Happy 2009!
I hope everyone’s New Year’s Eve did not consist of Mallomars and basketball.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you.”
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Broadway baby
2009 is turning into an exciting year for the theater-musical-loving dork in me. (Come to think of it, the tail-end of 2008 is/was, too. A few weeks ago I saw Grey Gardens with the fabulous Barbara Walsh at the Studio Theater here in DC, and in a few hours, I’ll be seeing the pre-Broadway revival of West Side Story. But, back to 2009…)
… In April, I’ll be going to New York with my family to see the revival of Guys and Dolls with the coolest mother in recent TV history (and a woman who can wear the crap out of a pair of jeans), Lauren Graham. Already, that was enough. Lorelai Gilmore Lauren Graham on Broadway? And I’m gonna get to see it? Get out!
But wait, there’s more! But first, let me back track: Thanks to friend of the blog, Nicki, I was recently introduced to the off-Broadway show, A New Brain. (The show’s only been around for 10 years, so it’s no wonder I didn’t know about it.) For those who haven’t heard it, and who are musical lovers, I highly recommend it. It’s a really beautiful score. You have to really listen to it – the first time I did was at work and I got distracted and lost in the last set of songs – but once you know the play and understand what’s going on, it’s really moving. Even made me tear up the first few times I really listened to it. So, the main character in the show is this dude Gordon, this composer, who is played by Malcolm Gets. Who? My new boyfriend. He’s been in a ton of musicals, was nominated for a tony a few years back, but you’d probably know him from that old TV show, Caroline in the City. (Which I definitely did not rewatch in the last couple of weeks, rediscover just how hot he was [he totally was not that hot when I was 15] and that’s the real secret reason why I got A New Brain and discovered the dude’s musical talent to begin with. Nope. Definitely did not do that.) So, turns out the guy is this insanely talented singer and musician who’s this classically trained piano player and has a beautiful voice.
So. Point is, there’s this new show coming to Broadway in February called The Story of My Life, starring Gets and the fabulous Mr. Will Chase. (If any of you saw the filmed version of the last performance of Rent — he played Roger. And he was wonderful.) I found out about this, literally, three days ago, and as of late yesterday afternoon, I’m the proud owner of two FRONT ROW tickets to the new show.
To say I am excited is an understatement. First of all, I’m going to see a Broadway show! Second, it’s new! (I’ve always seen revivals or plays that are on first run, but have been around for awhile.) Third, I get to have a New York adventure! Fourth, I bought the tickets by myself, which, though it was expensive, it’s something I’ve never done before, and it made me feel all grown up. (I know I AM all grown up, but I hardly ever feel that way.) Fifth, uh…I’ll be extremely close to two beautiful men singing and dancing for two hours. What more could I ask for?
Happy new year to me!
Video(s) of the Day:
Reference points for anyone who’s interested – I’ll be seeing these guys:
Mr. Will Chase:
And Mr. Malcom Gets:
(Hee. That cracks me up)
And then later, this chick:
(I’m assuming she’ll sound much more like Miss Adelaide and less like heart-broken Lorelai)
Madlibs!
Don’t ask me how I found this, because I’m not really sure. You know how it is, you’re looking up one thing on the Internet and end up somewhere completely different. That’s what happened to me last night. And it’s why I went to bed way to late, because once I started watching, I couldn’t stop.
Warning: If you all didn’t already know I was a total geek, well, the secret is out now. This is probably one of the geekiest things I’ve ever seen. And yet…so much fun!
So there’s this improv show in New York called Don’t Quit Your Night Job. Here’s the show’s description:
DON’T QUIT YOUR NIGHT JOB, the critically acclaimed comedy variety show featuring a revolving cast of Broadway’s brightest performing without a net, is presented monthly at The Zipper Factory Theater in New York City. DON’T QUIT is where Broadway goes to let its hair down. The late night happening of improv, music, sketches, stories, games and surprises was created by its stars: industry mainstays Steve Rosen (The Farnsworth Invention, Monty Python’s Spamalot), David Rossmer (Fiddler on the Roof, Titanic), Sarah Saltzberg (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and music director Dan Lipton (The Coast of Utopia). It is, truly, where Broadway and improv meet… and make out.
So one of the things they do is bring out these Broadway actors to perform songs (usually from the show they’re in currently), with one twist: Beforehand, the audience – with no prior knowledge of the song – is asked to replace words, Mad Libs style. The result: Well, based on the videos I saw last night, varies (like any Mad Lib), but when it works, it’s hilarious. Here are some of my favorites:
I Know Things Now
Nothing
When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love
And my (thus far) absolute favorite (it’s all in the performance)
I Can’t Take My Eyes off of You
Note to self: Go see this the next time I find myself in New York!
“I’ll give you the moon, Mary.” My favorite holiday films
For some reason, I am on top of things this Christmas. I am done Christmas shopping. My iPod has been loaded with holiday music for weeks. I have mailed out presents that need to be mailed out. I brought in Christmas cookies to work. (Sure, I didn’t make them myself, but I helped mold them and take them in and out of the oven.) I haven’t sent out Christmas cards, but – in my defense – had already decided not to.
Yeah, I am bragging a little bit, but it’s earned — I have never, in my 27 years, been ready so early. I am the queen of last minute shopping, and piggybacking on my older sister for Christmas gifts. (Every year, I forget to get a present for someone and ask her if we can give said person a “joint” gift — read: can I give you money for what you already bought? But not this year, my friends! This year I am ready!)
To that end, tomorrow night, my friend and I are going to have a Christmas movie marathon. We’re going to do some old school classics (White Christmas), some classics with which we aren’t so familiar (The Shop Around the Corner, if I can find it, and A Christmas Story) and classics that kinda suck but you have to watch for mocking material (Holiday Inn).
So today, I was sitting at work, listening to Christmas music, when I started making a list of my favorite Christmas movies. It’s not too shocking – I am a traditionalist when it comes to holiday cinema – but I thought I’d share nonetheless.
– “Not for a kid in the second grade. You can get beat up for wearing something like that.”
Home Alone
I know what you’re thinking. Home Alone ? Really? Yes. Listen, a few weeks ago, I was just like you. All I remembered was the caper stuff with Kevin and the Wet Bandits. Which – funny the first time in the movie theater, but after that, not so much. However, over Thanksgiving, my family and I watched it, and, seriously, this is an underrated movie. (Due to it being over-hyped back in the day. Underrated because it was over-hyped. Weird.) Forget all the caper stuff toward the end. Watch for Kevin buying a toothbrush, confronting his fear of the basement, and tricking the pizza guy. Funniest moment in the movie – the pizza guy’s reaction to Angels with Dirty Souls. “I’ll give you ten seconds to get your ugly, yella, no good keister off my property before I pump your guts full of lead!” Watch for John Candy and his polka band. Watch for Catherine O’Hara. Forget the subsequent sequels and what the movie did to MacCauley Culkin’s life. It really is a great movie. And, bonus: Has a totally kick ass soundtrack.
At the very least, watch for this sequence:
– “To me you are perfect.”
Love Actually
I mean, how can one not love this movie? It’s a love letter to Christmas. It’s from the same people who brought you About a Boy and High Fidelity. And the cast – Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy…. I’ve actually read several negative reviews of the film, and…I don’t get it. It’s not the greatest film of all time or anything, but…Christmas, love, loss, family… Sure, some plot lines are stronger than others, but they all have their strengths. I saw this film three times in the theater, which is my official Sarah Stamp of Approval (see also: Dan in Real Life, Moulin Rouge). What can I say? Sometimes I like movies that make me feel good, especially around the holidays, and this one is just right. (This film also has an excellent soundtrack.
I mean if this doesn’t make you tear up…
Well then maybe this will:
(There’s happy parts, too, I promise.)
“‘ ‘Atta boy, Clarence.”
It’s a Wonderful Life
This is one I grew up watching. It’s a favorite in my family. I remember in high school health class, they played this the last week of the semester, as we had finished everything up and had nothing to do. And someone in my class had actually never seen it before. I was shocked! (Really, I was.) I honestly didn’t understand how someone could go their who life without knowing Bedford Falls, George Bailey or Clarence. The beauty of this movie is, I grew up watching it, and yet, every time I see it, it feels brand new. I’m not sure why. And you can never go wrong with Jimmy Stewart. It’s a Wonderful Life is cheesy, sure, but, much like Baz Luhrman, Frank Capra earns his cheese. I haven’t seen this one in a few years, and I think it’s time to bring it out again. Sing it with me now, “Buffalo girls, won’t you come out tonight, won’t you come out tonight, won’t you come out tonight. Buffalo girls won’t you come out tonight…and dance…by the light…of the moon.” Oh, hot dog.
“Come here, you weird, little man!”
Scrooge
There’s many incarnations of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. This one is my favorite. Though I won’t fault anyone for being skeptical about a musical version of the classic tale, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. And again, the cast – Albert Finney (who won a Golden Globe for his performance), Sir Alec Guinness… Fun fact: I used to be terrified of this film. When we first saw it, I couldn’t have been more than 9, and my sister, 13. All was well and good until we got to the part where Scrooge gets a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future, who eventually leads Scrooge to his grave. Scrooge falls into it, and, for just a second, the mysterious Ghost of Christmas Future unveils his face- which is a skeleton. My sister and I were terrified. We refused to watch the movie for years. But then, one Christmas, I decided to be like Kevin McCallister and take on my fear, and told my parents I’d watch it again. And man, am I glad I did. This movie you guys, is amazing. And it makes me cry more than any other Christmas movie does. Finney’s performance is so extraordinary. I really believe he’s that mean old miser, and then, when he has his transformation? Forget it. I’m a goner. Here’s the beginning of a new Scrooge:
You can’t see me, but I’m crying. The best part though, is the final words of the film, which, if I weren’t already a basket case, put me over the top:
“I don’t know if you can hear me, old Jacob Marley, and I don’t know whether or not I imagined the things I saw, but between the two of us, we finally made a merry Christmas, didn’t we? I have to leave you now. I must go and get ready. I’m going to have Christmas dinner with my family.”
(And, I’m crying again. I think you have to hear him say the words, but every time, man. Every time, it makes me weep.)
– “It must be wonderful in Vermont this time of year. All that snow.”
White Christmas
Well, we’ve arrived at last, and how can the number one slot be filled by anything else? It’s Bing freaking Crosby, for goodness sake! And Danny Kaye! And Rosemary Clooney! Singing the music of Irving Berlin!
The truth is, this is a totally cheesy movie, and unlike Baz and Capra, it’s perhaps not earned. But I love it anyway. I love everything about it – how it is so quotable, (“Mutual, I’m sure.” “How much is wow?” “Somewhere between ‘ouch’ and ‘boinnggg'” “What happens when you eat liverwurst?” “You dream of liverwurst.”) the singing, the dancing, the mad-cap antics of Phil Davis and Judy Haynes, the blossoming love between Betty and Bob, Vera Ellen’s amazingly tiny waist and incredible legs, the nosy housekeeper, who almost ruins EVERYTHING, (And every year, I get angry at her. Like, I actually think it’s going to turn out any different, if I just watch it enough times.) the ole General Waverly. And yes, I admit it – when everyone stands for General Waverly in the end and starts singing “Because we love him, we love him…” my eyes are not tear-free. I can go a year or two without seeing any of the aforementioned movies. But, Christmas isn’t Christmas for me without White Christmas. It’s a yearly requirement.
Fun fact number two: Growing up, I always thought that people really bought Bob and Phil as the Haynes sisters. It really took me years, more years than I’m willing to admit, before I understood that the audience knew it was Wallace and Davis.
In my family, the guy who pops up is simply known as “The Guy With White Teeth”. (You might have to maximize the screen to get it.)
Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you’re able to enjoy your favorite Christmas/holiday movie this year.
Video(s) of the day: Two things we should remember all year round, not just at Christmas time:
and — (Fun fact number three: According to the audio commentary, these are all real – they sent a crew into airports.)
“Looks like someone’s got a case of the Mondays!” (I will wear no flare)
We’ve arrived – the time of year where things are merry and jolly, and there’s no more new TV for a bit.
I’m usually okay with this. As much of a TV junkie as I am, it’s always kind of nice to have a break. I can catch up on other things, be it books, movies, or other TV shows. Hell, during the writers’ strike last year, I got through all five seasons of Six Feet Under. Never would have done that if there hadn’t been a strike. (NOTE: This does not mean I want another one! Hear me, SAG?)
So we’re pretty much done with TV for 2008 . My DVR will tape tonight’s Pushing Daisies and then…nothing.
But that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about Monday night. Earlier this fall, I was a wee bit overwhelmed on Mondays. Chuck, Heroes AND HIMYM? It got to be too much. So I decided to drop Chuck and Heroes. (GAASSPPP!) I know. But, here’s the thing – I was never a huge fan of Chuck. I think Zachary Levi is cute, and I like Adam Baldwin, but…it’s the same thing. Every. Single. Week. And it just got old. I didn’t care. Sorry, Internet. I don’t care about your beloved show. As for Heroes, well, I think we can all agree it peaked in season 1 and has been downhill since. No amount of HRG or Sylar can save it for me. (Though I would watch a HRG/Sylar spin off. I don’t know how it would work, but get on that, writers.)
So, my once super crowded Monday nights got whittled down to one show. Much less stressful. (Don’t believe me? Read this.) A routine began – get home, do whatever till 8, start to make dinner (usually pasta) and be in front of the TV by 8:25. (Yes, I watch HIMYM live. I love it that much. That, The Office and 30 Rock. I’ll watch your commercials. I don’t care.) Thus, I kept on catching the last five minutes of The Big Bang Theory. I’d heard good things about the show, I’d heard not-so-good things. Despite the fact that Johnny Galecki talks in a weird nerdy voice the entire time, those last five minutes every week started growing on me. So, somewhere in October, I started my routine earlier – come home, do whatever until 7:30, start making dinner (usually pasta), and be in front of the TV by 8.
So about the show – it’s not the best thing ever. It’s not the worst thing ever. Sometimes, it is very, very funny. Sometimes it’s not. But I always enjoy at least part of it, and Jim Parsons cracks me up. (I know he’s the obvious character to like, but…) I still hate Johnny Galecki talking in a faux nerd-voice, because really, who is he fooling, we all saw Roseanne. However, this is made up slightly by the fact that Moist is cast member. He also has a nerdy voice, but it’s real. (Every time I see him, I think, “You need anything dampened…or made…soggy?”) Point is, it’s grown on me. I’m officially a fan. As I told my roommate on Monday, “It’s not the best show in the world, but it’s…pleasant.” It’s easy. And, as a semi-geeky girl myself (full disclosure – I went to Dragon*Con in 2003), I am amused by comic book/geeky humor. (One of my favorites is “Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock.”)
So, if you’re looking for something to fill that 8-8:30 time-slot on Monday nights (seriously, Chuck is the same thing every week; you don’t need to watch), I recommend the Big Bang Theory. Come for Sheldon, stay for Penny and Walowitz. It’s a nice way to eat dinner and wait for HIMYM.
Here’s a snippet from the latest episode. It had me rolling. Set up: Next door neighbor Penny buys Christmas presents for Sheldon and Leonard. This sends Sheldon into a frenzy, as he feels receiving a gift is nothing more than an obligation to reciprocate (which…I agree with to a point –we’ve all been caught off guard with an unexpected gift, and it’s awkward for everyone involved). So he buys a bunch of presents, intending to give her the one that best matches her monetary amount.
It’s even funnier the second time around. Maybe I’ll catch up on season 1 over the winter hiatus.
Video of the Day: Happy Holidays from Barney Stinson!
Retrowatching 