Monday, May 31, 2010

Book Recommendation: "Courting Miss Lancaster" by Sarah M. Eden

As a Jane Austen fan, I was very excited to find a book that was in the same vein.  "Courting Miss Lancaster" is a delightful story about penniless Harry Windover, who is a madly in love with Miss Athena Lancaster...and is charged with finding her a husband.  He wants the job for himself, but is ineligible.  What is he going to do?!

I couldn't put this book down and, of course, cried at the end.  It was great!  Highly recommend it!!

http://www.sarahmeden.com/

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A Theatre-free Summer

I'm still coming to terms with my theatre-free summer.  It doesn't help that I just realized that this is only my 2nd theatre-free summer since 1995.  I had to think that through, but yes...1995.

1996= SM for "Tom Sawyer" with the Loveland Community Theatre
1997= Sister Sophia in "The Sound of Music" at Jesters
1998= Alma Hix in "The Music Man" at Jesters
1999= Virginia in "Oklahoma!" at Jesters
2000= Wife in "The King and I" at Jesters
2001= nothing
2002= Ellen in "Oklahoma!" with Front Range Music Theatre
2003= Stewardess Robinson, etc. in "Titanic" with FRMT
2004= Kate in "Brigadoon" with FRMT
2005= Tinkerbell Light Op in "Peter Pan" with FRMT
2006= Reporter #1, etc. in "Anything Goes" with FRMT
2007= Ensemble in "Beauty and the Beast" with FRMT
2008= Tzeital in "Fiddler on the Roof" at Union Colony Dinner Theatre & Kate Keller in "The Miracle Worker with Loveland Community Theatre
2009= Donna in "The Taffetas" with FRMT
2010= nothing ***see update below


This is so weird.  Maybe I don't have a show so that I have time to FINALLY get my recital done.  Plausible!

***UPDATE:  As of June 21, 2010, this blog is now null and void.  I am stepping into the role of Mac in Up in Lights' July production of 42nd Street.  The recital is going to have to wait!!!

Friday, May 21, 2010

My Top 10

Lately, I've been referring to musicals as either in my Top 10 or not in my Top 10.  (I've even said Top 5 for some.)  I decided that I really should try to compile the actual list.  For all I know, I could have 11 musicals in my Top 10.  Yikes!  Can't have that!!!  So here it is:

  1. The Music Man
  2. The Light in the Piazza
  3. Wicked
  4. Titanic
  5. Les Miserables
  6. Carousel
  7. Little Women
  8. Mary Poppins
  9. The Lion King
  10. Fiddler on the Roof
Interesting to note:  Les Miz was not in the Top 5 until I saw the UK National Tour in Edinburgh last month.  It is an exquisite production and moved the show up in my mind to #5.

Before you start asking "What about [insert show name]?"...this is my Top 10 at this moment.  It changes almost daily.  So this is Angela's Top 10 Favorite Musicals on Friday, May 21, 2010, 2:35 pm MDT.

Keep your voice down!

So, I went to Kohl's yesterday.  I pulled into a parking space, got out of my car, and was walking toward the store.  All of the sudden, I hear this lady start yelling.  "How could people be so stupid!  I swear they have the brains of an ant!"  My immediate reaction is to try and figure out what I did to make her yell at me.  I didn't turn around, except to check for cars before crossing to the sidewalk.  I couldn't think of a single thing that I had done, so I just ignored her.  I hoped she wasn't talking to me.  Once I got in the store, I suddenly heard her again.  She had come in the store behind me and was talking...very loudly...on her cell phone.  She hadn't been talking to me at all!  Just to her friend, and apparently she had to use her "outside voice" on the phone.

Seriously, people...if you are going to talk on your cell phone in public, keep your voice down!  I don't want to hear about your personal life.  Sheesh!!!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Summer in the Park

This is going to be a very different kind of summer for me.  For the first time since 2001, I will not be involved in a theatrical production over the summer.  It's a little strange.  I'm really not sure how I feel about this.  The middle of July is going to be BIZARRE, that's for sure!  And not going to rehearsals every weeknight and many Saturdays?  Weird. ***See update below!

But never fear!  I will not be a completely inactive performer!  I'm going to be a band geek!  It's been 2 years since I played with the Loveland Concert Band, and I don't even remember the last time I played with them in the summer.  (2003?  Maybe?  No idea.)  There are six concerts to choose from, and I hope that those of you who would have come to see me in a show will come to at least one concert!  The concerts are at the Hammond Amphitheater in North Lake Park, just down the hill to the southwest of Loveland High School on the following Tuesdays:  June 8, 15, 22, 29, and July 13 at 7:15 pm.  There is also a concert on Sunday, July 4 at 7:15 pm.  (The 4th of July Concert is always a blast!  We play right up until the fireworks start, and then we watch them from right there at the amphitheater!)

Now, here's the fun part:  We will be having a picnic by the amphitheater prior to every Tuesday concert.  It's a bring your own kind of thing, unless we want to coordinate something ahead of time.  But if you are available, come to the hill by the amphitheater at between 5:30 and 6:00 pm.  Please let me know via e-mail, phone, text, or Facebook if you are planning on coming.  If you can't make it for the picnic, I'd still love to see you at the concert.

If you thinking "But I want to hear Angela sing!" then come to the Loveland Opera Theatre Garden Party Fundraising Concert on June 12th.  We will be doing selections from The Secret Garden.  I am singing "Come to my Garden" and "How Could I Ever Know."  Visit www.lovelandopera.org for more details!

***UPDATE:  As of June 21, 2010, I am stepping into the role of Mac in Up in Lights' July production of 42nd Street.  I will still be playing in all of the band concerts, though!  In fact, I'm playing piccolo for the 4th of July concert!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Wanted: Personal Hair Stylist

So, last night I saw the movie Letters to Juliet.  (Highly recommend it, by the way.  Great movie!)  Anyway, I had a thought while watching it.  And this is a thought that I usually get when watching movies with certain actresses in them.  "Dang, I wish I had her hair!"  I really wish that I could have long, luxurious hair.  But I can't...my hair is so thick and uncooperative, that having that long of hair would be torture.  But still, I see people like Amanda Seyfried and think that it would be great if I could have hair like that.  Then the credits roll and I see the following:

Personal Hair Stylist for Ms. Seyfried - [Insert Name]

Well, duh!  Of course she had a personal hair stylist!  There's no way she could have done that herself and have gotten to the set on time!  So that's what I need.  A personal hair stylist.  Someone to do my hair for me every day.  It's only chin-length-ish right now, so it's not a big deal.  But if I decide to grow it out long again, I'm going to need someone to take care of it for me.  Any takers?

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010

My "LOST" Journey

I came upon LOST pretty much by accident.  Seriously.  I was still big into Lord of the Rings during the summer of 2004.  I frequented many message boards, and there was a lot of buzz about a pilot that Dominic Monaghan was doing.  At first, I thought they were talking about a reality show, ala Survivor.  Then the commercials started on ABC.  I thought "Oh!  This looks interesting!  Maybe I'll check that out!"  I had become quite jaded about watching new TV shows.  I still am, really.  Shows I like tend to get yanked off the air pretty quickly.  So I ended up waiting to see if they are going to make it before I start watching.  (Yes, that is one of the reasons it took me four seasons to start watching Bones.)  But I gave LOST a chance.

LOST premiered on September 22, 2004.  I don't remember if I actually watched it that night.  I think I actually forgot to watch.  But they aired the pilot again the following Saturday and I watched it then.  I was immediately hooked.  Charlie's now famous line to close the show, "Guys?  Where are we?", was the same thing I was asking and I HAD TO KNOW MORE!!!!!  I had never seen a show like this before.  It was game over.  I was a die-hard Lostie.

By Season 3, my brother Neal had gotten hooked on the show, so I finally had someone to watch it with me.  However, he left on his mission on the day of the Season 4 finale.  I was left on my own again (and was frequently made fun of by my sister for my screaming and crying during the show.  Hey, I'm a active participant in this show, okay?)  It's been fun to find out which of my friends and family do watch the show religiously, so I have people to theorize with.

One of the best things along the way was the Season 6 Premiere Party with my friends.  We dressed up as our favorite characters (or in my case...the character that didn't require me to wear a wig!), ate Dharma Food, and came up with the now-debunked theory that Richard is the Polar Bear while watching the premiere.  Good times had by all!  ("SHUT UP, KATE!!")

Some fans have stopped watching the show by this point.  Sure, it has gotten really confusing.  But I have faith in the producers and writers that they aren't going to let me down.  Everything will be answered in the end.  And the producers have assured us that all the important questions will be answered.  The lesser ones...probably not.  I even wrote a blog about why I am not a fair-weather fan:
http://angelas-old-blog.blogspot.com/2008/10/lost-is-back-or-why-im-not-fair-weather.html


And here is my ode to Michael Emerson:
http://tangents-by-angela.blogspot.com/2009/12/william-benjamin-linus-hinks.html

The end of LOST is near.  The 2 1/2 hour finale will air on Sunday, May 23rd.  I am going to be a basket case when I watch that.  I love this show!  I can't believe it's over.  But I can't deny that an end date was needed.  They couldn't drag this story out forever.  This is a serialized drama...they can't start new story lines.  They need to give us the end.  I can't wait to find out what it is!!!!

This show has been an amazing thing, and I'm so glad that I have been along for the entire ride.  And since I own all the DVDs, I may just watch the entire series again!  Hey!  That might help me avoid LOST withdrawal!  Cool!!!

But seriously...this show is amazing.  No one can convince me otherwise.  Don't even try.  You will not win.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Flashback Friday

Yesterday was the 10th Anniversary of my graduation from college! Yikes!!! Where have the years gone?!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

That only happens in the movies!!!

I guess my life is not like those in the movies. Or even in books. Yes, I realized this a long time ago. I'm not THAT dense. But something kind of funny just happened to remind me of this:

I tweeted the following:

Between my allergies of doom and me feeling sorry for myself, this is turning out to be one epic bummer of a day.

Almost immediately, my phone dinged. I had a text message! Now, what would be the odds of it being someone to cheer me up, ask me to do something fun, or something along those lines? Apparently, not so great. It was a text message from AT&T telling me that I would be getting more texts with helpful hints on my new messaging plan. Well, whoop-dee-do! Thank you, AT&T, for reminding me that my life is rather dull and nothing like the movies.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Les Miz Review

Here is my review of the UK National Tour of Les Miserables, as taken from my official trip journal:

Les Miz Review

Okay, where to start with Les Misérables. It was…INCREDIBLE!!! Absolutely wonderful! I haven’t seen it in eleven years, so it was a treat indeed! The cast was amazing. The set was fantastic!  The scenic design was based on the paintings of Victor Hugo. I was unaware that he was a painter! Cool!

The theatre was the Edinburgh Playhouse. It was deceptively large. From the outside, it looks really small! But when we went in, we went down about 2 flights of stairs to get to our seats. We were in the “stalls”, which was the equivalent of the Orchestra section. The seats were really great!

We saw the understudy for Jean Valjean. If the actually guy sitter than the guy we saw – wow! The guy we saw was FANTASTIC!

I was impressed with Fantine acting-wise, but I did not like her singing on “I Dreamed a Dream”. It was a bit harsh for my taste in voice quality. I think she misinterpreted the song. Otherwise, I thought she was great!

Other cool things: Javert was FANTASTIC! The students were great. Enjolras, especially. I loved “Do You Hear the People Sing”. Marius was fantastic as well. He had a gorgeous tenor voice that could melt butter. When he sang with Cosette, they had a gorgeous blend. Eponine was really good, but she pop-cized a few notes in “On My Own” and I was not okay with that. But otherwise, she was fine.

They have eliminated the revolve, which was such an integral part of the original set design. I was trying to figure out how they were going to do the big reveal of Enjolras’ body after the battle, since the barricade couldn’t turn. After Gavroche got killed, Enjolras jumped over the barricade. A few minutes later, after everyone else had been picked off, the barricade split in two and there was Enjolras, laying on a cart, flung backwards like he had always been before on the barricade. Not quite the same, but still extremely effective and powerful.

Oh, I almost forgot – “Bring Him Home” was absolutely exquisite. Theatrical perfection.

One of my favorite elements of this production was the use of projection. They are getting really good with it. During “One Day More”, the projection made them look like they were really marching. My favorite was when Valjean and Marius were down in the sewers and it made them look like they were really moving through a huge sewer while Valjean was carrying and dragging Marius.

Oh, my gosh – Javert’s Soliloquy was FANTASTIC!! I have never seen or heard a Javert go completely mad like this guy dyd. It was so cool! And when he jumped off the bridge, he was suspended in the air and the projection showed the water below him. It was SO COOL!

Ah, the end…I started crying around the time Fantine’s ghost showed up. By the time Eponine’s ghost came on, it was game over. I pretty much bawled, especially after the very best line in the entire show: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”

Oh, I almost forgot – “Empty Chair at Empty Tables”, there were candles all over the stage. As Marius was singing, all the dead students came out and picked up the candles. Gorgeous scene.

I saw one of the classiest curtain calls I have ever seen in my life – Everyone bowed together, since they were all on stage. Then they scattered and did the traditional curtain call. Then—everyone left the stage except for Valjean. He got his own bow again, and then everyone came back onstage to bow again. That was really cool! I loved it!

I’m so glad that Dad said I could get tickets for a show. Almost makes up for not being able to see a show on the West End in London. Almost.


Sunday, May 2, 2010

Family is just another word for FUNNY!!!

So, we are very original in my family and have come up with different titles than are normally used.  For example, where you would say that your cousin's son is your 1st cousin once removed, I say that my cousin's son is my cou-nephew.  See?  Okay, here are the titles:

Cou-nephew
Cou-niece
Cous-aunt
Cous-uncle

Cool, huh?  But wait...it get's better.

Where you would say that your grandma's siblings are your Great-Aunts and Great-Uncles, we have new titles for that, too:


Great-Aunt switches to Grandma-Aunt, which is shortened to: Gramaunt
Great-Uncle switches to Grandma-Uncle, which is shortened to:  (are you ready for this?  It's our favorite!)  Grapuncle.


Yes, we are strange.  We freely admit it.  Spend any amount of time with the Johnsons, Browns, Meadows and Spotts (aka, the Colorado Milligan grandchildren), and you will be just as strange.  You'll be talking like a pirate and grooming 4 year olds to be criminal masterminds in no time at all!