is the next James Marsden in terms of middle-aged obsessions. However, as time wears on, I realize there is no challenging Marsden's presence at the top of that list. This doesn't mean that Morrison isn't an incredible vocalist as well as an impressive dancer. I much enjoy his duets with Chenoweth on Glee when she guest stars (at which point I tend to scream from overexcitement). I mostly include him here due to the fact that this list was lax on males.

The ever beautiful, yet tragically unavailable Jonathan Groff.

Most notably known for his role in the controversial Spring Awakening opposite the ever popular Lea Michelle (whom I will discuss later). Again, tragically my first experience with him as a vocalist came through Glee, but I must admit that I have done my homework on him since my first sighting of his beautiful face. His smoky vocals could drive anyone wild (and apparently they do). Again, mostly he was mentioned to add to the male population of this list in case the only readers are females who want to see some pretty faces.

Then the one that I always overlook for some reason, Sutton Foster.

This woman is the epitome of musical theater. Incredible precision, excellent pronunciation, and a look that screams Broadway. I found her through listening to Thoroughly Modern Millie tunes which I believe to be her most notable work, however I think you'll find others disgaree with that statement. Originally discovered in the chorus of Les Mis, she became the replacement for Ephonine in the national tour. She is currently starring in the revival of Anything Goes (which is on my list of films to see as soon as I can find it somewhere in town).

As for those who I find to be mediocre, I'd like to list Idina Menzel who takes on rolls that I find to be abover her ability seeing as the power behind her precision is lacking in that of those who I have mentioned here. Lea Michelle also falls under this category due to her whine. Initially, I found both of these women to be extraordinary, so please do not think that I mean by any stretch of the imagination that they are undeserving of the roles they have played. I just find that they fall lower on the list than these mentioned above.

To end this novel, I'd like to leave you with three videos of the same song done by three performers mentioned here. I'll let you determine which you think did it best, but you should know that Salonga takes the cake here in my opinion.

On My Own - Les Miserables:

Lea Michelle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kbzy8E5cdM&feature=related

Sutton Foster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SWW0mCrocQ&feature=related

Lea Salonga

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

And just for kicks here's a fantastic video splicing two songs from my two very favorite musicals (Billy Elliot and Wicked, respectively) done by Salonga that I ran across recently and found to be a perfect pairing in terms of theme. You may agree or disagree; it makes me no difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRfR8RCaEvU

Witticism of the Day: Like it or not, eventually you become the person who raised you, be it a little or a lot.



Summer Plans

It's weird for me to be discussing summer plans without having anything set. For the first time I suppose I have to be a grown up and take care of business. I've been trying to do that for the past two days. While productivity has been fantastic, I'm ready to do something more summery.

So I went to the library today. Now, I despise this town, but it has the greatest public library ever. When I move elsewhere it will have to be somewhere with an incredible public library! In an attempt to be a grown up college graduate, I ventured into the adult fiction section (after selecting a book from the teen section...baby steps) and couldn't find anything to my liking until I came across something I've heard of but never read: The Phantom of the Opera. Then I started thinking...where is Les Mis?!

Therefore, my newest goal has been realized. I am going to attempt to read every novel which inspired a Broadway musical or which was written after the musical was created. Fortunately I have a head start on this. I read Wicked two years ago. Did I enjoy it? Not actually. It took me forever to make it through that one. The musical is definitely much better than the novel it's based off of. Today I picked up Phantom and Les Mis and will work my way through these over the next few weeks. I think the next one will be the Brothers Grimm version of Beauty and the Beast. Obviously this will not be the version seen in the Disney film which is the version adapted for the stage, but I will not let it stand in the way of my goal!

Apparently our library doesn't have the fairy tales on the shelf, so I may have to choose something else in the meantime, but I'll keep you posted on my quest to accomplish this goal. Perhaps I'll try some nonfiction on the murderesses that inspired Chicago.

Witticism of the Day: Broadening your horizons is essential sometimes.

So Close, Yet So Far

You know, sometimes I seriously feel like my life is a song from Cabaret:

"All the odds are in my favor. Something's bound to begin. It's gotta happen sometime. Maybe this time I'll win."

Other days I have complete mental breakdowns and struggle to focus on my to-do list. Lots of things aren't going exactly my way these days, and my first reaction to these things is just to shut down and curl up in the fetal position and complain about everything that's not what I expected it to be.

Then there are days like today when nothing especially exciting happens, but I'm reminded of my place in this world and my hope is renewed. While listening to the radio on the way to class I heard the DJ telling his Easter weekend story about how most of his plans got rearranged from what he was expecting. Then he spit out Proverbs 16:9 and I was completely humbled and changed my perspective.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

So even if I may not be able to fit into the spectacular dress I want to this weekend and I can't control the behaviors of other people and no one has hired me yet I know that regardless of what I have planned for my life God is going to put me exactly where He wants me, and that's more reassuring than having my plans turn out my way because obviously I can only see the near future whereas the Lord can see my entire life in the blink of an eye. I hope this blesses you the way it blessed me today.

P.S. Marry me Ed Westwick.

Witticism of the Day: Have patience. Not original, true, but it's important to understand the weight of these words, so I'll repeat them to you.

You Look Like a Spastic Starfish, Girl!

Here's a list of things I swear by and why. Enjoy.

• Mascara: I am rarely awake in the mornings. Once this stuff is on, I don't look less like I just rolled out of the grave to go to class.
• Microsoft Excel: This is my best friend 99.9% of my days. If I need to organize something (and I do love organization) I just build a spreadsheet around it.
• Food Chopper: Ok, so it's really more like a food processor, but it totally chops my onions in way less time than it takes me to do it by hand. While we're on this subject, I also swear by my
• Pink Crate and Barrel Chopping Board: Because it's pink.
• Sugar-Free Jello: This stuff is amazing. It's sweet. It jiggles. It's super for any diet!
• High Heels: I have trouble walking (and much more trouble dancing) in flats these days. Plus, heels are so much prettier AND they make my legs look like they're not stumpy little things.
• Hulu: Even though it's spazzing out on my computer right now, it's amazing for watching almost everything I missed on tv this week (thank you CW for preventing this luxury and making me watch twice as many commercials).
• The Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack: Yes, that does show my age. If you have to look it up, then you missed out on a childhood on the computer. So many games of value despite their dated graphics and lame plotlines.

That's all I have today. Yes, I cheesed out and made another stupid list. Eventually I'll have something that sparks my anger and you'll get to hear all about how you should be doing something.

Witticism of the Day: If at first you don't succeed, ask someone else for help. If they fail too, ask an expert. If they fail as well, it's design error.

Spring is in the Air

I know it's been a while and you're expecting something great, but all I have is one of my infamous lists.

Things That Have Made Me Smile Recently:

• Currently: The parking lot of my complex up in celebration on account of our team just winning a national championship!
• Currently: Being able to say years down the road that I was here the first time in history such a championship was achieved.
• Sunday: Standing in the choir loft in front of a congregation of 3000+ and watching as they slowly rose one at a time to worship the Lord. (There were also chills and tears associated with this.)
• Constantly: Listening to the Billy Elliot soundtrack.
• Friday: Having my daddy surprise me by coming to my banquet at which I received an award for my dedication to the performing arts.
• Today: Boys doing cute things like folding napkins into flowers and not noticing that girls notice it.
• Today: Blushing at the dinner table in reference to a certain booooooooy.
• Yesterday: Discovering Chips Challenge online http://www.webcc.psumaps.com/ (AH!)
• Tuesday: Receiving random and unexpected "mad money" in the mail from my grandmother.
• Sunday: Planning the most juvenille college graduation party on the face of the planet!

That's all I've got for now.

Witticism of the Day: If you're trying to seem mysterious and ellusive, make sure you don't take it too far and end up being ignored. I recommend being a vicious flirt instead.

Welcome Back Lisa

I know it's been a while, so I must beg your forgiveness right off the bat (and by the way, just because it was on my nerves all morning as it was repeatedly flashed on a screen, yours is not a possessive term therefore it should NEVER be spelled as YOUR'S!!!! Come on people, get some grammar).

I don't have much to discuss or even a theme that's been running through my head that I can share with you all. I've been incredibly busy this past week and the week before.

I saw Mamma Mia three times this week (although I should have volunteered for positions outside of the theater two of those nights because once is really more than enough in my opinion.) Let's discuss why I don't think this is an appropriate show.

• The music of ABBA was never meant to be turned into a musical (unlike American Idiot which Green Day fully intended to be turned into such). I find that most of the show thoroughly confuses me as to the interpretation of the song with the surrounding dialogue. It feels like more often than not the show is a bunch of unrelated dialogue and the actors sporadically burst into a disco number just for kicks. And while we're on the topic of random disco numbers, did anyone else ever notice just how many of ABBA's songs have innuendo hidden behind every word or did the creators of the show just decide it would work to their advantage to spin the lyrics this way?
• The entire premise of the show is that the mother was so loose in her youth that she had escapades with three men resulting in the lack of knowledge of who the father of her child is. Now, I know this is one of those things that popular culture has taught us all to accept as something that happens all the time, but I refuse to accept this. It makes my skin crawl. Such things were not meant to be observed outside of marriage and I'm pretty sure the script never so much as hinted at the fact that she was married to all three within the course of what I'm assuming had to be just a few weeks, so I'm pretty sure my disdain with this major detail of the show has a firm foundation. And you may be going...gracious, this girl is so uptight. You'd be incorrect in that assumption; I simply have a moral base. You must be lacking some.
• I saw many young children being brought to the performances as a special treat for them. While I am an avid supporter of raising our children to love musical theater, I believe this is a terrible choice for one to expose such a young mind to. Not only are the lyrics slightly to fully dirty, the choreography at points was also equally raunchy. While the music is fun, I don't really think you want your children to be singing some lyrics like "Voulez Vous?" or "Lay all your love on me" etc.

That's just one lady's opinion though.

Witticism of the Day: Shoot for the stars; you never know how high you'll land. Lame, yes. True, yes.

What About Love?

I'm sure some of you are thinking I'm a sap, so of course I'll be needing to post a Valentine's blog about all the wonders that surround the holiday. However, as I am tragically single (or thankfully, depending on your point of view), I have decided to instead share with you some helpful tips for planning around the holiday for different sorts and share some tips for what to do and what not to do.

Here's how you plan the perfect unconventional and therefore ideal Valentine's date if you happen to be in a relationship.

• DO NOT go to a restaurant the weekend surrounding or the day of. Waiting around outside is not ideal in anyone's mind and this is indeed quite unoriginal.
• DO NOT go see a movie. This is for people who don't actually have anything to say to each other. It's good for a first date, perhaps, to avoid awkwardness, but for V-Day you need to try a little harder to converse with this person. After all, if you're in a relationship, you must enjoy conversing with this person!
• DO NOT buy flowers. They're expensive, and they die rapidly. Unless you want this as a sign of your relationship, I suggest you try Hobby Lobby and get some silk flowers which are significantly cheaper and also last much longer (unless you're like me and you take the flowers off the rods that are supporting them and move them to a vase for decoration and then your sister tells you you're the only person she's ever know to actually allow fake flowers to wilt).
• DO NOT buy jewelry. I'm sure you're scratching your head at this one. "All girls want jewelry as gifts!" False. If you're going to buy jewelry, it should be a random gift not given for a specific holiday. That's how you know thought was put into it rather than..."Oh, I suppose I should get something for the lady I'm dating. Perhaps I'll join the ranks of the other thoughtless men this year and flock to the nearest jewelry store because expensive gifts equal thoughtful gifts." This is not true.
• DO put thought into your gift. I think this is pretty obvious. I think my "favorite" gift I received for this holiday was a gift card. How...thoughtful? NO. It doesn't take funding to come up with something that will make your date cry (happy tears...this is of course the goal of a gift). All you need is a little bit of insight into what your significant other really enjoys. Remember, handcrafted gifts are often the most memorable. This being said, don't just color a card and consider that a gift.
• DO NOT be afraid to employ the friends of your Valentine to help you figure out what your other may like. This is mainly true of couples that have not been together long. This gesture shows that you're really trying to get to know the other person as well as you possibly could. Beware, however, to be sneaky with this but not so sneaky that your other thinks something is awry.
• DO NOT plan a night in just to cop out of actually putting effort into doing something original. It's very transparent when you do so. If you're trying to save money on the date, try going on a picnic. Find an outdoor theater that plays shows for free if you're on the lawn. Go to the public beach. Find a friend with a projector and lay a blanket out in your backyard and project the movie onto a tarp. Go to your local playground and act like children on the equipment.
• DO remember chocolate is never taboo.

If you find yourself single this Valentine's Day, try the following.

• Plan a night in (or out) with your friends. Ladies, plan a girls' night. Gentlemen, plan a poker/video game marathon (or whatever it is men do when ladies aren't around). Plan a general party/mixer with your friends.
• Don't wait for someone else to buy you some chocolate; buy some for yourself! Chocolate fixes everything; I'm convinced.
• Avoid sappy movies. Also, avoid overly vindictive movies. Try watching old Disney films. Stay away from Lifetime.
• Stay busy if your mind will wander back to the fact that you're single. Focus on work, school, event planning, networking, or whatever it is you do on a regular basis.
• Don't treat the day like it's something special if it bothers you. This being said, avoid moping around or asking to skip over the day in general.
• Remember that even if you don't have a significant other on which to place your feelings on this day, God loves you and wants your love in return and He is the greatest Valentine of them all.

I realize the day before probably isn't the best time to give advice on the subject, but perhaps your a last-minute person, in which case, I hope this helps.

Witticism of the Day: Patience may be the hardest virtue of all to practice, but once you're able to do so you'll find that life is much more pleasant.