Oprah, not too much else

So not a whole lot is going on.

Oprah's Legends Ball was on (finally) tonight, and it was spectacular. Oprah ma home grrl all the way. Please.

The Drama Desk Awards were on last night too. They're awards given to Broadway and off-Broadway performers each year, and they can only be seen certain times on PBS or on a live webcast, so I watched that instead of the Desperate Housewives finale last night.

Today at work, I helped the college curator, Marjorie Fletcher take down an art exhibition and pack it up to be shipped back to the artist's apartment, which was time-consuming though kind of fun. I get a big ol' paycheck on Thursday. Yippee! I also think I'm going to the shore this coming weekend, which should prove fun.

What I really want to to do, however, is shop my brains out. I can't wait to get some new clothes.

Not much is going on.

So I've basically been working and hanging out with people lately. Christina's in Alabama visiting Richard's home for a while. I'm attempting to read The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett, and I got a big paycheck from the NYU Phonathon.

I miss school and New York, but things are generally pretty well here. Oprah's Legends Ball is on TV tomorrow night and tonight is the Desperate Housewives 2-hour finale.

Friends, work starts, Mother's Day

So yesterday my parents and I went out for lunch for Mother's Day a day early, which was nice. Today, I got up early and got her some flowers. Then we went to see United 93, which was just about the most depressing movie ever and made me nearly go insane.

I also saw my friends the past few days. I hung out with Ally on Friday, and she found out she got into Bryn Mawr, which is nice. Friday night, Christina and Richard and I watched Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks at my place, which is one of my favorite movies.

Saturday after Mother's Day lunch, I hung out with Ashley, Christina, and Richard at Christina's house for Richard's birthday. Christina made Richard a really great, also very decadent, cake that was extremely rich (because it was made with Cadbury chocolate). Then we hung out and talked and played Clue.

Tomorrow I start work at The American College bright and early at 8 AM, which should be a barrel of fun.

Tomorrow night I'm having a few people over (Lisa, Christina, Richard, Ashley) to watch Oprah's Legends Ball on TV, and this morning I made some super amazing cookies for the event, which should be great.

Home.

Well, I'm home now. It's still sort of jarring to be back in my old house in my old neighborhood and to not have a New York address to return to. I miss the park and the people and being able to hit the streets whenever I want. There was a little tension surrounding move-out day, but it went pretty smoothly overall.

The night before I left was so weird. I helped David move uptown with his stuff on Tuesday and got to see his apartment uptown where he'll be living with Sam from next door (She technically owns the apartment -- or, rather, her parents). I guess it didn't hit me till then that things would have to change. I'll miss him; he was a great roommate and helped me out a lot with adjusting to college. It was odd to be all alone in our room the last night.

I still haven't seen my friends yet, so I'm sure my mood will improve when they're all around.

I cleared off my desk in my room, which is usually too messy to navigate around, and it's now home to my laptop. I also went to Radio Shack today to get a really long ethernet cable, so now my computer is hooked up internet, something I've wanted for a really long time (either that or wireless, but apparently wireless isn't good for my dad's work).

Putting up some of my Broadway stuff on my walls has cheered me up a little, but it's bittersweet since I can't see any of them. Having Bernie (a.k.a. Bernadette Peters) up next to my knickknacks does bring back chills to my spine though ("Rose's Turn").

Anyway, the adjustment will take a while, but I'm sure I'll deal. I start work on Monday at 8 A.M.

Final Broadway Report, My Top Ten List

Now it's time for my top ten list of the Broadway and off-Broadway shows I've seen that have opened during the 2005-2006 season. There've been a lot of great shows, so it's hard for me to narrow them down, but I have a pretty definitive list now:

1. The History Boys - What, a play is Ricky's number one show this year? Huh? I thought he was the gay who loved musicals more than anyone in the world! Yeah, well, this play moved me like no other show this year play or musical. Excellent acting all around and an expertly crafted play.
2. The Drowsy Chaperone - In a season where a good number of the musicals opening were subpar (or were reviewed as subpar, as I didn't waste my money on all of them -- Ring of Fire, Hot Feet, etc.), this was the best of the new shows. It's not high art by any means. Its message really is one of pure escapism, but it's great fun with particularly great performances by Sutton Foster and Bob Martin.
3. The Lieutenant of Inishmore - Well, this is certainly the bloodiest play I've ever seen. At no other time have I laughed so hard in the face of simulated death, and I think that earns this play this number three spot. In a season where I attempted to start acclimating myself with straight drama, this play was a welcome 101 course.
4. Sweeney Todd - Being a lover of Sondheim, I awaited this production eagerly and it lived up to all of the hype. The fact that all of the actors also expertly interpret the score on-stage with instruments only heightens the suspense and pure genius of the piece. Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris are genius as well and shouldn't be missed if anyone has thought of skipping this show!
5. See What I Wanna See - I'm a recent convert to the camp of Michael John LaChiusa, and this was definitely a great season to familiarize myself with his work, what with this show at the Public and Bernarda Alba at the Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center. Anyway, this was one of the most thought-provoking shows I saw this year, and I applaud LaChiusa for taking on three separate stories in one musical that all come together to make a relatively cohesive work. His music is genius as well, and it's nice to know there's still a proponent for live musicians in live theatre as well!
6. Jersey Boys - I went into this show not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. While I still don't think that Broadway is the right place for this show (think Vegas instead), it was still well-crafted and swiftly and incisively directed by Des McAnuff. It's also a star-making vehicle for John Lloyd Young who plays the meatiest role of Frankie Valli with verve and pipes of gold.
7. The Color Purple - This show was just so delightfully life-affirming! I loved the story based on the Steven Spielberg movie and the musical was a really great adaptation. It has a lot of story to fit into the time given, but it does an effective enough job. LaChanze, Felicia P. Fields, and Elisabeth Withers-Mendes are standouts, and the score also has a great pop/gospel-influenced feel.
8. Two Gentlemen of Verona - I discovered this show on disc because of the fact that Galt MacDermot, the composer of Hair, also did the score for the show with John Guare. It's also a relatively little-known show for having won the Best Musical Tony. It has a great bubbly score and the production in Central Park really highlighted the pure fun of the show with a particularly wonderful performance from Norm Lewis as Valentine.
9. The Threepenny Opera - Fine, it's been critized by Brecht purists who don't feel it really lives up to the original intent of Brecht and Weill, but I loved it! It was decadent fun, and the performances of Jim Dale, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Nellie McKay, and Cyndi Lauper were great all around. It's a great piece for hipper audiences and this production gives the show a contemporary feel, but it also somehow feels nostalgic, and I very much liked the contrast.
10. Red Light Winter -Another great straight play. Adam Rapp has a way with contemporary dialogue, and this play also was a great showcase for three young actors. Definitely a worthwhile night off-Broadway.

Pure fun runner-up: Lennon - I recognize it had its flaws, particularly in its book, and that it was a jukebox musical, but I had such a great time at the show in the rush seats, and the performers were so sublime singing the John Lennon songs that I really think the show deserves a mention.

My final Broadway/off-Broadway Report is as follows:

This season, I've seen:

1. Two Gentlemen of Verona Tuesday, August 30, 2005
2. Lennon Saturday, September 3, 2005
3. Sweet Charity Sunday, September 4, 2005
4. Lennon Saturday, September 17, 2005
5. Blue Man Group Sunday, September 18, 2005
6. Lennon Saturday, September 24, 2005
7. Fiddler on the Roof Thursday, September 29, 2005
8. The Light in the Piazza Sunday, October 2, 2005
9. Doubt Thursday, October 6, 2005
10. Sweeney Todd Thursday, October 13, 2005
11. Sweeney Todd Saturday, October 29, 2005
12. See What I Wanna See Saturday, November 5, 2005
13. The Light in the Piazza Sunday, November 13, 2005
14. The Woman in White Sunday, November 20, 2005
15. The Color Purple Wednesday, January 18, 2006
16. Spamalot Thursday, February 9, 2006
17. Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life Saturday, February 18, 2006
18. Red Light Winter Saturday, February 25, 2006
19. Bernarda Alba Wednesday, March 22, 2006
20. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Sunday, March 26, 2006
21. The Threepenny Opera Thursday, March 30, 2006
22. The Wedding Singer Wednesday, April 5, 2006
23. The Drowsy Chaperone Saturday, April 8, 2006
24. Lestat Thursday, April 20, 2006
25. The Lieutenant of Inishmore Saturday, April 22, 2006
26. The History Boys Saturday, April 29, 2006
27. Jersey Boys Thursday, May 4

I've seen 27 Broadway and off-Broadway performances this year.

Those in blue are on Broadway.
Those in red are off-Broadway.
Plays are in bold.
All others are musicals.
Blue Man Group is a special theatrical event.

Statistics/Facts:
-The average price paid was $23.67.
-Two Gentlemen of Verona, Blue Man Group, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels cost me nothing.
-One performance each of The Light in the Piazza and Sweeney Todd cost $10.
-The highest price paid was for Sweeney Todd at $41.
-The most common price paid was $26.25.
-The average amount of days between performances seen is 9.3
-20/27 performances were of shows that opened during this season.

Final hours

So, my final hours in New York are upon me. How do I feel about that? Just miserable! I love New York so much, and this year has been the perfect year, just about as great as I could imagine for a freshman year in college. I know that next year I'll be in Seventh Street and have a lot of fun as well, but I'm going to miss living in Hayden right in the middle of the campus and walking right out onto Washington Square Park. I'll also miss having Emma down the hall and rooming with David. I mean, sure, we had our differences and we both got on each other's nerves at times, but he was still a great roommate.

Anyway, today I had my last final (Brain and Behavior), which I feel at least relatively decent about. I'm so glad to be done with my finals. It was good to see Ally again as well, which reminds me that I'll be with my good friends from home again soon. I also picked up the new cast recording for the Pajama Game revival with Kelli O'Hara and Harry Connick, Jr., which is just amazing and is making my packing process so much more pleasant.

I've been packing a good deal today on top of the packing that I did a few days ago so I'd be able to study without worrying about the hassle too much. My walls are so sad, devoid of playbills and posters. Everything just feels weird. I mean most of my floor is already gone, and I hardly even got to see them leave to realize it.

On top of it all, I'm going to miss the New York theatre scene! It's just going to be an odd transition to go to a 9 to 5 desk job and live in the suburbs, but I guess I'll manage -- I lived there for 18 years after all.

Anyway, I'll get back to packing.

Oh my.

So, two nights ago, I hung out with my German class and my German teacher, Amir, until pretty late to celebrate the fact that our final was over. It was nice to get to know some of my classmates a bit better (Andy, Elizabeth, Alison).

Yesterday I got up at a reasonable hour to go try to find Lisa Schmidt, who was coming to New York to see The Lion King with the chorus from my high school (she goes to Penn State, but her mom works at our school). Anyway, I called a few times without a response, so I kind of just wandered around hoping to find her. Once it was a half hour till the show, I went to the theatre to try to find her, but Ms. Benglian (!!) said that she had already gone in.

Anyway, we text messaged some and worked it out so that I went to meet her when they were going to Little Italy for dinner at 6, which was nice, because I don't really explore that area nearly as much as I should, and I may go take a walk down that way a little later today.

While I was wandering around in Times Square, I ended up running into Jen Coolbaugh and her friend, the two of which I always run into in the theatre district. We met while in the student rush seats at Lennon, and we also ran into each other at the Broadway Flea Market (both of them), Sweeney Todd (Jen's friend), after I saw Chita Rivera (both of them), at the Easter Bonnet Competition (just Jen), and yesterday. It's crazy! Anyway, they were both going to see Lestat and The Drowsy Chaperone, so I warned them ahead of time for Lestat that it's not even bad in a good, funny way.

Last night at 7, I went to heyyyyy Grandma, a showcase of scenes from Emma's first year colloquium. It was a mixed bag, but it was overally quite entertaining, and I was proud of Emma, whose scene and acting were really good.

Later last night, Emma stopped by to talk to David and I and brought some tea with her, which was nice, and this morning Emma and I got breakfast at Downstein so I could say farewell. She left today at noon. I have to say, of all the people I've met this year, she's the one I'll miss the most. She's so great! I'll also miss David, but I've yet to say goodbye to him.

I'm getting to the point where I'm anxious to get home. All I have left to do in New York is to study for my last final, take that exam, pack, and move out, and none of those activities are particularly interesting or exciting. I also miss my friends back home quite a bit. I've also decided that I want to hang out with Lisa more this summer, because we've been getting along well lately and we talk online a lot, but I have to make sure it doesn't compromise my friendships with my best friends.

It's going to be a long summer, that's for sure, but hopefully it'll be mostly a positive experience.

I've also started vaguely working on a play. I don't really want to post anything specific about it yet, but it's coming along relatively well. It's the first time in quite a while that I've gotten an idea that feels really original to me, and I'm coming along pretty well with the dialogue, which is the hardest part of playwriting for me.

Anyway, these last few days are going to be kind of difficult and this summer will be long, but soon enough, I'll be back in New York for sophomore year.

"Jersey Boys," German final, fun

So, two nights ago, Emma and I tried to see The Pajama Game, but it turned out they weren't doing student rush. Instead, we walked back downtown, watched American's Next Top Model and went to Cafe Reggio for coffee, which was much fun.

I went back uptown yesterday after doing some German work to try The Pajama Game and got the same answer, so I went to the August Wilson Theatre, where Jersey Boys, the musical based on the story of the Four Seasons, is playing, to try to do student rush for that. I waited in line for about an hour while doing some German workbook stuff and ended up getting a front row ticket on the extreme side, which was fun.

In between the rush and the show, I ate at McDonald's, shopped in Triton Gallery (a great place on W. 45th Street that has a ton of theatre posters), and had some green tea in Starbucks while doing a little bit more German work. Finally, the time for the show came.

I didn't really go in expecting all that much. After all, it's a jukebox musical just like every other, and, to some extent, it really does have the same limitations that other jukebox musicals have. This one works a lot like a Behind the Music special. Most of the songs are sung as performances within the plot, so it's barely a musical really. Despite the fact that I absolutely thought it was a great show, I can't help but feel that these jukebox musicals just really don't belong on Broadway, but rather in some place that typically houses shows like these, somewhere like Las Vegas or Atlantic City, places where revue shows are standard fare. I thought the same thing about Lennon earlier in the season, which I also liked.

That said, the cast was absoultely amazing, headed by John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli. He absolutely has the most gorgeous voice I've heard on stage this year. I've heard rumors that some of his high notes are double by offstage voices, but, even if that's the case, his voice is still amazing. All of the Four Seasons actors, J. Robert Spencer, John Lloyd Young, Daniel Reichard, and Christian Hoff, pictured in order at left, did a great job, and they sounded amazingly like the original recordings of the Four Seasons.

The best asset of the show are the familiar songs that you really can't help but enjoy: "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Oh What A Night," "Dawn (Go Away)," 'Bye Bye Baby," "Cant' Take My Eyes Off You," "Working My Way Back to You," and "Rag Doll," among others.

The design of the show was simple, with chain-link fence a major element of the set. There were also some nice neon signs for the places the group was performing in and some interesting Roy Lictenstein-esque projections that didn't quite fit in but were interesting nonetheless.

Overall, the show was great and very entertaining. As far as jukebox musicals go, it was probably the best I've seen (though I still have a soft spot for Lennon, I recognize its flaws). The plot moves along effectively and remains interesting. Most of the dialogue manages to skirt around the typical pitfalls of jukebox shows, and John Lloyd Young is really worth the price of admission alone. Still, as much as I loved it, I still don't think Broadway is the right place for this show.

Last required shift of work, Liza

So tonight was my last required shift at work despite the fact that I may do a few more anyway just for the money. I'm going with Emma to attempt to see The Pajama Game on Broadway with Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara on Wednesday night. Today has been a really lazy day.

Anyway, I've been on YouTube quite a bit lately, and I found quite a few entertaining Liza Minnelli videos that I thought I'd share. Check a few out to get a sense of my obssession. Certainly, she's not always to be taken seriously.

1. Liza singing "It's Just a Matter of Time" -- this clip goes to show you just why Liza became a star. This is her singing at the London Palladium. Her mother, Judy Garland, introduces.


2. Liza singing a silly song about alcohol on Asian TV.


3. Liza singing "City Lights" from Kander and Ebb's The Act on the Tony Awards.


4. Liza's descent into insanity, a late '80s music video of her crazy song "Don't Drop Bombs."


5. Liza butchering Sondheim by creating a disco version of "Losing My Mind" from Follies with the Pet Shop Boys. Oy vey! This is from Arsenio.


6. Liza singing "Bad Girls" in 1980. Kind of bad, but also kind of good.


7. Spliced clips from Liza's latest appearance on Larry King. Oh my.


For all of her triumphs, winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award for Cabaret, Liza With a "Z," and Flora the Red Menace respectively, Liza sure has had some lows, but, ultimately, it's the lows and the highs combined that make for such a fabulous Liza. Even her mistakes make for such wonderful look back on her roller coaster of a life. I guess I just wish she hadn't screwed with Sondheim along the way.

Slow day

Well, today is mostly slow. I woke up kind of late, had lunch, and am currently doing laundry. Due to my recent reassessment of my finances, I think The Pajama Game will be my last Broadway show of the season. Perhaps if Jersey Boys wins the Best Musical Tony Award, I'll take a quick day trip during the summer to attempt to see it.

I have work tonight, my second to the last required shift, though I may do an extra shift or two to get a little bit of extra cash for the early summer. I'm excited to be starting up my new job, as it means my finances will greatly improve.

Anyway, later.