Tangents, ramblings, commentary, and other random observations on my life and everything around me! Sit back and enjoy your excursion into my silliness & random way of thinking! Abandon sanity, all ye who enter here!
Born and raised in southern California, Susan Egan always thought she'd be a film actress. With some encouragement from the great Tommy Tune, Susan made her way to New York City after leaving UCLA. She was still an unknown when she made her Broadway Debut as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She originated the role and played it for the first year of the 13-year run of the show. She received a Tony Nomination for her performance.
Other Broadway credits include: Margy in State Fair, Sally Bowles in the revival of Cabaret (she played the role five separate times during the run), and Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Susan voiced the character of Megera in the Disney film Hercules. She also appeared in such films as 13 Going on 30, Man of the Century, and Gotta Kick it Up.
Susan now tours the country with various concert engagements. Her concert "Susan Egan, the Belle of Broadway" was recorded live and is available on CD as Susan Egan: Live! (Highly recommend it! It's hysterical! ) She is married and has 2 daughters, Nina and Isla.
Fun Susan Facts:
*She did a production of Babes in Arms as a teenager and actor Jack Black was also in the cast.
*She had to really push Disney to let her audition for Meg in Hercules. They only thought of her as Belle, and Meg is so different from Belle. She finally convinced them to let her try it and she got the part! She says that she was acting as Belle, but that she pretty much IS Meg.
*She served as interim Artistic Director of Orange County High School of the Arts (her alma mater) from 2002-2003
*She has done more Rodgers and Hammerstein shows in her career than all of the other composers combined!
Homework:
Watch these videos:
Also, watch her demo reels on her official website (listed below).
Rachel York was born and raised in Florida. She began performing at a very young age and made her way to New York City at age 19. She made her Broadway debut as Mallory in City of Angels. Other Broadway credits include: Fantine in Les Miserables, Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Christine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. She also played the role of Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in the London Revival of Kiss Me, Kate, which aired on PBS and is available on DVD. More recently, Rachel played Guenevere in a national tour of Camelot and Cruella de Vil in the national tour of 101 Dalmations (which featured a bunch of real dogs and the human actors performing on stilts so the show was seen from a dog's perspective.)
Rachel played Lucille Ball in the 2003 TV Movie Lucy. (A must see! She was fantastic!)
My earliest introduction to Rachel was the seeing Kiss Me, Kate on PBS. She is INCREDIBLE in that show. I also heard her singing "I'll Forget You" on the Encore CD of The Scarlet Pimpernel. So when I went to NYC in early 2006 and we decided to go see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, I was very happy to see that she was playing Christine! I'll never forget sitting there, awaiting her arrival on stage. The first time we see Christine, she sings a great song, "Here I Am", which was one of 2 songs in the show I was familiar with prior to seeing it. Out came Rachel and she was doing okay. The song really raises the roof near the end, and Rachel was in rare form. I was so excited to see her perform live and she did not disappoint! She is a fantastic performer!
Homework:
Watch these videos:
Also, watch the PBS Kiss Me, Kate and the CBS Lucy, if you can find them!!
Bernadette Peters' career spans 5 decades and she's still going strong! It was recently announced that she will return to Broadway next month as Desiree Armfeldt in the revival of A Little Night Music.
Bernadette began performing at a very early age, obtaining her Equity card at age 8. (Actor's Equity is the union for actors and stage managers.) At age 13, the understudied Dainty June in a national tour of Gypsy. She made her Broadway debut in 1967 in a production called Johnny No-Trump. Her Broadway credits include: Hildy in On the Town (Tony Nomination), Mabel in Mack and Mabel (Tony Nomination), Dot in Sunday in the Park with George (Tony Nomination), Emma in Song and Dance (Tony Winner), The Witch in Into the Woods, Paula in The Goodbye Girl (Tony Nomination), Annie in Annie Get Your Gun (Tony Winner) and Mama Rose in Gypsy (Tony Nomination).
Bernadette has appeared in over 32 feature films and television movies, including the 1983 version of Annie, the 1997 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and The Jerk with Steve Martin. She was nominated for Emmys for her guest appearances on The Muppet Show and Ally McBeal.
Bernadette has recorded several albums and tours the country with singing engagements. I had the privilege of seeing her in concert with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 2006. It was literally 6 months after husband of 9 years had died in a tragic helicopter crash. The songs I'd heard recordings of for years suddenly took on new meaning due to her circumstances. The concert was fabulous!!
Idina Menzel (pronounced aye-DEE-nuh men-ZEL) doesn't have many Broadway credits to her name, but what she does have is AMAZING! She originated the role of Maureen in RENT (Tony Nomination), played Amernis in Aida, and originated the role of Elphaba in Wicked, for which she won a Tony Award.
Idina was born and raised in New York. She attended NYU and received a BFA in drama. RENT was her first professional theatre job.
Idina has also done work in television and film. Most notably, at least at my house, playing Nancy in the Disney movie Enchanted. She also played Maureen in the movie version of RENT. On TV, she has had guest roles on Private Practice and Kevin Hill. Most recently she has been seen on Glee as Shelby Corcoran, the director of Vocal Adrenaline, (New Directions' chief rival at Regionals.)
In 2008, Idina performed in a concert version of the musical Chess in London. She played Florence opposite Adam Pascal as Freddy and Josh Groban as Anatoly. (I HIGHLY recommend this!!! Idina's great, but it's worth it just to hear Josh Groban sing "Anthem". I'm just sayin...)
Idina frequently performs with symphonies around the country. (She'll be in Denver with the CSO in early November, if anyone wants to go!!)
Idina is married to actor Taye Diggs (whom she met in the original cast of RENT.) They have a son, Walker, who was born in September 2009.
Homework:
Watch these videos:
You'll have to watch this one on YouTube:
Also, get your hands on a copy of Chess in Concert and watch the whole thing.
So, how is everyone doing with the course? Are you learning new things? Have you spent hours on YouTube watching other videos than the ones I suggested? I sure hope so! (I know I have!)
We've reported on 6 Divas and we have 5 more to go, according to my final list:
Lesson 1: Audra McDonald
Lesson 2: Patti LuPone
Lesson 3: Sherie Rene Scott
Lesson 4: Victoria Clark
Lesson 5: Sutton Foster
Lesson 6: Kristin Chenoweth
Lesson 7: Idina Menzel
Lesson 8: Bernadette Peters
Lesson 9: Rachel York
Lesson 10: Susan Egan
Lesson 11: Stephanie J. Block
Lesson 12: "Demi-Divas"
I need some help with Lesson 12: Who else should I talk about? I'll give very brief reports on some other Broadway stars that I didn't know enough about or who aren't as a big a names (in my mind) as the others to get their own lesson. I'm thinking about maybe Alice Ripley, Christine Ebersole, Sierra Boggess, Linda Eder, Kerry Butler, Laura Bell Bundy, Laura Michelle Kelly, Sally Murphy, Ashley Brown.... Please send me some suggestions!!
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Kristin Chenoweth studied opera in college. She was named "most promising up and coming singer" by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Take it from me...that is a BIG DEAL in the opera world!) Instead of pursuing opera, after receiving her Masters, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in musical theatre.
Kristin made her Broadway debut in 1997 in a production of Steel Pier. Two years later, she played Sally Brown in the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which won her a Tony. This was the theatre role she was most known for until 2003, when she originated the role of Glinda in Wicked. She received a Tony nomination for this, but lost to her co-star, Idina Menzel. She starred in the revival of The Apple Tree in late 2006-early 2007, and can currently be seen as Fran in the revival of Promises, Promises.
Kristin also has a done a lot of television and film work. Most recently, guest starring on the hit show Glee. She has recorded 3 albums and is working on her 4th. One song she recorded is called "The Girl in 14G" which was written especially for her by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlon (who wrote Thoroughly Modern Millie.)
Homework:
Watch these videos:
Make sure you watch all the way to the end on this one. Note just how fast she changes out of costume before she has to come out to accept her Tony!
This one you'll have to click on to view on YouTube...
Sutton Foster took Broadway by storm in 2002 with her Tony-Winning performance as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie. This wasn't her Broadway debut, however. She had previously appeared as Sandy in the 1994 Revival of Grease, various roles (including the Star to Be) in the 1997 Revival of Annie, ensemble in the original production of The Scarlet Pimpernel and as Eponine in Les Miserables. Since her award-winning turn in Millie, Sutton has had a wonderful career on the Broadway stage. Her credits include: Jo in Little Women: The Musical (Tony Nomination), Janet van de Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone (Tony Nomination), Inga in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, and Princess Fiona in Shrek: The Musical (Tony Nomination). She has just signed on to play Reno Sweeney in the upcoming revival of Anything Goes! with the Roundabout Theatre Company.
Sutton was born in Georgia and raised in Michigan. She won Star Search at age 15. She completed high school via correspondence because she was touring with the Tommy Tune-directed production of Will Rogers Follies. Her brother, Hunter, is also a Broadway star.
Sutton is a classic "triple-threat". She's a great singer, actor, and dancer! Her solo album, "Wish" was released in 2009.
Other fun Sutton Trivia:
*She broke her wrist during The Drowsy Chaperone. In order to stay in the show, she learned how to do one-armed cartwheels so she could still perform her stunts in "Show-Off".
*She is known for staying outside at the Stage Door after her shows until everyone who wants her autograph can get it.
*She performed in early workshops of Wicked, but has never performed in the actual show.
*She taught a class at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in the Spring of 2010.
My personal experience with Sutton (although I've never met her in person) dates back to 1999. I saw her in the national tour of Les Miserables. I remember thinking two things: "Wow, the girl who played Eponine is AMAZING!!!!" and "Sutton...that's an interesting name." Fast forward to Tony Night, 2002. Sutton Foster wins the Tony and I'm thinking "Sutton Foster...that name sounds familiar." I dug out my Les Miz program from 3 years earlier. Lo and behold...SAME PERSON!!!! I haven't seen her perform live again, but I'm sure I will someday! I have geeked out on national tours of shows she was in, but that's a story for another day. (Ask me later about "The Millie Incident" and the "Geek Trip.")
Victoria Clark was born and raised in Texas. After graduating from high school, she attended Yale University. She made her Broadway Debut in the original production of Sunday in the Park with George. She went on to perform in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls and in the original Rodgers and Hammerstein revue It's a Grand Night for Singing She played Smitty in the 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, originated the role of Alice Beane in Titanic: The Musical, played Fraulein Kost and Fritzie in Cabaret, played Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown, and originated the role of Margaret Johnson in The Light in the Piazza, a role that won her a Tony Award. Most recently, she performed the role of Gabrielle York in the Lincoln Center production of When the Rain Stops Falling.
Victoria has done voice-over work, singing in several animated features, including Anastasia. She has had guest roles on several television shows, including Mercy, Law & Order, and Law & Order: SVU. She also performed in the PBS Special, Sweeney Todd in Concert with Patti LuPone and George Hearn.
I saw Victoria in The Light in the Piazza in 2006. That is an AMAZING show and she was absolutely incredible in that role! (Thank heavens for PBS and Live from Lincoln Center, for capturing this elegant performance so I can watch it whenever I want!!!) We also met Victoria at the stage door after the show. She was very kind and gracious! SIDE NOTE: If they ever do another revival of Hello, Dolly!, they should cast Victoria as Dolly. Seriously.
Victoria teaches voice and continues to study with Michael Howard, Rebecca Taylor, and Edward Sayegh. Victoria released her first solo album in late 2007, "Fifteen Seconds of Grace." She has one son, Thomas Luke.
Homework:
Watch these videos: (Yes, I know the embedding has been disabled, but click where it says "Watch on YouTube" and you will be able to see them!)
This one you can watch on here. She shows up around 2 minutes, and you can't miss her:
Sherie Rene Scott was born in Kentucky and raised in Kansas. She started in theatre at a young age and headed for New York City when she was 18. She made her Broadway debut in The Who's Tommy in 1993. She was the original Amneris in Aida, the original Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony Nomination), and the original Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid. She was also the original Kathy in the original off-Broadway production of The Last 5 Years. She is currently in starring in Everyday Rapture, a show that she co-wrote and the "true-ish story" of her life. (Tony Nomination).
Sherie and her husband, producer Kurt Deustch, founded Sh-K Boom Records and Ghostlight Records, which preserve cast recordings and solo albums for Broadway stars. Sherie and Kurt have one son, Elijah.
I had the privilege of seeing Sherie twice in The Little Mermaid when it was doing its pre-Broadway run in Denver the summer of 2007. She is a phenomenal performer. She absolutely commands the stage with her illuminating presence. She was hysterical as Ursula. Additionally, my sister saw her one-night-only concert "You May Now Worship Me" in NYC in March of 2008. This concert was expanded and became the show Everyday Rapture.
Sherie is a great performer and will be a shining star on the Broadway stage for many years to come!
What are the odds? The subject of our first two lessons, Audra McDonald & Patti LuPone, have performed together...and here is a video for you to watch:
Today's lesson will be taught by Professor Jordan Roberts. He's 10 feet tall and dances like a scarecrow in the hurricane, but we love him anyway. And he's the world's foremost expert on Patti LuPone. (He hasn't quite achieved stalker status yet, but give it time.) And now, on with the lesson:
Patti LuPone swept the 2008 theatre awards winning the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for her performance as Rose in the critically-acclaimed new Broadway production of the classic Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim-Arthur Laurents musical Gypsy, directed by the show’s author, Mr. Laurents, currently at the St. James Theatre.
Ms. LuPone’s recent stage credits include her debut with the Los Angeles Opera in Weill-Brecht’s Mahagonny, the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s new opera To Hell and Back with San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle’s award winning Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award nominations – Best Actress in a Musical; Drama League Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre), the title role in Marc Blitzstein’s Regina, a musical version of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, a critically acclaimed performance as Fosca in a concert version of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, which was also broadcast on PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center, and a multi-city tour of her theatrical concert Matters of the Heart. She has also performed Matters of the Heart internationally, including runs at Australia’s Sydney Festival and London’s Donmar Warehouse Theatre. Her CD recording, based on this concert, was named one of 1999’s best recordings by both The Times of London and Time Out/New York.
In addition to Matters of the Heart, Miss LuPone also performs two other solo concerts Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda and The Lady With The Torch. She made a triumphant solo concert debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda resulting in a sold-out encore performance, and performs the concert with major symphony orchestras around the country. The Lady With The Torch is the basis for Ms. LuPone’s latest solo CD, on Ghostlight Records. She also tours in a new concert with her Evita co-star Mandy Patinkin – An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.
Patti LuPone’s other recent New York stage appearances include performances as La Mome Pistache in the Encores! production of Cole Porter’s musical Can-Can at New York’s City Center, as The Old Lady in the New York Philharmonic’s concert production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, and performances on Broadway in the hit revival of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, in David Mamet’s The Old Neighborhood, Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Master Class and in her own concert Patti LuPone On Broadway, for which she won an Outer Critics Circle Award. Over six consecutive summers, she’s appeared in the Ravinia Festival’s Sondheim series, starring as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, as Desiree in A Little Night Music, Fosca in Passion, Cora Hoover Hooper in Anyone Can Whistle, Rose in Gypsy and was featured in two different roles in Sunday in the Park with George.
After completing her training with the first class of the Drama Division of New York’s Julliard School, she began her career as a founding member of John Houseman's The Acting Company playing a variety of leading roles, both on and off-Broadway and on tour throughout the United States. Her subsequent New York dramatic credits include Dario Fo's Accidental Death of An Anarchist; David Mamet's The Water Engine, Edmond and The Woods and Israel Horovitz' Stage Directions. Ms. LuPone's memorable performances on the New York musical stage include Vera Simpson in the Encores! production of Pal Joey, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, (1988 Drama Desk Award, Tony nomination, Best Actress in a Musical), The Cradle Will Rock, Nancy in Oliver!, Evita (1980 Tony and Drama Desk Awards- Best Actress in a Musical), Working and Rosamund in The Robber Bridegroom (1976 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, Best Featured Actress in a Musical).
In London, she created the role of Fantine in the the RSC production of Les Miserables, a role she subsequently played on the West End. For that performance, as well as the reprise of her performance in the London production of The Cradle Will Rock, she won an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Ms. LuPone created the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1994 Olivier nomination, Best Actress in A Musical), and recreated her Broadway performance of Maria Callas in the West End production of Master Class.
Film: City By The Sea, David Mamet’s Heist, State and Main; Just Looking, Summer of Sam, The 24 Hour Woman, Family Prayers, Driving Miss Daisy, Witness.
TV: PBS Great Performances The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Ugly Betty, Will & Grace (as herself), PBS Great Performances’ Candide, Oz , the TNT film Monday Night Mayhem, PBS’ Evening At The Pops with John Williams and Yo Yo Ma, Falcone, Bonanno: A Godfather’s Story (Showtime); Frasier (1998 Emmy nomination); Law & Order, An Evening with Patti LuPone (PBS), the NBC movie Her Last Chance, Showtime's ACE Award and Emmy nominated The Song Spinner (Daytime Emmy nomination, Best Actress), The Water Engine, L.B.J., AMC's Remember WENN and ABC's Life Goes On.
Recordings include: Sweeney Todd (both the 2006 Broadway revival cast recording and 2000 live performance recording on NY Philharmonic’s Special Editions Label); Pal Joey (DRG); Heatwave with John Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (Phillips Classics); Sunset Boulevard (Polygram); Patti LuPone Live (RCA Victor).
Audra Ann McDonald made her Broadway debut in the original production of The Secret Garden as a replacement for Ayah. She followed up with her Tony-winning turn as Carrie Pipperidge in the 1994 Revival of Carousel. Audra would go on to win 3 Tonys by age 28. She won her 4th Tony in 2004 (at age 34), putting her in the same company as 2 other 4-time Tony Winning actresses, Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin. The interesting thing to note is that 2 of her Tonys were for plays: Master Class and A Raisin in the Sun. Ragtime was her other win, for a role which was originally written to be a much smaller part. But upon casting Audra, and realizing how amazing she was, the role of Sarah was greatly increased. Other Broadway roles of note: Lizzy Curry in the 2007 Revival of 110 in the Shade (Tony Nomination) and the title role in Marie Christine (Tony Nomination).
Audra also has a successful concert career. Having been trained at Julliard, she is a very versatile singer. Several of her concerts have aired on PBS as part of their Great Performances series. She also has recorded several albums.
Audra can be seen in several films, most notably the 1999 TV version of the musical Annie, as Grace Farrell. She also reprised her role as Ruth Younger in the 2008 TV version of A Raisin in the Sun, which reunited most of the cast from the Broadway run. Audra can be seen currently as Dr. Naomi Bennett on the ABC drama Private Practice.
Audra has a 9 year old daughter, Zoe, with her ex-husband, musician Peter Donovan.
Homework: Watch the following video:
And then watch this video:
Then watch the TV versions of Annie (1999) and A Raisin in the Sun (2008). And listen to the cast recordings of Carousel (1994) and 110 in the Shade (2007). And all of her solo recordings.
So I recently found out that people who should know about all of the great ladies of the Broadway Stage don't actually know about all of them. Does that make sense? Apparently, I wrongly assume that everyone knows who these actresses are. So we are going to fix that. As time permits, we will work our way through the current "Broadway Divas". At least the ones that I am familiar enough with the teach you about. This will include their resumes, recordings you MUST listen to, various You Tube videos of note, and any other stories I might have about them.
But first, let's define Diva: A Diva is a distinguished female singer. The term originated with opera and has since been used with all kinds of music. Divas were often demanding, thus leading us to use the term as a derogatory term for an actor/actress who is difficult to work with. ("Oh, my gosh! She is SUCH A DIVA!") We all know a few of those, I'm sure. But for purposes of this course, we will focus on the original definition of the term.
I am in the process of compiling a list of the lovely ladies we will be studying. The list will, I'm sure, be a work in progress. But first up, and the reason that I have started this course in the first place, is: Audra McDonald.
Here's the list, off the top of my head, that we will start with. Please note that this list is subject to change:
Audra McDonald
Patti LuPone (to be taught by Prof. Jordan Roberts)
Sherie Rene Scott
Victoria Clark
Sutton Foster
Kristin Chenoweth
Idina Menzel
Bernadette Peters
Rachel York
Susan Egan
Stephanie J. Block
This is all I can think of at the moment, but it's a start! I know there are more, but these are the ones I'm familiar with. So look for Lesson 1, coming soon!!!
It was too late to do this last night and I didn't take notes during the show, so this is going to be a partial list and all from memory, but here you go:
Opening number = awesome!
Use of Kristin Chenoweth = priceless
Look! It's Barbara Cook and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!
Some people are bashing Catherine Zeta Jones' performance of "Send in the Clowns", but I found it strangely mesmerizing. She later mentioned having vocal troubles, which is understandable. I enjoyed her interpretation of the song. She played it like a toned down mad scene, which is cool!
I want to see "Memphis"
I want to see "Million Dollar Quartet"
I don't care to see "American Idiot" (but I don't like that kind of music, so that was a given even before I saw their musical number.)
CZJ's reaction to her win was HILARIOUS!! We rewound it and watched it again. I love seeing people who are genuinely shocked to win. It's so refreshing after seeing so many people stand up and head for the podium, obviously thinking "Yes, I won. I knew that I would. I deserve this more than the others!" (I watch a lot of awards shows, so I see this a lot!)
Matthew Morrison's song was great! I kind of laughed when he got a little winded near the end. He's out of shape! That's what happens when you do a TV show. (Is it wrong to say that the full spectrum of his talents are being wasted on Glee? Because I think they are. He's great, but still....)
Lea Michele was great, too. Don't take that as her "Funny Girl" audition, though. She'd have to leave Glee to do that show. Cast Stephanie J. Block and all will be well!!
Overall a great show! Truly the World Cup of Showtunes!
Good GRIEF I have a lot of stuff. I can't figure out how it all managed to fit in my room! I thought I had a de-junked before I moved to Greeley in 1999. Guess not! I have found all sorts of random stuff from high school! Did I really need to save every single receipt from my band trip to Hawaii in 1994? What did I plan on doing with the barf bags from the airplane from that trip?
Apparently, I can't throw anything away. Ever. I think I get that from my dad. He got it from his dad. However, my grandpa would use everything he saved. He would find a piece of sheet metal in the road, take it home, and eventually use the entire thing! I hang on to the weirdest things for no apparent reason. And now, for some strange reason, my mom won't let me keep all this stuff at the house in case I need it later. So I really have to figure out what to do with it all. Do I keep random stuff and store it in the spare room at my new place? Do I just throw everything away? Do I get a storage unit? Hey, now THERE'S an idea! Then I can wait another 10 years to figure out exactly why I needed to keep the stuff from my 1st year at Girl's Camp in 1990!
I have 3 more days to get this stuff cleaned up. My parents' basement is a DISASTER right now and they will be home on Saturday night I think someone might need to stage an intervention to get me to organize this stuff. HELP!!! I'M DROWNING IN LAKE NOSTALGIA!!!!!
The time has come to replace my Saturn, "Winnifred". There are some things wrong that I don't want to pay to fix. So I'm going to trade her in. I have a little time to look around, but I'm finding that there are many cars out there (duh) and many opinions (duh again!) So here is my wish list:
Bold= Absolutely necessary Italic= Would be nice, but not necessary
Pre-owned 2005 or newer $10000 or less (before my trade-in)
4 Door Manual transmission Handles well in the snow Power locks Power windows Keyless entry
CD player Aux. input AC less than 100,000 miles (prefer 50,000 to 80,000) Not a tin can that will be crushed in one accident
I've been looking at VW Jetta, Chevy Cobalt, Ford Focus, Kia Rio, Chevy Aveo. But I have no idea what I really need, so I'm just going to have to go out and test drive some stuff.
So much for that whole BEING DEBT-FREE thing. Oh, well....
You're invited to a musical garden party!! Loveland Opera Theatre presents selections from the Broadway musical "The Secret Garden"! June 12, 2010 from 5-7 pm. Features heavy appetizers, champagne, a garden tour, The Forefathers Barbershop Quartet, and LOT singers. Reservation Required. Admission is FREE, but a donation is appreciated. For more details and to make reservations, go to www.lovelandopera.org.
Featuring: Brittany Hennings, soprano, Angela Johnson & Christie McNeil, mezzo sopranos, Michael Foerster & Craig Johnson, tenors, David L'Hommedieu, baritone, and Zoe Nishimuta, piano.
If Life gave lemons that size, I'd chuck them back in Life's face, rather than making lemonade! -Angela (said after seeing a picture of a ginormous lemon)
He needs a Binky. -Emily (when baby George started crying at the hospital)
Ooh In-fin-dih-tee...and beyond!!! -Noah Witte (spelled how he says it!)
HOP, TWO, FWEE, FOUR! HOP, TWO, FWEE, FOUR! -Emily (copying the nurses in "South Pacific".)
Go go gadget Grandma! -Brian
I'm pretty sure George's first words are either going to be "Get off me!" or "Leave me alone!" -Angela
So, the Terrestrial Kingdom is going to be like an eternal single's ward? -Angela (or Shauna, or Lori...or all 3)
Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a fruit snack in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you had for breakfast. -Emily
I've exceeded my quota of crazy today. Can I go home early? -Angela (said to my boss)
I funny! -Rebekah (age 21 months)
If that song is the "Oklahoma!" of The Taffetas, can I fall on my knife after it's over? -Angela
Hey, I'm not the tent person in the family. I'm just the comic relief! -Angela
You can only see Bugs Bunny so many times before you want to punch him in the face. -Shauna (Why she's glad that Elitches is no longer Six Flags)
You know, I think the Six-Fingered Man from "The Princess Bride" would have been a really great pianist. -Angela
Those who can't dance watch Dancing with the Stars and yell out "Oh, you can't do that in a Foxtrot!" -Angela
Angela, you are singing too pretty. -Britni Girard (Opening night note for Curtains)
My heart is full of unshed tears. I fear it will burst at any moment. It's going to be quite the spectacular mess when it blows. -Angela
Welcome to driving on the interstate with Angela. I can guarantee that you will not die. However, I can't guarantee that you won't think you're going to die. -Angela
I don't like my hot cocoa compromised in any way. Chocolate with chocolate, dipped in chocolate...with chocolate syrup. -Angela
If they came out with an iLife, I would totally get one. -Angela (re: the new Apple iPad)
Wow! That was the Fall of Adam right there! -Angela (after watching a picture of Adam & Eve fall off the wall before a Sunday School lesson on the Fall of Adam.)
No, Desmond will be fine as long as he has his bullet-proof milk. -Angela (on why Desmond won't die on LOST.)
I'm not lost! I know where I am, I just don't know where you are! -Mikeal Macbeth
I saw The Drowsy Chaperone at the Lincoln Center, and Angela's vocals were superior. -Tom Jones (re: my performance of "As We Stumble Along" in UIL's Broadway Showstoppers)
No, you have to clean up because I don't want to. -Emily
If there is no chocolate in heaven, then it might as well be hell. ~Shauna
The lucky people in the world are those who can make a ton of money doing what they love. The rest of us do what we love for the love of it. ~Angela
Hey, you're the Pirates of Cous-aunts! ~Brian
It's not "IHOW"--International House of Waffles! You have to get pancakes! ~Angela
Is it wrong to say that I'm so sick of hearing "Don't Stop Believing" that I have now stopped believing? ~Angela
I want to be a criminal mastermind! ~Tyler (age 4)
I want a wet willy! ~Tyler (age 4)
I HAVE TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN!! ~Brayden (age 2 1/2)
*You'd be like me in Curtains *Oh, okay. Wait...would I have to shave my head? ~CJ Kelly & Angela
I think the perfectness for a picture up close is inversely proportional to the IQ of the person ~Craig (Re: taking pictures with the wildlife in Yellowstone)
I just want to put her voice in a cage and feed it seeds. ~Anonymous (Overheard at an audition)
Don't eat me. ~Rebekah (age almost 3)
Everything that is outside that isn't made of people is nature. ~Emily (age 5 1/2)
You can only speak in a loud voice if you are quoting Star Wars. ~Josh Nelson
*Where do you go to church? *A moose ~Amanda & Craig
Last one to the table gets the Greach! ~Brian
*But we had dessert. We had Tootsie Rolls! *That's not dessert. That's just chocolate. ~Angela & Rebekah
I wish the phone would ring so you guys would stop thinking. ~Dave Clark (After Jon & Angela suggested a coin-operated pool table be put in the box office.) Where is my doohickey? ~Craig
You know my wife is hot when she texts me "Where is my gun?" ~Neal
If I was eating lunch outside at a maximum security penitentiary, I would have felt less watched. ~Brian
And the pig shall lie down with the cow on my plate, and I shall cover them in barbeque sauce. And it will be GOOD! ~Angela
We probably would still lump him in with the "little kids", except now he's licensed to carry a gun. ~Angela
*I want hot chocolate, not hot chocolate-flavored water. *Yeah, I don't want chocolate tea! ~Angela & Steph
But why is Thor in it? ~Angela (after seeing the trailer for "Snow White and Hunter".)
Why are you occupying Wal-Mart? Occupy Costco. They have free samples. ~Ian
Can you say "P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney"? ~Steph
*I might as well just put these directly into the couch. *You might as well just put them directly into the vacuum cleaner. ~Angela & Robin (regarding the new Barbie shoes and sunglasses)
Since that was about your mother, that was the very definition of a Freudian Slip. ~Angela
You're dressed like a highlighter! ~Tyler (to Emily, who was wearing her day-glo green dance costume.)
I don't think Greek calories are worth that much right now. ~Craig Blackard
*Amanda, I don't want to be around when you birth your food baby. *Neither do I. ~Steph & Amanda
No one would surrender to the Dread Captain Flower Pants! ~Brian Angela Johnson is a joy to watch as Marian's mother with heart of gold (and an impressive Irish brogue.) ~Tom Jones (Review of "The Music Man" in The Coloradoan)
