say it somehow ;

Who could see beyond this surface?

overthemoo — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:19:38 GMT

So... any time I felt like making an entry before now LiveJournal was down. What was all that about??

Rehearsals for Everybody Loves Opal have been going well. Getting a few more responsibilities lately. Nothing crazy or anything (yet). Mostly just stuff that's going to prepare me for when it does get crazy. Got my own key for the theatre now and was shown how to do the alarm and I now know where all the light switches are. Sounds like I'm going to have to put said knowledge to use next week when I run a rehearsal by myself because John has another rehearsal to be at. Kind of nervous about that but I actually think it's going to end up being easy-going... the rehearsal itself. I've never been to a rehearsal without the director there but according to some people, it's more chill. I did get that feeling earlier this week when I was going over lines with a couple of the actors in the lobby while John ran a scene with the others on stage. I'm not much of a leader type though so I'm a little nervous about it. I don't like being up in front of everyone unless I'm on stage performing. Like I told someone else though, maybe I'll use that - get there early, sit on the steps near the stage, get "in character", and then I'll feel more in charge. Sounds weird, I know, but it just might be necessary. It's help me feel ... bigger, if you will.

Last weekend I saw my first Live in HD opera broadcast at the movie theater. Le Comte Ory is currently playing at the MET Opera House and the live broadcast was Saturday afternoon. The actor that plays the title character actually just made it to the show because his wife had given birth just 40 minutes before showtime. He stayed around for 10-15 minutes to bond with his son and then left to do the show. Crazy, right? Him and his wife must have had a discussion about if such a thing happened - bet they didn't think they'd actually have to deal with that, though. lol Anyway, it was a fun show! It starred my favorite opera vocalists. I don't have many right now yet, of course, but nevertheless! I went with my sister Angel and she enjoyed the crap out of it as well. She kept making those "ngh" noises I know all too well when I'm listening to opera or musicals. I wasn't too sure if she'd enjoy the show itself, but I knew she appreciates strong/beautiful vocals, and she had been the one asking me to see an opera with her some day. We both agreed that we'll be going to these from now on. Although, I'm not too certain if she'll want to see them at CineBistro every time. It ended up being pretty pricey. I thought the cost of the ticket covered one meal, but apparently not. So it was $48 total for tickets and then around $40 for the food. We both got a "meal" and then fries at intermission. 40 FUCKING DOLLARS FOR THAT?!?!?!?! If we do CineBistro every time, methinks we'll just settle for fries and that's it. At least that's what I'm going to do. I mean, it is nice to be in comfortable seats for a 3+ hour show, you know?

I had a job interview a week ago. Well, it was less of an interview and more "here's what you need to know". Though I do wonder if I manged to screw up the ONE interview-ish question I got. (Figures.) "So, tell me about yourself." First off, I hate those kinds of questions because I feel like I have to impress them so that's probably why I unknowingly went around it. UGGGGGGH. I technically shared something I enjoyed doing, but very much unintentionally. I won't get into it but ... yeah, I don't know. I mean, with her telling me about the pay, breaks, work attire, etc. they just may be hiring pretty much everyone they interviewed. Suppose to be getting a call this week if they do want to hire me. Only a couple days left now, though. :\ I'm only going to be upset if I don't get this job because it's probably the easiest one to get and to NOT get it? I haven't been able to get a job anywhere else, so... ugh, I don't know. Feeling pretty hopeless.

I'd hate to end the post with that last bit soooo... here are 2 talented and attractive young men! :D

Brian Crum & Kyle Dean Massey - Side Show's "Who Will Love Me As I Am?"
Everyone claps when the boys are pushed together because the show the song is from is about the Hilton Siamese twins.

Pardon me, I am here-- If you please, I am also here.

overthemoo — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:19:22 GMT

Had my first rehearsal tonight for Everybody Loves Opal! The cast was wonderful, and John (the director) was very kind and helpful. I wasn't too sure what to expect as a whole, didn't know if he wanted me to dive right in with a stage manager's typical duties, but I figured I'd stay quiet for the most part since everyone is still learning their lines, so there was no need to call out mistakes/etc. I'm also not taking too many notes right now because 1) most blocking notes are in the script and 2) John doesn't seem to be set on anything yet. He clearly wants the actors to get more comfortable and possibly even make their own decisions as long as it works into where they need to be at a certain point. I'm enjoying his directing style. I like the freedom he gives the actors, especially when they end up taking a bit of a different approach, working out their motives after John asks them a few questions [never quite telling them what they should do]. That's when an actor can really shine and it's a great thing to witness.

One of the cast members had to arrive late and John took me by surprise when he asked me to read in place of her - just from my spot on the couch, of course. I've recalled previous stage managers doing this in shows I've been in, so I shouldn't have been caught off guard, but I was. I didn't try to act [with my voice] too much, just enough to give the other actors something to work with, but I started thinking I'd love to do a play some day. It'd be a nice challenge and something new to try out.

When I was taking my shower earlier today, I had a Broadway mix cd I made a long time ago - yes, made up of songs I like singing along to. Anyway, while singing "The I Love You Song" and "Without Love", I thought to myself, "If a theatre ever did this show, I'd probably audition [for Olive/Penny]." After rehearsal was over, John randomly gave me a pamphlet with SPLT's 2011-2012 lineup of shows. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Hairspray are both on there. THAT REALLY FREAKED ME THE FUCK OUT. I mean..... WHOOOA. So, yeah, if I can get my voice back in shape, I'll audition. I don't sing Broadway music as often as I used to, so my vocals have been kind of strange lately. But I've also noticed I've gotten better at personality and control when I do sing. Actually, I think I'm going to go and look for a particular duet on YouTube that I... may have sang a couple times in the shower today. :D

You can hear dear Mother Nature murmuring low, "Let yourself go!"

overthemoo — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 03:24:46 GMT

So, last week ended up a little less eventful. Just for one day, thankfully.

I was THISCLOSE to not making it to the Boston Pops concert. I would have hated myself if I decided an hour before the time we were planning on leaving: "I feel too crappy, I'm just going to not go and lay in bed." Instead, I decided, "Finish getting ready and then see how you feel. Or pass out first." Luckily, I didn't pass out AND I ended up feeling better while touching-up my hair. I wasn't feeling the best during the first portion of the show. I wish I had been because it ended up being strictly orchestra stuff - no singers, and you can never hear that anywhere live anymore. Not very often anyway.

During intermission I took a trip to the bathroom and when I returned my mother informed me that the woman next to us knew someone who did the orchestration for the Spider-man music. I asked her if she knew if he'd be continue to work on the show during the re-working happening - she wasn't sure but assumed so, I'm not so sure considering they seem to be bringing in new people, but this very well could be an exception. Also - and this is a very HUUUUUUUUUGE ALSO - her father is a cousin to Jule Styne. JULE FUCKING STYNE, PEOPLE. When she shared this piece of information, I said, "I love Gypsy. I'm a huge fan of Sondheim - favorite composer by far." And she replied, "Yes, he and Jule did Gypsy together!"

Back to the show! The moment Kelli O'Hara and Jason Danieley came out, I shit you not, I felt like standing up and screaming as if it was The Beatles that just walked out on that stage. Instead, I contained myself enough to simply gasp -I sincerely did, my breath left my body completely- and just barely avoided grabbing my mom's arm and draining it of its life. I didn't expect to react like that. And honestly, it was mostly from seeing Kelli. I've loved that woman for a good 4 years now. When really getting into musical theatre outside of the mainstream stuff, she was my first obsession and ultimately why I decided to audition for my first show because she had somewhat recently done a revival of it. Oh and I haven't even mentioned how good our seats were. THEY WERE GOOD. We were a couple dozen feet from the stage, I'd guess. Anyway, they both had personality coming out of their asses and they sang beauuuutifully. Seriously, no other Broadway vocalists would have delivered the music better. To remind you, they sang Cole Porter's stuff. You have to have a voice like a god/goddess to do justice to Porter's music and they have such voices.

I wish I had made a post about the show the night I went, or at least the following morning because I'm now having issues remember stand out moments besides the obvious ones. Jason and Kelli's "Friendship" was adorkable, "It's De-Lovely" was lovely, and "You're the Top" was adorable and hilarious. Jason's "Where is the Life That Late I Led?" was hysterical, and I believe he had 2 big standout vocal performances but I'm only recalling "Night and Day". I'm unfortunately not as familiar with song titles outside of Sondheim's work and a certain pieces from select shows. Again, had I made this post soon after the show I should have been able to recall the other. Kelli's "Always True to You In My Fashion" was hilarious [she sang it to the conductor, Keith Lockhart], "Let's Do It" was.... unf, and "So In Love" was OHMYFUCKINGWORD. When I saw that on the song list, I knew she'd sing the shit out of it AND SHE DID. YES, SHE DID. Almost wish I hadn't been so caught up in it so that I could have thought about turning on my phone and recording it. You guys, I wish you all could have heard it. But I'm going to embed a video below so that you can hear how gorgeous this woman's voice is.

Trust me, YOU WANT TO HIT PLAY.

You should also check out Jason Danieley. That man's voice... I know he has one of the best male vocals on Broadway but he impressed me many times that night. By the way, Jason actually walked right by me and my mom when we were on our way to the Box Office. I tapped my mom's arm and whispered, "Uhhh... that's who we are seeing tonight." She tried to get me to go talk to him but he was texting or something, I didn't want to bother him. I regret that now. :\

Now, as for the week becoming less eventful, that all happened Thursday. The reason I started feeling funny Thursday night was because of 2 things. 1) I ended up coming down with something (no idea what), which I'm still presently fighting off, but luckily it only knocked me out for one day completely. 2) I got my monthly visitor. The combo of those 2 must have made my body go "whoa", which is why I felt so off Wednesday night before the show. Anyway, I was hoping my sinuses were just acting up from cleaning but it got worse and I contacted both David and Gillian after having woken up with only 4 hours of sleep, letting them know I wouldn't be able to hang out and crew the show, respectively. I felt so bad for missing out on both things. I started feeling a bit better in that I could get out of my bed the next day (Friday), so I ended up making it to Rebekah's concert Saturday, which was wonderful. So glad I didn't have to miss that since it was only a one time event and I never want to miss seeing anything Rebekah does. :)

Closing up this post with a bit of news. Sorta big news! I am, as of this moment, the stage manager for a play at SPLT. I KNOW, RIGHT!!? I can't believe it. I actually thought Gillian (who is costuming the show) mistakenly asked me to do so. lol I mean, stage managing is pretty duty-heavy. Though, it's a play, not a musical and Gillian told me: "If you could crew Chicago, you can stage manage this show." I laughed at this but still voiced my concerns. She reassured me that I'd be fine and that John, the director (also SPLT's President), was cool with a newbie on board. Still, I hope I don't screw this up. I mean, John being SPLT's President is a big deal and I actually want to be on the theatre's board -I filled out an application during Chicago- and if I'm still in town, eventually I'd like to be on the main part of the board, helping to turn the theatre around. Anyway, Gillian already told me all of my responsibilities and there's no rehearsal until Wednesday so I have some time to rest a bit more, get rid of whatever is lingering about of this sinus thing or whatever it is. I'm crazy nervous (mostly about John and finding a crew for the show - yeah, found out that's my responsibility, yikes!) but I think I'll have everyone's support. Oh, the play is Everybody Loves Opal, by the way. Just realized I never said. I actually had looked into it a few weeks ago, wondering if there were any parts I could audition for - the show looked fun from the little I saw on YouTube.

Hope everyone's weekend was nice. Let me know what you think of miss O'Hara's voice in the comments, will ya? ;)

p.s.

WHOA. Kelli did a show with Garber?? WHAT THE WHAT. Just came across that on Tumblr.

It's been one week since you looked at me...

overthemoo — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:39:31 GMT

(Okay, 1 week and 2 days.) This week is turning out to be quite eventful. Maybe not for a typical person - a typical person may find my eventful week... well, typical.

My cousins Justin and Kristyna, and their little girl Sascha, came to visit on Sunday. [My sister (Angel) and niece (Tori) also came over.] We all chilled here for a couple hours and then we went to St. Pete Ale House for a late lunch/early dinner. Me and Tori played pool as we ate. I made a couple wicked shots. It's funny how I can't manage some straight shots, but then I get one ball in by hitting another that is diagonal to it. And yes, it's an intentional shot, not an accident. lol Anyway, food was yummy as always.

After dinner I took Tori to Target so that she could get a bathing suit bottom for our trip to the beach yesterday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day out. Very sunny but there was a constant cool breeze, so lovely. I'm not big on the beach but I knew I could use a bit of a tan - I think I got the tiniest bit. Definitely got some more color on my face from the looks of it. I haven't been in a while so I knew I couldn't stay long, so me and Tori didn't too much color for the most part, unfortunately. She wanted to stay longer but I knew it wasn't safe and also I was starving.

She stayed one extra day so we went ahead and plans to go to the Dali Museum - which was great. I knew it'd be a bit of a waste for me even though Tori reassured me she'd enjoy it enough to stick around for close to 2 hours, but she definitely rushed through the art, so I couldn't stay too long around the pieces. But it ended up working out timing-wise because, once again, I got hungry as we were looking around the gift shop. lol We went to lunch at Tijuana Flats because I couldn't figure out where this one restaurant was that Marilyn (a crew member from Chicago) told me about. I told Tori we could check out that place another day once I get the name of the restaurant from Marilyn. Afterward we came back to the house and watched Doctor Who, specifically "Time of Angels". :D

Tomorrow night is the Boston Pops concert!! Kelli O'Hara and Jason Danieley, two favorite Broadway talents of mine, singing Cole Porter music. Should be an AMAAAAAAAZING night.

And as of this moment I have plans for Thursday afternoon with David. He's going to come by and try to help me set up my podcast kit. My computer's not picking it up and I have no idea what to do about it because the instructions say it should have, so he's going to see if he can figure it out. Looking forward to seeing him!

Gillian [from Kiss Me Kate and Chicago] text me today, asking if I was available to help out the current show playing at SPLT during one scene. Guess they're down a crew member or 2 Thursday night? Naturally, I'm always happy to help so I told her I'd be there. She did ask if I was available tomorrow night to see what I'd have to do but I have the concert so I'm just coming by early Thursday to be shown. Hopefully it's nothing too complicated.

This Saturday I was planning on getting out to the movie theater to finally catch a MET Live Broadcast. They're broadcasting a Dessay-lead show... love her! But it turns out my friend Rebekah's concert is Saturday, too... at 4. Odd time, but that means I cannot go see the opera which starts at 1 and Rebekah's show is around 35 minutes away. I suppose I could watch 1 or 2 acts, but that'd be silly. I'll just rent it online when it becomes available. I'm definitely going to the theater next month to see La Comte Ory, and I'm hoping Angel will be free to go because she's been wanting to see an opera and I think this would be a great first one for her, not only because of the show but because of the talent. Juan Diego Florez, Joyce DiDonato and Diana Damrau... GUH!

I have a bit to catch up on and I'm getting hungry again. Must go! Hope everyone is doing well. :)

Words are pale shadows of forgotten names.

overthemoo — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:36:52 GMT

I will never understand my parents' logic. Specifically the things they get upset over. My dad just brought up, FOR THE SECOND TIME, my unknowingly opening a second jar of pasta sauce yesterday. Do we not all make silly mistakes like this? At least I didn't leave the screen door open with our birds flying about! My dad did this last week. Twice, apparently.

As planned, I picked up The Wise Man's Fear and Unbearable Lightness yesterday. I intended on starting to read the former last night but I'm kind of committed to finishing Greek so that I can be caught up to watch the series finale next Tuesday. At the rate I'm going lately, I should be done in time. I can't believe they are finishing up the series. :( Why not pull a Skins and get a new cast? The writing for this show is so well done, they could definitely keep it going with a new cast and fans would remain on board. At least, I know I would be. Anyway, back to the books. I cannot believe how long TWMF is - almost 1,000 pages - and mind you, this is the large hardcover version AT 1,000 PAGES. I know I won't be complaining once I am well into the book though. No doubt I won't want it to end.

My friend Maura, who has been in every community theatre production I've done, is in this theatre group called Accio Actors and they put on a production of A Very Potter Musical this past weekend. I saw the show on Monday and it was so much fun. Maura played Pansy, and Joe [from Chicago at SPLT] played Ron. He was fantastic. His drunken moments at the dance were HYSTERICAL. He had drool coming out of his mouth at one point, and he overall just played drunk perfectly, both realistic and comedic. Furthermore, he didn't try to be Joey Richter as Ron, which was great. Actually, no one in the show tried to be the actors except for the ones who, in my opinion, kind of needed to be - namely Dumbledore and Voldemort. Their voices were identical, and Dumbledore was actually identical in every way, which was kind of amazing. The acting could have been better at some points, but they made a few moments funny that were missed in the show. Like, there were some moments that weren't delivered properly in the original, and in this production they just changed the tone of the line delivery a bit and it hit just right to get laughs. They also did some improv here and there which was fantastic. I think they even added some moments. I loved the addition of Fudge wearing a fez, and then when Voldy killed him, he said, "This isn't cool." DOCTOR WHO REFERENCE FTW!!!!! (Half of the audience reacted to this, btw. Gotta love that every other theatre person is a Who fan.) There were also a few Black Swan references. When Dumbledore and Voldy were killed, they both said, "But I wanted to be the swan queen!" And Quirrel, after learning of Voldemort's death, said, "But I was going to be his swan queen!" I almost felt like 3 references was overkill, but they all delivered the lines so well, and ultimately it just worked. Again, it was a fun night and I'll definitely be there when they do the sequel. :)

[Big Damn Hero] Patrick Rothfuss and Nathan Taylor got together and did a summary of The Name of the Wind... in comic form! It's hilarious. My favorite panel is below. :)

Not only is this moment funny in comic form, but it's also funny in the book.

Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures.

overthemoo — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:26:13 GMT

I now have 3 books in my "...of 2011" list. Which made me happy to see, at first - I feel like it's not accurate considering I read the majority of the first 2 last year, and the other one 3 years and some months ago. But ah well, I'm still more or less in a reading mood (it comes and goes), so hopefully I'll get many more on that list before the end of the year. They'll all be books I've just started or haven't gotten too far into.

Staying on the topic of books, I fully intend on picking up The Wise Man's Fear on Tuesday (!!!!). I also want to pick up Portia de Rossi's book and one of Carol Berg's. I take these surveys that earn me normally anywhere from $3-8 and as of this moment, I can actually snag $15 in Borders Bucks, but I need to go into the store to obtain my card/member number because I have no card and they won't send another. (I have the number to receive the Borders Bucks.) So I may only get one other book on Tuesday with whatever coupon Borders sends out this week, and then I'll put the Borders Bucks toward the other book on my next visit to the store. Although... one of the Borders stores in Tampa is closing, maybe I'll go out there first to see if any of the books I'm looking for are still in stock since everything is on sale.

Not too sure why, but I feel like sharing a random musical with you all. And I mean it when I say random, because I'm literally going to think of one right now.... Bat Boy. Alright, so this musical is not based off of a book, play or movie, nor does it have anything to do with baseball. Bat Boy is about that 1992 World News Weekly story about a half-boy, half-bat kid found living in cave. I SHIT YOU NOT. And it's awesome. Again, I SHIT YOU NOT.

Download

Enjoy the performance of "Three Bedroom House" below. This is footage from the original production, starring Kaitlin Hopkins (who totally kicks ass in this song) and Kerry Butler.

The enemy's gate is down.

overthemoo — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:38:07 GMT

Finally finished this book!!!!

I noticed I only had under 100 pages to go and then I recalled that night I had OVER 100 pages left of the last book I read. With that in mind, I told myself I was going to finish EG tonight because I knew I could. Not to mention, I was in the mood to read. I was actually planning on picking up one of the many books I started and didn't get too far into, but then I figured it was better to finish one I was almost done with. Smart, I am! Anyway, I obviously met my goal and finished the book. And WHOA. Just.... whoa. I couldn't believe that ending. I mean, I could because it fit into what was happening to Ender throughout the entire story but still. Whoa.

Staying on the topic of books somewhat... author Patrick Rothfuss wants to help Nathan Fillion obtain the rights to Firefly. :D The other book I referred to in the previous paragraph was Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, a wonderfully brilliant start to a new epic series - a new favorite of mine and many others'. That open letter from Rothfuss to Nathan pleased me so very much, and it took me by surprise even though it shouldn't have. I mean, it's not the first time this sort of thing has happened; a person I adore being into another person's work that I adore. Joss Whedon loving Sondheim, anybody? And I recently watched Elizabeth Mitchell confess her love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so that's another. Anyway, I really hope they're both serious about it because I'd love to see the property of the show in deserving hands. They don't even have to do anything with it. Taking it away from FOX is enough.

What I also recently finished:
Re-watch of The Office seasons 1 & 2 (Starting s3 tonight!)
My first FULL play-through of Mass Effect 1-2

No one died during the suicide mission in ME2 and I had my character end up with Miranda because it felt right. So, naturally, the picture frame of Ashley was turned down on his desk. lol I love that the game does that. I still don't know why I had him hook up with Ashley in the first place. It was a last minute "why the hell not!" thing. I fully intend on having my female ME1 character stay loyal to Liara, though. And I'm going to keep an eye out for a sale on the ME2 DLCs to get them back together. No doubt there will be a sale eventually since ME3 comes out later this year.

What I didn't finish:
Dragon Age II demo.

Totally failed. And that was the beginning of the game! Guess I'm getting rid of that pre-order, which will bring the total I have saved this month to $120! Kind of feels good.

Alright, off to catch up with internet stuff because I've been in bed pretty much all day. Cramps... grr.

Que sera, sera.

overthemoo — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:30:55 GMT

Check me out - posting three days in the last four days. That hasn't happened in a while, for sure.

Guillermo del Toro to produce a new 3-D, stop-motion animated version of Pinocchio with the Jim Henson Company. Directing said film will be Gris Grimly and Mark Gustafson, who was Fantastic Mr. Fox’s animation director. With the exception of the 3-D factor (ugh), um..... YES, PLEASE!!!! More info here.

Video game trailers tend to be pretty epic, but this one for Dead Island, a "first-person zombie-slasher/action-RPG", is just SICK. In a good way, mind you...

I heard nothing of this game until this trailer launched yesterday. Now I cannot wait to get my hands on it! Apparently the developers/creators went for a more realistic approach. So, none of that "Here's a room at the end of the level so that you can get more guns and ammo!" You have to find objects for zombie-bashing (firearms are sparse, and ammo even more so) and these objects get torn up with every hit you make. Which makes sense, considering the RPG factor. If they spend as much attention to details in the storyline, pacing, gameplay, etc. as they did for the trailer, methinks this could be a big 2011 game. And as stated in the title of the game, IT TAKES PLACE AT A RESORT ON AN ISLAND. AND THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

After playing the demo for Bulletstorm, a game I was pretty psyched for because of its insanity, I ended up canceling my pre-order for it at Gamestop. The aiming was difficult for me, even in slo-mo - your person's gun moves just as slow as the action. So if you're aim is nowhere near the attacker in the first place, don't count on making any good shots before that slo-mo runs out. And I felt like the gameplay might get too repetitive. I will buy it one day, I'm just not paying $60 for it.

zombres!! I feel like Xbox is calling you to you, m'dear. Guillermo is working with developers on a game, there are zombie games and games that include/add zombie levels, there's a Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack The Ripper game, and now the same company that put out the latter just announced yet another Sherlock game in the making! :)

How freakin' adorable is this shirt? I'll be waiting for it to be part of a sale, though. Especially since their tees are now $2 more. Right? Weren't they always $18? Also, I really wish Twilight wasn't on there. I mean, check out all the classics on there! Then again, it looks ridiculous so it's almost okay.

p.s. After my second viewing of Black Swan the other day, I have now decided the film is overrated/over-hyped, in my opinion. Normally I enjoy a film more on the second viewing, but that didn't happen with Black Swan. I actually found myself quite bored. I've just... I've seen so much of what happens in that film in other films before. Yes, every film is inspired by ones before it, but I feel like this one didn't do anything new/exciting/interesting with those previously used concepts.

Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

overthemoo — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 02:24:44 GMT

Katharine Hepburn on a skateboard.

That is all.

Get 'er done.

overthemoo — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:02:45 GMT

I neglected to mention that I got a haircut a week ago!

Originally, I had an appointment for Thursday at noon, but I couldn't get to sleep the previous night and then I had an awful stomach ache that kept me up for a couple hours longer. About an hour before my appointment, I called them and managed to get the appointment rescheduled for the following day, and I made it for 3pm just to be safe. Btw, if there is an Aveda Institue nearby you, I highly recommend looking into it. I've never not been pleased with my haircuts. And I only pay $12!! I have found that the stylists are a bit nervous, even if they don't show it, but it's the good kind of worry - they do NOT want to mess up your hair. So if they're unsure, they get an instructor to do something or show them how. They certainly worried about cutting my hair too short. On that note, it's probably a good thing I got sick and had to reschedule....

My stylist was AWESOME. I told her about the other stylists' being hesitant. She looked at me, completely serious, and said, "I am not afraid to go short. Actually, some people might be freaked out by how short I'm willing to cut their hair." Naturally, I asked her later on if she was the type to chop off her Barbie's hair. She admitted that she indeed was. Also, this girl looked, talked and acted a bit like Kristen Stewart. I know a lot of people would not be okay with that, lol, but for me it was fine. She was really cool. She made a reference to The Fifth Element when swiping all my uncut hair to the one side of my head.

Now for the haircut! I don't feel like resizing and coloring the picture I took of myself in the car for my sister, so I'm just putting the version that I uploaded to Facebook behind a cut.

Angel demanded I take a picture as soon as I got to a red light after I had told her that she'd love my cut, because she's been so aggravated that the stylists won't go as short as I show them.

I've decided I need to stop trying to think of nifty ideas for my Broadway podcast and just make the first one already. I do have 2 very normal ideas for it -- well, maybe 3. I kind of like my mom's suggestion of opening with a bit of trivia. I'd never run out of trivia so I think that's a good idea. What'd be best is to have the trivia be related to one of the topics that will be discussed. I also think I need a partner; unless you are strictly educating, a podcast with one person is boring. Now, whether to have that partner be the same person or a different one every episode, I don't know yet. I think it'd be interesting to switch it up. That way you get varying opinions, you know? All I know is I need to make this happen soon. I also need a name for the podcast. Suggestions are welcome! :)

p.s.

Why this scene is especially amusing to gamers like me.

Shit needs to change!

overthemoo — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:35:38 GMT

I don't usually get into personal life stuff on here but I feel the need to for some reason. Maybe because I'm the sort of person that thrives on support? Then again, I'm sure we're all that way. Anyway...

First off, I'm ridiculously inactive. I have literally been sitting either at the computer or on my bed every day for a good 3 years now. Though, of course, I also had musical theatre classes but that was only for a total of 5 months, and the classes were once a week for 2 hours. And then I have done 3 shows, but that was over the course of a year. But even when doing my last show in late 2009, I still managed to get uncomfortable cramps in my legs. That's how inactive I am.

I also don't eat right, so that doesn't help. This past week I've been having some fruits and veggies, which I normally never eat. Nor do I get any sort of exercise. Not even walking.

All of this is not okay.

So, I contacted someone I know from community theatre and asked her how I go about getting on the crew of a show. I figure if I do crewing all the time, that'll keep me active and save money from actually being IN a show. (You spend a LOT on gas and food. You get food because you're gonna be at rehearsal for 3 or so hours and rehearsal starts right before dinner time. Also, you're more than likely sitting around for at LEAST 2 of the 3 hours, so it's nice to have a drink/snacks available, too.)

I also noticed she was talking about how her and Maura (her daughter) take ASL classes. That was something I actually enjoyed when I was younger - learning a bit of sign language. So I asked her about that as well; I figured it'd be yet another means to get out of the house and remain active. I think I might also look into ushering at Straz Center's shows. That's where all the National tours of Broadway shows go. You don't get paid but hey, you get a free show! :)

Look, I like sitting around the house, watching tv/movies, playing video games, and being on the internet. In fact, I prefer it over going out, what with my anxiety and mostly socially awkward self. Not to mention, it saves gas money! Unfortunately, as I've made clear in this post, it's wearing on me. I feel how unhealthy I am and that terrifies me. I'm constantly reading up on something weird my body is doing. (Something worries me every day but I only research an issue once or twice a week, but that's still too much.) That's no way to be living my life. SHIT NEEDS TO CHANGE!

I won't be giving up the internet or anything ridiculous like that. I'm just not allowing it to take up the entirety of my days. Gotta be more active with my life! And on that note, not only in regards to my health but as far as my career goes. I'm gonna get going on that podcast and get a job to save up money to go to an art school, so that I can look into my interest of directing. Which is another reason I want to crew shows, to learn about that aspect, have that knowledge in advance.

Damn, I'm really trying to accomplish a lot here. I may not be able to do one or 2 of the things I mentioned because of not having the time for it, but I'm going to try to do what I can!

Well, I was feeling crappy a little while ago and am finally feeling better now, so I'm gonna go take a shower, drive out to this new supermarket chain that is hiring. (Sounds a bit lame, but they actually look great and have good benefits - of course, that means I'd have to be full-time to get said benefits, and I was only intending on getting a part-time job for the moment, considering my unhealthy state.) I've also charged my iPod, so if it's still light out when I return, I might go for a walk. :)

You know what's ironic? All this talk about staying off the computer and it took me forever to write up this post.

It's a city of strangers; some come to work, some to play.

overthemoo — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:20:04 GMT

I finished The Name of the Wind last night. I am so beside myself! I haven't finished a book since Deathly Hallows came out. Or wait... I can't recall when I read The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse, so that one may have been the most recent, but either way it's been a couple years. What an AMAAAAAAAZING book. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it yet. I love the way it ended. I wonder if some people found it anti-climactic, because I can see that but there's too much to love throughout the entire read that I don't see how anyone could really care. Not to mention, it sets up the series beautifully. And you know, the way Rothfuss wrote Kvothe (the main character), it reminded me of Sondheim. On that note...

Everyone enjoys a good behind the scenes video of an awesome moment in history, right? Well, have I got one for you!

A 22-year old Pamela Myers auditioned for Stephen Sondheim's Company in the late 60s. Sondheim & co. loved her, they couldn't imagine not giving her the role, but they had doubts doing so because appearance-wise she wasn't fit for it. Luckily, they were able to "easily" change the character's original description to fit her because they couldn't let such a remarkable talent go. Sounds like the plot of a movie, right? There was also no solo originally written for the character and they all decided she absolutely had to have one. She had to be shown off! They managed to stretch said song across 3 separate scenes, connecting purposeful moments with each woman the main character was seeing. The song was "Another Hundred People", a challenging number that put Pam's talent on display. Needless to say, she and the song were a show-stopper for the unconventional 1970 musical. Myers received a Tony nomination in 1971 for her performance and is adored to this day. At a 1993 concert, she received a minute-long applause after a "reprise" performance of the song that made everyone remember her name.

I also love how the different sections of the orchestra get featured.
Really makes you appreciate Tunick's orchestrations.

Pamela also impressively performed this song 3 years ago. (That would make her 60 years old at the time!) I cannot stress enough how difficult it is to sing this song. I actually have a fitting range/tone but alas, I do not have the strength for it at this time; one day!

Do it yourself.

overthemoo — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:50:27 GMT

So, ever since making that "Obsessions of 2010" list, I keep recalling things I left off. *sigh*

I've been catching up on all the movies I didn't see last year, which was... almost all of them. I watched Easy A and Black Swan this weekend, and I just finished The Social Network a little while ago. Easy A and TSN were great. Timberlake kind of ruined TSN for me (it's honestly embarrassing that he's doing a campaign for an Oscar nom), and I might have fallen in love with Emma Stone; I liked her in Zombieland, and she caught my interest in that adorable dancing skit on SNL, but Easy A sealed the deal. Black Swan was sadly underwhelming, well-made but it just didn't do anything for me.

Have I mentioned my intention to make a Broadway podcast? A friend who use to take part in one has been supporting this endeavor and has offered his help. A few weeks ago he posted a link on my Facebook to a woot.com deal for a podcast kit, selling for $60 [normally $90]. I was hesitant to get it knowing how easily I can give up on things I set out to do. I've wanted to change that though, and what better way to do so while talking about something I enjoy and hopefully helping out that thing I enjoy in the process? RIGHT? I want to star an outline of what the podcast will contain, but first I'm trying to figure out a cool 5 minute segment to start out the podcast. Something that will get the listener's attention because if you just start babbling, chances are people will tune out. Alas, I suck at coming up with ideas so I don't know what that segment will contain. My mom suggested a trivia, and that might have to do if I can't think of anything else. I really suck at brainstorming.

So sad I missed out on seeing Ariella again. The kids were playing with my phone because of a game I had on it. I shouldn't have let them have it in the first place, but it was a good distraction if one of them was playing the Xbox. Look, normally I don't give into kids like that, but they were raised a certain way so there was very little we could do to manage them. Needless to say, they spent a LOT of time in time out. Anyhow, they went back to Birmingham New Year's day and I had enough of my phone so I didn't charge it this weekend. Because of that, I missed a text from Ariella to meet up last night. My lazy nature FTL!

In other disappointing news....

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson had its final show last night. :'(

Obsessions of 2010

overthemoo — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 01:20:10 GMT

First off, I tend to never finish large posts. Secondly, even if I had pushed myself to do so this time around, I really wouldn't have had the time what with the kids here. And anyway, I really did end up limiting myself to my biggest obsessions here. There were a few I would have liked to include but they're more recent so I don't feel right associating them to 2010. I'm weird like that. lol To cover some other obsessions though, I might make another post focusing more on people from tv shows and movies I was tempted to put on here. We'll see...

1. Doctor Who This year actually started with me watching a Doctor Who marathon. I caught it late, though; started watching during the Christmas episode, which I had seen before. Anyway, I couldn't watch a good portion of it because, well... I had to sleep, but I caught a good portion of Martha's season. (I don't understand Martha!hate.) Unfortunately, I missed most of Donna's season, and Donna was someone I always saw getting a lot of love in the fandom. Anyway, even with watching so much Who, I still couldn't get into the show. Which really aggravated me because I felt like the show should have appealed to me. This summer, I figured I'd try out the new series, especially because of Moffat taking over - I noticed his episodes [that I caught] were my favorites, so it looked more promising at the least. Boy, was I not prepared for what happened. I became IN LOVE with the show. I felt like Bella Swan with not wanting to be away from it. Unlike Bella Swan, I didn't curl up in a ball to die or jump off any cliffs. Series 5 played exactly like what I had always expected from the show, and naturally, I appreciated the season long arc. Last night's Christmas episode was glorious and I am SO excited for series 6 next year. :)

2. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson One of Broadway's best shows this year. I was a tad nervous to listen to this show's cast recording because as you all should know, I'm not one for modern musicals, especially of the "rock variety", but I truly felt like this one wouldn't disappoint. To see if my worries were at all necessary, I looked up reviews and what not - there was nothing but brilliant things being said about it from critics and musical fans alike. The show began workshops in 2006 and had various productions in the last few years. While in its off-Broadway run, it became quite successful and this led to its transfer to Broadway. Sadly, it was given an early January closing date not too long ago, making its run amount to only a few months, which is actually the norm of most quality shows these days. (Broadway is not unlike television in that way.) After a first listen to the cast recording, I fell in love. There's a lot of variety and a couple of the songs are exceptionally genius. I had it on repeat for a good portion of the next couple days after that first listen and I return to it now and again. Sometimes I regret not taking that trip to New York in November, because now I know it [and the other few shows I wanted to see] will not be around the next time I can consider a trip again. So I guess I'll have to settle for watching all of the live performances and bits of footage available online over and over again.

3. How to Train Your Dragon Inception? Scott Pilgrim? Nah, How to Train Your Dragon is my movie of the year. The trailer for the movie had me both excited and skeptical, but then I kept seeing everyone raving about it, but even so, I didn't let myself have any high expectations. Suffice to say, I loved it. I adored it. I WANTED TO MARRY IT AND HAVE AWESOME SEQUEL BABIES. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've watched it since I bought it. Dozens, for sure. And you know, I could never tell you exactly why certain movies resonate with me more. I have no idea what exactly brings out my obsessive side, making me want to watch something over and over. Though, recently I read about someone saying what they love about the movie is that it doesn't have a message, it's just joyful. While I don't agree about the message part, because it most certainly does have one - it may not be shoved down your throat, but it's there - I think it just might have to do with the joyful factor. I mean, looking at all my favorite films, there's something I feel that is very joyful about all of them; ranging from classic romantic comedies to zombie films. How to Train Your Dragon is definitely a film that brings me a lot of joy.

4. Mass Effect/Xbox 360 After a quick discussion with a fellow gamer, I decided it was true enough that Red Dead Redemption was the game of the year, but the Mass Effect series was my personal favorite. It was only earlier this year that I got my Xbox 360, and then I got a Xbox Live subscription a couple months later. Mass Effect 2 was my first purchase because it had just came out and everyone was talking about how epic it was, and with it being sci-fi, I figured it was right up my alley. Man alive, was it ever! Fantastic gameplay, amazing graphics, and every dialogue option you chose led to a specific outcome. Heck, doing something before carrying out a certain part of the mission led to a different outcome! That is truly PLAYING a game. I later picked up the first Mass Effect when friends told me how amazing it was to import your character [after finishing the game] into the sequel. Now back to Red Dead Redemption, while you have little impact on the outcome, the gameplay is just as impressive. And come on, a sandbox game (an environment you can freely roam) in a western setting? NGH. Assassin's Creed was another series I enjoyed. I wasn't obsessive over it, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing it. I mean, assassinating baddies with hidden blades? AWESOME. /teenage boy Finally, there's the Fable series. Never played the first one, and I couldn't finish the second one because the [pre-owned] copy I had got stuck at a certain point in the game. Fable III was everything the second game should have been. Mind you, I'm just referring to the little inconvenient things gameplay-wise, the options and whatnot. I will not be venturing away from my Xbox 360 any time soon if developers keep making brilliant games like the ones [made in the last couple years] that I've played. Though if I do take a break from gaming, I'll still be keeping my Xbox Live subscription because of the easy access to Netflix Instant Watch. :)

5. Girls Aloud My fascination with these ladies started a little over a year ago, but it was this past year that I've been looking into anything I could find on them, not to mention venturing into the rest of their music that I couldn't quite get into before. Even in the last month I found myself finally enjoying some songs I could never allow to play beyond the first few seconds because I'd be in my iTunes quick enough to skip to another track. Even with enjoying certain songs more, most of the music, if not all of it, I find quite ridiculous; the lyrics almost never make any sense. "Something kinda oooh jumping on my tutu." ... What?! (Yes, I get the intent but it's still ridiculous.) And don't even get me started on the music videos. Regardless, the music is fun. The ladies themselves I am more so interested in. They're incredibly entertaining and intelligent. It's also quite obvious these girls don't necessarily think much of their music. They give it their all, they're into the performances, and they enjoy what they do, but they don't take it too seriously. I like that. I'm particularly fond of Cheryl, Kimberley, and Nicola. Cheryl's had quite the successful solo career and apparently Nicola will be giving that a go soon. I hope the ladies come together again for at least one more album, but that wish is mostly selfish seeing as I became a fan of theirs after they took their break, and I just want a chance to be all fangirly and anticipate a new album.

6. The Good Wife This show, you guys. THIS SHOW. I heard about it before it started and assumed it to be another take on the overdone law drama. First things first, I'm pretty set on trying out any show Julianna Margulies gets cast in - I watched her previous one for a bit but then I got behind on it and it got canceled. I didn't bother with this one because I just assumed the same thing would happen. I finally gave in to watching it because I started hearing amazing things about it from people whose opinions I trust and with whom I share many similar interests. The Good Wife is most definitely up there with the best of the best on television. Not only does it have wonderful characters that are treated to fantastic stories, but it also handles the law part of it very well - it never gets boring. They explore all sorts of possibilities instead of following the few typical crimes used over and over on all the other shows. The show can especially be impressive when the law firm only has a limited amount of time to produce something for a case; while everything feels very rushed in the sense of finding something they need, it doesn't ignore the characters' own separate drama. Along with Fringe, this would be my top recommendation as far as tv shows go.

7. Lost What is there to say? Really, I don't know. I appreciated that they didn't make the end of the show all about the secrets what with everyone obsessing over them. (Sorry but how do you explain the numbers popping up? It was simply a means within the supernatural aspect to connect the characters.) Anyway. I'd like to get into my opinions on characters, but I'd rather avoid possibly spoiling anyone in case they haven't seen the recent season or any other portion of the series. I know this will just cut this entry short but like I said, there's not much to say. If you don't like the show, I know you'd rather not read about it, and if you do watch it, you know just as well how difficult it is to talk about it in a small paragraph. Suffice to say, I personally enjoyed the end and I love this series altogether. Now, if only I can get through season 2 to finish my re-watch of the entire series. Ugh, season 2....

8. Stephen Sondheim This year in theatre was Sondheim's. He turned 80 years old and the theatre world celebrated him all year long. Also, Sondheim on Sondheim [pictured] opened on Broadway, a new revue show all about Sondheim's music; well-known and cut material. It is not the first Sondheim revue show and I highly doubt it'll be the last. The show featured tapes of interviews with Sondheim and the orchestrations of his music in this show are brilliantly done. The rendition of "Beautiful" sung by Barbara Cook and Euan Morton is now among the best performances of Sondheim's music. There was also Sondheim! The Birthday Celebration which featured most of musical theatre's legends and exceptional modern talent who have all performed in a show of Sondheim's at least once. The show brilliantly ended with performers currently on Broadway, and anyone else who was available, participating in a large chorus that performed the finale from Sunday in the Park with George. BBC Proms also did a show featuring Sondheim's music in a similar manner. (I've yet to watch this.) Finally, the man got a theatre named after him on his birthday. What a present, eh?

So, it needs mentioning that I forgot quite possibly my biggest obsession of the year... Avatar: The Last Airbender. How I managed to forget that one I just don't know. Well, sorry new favorite show, but you're going to have to be raved about sans slightly edited graphic. And I'm not writing something new because I feel my boasting of it on my other blog beautifully sums up my love for the show. Trust me, show, that's for the better as I'm not feeling so eloquent right now.

Avatar: The Last Airbender To be honest, it did take me some time to get on board with the show. The use of goofy sound effects when someone makes a face or is hit on the head made it difficult for me to enjoy. This may not be the case for others, but it hindered my ability to take it seriously. Nevertheless, I saw how much potential the show had and how well it dealt with every aspect of its story. The characters had depth from the very beginning - even Sokka, the character you'd assume to remain the annoying sibling who had it in for the unlikely hero and got himself into trouble. In the first episode, we may not take to his stubborn nature and slight ignorance, but at the same time we see that he clearly cares for the well-being of his sister (Katara) and their tribe. That and many other aspects/qualities made me want to check out the next episode. Every character, no matter their purpose, had a story and developed as every character in a story should. The characters themselves are wonderful, each with their own purpose and hardships. The plot is inspired, wonderfully executed, and realistic consequences of war are carried out. A great score accompanies lovely [and occasionally frightening] imagery. And lastly, it is FUN. Just as Hank Green vlogged some months ago: fun is important! Aang would certainly agree.

My eyes play tricks on me.

overthemoo — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:50:15 GMT

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!! Hope you all are having a lovely weekend.

Last night I ended up going to Christmas Mass. I haven't been to Church in 3 years, last night was my first night back. The Church actually has been in renovation for a long time now - pity my Aunt never got to see the result, though I bet she wouldn't like it. The ceiling looks more like a theatre's architecture. Missing parts of the ceiling for lighting and whatnot. It's very modern but still looks appropriate for Church. It's alright, I suppose. Couldn't really take it all in from where we sat further up.

After dinner I took the kids (including my niece Tori and the other Victoria my sister has been taking care of - long story) downtown to see Christmas lights. Unfortunately, they didn't put more up so it was pretty dull and it takes 15 minutes to get out there. So it wasn't the best trip, but luckily my mom called to say "Someone stopped by the house!" so I didn't have the opportunity to go to random neighborhoods and have them be failures, too. lol BUT!!! Luckily, right as we turn onto the main street, just as I was thinking "Please let there be a plane that looks like Santa's sleigh." there was one!! I pointed it out and Trevor, being 7 yrs old and therefore more sharp, said, "That's just a plane." I said, "Nu uh, check out all those row of lights. Planes don't have that many lights. There's a light between each set of reindeer!" And he FLIPPED OUT, as did the other kids. :) They were freaking out the entire ride home, and even joined in on the chorus of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You". Adorable.

I ended up getting $50 from Angel and $40 from Jennifer, and my mom got a Borders gift card from Joe, the boss of their department, which she gave to me because she doesn't read/buy books. So I'll use the gift card and some of the other money to get Sondheim's Finishing the Hat, and then I'll use some of the rest of the money to get Sondheim! The Birthday Celebration on blu-ray. Then I'll probably get Parks and Recreation s2. Though, maybe I should wait for a sale? Might have to wait a while but I'd rather save what I can. Or maybe I'll get Simon Pegg's book.... I don't know.

So excited for Doctor Who's Christmas episode!!!!!! Christmas, Michael Gambon, and a shark? SOUNDS PRETTY FREAKIN' AWESOME. Kind of confusing and strange but AWESOME.

Finally, I'm planning on making a year-end post. It's going to be bare compared to most people's year end posts. It'll just be one post that'll include the 15 or so things I obsessed over most this year; Broadway, video games, television, etc. See you then! :)

I'll draw us now before we fade.

overthemoo — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:28:35 GMT

It's definitely one of those days. Gonna leave "Beauitful" on repeat for a while, and then I'll move on. (No pun intended.)

The kids are... starting to drive me insane. Trevor's too hooked on playing the Xbox 360, and the other 2 want to play video games but they can't really play them that well. Though, Eryk (4 yrs old) totally got further in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World than Trevor (7 yrs old) did. Pretty amusing. Anyway. The worst of this is that Trevor never feels like he plays enough; he played for 5 hours straight and got upset with me when I told him to let Eryk have a turn. I don't even understand how they can play for that long. We were never really controlled re: video games when we were younger. We played for 2 hours at the most and then stopped because, well... we wanted to go outside or watch a movie! They have no interest in sitting down and watching anything. Well, not until you tell them no one is playing games since they kept fighting over it. Then they're willing to "deal".

Everyone hear Neil Patrick Harris was cast as 'Bobby' in the NY Philharmonic concert production of Sondheim's Company? I know I'm a little late on commenting on this here, but I feel I must. Look, I am excited that this will bring in more viewers because of NPH. It's a wonderful show, but NPH is sooooo wrong for this part. I'm all about actors putting their own spin on a character. I take no issue with this aspect. I actually think he just might surprise us in this regard; showing a side of himself we've never seen. Vocally though, he is ALL wrong. We all love the guy, but his voice just isn't that strong. Jump to the 2:00 minute mark in this video....

I can just hear NPH now... he's going to sound so shrill, in this song especially. And come on, it's the NY Philharmonic! They're going to completely overpower NPH's voice. It'll be so lackluster, and... it's just all wrong. All wrong. Such a pity, too. I wish Neil had the voice for it, but the fact is: he doesn't.

Other than this qualm, I am so excited to hear who else they cast. I mean, with a big name as the lead, they don't need any other big names [with limited vocals], right? RIGHT? YOU GUYS....... RIGHT?? *bites nails*

Don't mind this last bit of the post. It's a Christmas wish list, but more a reminder to myself of what I'd really like instead of wasting it on random things I see while out and about. The first two things I'm hoping to get from my sisters. They tend to give me gift cards for stores at which I never shop. Quite the waste of money. Anyway, this list will probably edited because I can't recall everything at the moment.

Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert (blu-ray)
Parks and Recreation (s2 dvd)
Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg
The Beatles: Rock Band (Limited Edition Premium Bundle)

He's the candidate I'd most like to have a beer with!

overthemoo — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:25:50 GMT

This past week on Twitter was pretty nifty. I received a "Happy Saturday!" from Broadway legend Betty Buckley on Twitter. I didn't even say anything to her; I was talking to a soap opera actress about Betty because I found out they've been friends for a long time. So I guess Betty checked out the exchange and decided to say hi. :) Then on Sunday I had sent a thank you to the guy who writes the music for Community, and he sent me a thanks in return the next day.

Ariella (my friend who attends college in Chicago) is home for the holidays and we met up yesterday. She loved this awesome card I found a month ago and got for her, and she accepted the 50% off coupon for Borders I gave her. lol Yeah, look, normally I wouldn't gift a coupon and then buy them a gift with it, but she won't let me buy her anything for any reason. So I made a compromise with the coupon, it was the only way I could convince her to let me buy something for her; by not spending half of my money on it. lol So silly. Anyway, I was noticing she wasn't finding any particularly awesome books, so I suggested that she could always get a moleskin journal pack instead. (She uses them a lot.) She got all excited about that and was very pleased with the purchase. Yay!

Good times were had at the mall/Borders and then back here at home; we watched the Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who, chatted, I shared some of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson with her, and then we lamented over the disappointment that Glee is and Lea Michele's old singing voice. We were bringing up Spring Awakening songs from the cast recording and Lea sounds nothing like she did then, and it's NOT a good thing. :\ If she keeps singing the way she does, she is going to lose her voice much MUCH sooner than the typical vocalist, which is usually well into the later part of their life. Ever notice how much Lea's shoulders move? (Watch her Tony Award performance from this year.) Now, when breathing properly, you may see a little bit of movement there because when you take a proper breath, your torso expands in all directions, including up. But your shoulders should never ever jump. If you don't breathe properly and sing songs like Lea does... say goodbye to your voice. Look at Patti LuPone! She's 61 and still belting the shit out of songs, completely outdoing Lea and also, Idina Menzel who is sure to lose her voice sooner as well. Patti's not alone, of course; I'm just using her as an example because of her vocal strength.

Check out the ladies in particular in the video below for further proof. I've actually followed their YouTube channels for a couple years, and their voices have only improved.

1:05 in particular is impressive. No struggle there.

I'm so excited for tomorrow!!!! The kids (Trevor, Sophia and Eryk) are going to be here. Like I said in my previous entry, Jennifer and Todd will be back a few days before Christmas, then Christmas day they'll be flying back to Birmingham for work and we'll have the kids for another week.

Okay, I think I'm going to replay the level of Mass Effect that I almost beat the other day but neglected to save along the way. So when I got killed... it kicked me back to the very beginning. Around 1.5 hours of gameplay, people. Ugh.

Hanging out with the people you love, saying "I love you"; that's what Christmas is for!

overthemoo — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 06:17:33 GMT

Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone switching roles in Evita....
Is this not the most magnificent thing you've ever seen??

Jack's back! My mother's boss' dog - we're taking care of her again for a couple weeks. And this upcoming weekend, we'll have the kids (my niece and nephews) for a week; I can't recall why but [my sister] Jennifer and Todd have to be somewhere else, so my mom offered to take care of the kids until they can come back for Christmas. And then after Christmas, they were having issues organizing who'd be taking care of the kids while they were working because the center that Trevor and Sophia go to won't take in Eryk yet, so they'd have to make other arrangements and they had no idea what to do. (I guess the center that Eryk stays at will still be on holiday?) So again... my mother offered to take care of them for another week so that they wouldn't have to worry about figuring out what to do. I love those kids but take my word for it, my mother will regret that decision. lol Oi vey.....

So much love for Community's Christmas episode. CHRISTMAS PTERODACTYL!!!

Lastly, if you are not watching Fringe.... excuse the immaturity and lack of originality but.... YOU SUCK. How does it feel being the reason Fox is moving yet another brilliant show to Fridays? HOW. DOES. IT. FEEL.

(Kidding. But really, you should be watching it. Best show on television.)

It's gonna be totally awesome.

overthemoo — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:56:26 GMT

A NEW STARKID MUSICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

ONE SMALL BUG WILL REMIND US ALL WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE HUMAN

lol Don't ever change, Starkid.

I'm starting to get annoyed with some of the questions I'm getting at VYou. At first it was all quality stuff, nothing but cool questions from cool people. Now I'm getting invasive and dull questions from anons with horrible grammar.

Loving you is not a choice; it's who I am.

overthemoo — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:13:02 GMT

Donna FUCKING Murphy

This post is all about Donna Murphy. I've been on a kick of watching her stuff lately because of Tangled, but unfortunately there is not much available on YouTube to check out, but what is available has been watched many times. I just got done watching "Loving You" from Passion and I HAD to come here and share it with you all.

This is one of my favorite Sondheim pieces and what Donna did with this role, particularly in this song, is..... well, breathtaking.

GAH!! I wish there was video available of Donna's performance at Sondheim's birthday concert. Her rendition of one of my favorite comedic (yet still emotional) showtunes was one of the night's best moments. When it does become available, I will post it straight away. It's a hard song to nail! I personally feel Alexis Smith has the only other good performance of it. And Donna doesn't perform it anything like Alexis; Alexis' delivery is along the lines of "you fool", while Donna is more "you blowhard". :D Their intent is the same, but the delivery is very different.

This post was going to be a bit longer but I can't find the other things I was going to share. So, to bring this post to an early end, here's Donna belting the shit out of "Hit Me with a Hot Note". (Great song.)

Anything you do / let it come from you / then it will be new / give us more to see

overthemoo — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 02:59:35 GMT

Mandy Patinkin.
Bernadette Peters.
Stephen Sondheim's music.
Paul Gemignani's orchestrations.
The New York Philharmonic.
'NUFF SAID

I chose and my world was shaken
So what?
The choice may have been mistaken
the choosing was not
You have to move on

Sir, it's too good at least!

overthemoo — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:52:20 GMT

Not even sure if Modern Family is on this week, but if it is then it'll have to wait becaaaaaaause........

SONDHEIM!
The Birthday Concert
is on tonight!!!!

If you're home and... alive, then you should watch it.

I've heard the performance of "Move On" by Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters is incredibly moving. It's actually available online but I didn't want my first time seeing the performance to be online if I could help it. So I'll be watching it along with all of the other performances from the concert tonight when it airs. The show is @ 9 on PBS - but check your local listings!!

Oh, man is a giddy thing.

overthemoo — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:12:02 GMT

Not much has been going on lately, hence the lack of posting. But alas, life things taking place! YAY.

My friend Rebekah is taking over a girl's part in a revue sort of show this weekend. I think she had a vacation planned long ago? I don't know. Anyway, the show is called "Music of the Knight", musical fans should be able to assume as much what this show will include. Which... I am not looking forward to as far as material. But it's okay because my friend has a beautiful voice. I started crying a verse into "If I Loved You" when I saw her in Carousel. I knew her voice was perfect for R&H music but I guess I wasn't prepared. I should have been considering I adore that song, it's so gorgeous. And not too long after, I started laughing during "June is Busting Out All Over" because all I could think of was Leslie Uggams.

SUTTON FUCKING FOSTER WILL BE IN TOWN NEXT WEEKEND!!!!! She's a fantastic Broadway talent, and she also played 'Coco' in Flight of the Conchords. It's a solo show tour, taking place in a smaller theatre, and it's only $25!! I am absolutely not missing this show.

Walmart.com finally got the Doctor Who s5 Blu-Ray in stock again, so I just ordered that a little while ago. :D When I had pre-ordered Fable III, I got a $20 eGift card, so I was able to save a little. Why are those dvds so ridiculously expensive?! There better be a lot of awesome extras. Well, actually, I won't complain if there aren't because I loved the season so much, so it's worth every penny to me.

On the note of money, keep your fingers crossed for me? Someone I know will be mentioning me to the manager at a Borders where I sent in an application for a job. So when I call in soon to see if I can meet with him, I may have a better chance.

I really need to get my Harry Potter midnight screening ticket. Don't know why I've been taking my time with this. :\

Here's a wonderful cover of Mumford & Sons' "Sigh No More" by Sugarland and Little Big Town.

Look, I made a hat - where there never was a hat!

overthemoo — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 01:36:07 GMT

Haven't posted in a little while because I honestly haven't had anything to say. I haven't even had much to fangirl over. Nothing besides Sugarland anyhow, heh. (My Tumblr followers are well aware of that.) BUT THE ALBUM IS JUST SO AWESOME. Anyway, I have a few things to talk about now....

Fable III came out on Tuesday. (Post's title is from a hilarious, and random, bit in the game.) I had pre-ordered my copy from Walmart because they were offering a $20 e-gift card with the purchase, which I will use toward my pre-order of Toy Story 3, probably. Hm, if I can still do that... kind of forgot because of all of the gaming I've done this week. FABLE III IS ALSO VERY AWESOME. I already played through the game entirely (by accident - long story) and am halfway through my second. Is it a short game? No. I've just been playing it A LOT.

What else was awesome: This week's Modern Family and Community. They both had me in stitches. I don't want to say anything specific in case anyone is behind on the shows. Not to mention, I don't really feel like going into detail at this time, especially because I have something important to talk about!

You know how I planned on doing an epic Stephen Sondheim post a while back?? Well, I've finally decided to make that happen. I just got done reading Paul Simon's review of "Finishing the Hat" (a book that is the first of 2 volumes where Sondheim discusses his music & lyrics) and he speaks of Sondheim in a passionate and clearly-a-fan kind of way that made me want to write about Sondheim in a similar way. (Sans comparisons of his music and experiences to my own. lol) I already started the introductory post and got so excited about it that I had to stop and come here to announce the upcoming post(s). :D

No idea how soon it'll be up because I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to include in it. Just going with the flow instead of planning it all out like I attempted to do a while back. I still want to get the right balance of everything so that I can keep your attention, of course.

I really hope you all check it out because I'm not really making this for [existing] Sondheim fans. I know they'll look at it, which is awesome and something you can always expect from a Sondheim fan, but ultimately I am making this to encourage everyone to check out his musicals and others like it. Musical theatre really doesn't get the attention and respect it deserves. Well, shows deserved of recognition anyway. I mean, one of Sondheim's best shows was recently revived, starred Angela Lansbury, and very little attention was brought to it. When Angela and Catherine Zeta-Jones left, Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch took over and again... NOTHING. No coverage from anyone outside of the theatre world, mind you. The theatre communtiy was going CRAZY over the news. It was pretty much a dream come true to see these two ladies in their respective roles.

p.s. Cannot wait to watch Halloween tv episodes and movies tomorrow!!

Won't you stand up and use your voice.

overthemoo — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:40:20 GMT

FOR TODAY

Sugarland "Stand Up"

All the lonely people crying
It could change if we just get started
Lift the darkness, light a fire
For the silent and the broken-hearted

Won't you stand up
Won't you stand up, you girls and boys
Won't you stand up
Won't you stand up and use your voice

There's a comfort, there's a healing
High above the pain and sorrow
Change is coming, can you feel it
Calling us into a new tomorrow

Won't you stand up
Won't you stand up, you girls and boys
Won't you stand up
Won't you stand up and use your voice

When the walls fall all around you
When your hope has turned to dust
Let the sound of love surround you
Beat like a heart in each of us