Hibernation

Life after May is consuming my brain.

I've looked into the following:

1. Tisch Grad Musical Theatre Writing

2. LaGuardia Community College for Veterinarian Technician Certification

3. Applying for a 9 to 5 corporate desk job.

4. Hibernation... and I guess auditioning?

I'm learning that I don't necessarily want to do things.

What Am I Doing?

I have nothing to write about. I suppose that's not entirely true, but nothing that I care so passionately about. Here are some random thoughts that are popping in my head.

1. This recording of "Reporting Live" is turning into an epic ordeal. But it's something that I feel will be BEYOND worth it in the end.

2. I started Musical Theatre Practicum this past week. It's basically divided into four sections. Dance, Voice and Speech, Acting/Production, and Music Theory/Performance. It's a cool group with some great teachers. It's just extremely odd studying performance in my final year of school.

3. I'm getting closer to outlining the untitled Caroline and George project. At least, the second half is relatively outlined. I'm so excited to write this show. At first it began as an analysis of marriage. But it's turning into something else. I don't know what it is yet, but I will soon. There are at least six songs in the second act that are slightly drafted. The main problem I'm worried about is that I deliberately want this show to be absolutely hilarious. "Goodnight, Stranger" has nothing funny in it. And while "Reporting Live" has its funny moments, lets face it, the show as a whole isn't necessarily a knee-slapper. Writing to be funny just feels odd for some reason. Anyways, the music for this show is going to be absolutely bizarre and will make no sense and thus I am rather excited.

4. I've been re-watching the entire series of "Six Feet Under". An absolutely jaw-dropping series that knows how to lift me up and force me to appreciate the fact that I'm alive. Not to mention it's fucking great acting and powerful writing. Frances Conroy, Michael C. Hall, Rachel Griffiths, Peter Krause, Lauren Ambrose, Kathy Bates, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Sisto, Justina Machado, Joanna Cassidy, Lilli Taylor, Matthew St. Patrick, Richard Jenkins, James Cromwell, and Freddy Rodriguez make for one oustanding ensemble of actors. I just started watching the final season. If anyone reading this knows the series REALLY well, the dialogue during Nate's wedding is some of the best dialogue ever written. Ever.

5. Why haven't I seen Bernadette Peters yet?

6. I wish I knew how to write what I've been feeling lately. I'm sure I will soon.

7. I've been on the sick side. I have to go to bed. I'll write more later.

Let's Try This Again

So It has been over two months since I have written on this recently created blog. And this is true for a million and one reasons. But I still like the idea of having a blog. So rather than completely deleting this site, I'm just going to keep on going with it.

Ironically that's all for now. More for later.

Welcome to the News

I know it's been two weeks since I've written on this blog, but I've already forgiven myself.

Now that that part's over, let's get down to something that has been catching my interest more and more.

The news. I've never been an enormous fan. In fact, I've lived most of my life rather ignorant of the world around me. Unless it was something that came up in class, in my family, or my friends, I never would force myself to take interest. But now instead of waiting for the news to come to me, I've been going to the news. I'll be honest, it's mostly been reading articles from the New York Times and CNN. Other sources as well, but especially CNN. I've been reading more and more about the world and just how many phenomenal things are going on. Both tragic and thrilling. Here are just a few things.

1. Project "A Whale" is well underway on this here 4th of July! If this operating system functions correctly, it could mean a HUGE and VAST improvement for the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. It's a skimmer that will actually pick up what's in the water, separate the oil and the water, and then dump the water back into the gulf. No more pointing fingers or getting angry without anything informative or new to say. Let's clean this place up. It's a massive tragedy and if "A Whale" works, things might finally get underway.

2. Speaking of oil spills, I was rather ignorant of the Nigerian Delta crisis. For over 50 YEARS, there have been about 300 spills a year. If 1,000,000 gallons of oil is equal to 25,000 barrels, then that means an estimated total of 130,000,000,000 gallons of oil have been spilling out of the Nigerian Delta. The lands are almost completely destroyed. Yet you never hear anyone about boycotting Exxon. Obviously they are not the primary factor in this disaster, especially with the Nigerian political leaders. This spill may make Deepwater Horizon look like a joke, but it isn't nearly getting as much press time.

3. Something relatively humorous, a man by the name of Paul Baldwin was arrested this week... for the 154th time. Guiness won't acknowledge this world record, but it's still something. What did he do this week? He stole Budweiser from a convenient store. On top of that, he just finished a 1 year probation for stealing a can of beer... worth $1.29. How's that for commitment?

4. The biggest tragedy I've heard in a long, long time happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An oil tanker flipped over which caused another oil leakage. Many nearby civilians began to remedy the accident by gathering the oil so they wouldn't lose too much. However one civilian nearby was smoking a cigarette which lead to a massive explosion. The result lead to the injuring of 190 people, and the killing of 230. The biggest group to have suffered was located at a nearby bar, that had a large crowd watching the World Cup. Not to mention, 5 U.N. peacekeepers are part of the deceased.

5. Okay, a more positive story. A man by the name of Zak Anderegg is a rock climber. He decided to expand his ventures to an Arizona canyon. While journeying, he spotted a dog at the bottom of a 350 feet deep canyon, who was painstakingly thin and injured. Anderegg immediately ran to town to get a cat carrier from a local hospital. He managed to tie it to some

rope and bring it down to the animal (since he couldn't get to the bottom of the canyon himself). The dog went inside the cage and was pulled up to safety, entirely because of Anderegg. He's now being treated at the local hospital, and has been given the nickname Puppy. Dogs save lives, and humans can too.

6. Last one. There has been much discussion about these Russian spies. I know we've been hearing much about them, but hardly about their kids. It seems like foreign policy officials learned their lesson from years past, and rather than going through a tedious bureaucratic system of political correctness, the children of the husband wife spies are being sent to russia to live with their grandparents. They're still rather young, so they believed that having them live with their family is the best way to go. Later down the road this could be seen as an unwise option, and maybe these kids aren't entirely fluent in Russian. But at least they're not being taken care of by a bunch of forms and a dude behind a desk.

Anyways. I hope this doesn't mean I'm turning into a grown-up. Or maybe I do. But there's something amazing and something tragic happening every day. Probably all over the world. Thank you news people around the world. Even though you may be politically biased, culturally conflicted, and monetarily geared, you still have a camera and microphone able to help us hear and see things that we'd never hear or see otherwise.

Sex and the... Jonah Hill?

This is primarily going to discuss "Sex and the City 2" and "Cyrus". If you want to skip the garbage of "Sex and the City 2", just scroll down.

I had to see it. I had to know why everybody was slamming this film, walking out, and eventually becoming incredibly outraged. So I did it. I saw it. And I find that this film would be an incredible example for psychological case studies of damaged pre-menopausal women. Warning: As I dive into this movie, there will be plot spoilers. I assume at this point that you have either already witnessed this disaster or never had the intention and after all the talk, you won't be running to the theater anytime soon.

I have to admit. I did laugh a number of times throughout the movie. There were still witty moments that I found to be enjoyable and the movie has my personal investment of these characters to bank on. And every twenty minutes or so, it worked. That being said, I've never had so many "What the hell?" moments. In the end, "Sex and the City 2" just proves to be a highly unethical, amoral, and degrading movie for not only successful middle-aged people everywhere, but also the characters themselves that so many people have grown to love over the past decade or so.

The women of the HBO series always had a weakness for material goods, high fashion, and a rather extravagant lifestyle. That's nothing new. However, in the series, the girls were always eager to admit that these weaknesses were actual guilty pleasures. They valued love, success, freedom, thought, and definitely companionship above all else. Thus whenever one passed by a shoe store and sighed, it was endearing and not offensive. Besides the massive amount of expensive dinners, the girls on "Sex and the City" didn't lives all TOO differently from many women in Manhattan.

However, that was until their lives entered "Sex and the City 2". Very slowly and creepily the movie starts to show hints of materialism on a seriously unhealthy level. The opening credits themselves are full of sparkle and shimmer, which tends to be Carrie's primary desire. Before 2010, Carrie Bradshaw's definition of sparkle involved romantic excitement and thrilling adventures with her three gal pals. But that definition of sparkle slowly transforms by the time Mr. Big reveals to her his anniversary gift. When he reveals the digital and plasma TV (1. Expensive) that's in a white furnished desk (2. Slightly fashionable) so they could watch black and white movies together (3. Romantic), Carrie is left bereft of the sparkle she so heavily desires. She even goes so far to say that "Jewelry couldn't have hurt." And with a bizarre score and editing, we are supposed to sympathize for Carrie (after so many years of understanding Michael Patrick King's style, nobody should be expecting satire). And there we have it. Carrie Bradshaw, now Preston, has morphed into a materialistic and self-righteous woman that is hard to care about. This continues with Charlotte York's trials and tribulations with her two daughters. When she is baking cupcakes while her daughters are finger painting, she has a nervous breakdown and screams at her daughter for ruining her vintage pants (and Carrie sympathizes over the phone). I repeat, she was baking over 100 cupcakes while her daughter was finger painting and she was wearing expensive vintage pants.

Thus we get to the real result of this film. It's a bonafide tragedy. After a couple of self-discovering seasons, "Sex and the City" blossomed into a farcical series with serious intellect for a demographic and age that wasn't getting intelligent attention. The show didn't fully acheive its success by having Kim Cattrall spit out sex joke after sex joke. In the midst of all of Carrie Bradshaw's awful puns, she had a rather fascinating question or thought every once in a while that would catch viewers off guard. It's tragic how this sequel very well could come back to those intellectual ideas and questions. These women are aging. Yet, the only treatment age has on any of these women is Samantha Jones' fight against menopause. When she starts panicking about losing all of her pills, the girls tell her to shut up as if it isn't an actual concern. I personally don't believe that menopause is a concern for women, I have definitely come to the understanding that menopause is a subject that most women in this country do not handle lightly. Yet, the girls of this film are more terrified about flying Coach than they are about growing old. And no, it's not treated admirably.

The film explodes on many other levels. The character of Adin proved to be a truly significant role in the saga of Carrie Bradshaw. It proved a very valid and necessary concept; women can mess up too. For a show that supports the courage and liberation of women, it seldom shows how the woman can be the fault of relationships ending. Women were finally liberated from the burden of always having to be perfect in relationship. Adin as a primary character created that. He was a genuinely decent and honest man. That was until he came along and strolled into Abu Dhabi which happened to get hit by hurricane SATC2.

There's also the matter of that slightly controversial scene between Miranda and Charlotte at their private bar. Finally, I thought, this movie was not going to be about veranda's and limousines but about a friendship that supports each other through the trials and tribulations of middle-aged women. It actually opens up the conversation about the struggles of motherhood for working women. When Charlotte says the line, "And there are women out there who don't have help! I don't know how they do it!", it would traditionally be seen as a sarcastic and silly comment. But in the context of this film, it goes from cute to unsettling.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. I missed their friendship. I missed their true problems and issues that they had to overcome as successful women. And most importantly, I miss their value system. I don't know whether or not to pray for a 3rd film or not. And after an appalling ending that proves how cheating, whining, and self-centeredness can all be remedied by a diamond, I think the followers of these four women deserve an explanation.

That's enough of that. The series deserves such a long blog... not this film...

Anyways, I want to move on to a movie that I find to be extraordinary and it's my hope that everyone sees it.

"Cyrus" opened this weekend in New York and L.A. and I can't wait for it to expand across the country. It stars John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill, and Catherine Keener (each one giving a four star performance in highly original and psychologically complex characters). Long story short, loser John (playd by Reilly) meets the woman of his dreams in Molly (Tomei) who happens to live with her 21-year-old son, Cyrus (a daft Jonah Hill). Obviously problems are bound to arise, but they do in the most heartfelt of places.

This movie stands out for a number of reasons. For starters, these characters have issues that are incredibly evident. Yet, it's completely understandable why they aren't fully discussed. They are the kind of problems that we see in the people of our own lives but never fully confront. Molly and Cyrus' relationship is anything but conventional. This is clear five minutes upon seeing them in a room together. They're both likable. And in a way, their mother/son relationship is very endearing. But how does John play into this relationship? And for a man who has had no luck with women since his ex-wife (an always delightful Catherine Keener) left him for someone else seven years ago, you can't blame the poor guy for not wanting to bring up the sore subject of Cyrus to his newly beloved Molly.

Mr. Reilly deserves much gratitude. From the moment you meet John, you immediately want things to go right for him, even though he hasn't done anything to deserve that sympathy. It's because he's a fully fleshed human being that every audience member has encountered at least one time or another. This makes the very first meeting of Molly and John all that cathartic, and practically intense. We've seen the trailers, the posters, and the articles. We know that something happens between Molly and John. But we know that at any moment, John could drop the bomb once again, shattering any ray of hope that we had felt the minute before.

Another surprise was Mr. Jonah Hill, and a truly layered performance. I can never tell when an actor adds layers to his performance, but something about Mr. Hill separates this from others. Every time we learn a new fact about the odd Cyrus, it makes sense. Instead of adding a complication to the character (which is the traditional choice for most films), we see a layer that was there since the beginning, only that layer has become slightly clearer. The complications lie in the choices he makes as a troubled young man.

I don't want to reveal too much of what happens. But there's one final trait I have to bring up that is entirely due to the genius work of directors Jay and Mark Duplass. Every moment comes for what it's worth, good or bad. Predictability is irrelevant in this film. Even if something happens that you expect to happen, it feels entirely new or somewhat shocking. Marisa Tomei revealed in a recent interview that there was a strong improvised nature to the shooting of the film, and that every day of production had a different script. The script kept evolving according to how the filming was progressing (since they shot in sequence). I didn't learn of this until after I saw the film, but it makes sense. Moments that we've seen before in other films feel entirely special and unique for this film, because we're constantly reminded that these events are happening to these particular people, and that alone makes it unique.

From Passports to Caroline

Today was a wonderful day. Filled with so many small and notable events. Some relaxing, some productive, but it never seemed to stop.

1. Got my passport from the delivery guy.

2. Went uptown to get a student ticket for "Sondheim on Sondheim"

3. Did the dishes and ran a couple errands.

4. Went through apartment renewal lease.

5. Saw the movie "Cyrus" (An outstanding movie!)

6. Went to the gym for an hour.

7. Came home and ate taco bell.

8. Went back uptown to see "Sondheim on Sondheim" (with the best luck I've ever had with subway trains)

9. Came home and wrote some music.

What did I learn today? Doing things can make you feel... good.

Why "The Phantom of the Opera" just might be the most significant Broadway show out there.

Alright. I know. It's a silly thought. Obviously more musical theatre exists beyond the industry known as "The Phantom of the Opera". Oh wait. I'm sorry. I meant "Andrew Lloyd Webber and Hal Prince's The Phantom of the Opera"

When I think about the impact this production has head on the cultural phenomenon that is American musical theatre (don't forget, it's technically a "British import") I can't help but ponder the devastating effects as well as the endlessly inspirational results.

"Phantom" has lasted about 10,000 performances at The Majestic Theater. And if not, it's reaching that number very quickly. Obviously a world record. We can thank New York City tourists for this monumental financial achievement. But the big question remaining is "Why?" "Why THIS show?" "Why not a show like '1776' or 'Dreamgirls' or heaven forbid, 'Nine'"?

The show has some sex, but not too much. Sure there are elements of violence, but again, not too much. Yes, there is spectacle, but keep in mind the bare stage and/or simple backdrops that exist throughout most of the piece. The moments of spectacle are sparse, albeit remarkable, they do not consist of a steady flow like that of Disney's "The Lion King" or technically downtown's "Blue Man Group" So we come back to the question, "Why THIS particular show?"

It seems rather strange, but if you were to put this project under a magnifying glass, the answer seems all too clear.

I will admit, while many scoff at the notion that this show can be considered "good", I am loud and proud to admit that this show is always a unique and astonishingly rewarding experience in multiple ways. However, in my latest attempts to see the show I feel disheartened at the lack of vitality that exists in the show. My God, there are actors who have been in the show for over two decades. The technology is exactly the same as it was in 1986. And if you were to compare to some rather excruciatingly high-tech Great White Way productions like "American Idiot" or "Fela!", one can't help but wonder why this show has yet to receive an upgrade. The most heart-breaking quality one can examine is the poor excuse of performance exuded by the majority of the cast. The show now feels like it is a piece to be sung, not performed. Poor Howard McGillin. He has performed the show 5,439,302,208 times. When I see him onstage, I can't help but wonder, "Does the meaning of your poetic language change every performance, or desperately every month?" Luckily, he has hung up the mask and departed from the production for (unlikely) bigger and better things.

And yet, the show still nearly sells out every night. Tourists come because "Everyone else has already seen it. I suppose I should too." But what about those damn people (myself included) who come for seconds? Less than a decade ago, the show switched its advertising slogan to read "Remember your first time," very well aware that a large portion of their marketing demographic go towards people who return and return. So why do I keep on returning?

The music. The score. Now before you begin arguing the quality of this score, let me at least make me a few opinions rather clear. Is this the greatest score ever written? Of course not. Is it the smartest? No way in hell. Is it by any means revolutionary? Hardly. The quality that this score possesses unlike most can be summed up by one word: Romanticism. And in its truest form.

I'm not talking about romantic. The young kids in school don't swoon 7th grade girls with "Music of the Night". I am talking about Romantic-ism in its purest form. We as centralized Americans (forgive the generalization) crave and adore emotional romanticism in any artform. Not to mention, there is hardly any symphony on Broadway that can come close to comparison, although the good folks at Lincoln Center easily give them a run for its money. And when you add this orchestra with a backdrop such as Paris, the ideological dream capital of the world, and a typical (yet astronomically bizarre) love triangle, you have Harold Prince shoving down gallons of Romanticism down the throats of every audience member who witnesses "Phantom." Not much thought, but more emotion that one should probably consume. Take a listen to the "Entr'acte" of Phantom. You'll have some sense of what I refer to.

Why is this important? Charles Isherwood, a frustrating and relatively juvenile critic for the New York Times wrote an interesting features article in the Saturday Arts and Leisure section, one day before the Tony Awards. The headline reads, "Broadway has Lost Its Voice". Now, folks have been saying that theatre is dead since the times of the Ancient Greeks. Upon first reading the article, that's all I merely read it as. An old guy complaining about the modern times. But after some serious reflection, Isherwood (shockingly) has a truly significant point. Why were the Tony Awards so drastically uneventful and unexciting?

Let me propose a theory that holds dear to my heart: the lack of original scores. Broadway loves to title itself as a community. If it is a solid community that they speak of (count how many times the word arises at the Tony ceremony), then there is a certain responsibility by those who become involved. Jukebox musicals can be delightful. As a serious Elvis fan, I loved the "All Shook Up" production for all its candy-coated glory. Slightly intriguing bio-musicals like "The Boy From Oz" and "Buddy" serve a relatively important purpose. But if the Broadway "community" is consumed by these types of productions, than Broadway as a cultivated American culture is in grave danger. When Isherwood says, Broadway has "lost its voice", he's referring to its own sense of identity. If Broadway productions continue to rely on the music that is produced in Nashville, or L.A., then what the hell is coming out of New York? If this type of atmosphere were to dangerously continue (which in my opinion is highly unlikely) then the tourist filled theatre district would become more and more like a Vegas copout. I love Vegas, but they have their own culture that they wear proudly. New York does not need to copy.

The two original scores were "The Addams Family" and "Memphis." While I have only heard two songs from Addams I can honestly say it sounds very familiar to Memphis, despite its "Mambo"esque theme. And Memphis sounded like, well, everything else. And thus the end of original scores. I was hoping to email a broadway composer with the hopes of working as an intern. I came very close a year ago with one show that ended up falling through but this year I came across an interesting problem: There weren't any musical composers! Whether it's factual or not, I am thoroughly convinced that the heart of this issue that faced the Tony awards this year, and overall the dissatisfaction with Broadway as a whole (and if you're in New York, it's relatively understood) lies in the lack of new composers, new works.

Thus we came back to our friend, "Phantom". I earlier stated that it must be seen under a magnifying glass. Not because there are great details to be discovered, but because this production takes the certain elements of musical theater and blows them to a larger than life proportion. The sets are blatant, but mammoth. The score is traditional, but expanded. The story is common, but twisted. And here's the most fascinating part. It's performed around the world, constantly.

So bring me the romanticized ideology that American audiences so desperately crave! And bring me the enormous symphony that plays eight times a week! It serves as a significant reminder of an era in which Broadway flourished with its own voices! In 1984, the nominees for Best Score were Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, and Maltby and Shire. Two years later Phantom opened and still exists today (thanks to the million dollar money making capitalist schemes of Cameron Macintosh, as well as a devastating film from Mr. Joel Shit-maker). But Phantom continues playing its soaring string sections. Thank goodness for Revivals. Otherwise, we'd be left with the last reminder of the voice Broadway has yet to be.

Final statement. No. I don't believe that musical theatre is dead by any means. If anything, it's better than ever before (over $1 Billion in profits!) However I am more than excited and overjoyed to discover the empathy about this years Tony awards. It's a telling sign that the score is in high demand, whether obvious or not. Some new musicals have been announced for next year. Two are musical revues (Ray Charles and the Beatles). But then composers Kander and Ebb, David Yazbek, Matthew Sklar, Marc Shaiman and more are making a comeback. Stand back and let the masters back into the ring. I can't wait to listen.