A Year of Angela: 2012 Edition

I keep questioning why I do this.  Everyone I know is on Facebook and they read about me all the time.  Or do they?  Maybe that's why I need to write this.  Also, I don't send out Christmas cards.  Or a Christmas letter.  So this is it!!

So here is A Year of Angela: 2012 edition --

January:
I started off the month recovering from the marathon that was "Scrooge: The Musical".  I had every intention of taking a break from theater for a little while.  However, that intent flew out the window when I went to an audition for a Loveland Community Theatre Readers Theatre production...and got a part!  It was a small part, thankfully, so it still felt like I was on a break!

February:
"Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well" was the Readers Theatre production I was in.  It was a series of scenes written by local writer Jim Willard.  I had a lot of fun reading the part of Susan in "The War Years".  We performed 3 shows right around Valentine's Day.

While still avoiding that whole "taking a break" thing, I auditioned for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Union Colony Dinner Theatre and was cast as Mrs. Sander.  Rehearsals started right away, so I began making the 51 mile round trip drive to Greeley several days a week.

March:
Rehearsals were in full swing for Seven Brides, but since my part was a minor one, I didn't have to go all the time.  That's a heavy dance show, and my character didn't dance!  Huzzah!

I had a fun gig with LOT toward the end of the month.  We sang songs from the opera "The Bohemian Girl" as part of a Willa Cather celebration at the museum.  I sang the role of the Queen of the Gypsies.  It was a lot of fun!

April:
Seven Brides opened and so I was driving to Greeley A LOT!  Luckily, I can write the mileage off on my taxes.  That helps a lot!

The tour of Wicked came back to Denver and I was able to see that incredible show for the FIFTH time!  I will never, EVER tire of that show!

May:
Time for another audition!  The next show at the UCDT was Titanic, one of my all time favorite shows.  There was no way that I wouldn't audition!  I was cast in the role of 1st Class Passenger Marian Thayer.

My beloved Grandpa, Cecil Milligan, passed away on May 28th.  He was 97.  He had been slowing down a lot over the past couple of years.  It was only a short illness that took him.  What a blessing that he didn't have to suffer for long.  We miss him so much every day, but we know that he is no longer held back by his aged body.  His spirit is free and he is looking over us from heaven.  We know we will see him again!  All of my cousins were at the funeral.  We we only missing 2 spouses and 4 great-grandkids!

June:
While rehearsing for Titanic, I was also rehearsing for a LOT concert:  Mamma Mia!  I played the role of Rosie.  We had a lot of fun putting this concert together.  We ended up doing it 3 times, but I only performed in the 1st two.  The 3rd one, I had a performance of Titanic the same night.

Titanic opened toward the end of the month and it was an emotional roller coaster over the next couple of months of performances.  That show is emotionally draining, but so fulfilling!  I loved singing my solo every night at the beginning of the lifeboat scene.  "You and I are getting in the lifeboat.  Father will be staying here awhile.  It will be like rowing in the Serpentine.  Come along now, let us have a smile!"

July:
This was just a busy month of work and Titanic performances.

August:
I got to be in a movie!  I still haven't seen it yet, but I acted in a short film directed by my friend Scotty Shaffer.  It was about a girl who wants to play baseball with the boys, but they make fun of her.  The ghost of her grandmother shows up and encourages her to show up the boys.  Very cute!

What's a break?  I still didn't know.  I auditioned for The Music Man with Up in Lights and was cast as Mrs. Paroo!  Craig auditioned as well and was cast as Mayor Shinn.

Titanic closed and due to circumstances a few months later, I will never again be able to perform at the UCDT.  They closed the doors for good in October.  Sad day!  I loved performing there!

September:
We took our annual short trip to a nearby destination we'd never been to.  This year, Shauna, Mom, Dad, & I went to the 4 Corners!  First, we stopped in Pagosa Springs.  The hot springs are AMAZING!!!  I want to go back there so bad!  Next we went down to Mesa Verde.  It was really cool to visit the ruins there!  Then we went to the 4 Corners and then back up to Monticello, UT.  We did a temple session there.  Then we went to Arches National Park and came home on I-70 through Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs.  We hiked up to Hanging Lake before coming home.  All in 4 days!  We had a lot of fun!

The rest of the month consisted of rehearsals for two shows at once:  The Music Man and the LOT Gala!  No rest for the weary!

October:
First up, the LOT Gala:  Give Our Regards to Broadway.  I was a featured soloist.  I sang "Home" from Beauty and the Beast (and also performed in "Me") and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked!  So much fun!!!  Craig was a featured soloist in the Les Miserables section, as Marius.  We both sang in the chorus, as well as Dad.

The Music Man performances were the last 2 weekends of the month.  We had a great crowds!  What fun to do this show again!  It was kind of funny spending about half the year in the year 1912, though.

November:
BREAK TIME!  FOR REALS THIS TIME!!!!!  Seriously...no shows.  Not at all!  The only performing I did all month was playing for the Primary Program in my ward!

December:
I had a few performances this month.  My Christmas song of the year was "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  I performed it at an open house at the church, LOT's annual PEO concert, and the LOT Holiday Soiree.  I was supposed to sing it at Juliana's Voice Studio recital, but I woke up that morning with those darn sores all over my tongue.  I was super, SUPER sick all day and the next.  I hadn't had those for 9 months!  Why that day?  No idea.  Stupid!!!

Other than that, I just worked a TON.  It's a busy time of year at the Candlelight and so I got a bunch of extra hours.  Yay for more money!  Heaven knows I need it!

So that's what happened this year.  A great year for theatre, a bittersweet year for family.  Too many blessings to count!  Huzzah for 2012!

My Les Miz Love Story

I should start at the beginning.  Here goes:

My love affair with Les Miserables goes back more than 20 years.  I first acquired the London Cast recording in either the late 80s or early 90s.  I can't remember for sure.  Either way, it was a long time ago.  I literally grew up on it.  I listened to it over and over again and, of course, memorized it.

The first time I actually got to see the show was the National Tour in 1999.  I was blown away (and not just by the gunshots that were fired directly above us in our seats on the side of the top balcony.)  Such a beautiful show!  I saw a then-not-famous Sutton Foster as Eponine.  Incredible!

I didn't see the show again until 2010.  My dad and I saw the British National Tour in Edinburgh!  As we were sitting there, waiting for the show to start, Dad asked me if Les Miz was one of my favorite shows.  I said that it was probably in my top 10.  Well, as I sat there at the end, tears streaming down my face, I said to him "This just moved into my top 5!"  You can read my review of that production here.

When I heard that they were FINALLY making a movie version of the musical, I eagerly followed all the news I could find about it.  I was ECSTATIC when they announced that Hugh Jackman would be playing Jean Valjean.  He is one of my favorite actors!  Some of the other casting news was a bit concerning (especially when it was rumored that Taylor Swift would be playing Eponine.  WHAT?!?!  Luckily, that one turned out to be untrue.)  I had a few misgivings about Russell Crowe as Javert, but I decided to wait to pass judgement until I saw him in the role.  I decided that I would put my full trust in the director that he would make the right choices.

I was always so happy to see little snippets of the movie as they were released.  The backlash started from the naysayers, but I ignored it.  Let them complain.  Who cares?  That's their opinion.  I will form my own opinion based on what I see, hear, and feel.  Not because of what someone else says or thinks.  When the movie was completed and the reviews started coming in from people who got to see previews of it, I was very careful what I read.  I didn't want to go any with any preconceived notions.  I was even prepared to set aside my memories of the stage version and take the movie at face value...not as a comparison to what had previously been done and what I had previously seen.  There is a HUGE difference between "theatrically correct" and "cinematically correct".  I could write an entirely separate blog about it.  Suffice it to say, there are things that work on stage and not on film....and vice versa.  I was open to new interpretations of scenes, songs, and characters.  If you aren't, then don't see the movie.  Go see the stage version and shut up about it.

Fast forward to this morning.  Christmas morning!  We got our tickets early to avoid standing in line and went to the 11:30 am showing.  The theater was PACKED!  We didn't even get to all sit together, even though Robin got in there like 45 minutes early to save seats!  Crazy!  Especially for Christmas morning!  Oh, well.

The first chords of the music began and I was already tearing up.  This was a dream come true!  I had waited so long!  And I was not disappointed!  This movie is exquisite.  It's breathtakingly beautiful from beginning to end.  I cried through the entire movie.  I have NEVER cried that much in a movie.  NEVER!  So many moments, I can't even remember them all!  Not just tearing up a little...tears streaming down my face!  At the end of the movie, I was practically hyperventilating to keep from sobbing out loud.  (That would have been awfully embarrassing in that full theater.  I was already sniffling quite a bit.)

There are so many things that make this movie great.  The biggest thing is being up close and personal with the faces of the actors.  You are able to see every emotion on their faces.  This more intimate portrayal takes you deeper into their character.  That is something that you can almost never get on stage, especially when you're like me and can only afford the cheap seats.  Due to this new intimacy, it brought new interpretations of some of the songs.  Moments that were previously performed as show-stopping personal anthems become quieter and more heart-wrenching.  "I Dreamed a Dream" is a perfect example.  Everyone has heard Patti LuPone's emotionally charged anthem version of this song.  It's amazing.  But to watch Anne Hathaway, tears streaming down her face, as she is practically in shock by all that is happening to her...it breaks your heart in an equally poignant way.  Fantine was a broken woman, and Anne was incredible in her portrayal of the agony.  Oscar win for Anne!  I'm calling it now.

I loved the new song, "Suddenly", sung by Valjean as he is taking Cosette away from the Thenardiers'.  I heard an interview with the composers.  They wanted to have a song like that in the original production, but that kind of quiet moment would never have worked on stage.  When the movie came along, they saw it as a chance to write the song they had always wanted.  It's such a beautiful, simple song, that truly shows what Valjean is feeling at that moment.

Hugh Jackman....wow.  What an amazing performance.  That role is such a challenge for anyone and he totally owned it.  Such emotion...such depth.  I have one tiny, eensy, weensy complaint.  Couldn't they have lowered the key a bit for Hugh?  Most songs were fine, but some were just a bit too high.  He was straining and it was a little uncomfortable. I was trying so hard not to compare what I was hearing to previous people, but some songs were a little on the harsh side because of how high he was having to sing.  He's not a tenor.  But really, that was my only complaint.  Character-wise, acting-wise, he was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!  He'll win the Golden Globe for sure.  (I can't say about the Oscar.  He's got some stiff competition from Daniel Day-Lewis.)

On to Russell Crowe.  I loved his portrayal of  Javert.  He could never pull it off on stage, but he totally worked for the film.  He was great opposite Hugh Jackman, for one.  A good match.  But also, he's a wonderful actor and really understood just what it is that makes Javert tick.  Javert's not a bad guy.  He's not evil. He just sees the world as black and white...no gray area.  He's doing what he thinks is right and he is true to his job.  Russell is a good singer.  I've definitely heard the role sung better, but that's not the point.  He was right for the movie...and did a great job with the character.  That's what really matters!

I could go on for days on the virtues of the remainder of the cast.  I'll just hit a few of the highlights:

• Colm Wilkinson - How awesome is it to see him in this movie?  The original Jean Valjean!  He is so great as the Bishop.
• Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter - I never thought I was say nice things about Sasha Baron Cohen.  I think some of the movies he has done are disgusting.  But as Thenardier?  Couldn't have been better cast!  He was SO GREAT!  And you really can't go wrong with Helena Bonham Carter.  She's a gem!
• Samantha Barks - How tiny exactly is her waist?!?!  And what a great Eponine.  She played the role in London, so she's had lots of experience with the character.  Wonderful job!
• Eddie Redmayne - Lovely voice!  A wonderful Marius!  I really loved "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables".
• Gavroche - I don't know the kid's name.  I didn't look it up yet, but he was WONDERFUL!  A little charmer!

What a gift this movie is.  It takes this incredible show to the next level.  It gives us so much more emotion and depth, just by bringing us closer to the characters.  I still love the stage version.  It's still in my top 5.  But this movie...wow...so intense and breathtaking.  I can't wait to see it again!  I just have to calm myself down from the amount of crying I did while seeing it the first time!

"To love another person is to see the face of God."  *sob*

Golden Globe Nominations!

Here are some of my instant reactions to this year's Golden Globe nominations:

Best Motion Picture Drama:
Lincoln....it's AMAZING!!!!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama:
Daniel Day-Lewis is pretty much unbeatable.  He's lucky Hugh Jackman is nominated in the musical category, though.

Best Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Les Miz is going to win, but I think having it in the "comedy" category is totally wrong.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical:
Hugh Jackman will win this.  No question.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
This is Anne Hathaway's to lose.  But Sally Field also deserves it.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
I will be shocked if Tommy Lee Jones doesn't win this.

Best Animated Film:
Brave and Wreck It Ralph are both great!

Best Television Series Musical or Comedy:
The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, and Smash are all deserving.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Benedict Cumberbatch is AMAZING as Sherlock!!

Angela's Essential Broadway Playlist

I'm creating a playlist on my iPod called Essential Broadway and I'm going to share it with you.  These are my favorite showtunes.  Take note (and PLEASE see the disclaimer at the end!):

"An Old Fashioned Wedding" from Annie Get Your Gun (1999 Revival)
- Bernadette Peters + Tom Wopat + this adorable song = MAGIC!

"Blow Gabriel, Blow' from Anything Goes (1987 Revival)
- Patti Lupone as Reno Sweeney.  Need I say more?

"If I Can't Love Her" from Beauty and the Beast
- Hands down my favorite song from this musical.  When I did the show, I used to run offstage after Be Our Guest, ditch my giant plate, and race back over to watch this song from the wings.

'If Ever I Would Leave You" from Camelot
- This song is just so heartbreakingly beautiful...especially when sung by Robert Goulet (Ask me about the time I saw Robert Goulet as King Arthur.)

'Soliloquy' from Carousel
- My favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein.  People knock this show all the time, but I adore it!  It shows real life...stuff that really happened.  It teaches us that everyone deserves redemption.  And this song...GAH!  When Billy starts singing about "My little girl, pink and white as peaches and cream is she"...I LOVE IT!!!

'I Miss the Music' from Curtains
- This song is just beautiful.  And it takes on an entirely new meaning when you consider that this was the last show that Kander and Ebb wrote together before Fred Ebb passed away.  John Kander really does miss the music!

'Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True' from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- Listen closely to what Freddy is singing and you can't help by laugh!  Norbert Leo Butz is a hoot!

'As We Stumble Along' from The Drowsy Chaperone
- A rousing anthem sung by a drunk lady.  Gotta love it!  Especially when she messes up the lyrics.  Love it!  (And I love singing it!)

'Lady of Spain' from Forever Plaid
- A salute to the Ed Sullivan show!  A hilarious number to hear...and watch!

'The Crapshooters Dance' from Guys and Dolls
- My favorite number in the show.  And that's saying a lot...I love singing "Adelaide's Lament"!

"No More" from Into the Woods
- I don't know what it is about this song that gets me every time.  Whether is the the Baker bonding with his father or the fact that the lyrics to this song are just so...RELEVANT.  It's a great song.

"Confrontation" from Jekyll & Hyde
- It's one guy.  It's not two guys.  THAT'S what makes it so incredible.

"A Summer in Ohio" from The Last 5 Years
- It's just so funny...and Sherie Rene Scott is awesome!

"Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miserables
- Both ways I've seen this song staged are so exquisite.  And you just ACHE for Marius.

"Love to Me" from The Light in the Piazza
- Someone please sing this to me.  Seriously.

"If Only" from The Little Mermaid
- Of all the new songs they added for the stage version, this one is by FAR the best.  It's exquisite!

"Somethings are Meant to Be" from Little Women
- I can't tell you how much I love this duet.  Even those Beth dies at the end.  (Spoiler alert?)

"The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha (2002 Revival)
- It's Brian Stokes Mitchell singing one of the best songs EVER.  Need I say more?

"Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins
- Making this a duet between the bird lady and Mary is pure genius!

"Pore Jud is Daid" from Oklahoma! (1998 London Cast)
- Best song in the show, sung by Hugh Jackman.  Aaaaaw yeeeeeeeah.....

"Ugg a Wug" from Peter Pan (2004 Revival)
- The original was good, but this updated version is super cool!

"You are my Own" from Phantom
- I have no qualms about admitting that I prefer Maury Yeston's version over Andrew Lloyd Webber's.  One main reason is the storyline involving the Phantom's father.  And THIS song.

"Here on this Night" from The Pirate Queen
- Unfortunately, this show tanked on Broadway.  But the music is fantastic!  Especially this duet.  Hadley Fraser & Stephanie J. Block are incredible!!

"I'll Forget You" from The Scarlet Pimpernel
- Marguerite sings this while in prison.  I ADORE THIS SONG!!!

"Lily's Eyes" from The Secret Garden
- This song will forever and always be one of my most favorite songs!!

"Who I'd Be" from Shrek
- I just love this song.  Shrek is more than just a stinky ogre!!

"This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific (Carnegie Hall Concert Version)
- Once again, it's Brian Stokes Mitchell.  The guy can sing no wrong.

"Diva's Lament" from Spamlot
- This song is just plain amazing.

"Gimme Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Sutton Foster.  That's all I'm saying.

"The Blame" from Titanic
- It was hard for me to pick one song from this show.  What happens between the Captain, Ismay, and Andrews in this scene is incredible, so I went with this song for that reason alone.  It's a great scene!

"For Good" from Wicked
- Bet you thought I was going to go with Defying Gravity, didn't you?  Well, I'm sorry, but you can't beat this duet.  It's one of the best songs ever written.

"My New Philosophy" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- Not only is this just about the cutest song ever, but it was also introduced the world to a little lady named Kristin Chenoweth.

"Old Maid" from 110 in the Shade
- I want to play this role, but I could never play Lizzie as well as Audra McDonald did.  Wow times 100!

"The I Love You Song" from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- There are no words to adequately describe how awesome this song is.

Get Out and Stay Out" from 9 to 5
- Another Stephanie J. Block POWERHOUSE number.  Stand up and cheer for this GIRL POWER SONG!!!

DISCLAIMER:  This list is a work in progress and will FOREVER be in flux.  My favorites change daily.  But at the moment I was going through my music on iTunes, these are the songs I loved.  While I will not yell at you if you send me messages that say "But what about [blank]?", I may or may not add them to my list.

Celebrity Tweet!!!

Oh my gosh you guys!!!!!!  Dominic Monaghan knows my name!  Okay...so he knows my Twitter name.  He tweeted me!!!

Backing up....

Who is Dominic Monaghan?

Merry in The Lord of the Rings:

Charlie on Lost:

Okay, so anyway....a movie and a TV show I've *cough* been obsessed with in the past.  *cough*.  He's an actor I really like, to say the least.

So....I follow him on Twitter.  This morning, he must have been bored, because he was answering questions!  I noticed that they were coming up in real time, so I decided what the heck, I'd send him a question.

Here it is:

The Warbling Wench ‏@MusicaAngelica
@DomsWildThings If Charlie hadn't have died, do you think he and Claire would have lived happily ever after?

I tweeted that at about 9:30 or so, right before I went to work.  Within 2 minutes, he tweeted the answer!

Dominic Monaghan ‏@DomsWildThings

“@MusicaAngelica: If Charlie hadn't have died, do you think he and Claire would have lived happily ever after?” No. He's broken. 

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally made my day.

200th Anniversary

Do you know what I just realized?  We have been commemorating several things that took place in 1912 this year (like the sinking of the Titanic), but we have totally forgotten one very important thing!  Two hundred years of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture!  It's only one of the best pieces out there.  Great music...actual cannons.

Wait...what?  It was composed in 1880?  Oh.  Huh...

Well, it's got 1812 in the title.  Why?  Because it was written to commemorate Russian's defense against Napoleon's invading army in 1812.  So hurray for that!  Please take a moment to listen to this magnificent piece:


LOVE IT!! One of my favorite songs I ever played in band. We didn't use cannons, though. I'm pretty sure they frown on that at the UCCC. We used a bunch of bass drums that had one head removed. I have a recording, if anyone ever wants to listen to it. Pretty amazing!

Dumb Moment of the Day

I have dumb moments sometimes.  I don't like it when they happen in front of other people, but if they happen just to myself, I enjoy telling the story...because they are usually pretty funny.

Today I was playing the piano in Primary and I decided to play though all of the Articles of Faith songs in the Childrens' Songbook.  As I was playing each one, I noticed that the music for each song was written by the same lady... Vanja Y. Watkins.  My next thought was "I wonder if the same person wrote all of the lyrics."

DUH!!!!!!!

Yeah, I'm dumb.  Joseph Smith wrote the Articles of Faith, so he OBVIOUSLY wrote the lyrics to all 13 songs.

Wait for it.....

Wah waaaaaaaaaah......

Blog Fail

I am so sick of political ads.  This is the final night for them, and they are so annoying!!!  I'm going to tally all the commercials while I'm watching "Bones" tonight (7 to 8 pm).  Just to prove how many there are!!!

1. Windows Surface
2. Visa NFL Fan Offers
3. Nisson Pathfinder
4. Best Buy
5. Fox on Windows 8

Hmm...no ads.  Did they magically end at 7 pm?  Man, I hope so!

1. Target
2. iPad Mini
3. AT&T
4. The Mob Doctor
5. Pro-Romney
6. Anti-Obama
7. Anti-Romney

I spoke too soon.  The ads are back.  (PS.  The guy playing the butcher on Bones tonight looks like a young Dennis Quaid!)

1. Chrysler 300
2. Tylenol Cold
3. KFC Dip'ems
4. Halo 4
5. Michelin
6. Samsung Galaxy Note II
7. The X Factor

Wow...this blog is pretty pointless now.  (On a side note, Fisher is one of my favorite Squinterns.)

1. Kia Optima
2. Windows 8
3. Sprint
4. The Mob Doctor
5. News promo
6. Anti-Obama
7. Arby's
8. News promo
9. American Furniture Warehouse
10. Pro-Obama
11. Glee

Well, this backfired.  But there are a ton fewer ads than earlier today.  IT'S A GUY FAWKES DAY MIRACLE!!!!

1. Halo 4
2. Skyfall trailer
3. Walgreens
4. Ford Escape
5. Sony
6. News promo
7. The Mob Doctor

And...that's the game!  Total Blog Fail.  I was trying to prove a point, and that didn't exactly work out.  Oh, well...I'm posting it anyway.

Back to School at Emily Elementary

I think my niece Emily, age 7, is going to be a teacher someday.  Last night when I went up to visit for Halloween, she immediately dragged me back into the boys' bedroom and we had to play school.  George, Rebekah, and I were the students and Emily was the teacher.  George, of course, wouldn't sit still long enough for this.  But Becky and I were good students.  We did all of the assignments.  Mine were harder than Becky's, who to to draw pictures of hearts for her first assignment.

Assignment number 1:  Write all the even numbers from 1 to 100.
DONE.

Assignment number 2:  Write five didn't names for 12.
Excuse me WHAT?  I couldn't figure out what she meant by that, but she explained that I could just write the different ways to write twelve.  Um, okay.  So I wrote it in German, Spanish, the word "dozen", 12 tally marks, and the Roman Numeral for 12.

Assignment number 3:  Read a book.
Becky read "Five Silly Monkeys" and I started to read the Disney book "Dinosaur".  Emily interrupted when I was halfway done, because we had to move on to....

Assignment number 4:  Write a letter.
She gave me a piece of paper and I wrote the following:

Dear Santa,
For Christmas I would like $1 million dollars in small, unmarked bills.  If you bring this to me, I will not harm Rudolf.
From Angela.

It was time for dinner and then trick or treating, so we never got to finish school for the day.  (However, I did see her lesson plan, which included recess, THANK GOODNESS!)  But I think it's fairly safe to say that I am a straight A student.

Review of The Music Man

I keep forgetting to post this review we got of The Music Man.  This ran in the Coloradoan last Thursday.  Thanks, Tom Jones!!

A hundred years ago, railroads criss-crossed the continent, taking travelers to faraway places they only could reach by train. Many of these train riders were salesmen, traveling from city to city to sell their wares — from soap to buttons, to amazingly heavy anvils.
 
And some of these salesmen weren’t particularly honest, including a shyster by the name of Harold Hill who claims he could create bands in local communities where the townsfolk would give cash for instruments and dazzling uniforms for their children.

Jordan Centeno rolled into Loveland this week as Harold Hill in Up In Lights heartfelt production of “The Music Man,” the classic musical by Meredith Wilson. Centeno is a natural charmer as the shyster who decides to get off the train in River City, Iowa, to collect funds with the idea he can create a local band. He portrays Hill with a disarming wink, smooth sophistication, super stage presence and fine voice. Unlike most other productions of the show, Hill even dances in this one. Delightfully so, under direction of Britni Girard.

“The Music Man” is composer Wilson’s love song to America of the last century. He captured it all — the wholesome naivety of parents wanting the best for their children, the gossiping women who don’t have a lot to do to meaningfully occupy their time, the school board members who can’t stand one another, the bombastic mayor (played by Craig Johnson) with the over-the-top wife (Paula Satchell) who longs to be a great dancer. And the lonely librarian who finds great solace in the books that an elderly friend left to her, when he left the library building itself to the town.

Wilson takes us to a time when naughty words included “swell” and “your old man.” When the summer ice cream sociable was the year’s highlight. And when first love was found on the bridge in the town park.

He wrapped this tale with great music. It is hard to find a more beautiful song than “Goodnight My Someone” as currently sung by Nattia Trout as the librarian longing for something wonderful to happen in her life. She is surrounded by the love of her widowed mother, Mrs. Paroo, and her withdrawn younger brother, Winthrop, but realizes there might be more to life than her local situation provides.

Trout is a joy to watch, as are Angela Johnson, as her Irish mother with a heart of gold (and an impressive Irish brogue), and Michael Chuevront as Winthrop. Winthrop has a lisp and has become reclusive. Under tutelage of Hill, however, Winthrop has learned a super song with words he can produce, and belts out “Gary, Indiana, with great enthusiasm. Frequently child actors are pleasant to watch, but difficult to understand. Chuevront, however, is a performing natural. Also excelling among the show’s younger performers is Katie Canterbury as Amaryllis.

There are several children in this “Music Man” charmer. They appear to be having a great time performing, and the audience is rewarded with their infectious joy. Talent prevails in the especially large cast of River City citizens — highlighted by the quarrelsome school board. Hill convinces them to turn every possible quarrel into a song. This results in a delightful barbershop quartet that knocks the socks off the audience each time they appear — cantankerous at first, then craving each other’s company so that they can harmonize. The combination of their singing “Lida Rose” in company of Marian’s “Will I Ever Tell You” is especially effective. Adam Goetsch, Brad Redford, Cody Schmitt and Daniel Carey are the melodic school board.

Britni Girard directs and choreographs the wonderful show, with Phil Foreman as music director; Debbie Russell as costumer designer; Kallyah Wood, Morgan Hoog and Rachel Miller as dance captains; and Cole Emarine as assistant choreographer.

The cast is so large that there are possibilities for less-than-wonderful moments. Some of the spoken lines are missed, with need to rely on past knowledge of the show to keep you aware of what is happening. Those moments are fortunately fleeting, however, and the overall experience is one of great affection.

In 1957, the show became a hit on Broadway where it received five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The original show ran for 1,375 performances.

The best-known song from the show is the rousing “Seventy-Six Trombones,” which appears in the first act and then as a standing-ovation audience pleaser at the end. Yep, it appears that Harold Hill has beguiled yet another town with his promise of putting together a band. This time the happier-but-wiser town is Loveland.

Book Review: Within the Dark Hills by Sian Ann Bessey

It's pretty rare that a book truly, deeply, affects me emotionally.  Either I don't feel a real connection to it, or just something else.  But in the case of Within the Dark Hills, I devoured it.  When I finished it, I didn't want it to end.  I wanted to know more!  I felt a deep connection to the characters...probably because some of my ancestors came from Wales and lived almost the same life that the characters led.  I felt a kinship to them through this book.

Annie Morgan is running from a vicious employer out for revenge and Evan Powell is trying to raise a 2 year old daughter alone while working 12 to 14 hour days in the mines.  They are brought together by the local preacher and enter into a marriage of convenience.  Annie gets protection in case the former employer comes looking for her and Evan's daughter gets a mother.  Sounds simple, right?  Well...no.  The town gossips go nuts and Evan's sister is furious.  They work past the difficulties caused by the town, but something always comes up.  But it all brings Evan and Annie closer together.  And then the Mormon missionaries come to town, which fuels Evan's long lasting desire to go to America.

I really loved this book.  I felt a connection to both characters almost immediately and I wanted nothing more than for them to fall in love.  I loved a chance to get in touch with my Welsh roots, too.  I was reminded once again that my singing voice probably came from my Welsh ancestors. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet romance, a historical novel about early converts to the Church, and anything at all about Wales.  It's a great book that you won't want to put down.  (And I'm considering writing to the author and asking for a sequel!  I liked the characters just that much!!)

Memories of the UCDT

I'm feeling very sad today.  One of my favorite theaters is closing.  The Union Colony Dinner Theatre will close its doors for the last time today.  This was such a wonderful theater and this is a huge a loss to the local theatre community.

My first experience with the UCDT was when I auditioned for "Fiddler on the Roof" in March of 2007.  I remember thinking what a quaint little space that was, nestled in downtown Greeley.  My audition went well.  These were season auditions, and Fiddler was the last show of the season, so I had to wait awhile.  Callbacks were held a few months later and around the beginning of June, I found out that I was cast as Fruma Sarah!  Now to wait...the show wasn't going up until May 2008!

My first show that I saw there was "Oklahoma!", right around the time I was cast in Fiddler.  Fantastic show!  I was (and still am) fascinated with how normally large scale productions could be made to work on that small stage.  It was just magic, I guess!

My wait continued.  About 3 weeks before rehearsals were to begin for Fiddler, I received a phone call from the new director, Seth Caikowski, whom I had known since we went to high school together.  He offered me the part of the oldest daughter, Tzeitel!  I was shocked at first, thinking I was too old.  But he assured me that I was not, and I happily accepted!

What came next was one of the best experiences I have had in a show EVER.  This production is definitely in my top 2 favorite and best shows I've ever done!  We had an amazing 10 weekend run and I was thrilled to be a part of it!

I didn't return to the UCDT stage for 4 years.  (Not from lack of trying, mind you...I did audition several times!)  My next show was "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."  This was the last show under Cathy & Raja's ownership.  This show is my favorite movie musical, and the show, while not QUITE as good as the movie, it still a wonderful show!  I played Mrs. Sander, one of the mothers.  I got a fun solo and I got to act silly.  (Hey, those are my main requirements for having a good time in a show!)  We had a great time with this show.  There was so much incredible talent on that stage, especially with the dancing...and there's a lot of dancing in that show.  I was VERY glad that I didn't have to dance!  

With the departure of Cathy & Raja, Brandon Bill took over management of the theater.  I was in the first show under his reign, "Titanic:  The Musical".

Now, I mentioned earlier that Fiddler was in my top 2 of favorite shows I've ever done.  The first production of Titanic is my number 1.  This made it a little difficult for me as we embarked on this journey.  (Pun intended.)  I am desperately in love with that show, especially the show we did with Front Range Music Theatre in 2003.  Once I let go of some of that, I had a great time in this new production!  I played the role of 1st Class Passenger Marion Thayer.  I was very happy to get an upgrade from last time, plus I got a great solo right at the beginning of the lifeboat scene.  This show was so beautiful.  So much depth and wonderful tribute to those who were on that ill-fated voyage.

And now, just a few short months later, the theatre will close forever.  I am so sad that I will never again be able to perform on that stage.  So many great memories there.  I've only touched on a small number of them.  So I'll just close with this:  Fare thee well, UCDT.  There will forever be a UCDT shaped hole in my heart.  I will love you forever!

The Not-So-Glamorous Life of a Performer.

So you think that performers lead glamorous lives, do you?  Well...think again.

I sang at the Loveland Opera Theatre Gala tonight.  We did "Give Our Regards to Broadway", so basically just a bunch of awesome showtunes.  I sang "Home" from Beauty and the Beast and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.  I also sang Belle's part, which isn't much but it's funny, in "Me" from Beauty and the Beast.  Not to toot my own horn, but I did alright.

So basically, I performed a bunch of cool songs in front of a sold out crowd tonight, all while dressed to the nines.  What did I do after the show?  Well, I'll tell you:

I went to King Soopers in my sweats.  I bought toilet paper and allergy medication.  I came home.  I'm blogging this and then I have to fold some laundry before I go to bed.

Glamorous?  HA!  Welcome to reality.  Reality really is a sucker punch sometimes.

PS.  This is my 500th blog post.  Not overall, just on this particular blog.  Total every post I've ever done, between this, my old blog on Myspace, my "Writings" blog, and my "A Year in My Life" blog from last year, and I've probably done close to 1000.  Dang.  Maybe I should have been a writer.

A Little Late to the 3D Party

I am extremely behind the times, but I finally saw my first 3D movie last night.  That's right.  I saw "Finding Nemo" in 3D!  I thought the 3D effects were pretty cool (especially when they were in the fish tank looking out.  It actually felt like you were in a real fish tank!)  The school of fish looked really cool, too.  Also, the jelly fish looked amazing!

However, I will probably not be spending a lot of money on seeing any more 3D movies.  It made me a little dizzy, but not really bad.  But it was SO EXPENSIVE!!  And I think movies look just fine in 2D.  I saw the trailer for The Hobbit in 3D and it looked ridiculous!  They looked like talking cardboard cutouts.  I am super excited for that movie (obviously), but I will be seeing it in 2D, thank you very much!

You know, if you really want to see something in 3D, go see live theater.  It's the best, most realistic, 3D around!

Four Corners Trip

This last week was our annual quick road trip!  This year we headed south.  We only had a few days, so we couldn't go far.  But we made the most of the time that was given to us.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Our first stop was Pagosa Springs.  This has become a favorite location for many of our family members, so we were happy to finally make it there!  The drive there is beautiful.  Highway 285 out of Denver is a great drive!  As we got to Buena Vista, I commented that Buena Vista really does have some buena vistas.  Oh, and don't stop for gas in Saguache if you can help it.  Gas was $4 a gallon!  And the restrooms were port-o-potties!  

The first thing I noticed about Pagosa Springs is that they have one movie theater.  It has one movie playing, once a day, and it's closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays!  Funny!  The next thing I noticed about Pagosa Springs is what a charming little town it is!

Isn't it darling?!  Love it!  And then there's the hot springs.  Oh, now that was HEAVENLY!  I loved going from pool to pool, trying out the different temperatures.  109 was a little much, but I had to try it.  Just my feet, mind you.  That's all I could get in!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

We left at 8:00 am and headed for Mesa Verde, which is only a 2 hour drive from Pagosa!  We had always wanted to go to Mesa Verde, so this was a real treat!  We took a tour of the Cliff Palace, which was a fun little hike with ladders to climb and everything!  It's really amazing to see where those people just carved out homes for themselves on the side of a mountain!

Amazing, huh?  Unbelievable!

Here are some more pictures:

After we left Cliff Palace, we drove around a little bit.  We didn't take anymore tours, but we did walk around the museum.

We left Mesa Verde around 3:00 pm and headed for Four Corners!  The location of the monument is actually a few miles off from where the four states would meet if they remeasured using today's surveying instruments.  But since the original borders are what hold up in a court of law, they aren't going to move the monument.  Funny, though.  But now I can say that I was in four states at the same time!

 

Yes, I am a nerd.

 After leaving Four Corners, we head west through Arizona for a bit and then north in Utah.  Our first stop was Bluff, Utah, where my great grandmother, Annetta Hansen Frederickson Craig lived for several years.  They have renovated the house, so Mom and Dad didn't recognize it at first.  We got a short tour of Bluff because of that.  But here is Grandma Freddy's house:

Our final stop of the day was Monticello.  Who should we see, but none other than Mater!

 Who knew that Radiator Springs was in Monticello!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

We went to the first session of the day at the Monticello Temple.  This was my first time in one of the "smaller" temples.  It was fun to see how the layout is different from the larger temples.

After leaving Monticello, we headed for Moab.  That place has a lot of "Urgent Care and X-Ray" places.  We thought that was pretty funny!  Our next stop was Arches National Park!  SO MANY cool things to see in Arches!  A geological treasure trove!  Here are just a few pictures:

Such a beautiful place!

We had wanted to take a dirt road out of the park, to save some mileage.  However, it had rained the day before and the ranger that Shauna talked to said that the road would most likely be impassable.  She suggested that we take Highway 128 north and west to I-70.  We took her advice and were SO GLAD that we did!  It was a beautiful canyon!  Very similar to Lake Powell, just without the lake.

We made it to Grand Junction around 6:30 pm and had dinner, then headed out again for Glenwood Springs.  We didn't get there in time to go to the hot springs there, which was a bummer.    Oh, well...maybe another time!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

We were up and out SUPER EARLY.  We hiked Hanging Lake and we had to get an early start because we had a deadline.  I later noted that we were "that guy."  We were the first ones on the trail, meaning we were on our way down when the next people came.  I've always said "That guy is crazy!" about the people coming down as I'm going up at an early hour.  We were "That Guy."

Now let me say this about the hike to Hanging Lake:  IT'S FREAKING HARD!!  A little over a mile and pretty much straight up.  But let me also say this about the hike:  It's totally worth it!  Hanging Lake is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!

 

Mom and Dad made it to the top, too!  It took Shauna 40 minutes, me an hour and 15 minutes and Mom and Dad an hour and a half!  I didn't climb up to see Spouting Rock because my legs were KILLING ME!!!  We made it back down and made our deadline to be on the road so we could get home on time!

The whole trip was a lot fun!  It's always so nice to get away for a few days.  It was great to be able to visit a part of my home state that I've never been to!  Where are we going next year?  We don't know yet.  The jury is still out on that one!

Camping!

I just had to post this beautiful picture that Craig took of the cabin where we spent Labor Day weekend:

 Pretty sweet, huh?  Gotta love Hermit Park!

Theatre Update!

I guess it's time to do a little update!  The summer has both dragged and gone by really fast.  How does that happen?  I have no idea.
  
I just finished up a 10 week run of Titanic: The Musical at the Union Colony Dinner Theatre in Greeley.  I played the role of 1st Class Passenger Marion Thayer.  

This picture is from the beginning of the lifeboat scene...which is one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the entire show.  And I kicked it off with my solo:  "You and I are getting in the lifeboat.  Father will be staying here awhile.  It will be like rowing in the Serpentine.  Come along now, let us have a smile!"  In real life, the Thayer's son, Jack, was 17 years old.  In the show, he is supposed to be a 8 or 9 year old boy.  We used a baby, since it was easier.  I seriously considered having Emily, Rebekah, George, or Ben play the child, even just once.  Didn't do it, though.  Too much work to get them to understand where to go and what to do.  Plus, they are all blonde and blue eyed.  Wouldn't look right.  So the stage-veteran doll it was.  That is the 3rd time that doll has played my child onstage.  (Fiddler on the Roof and The Miracle Worker were the 1st two times.  It's also been in a few shows at the Candlelight!)

It's no secret that Titanic is one of my most favorite shows ever.  The production I did with Front Range Music Theatre in 2003 was nothing short of AMAZING!  It was hard for me at first to not dwell on how awesome that production was.  This show was different.  Different cast (well, except for Lloyd and Sharon as the Strausses, and me in a different role), different theatre, smaller stage, smaller set, no full orchestra.  But we came through with a wonderful show and touched many hearts with the message.  Sail on, sail on, great ship Titanic!

Up next, I will be playing Mrs. Paroo in Up in Lights Productions' The Music Man.  The show runs the last two weeks of October at the Rialto.  Craig is playing Mayor Shinn.  It's going to be a fun show!

But before that, I'm singing in the Loveland Opera Theatre Gala "Give our Regards to Broadway" on October 6th.  I'm singing "Home" from Beauty and the Beast and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.  It's going to be a great Gala!

Scammer Fail

They say that e-mail scammers are getting smarter.  Well, after an attempted scam reached by my inbox this morning, I submit that they are complete idiots.

This is the e-mail I received today:

Hello,

   I'm writing this with great grievance . I'm presently in Madrid,Spain. with my Family for a short vacation and we're stuck...And really it was  unannounced. We were attacked by four armed robbers on our way back to the hotel where we lodged.we were robbed and completely embarrassed.All our cash,credit cards and cellphone were stolen.
 
We've reported the incident to the embassy and the Police but to my dismay they seem not  bothered...their response was just too casual.Our flight leaves in few hours but We've got to settle our bills before We're allowed to leave....Now am  freaked out....Please I need you to loan some money,I promise to refund you as soon as I'm back home. All i need is $1,650 .. Please Let me know what you can do?Write me back so  I can tell you how to
get it to me..

Umm.....okay.  The sender was my friend's name, and his e-mail address.  Except for one minor difference:  After his e-mail address, it said "via Yahoo".  Huh.  Just out of curiosity, I clicked "reply".  The Reply-to address was the same prefix as my friend's e-mail address, but it was @ymail.com.  I reported it as Spam, but I don't know how to take any further action than that.  I'll need to look that up.

But really, the one thing that made it immediately clear that this was a scam was this:  I knew he wasn't in Madrid.  We had a show last night.  He was there.  I last saw him at about 10:30 pm.  We have a show tonight.  There is no way that he sent that message to me from Madrid at 7:47 am MDT.

So this is a message to all the scammers out there:  If you're going to hack someone's e-mail and send a message like this to all of their friends, make sure that you don't send this to people who just saw them the night before.  I really, REALLY want to reply to the e-mail and tell this person what a moron they are.  But I won't....it just verifies that I received the e-mail and puts me in danger of getting hacked myself.

Idiots. 

Olympic Opening Ceremonies...just a little late!

I finally got around to watching the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics.  (I had a show that night and I don't have DV-R or a VCR.)  

Just a couple of things you should know:  I have been obsessed with the Olympics since 1984.  I was 6 at the time and it was the first time I remember watching the Olympics.  (I have a hazy memory of the Winter Games in Yugoslavia, and I have a couple of not vivid, but not hazy memories of the  Summer Games in Los Angeles.)  Also, it is on my Bucket List to perform in an Opening or Closing Ceremonies.  If Denver ever gets the games, I will be on the phone within minutes, trying to get on the list of willing performers.


Anyway, just a couple of thoughts on the London Opening Ceremonies:

• I LOVED the beginning.  The Pastoral scene was so beautiful!
• Kenneth Branagh quoting Shakespeare?  Perfect!  And I loved it every time they showed him again...he had the biggest smile on his face.  I could read his mind...he was thinking this was the coolest thing he had ever done!
• The children's choirs singing those familiar hymns brought tears to my eyes!
• The transition to the Industrial Revolution was AWESOME!!!!!
• Forging the Rings?  Sweet!  (Probably not a nod to The Lord of the Rings, but I took it as such.)
• The entire James Bond/Queen Elizabeth II thing was HILARIOUS!!!  Oh, how I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when they pitched that idea to her.
• The homage to Children's literature was really cool!  I could have done without the love letter to the NHS, but whatever.  
• I thought it was funny that they were naming off the villains...but they didn't name one of them:  The Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Probably because they didn't know who he was.  Way to go, Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera.  Way to go.
• I LOLed when the Mary Poppinses (Mary Poppini?) came to attack the 100 foot tall Voldemort.
• My absolute FAVORITE moment of all was the part with Rowan Atkinson.  That man is, hands down, the best physical comedian ever.  Or at least, he has the best facial expressions ever.  And kudos to him for doing that bit live.  How many other comedians today would not be able to perform live?   Genius.
• After that, it all got a little weird.  I didn't particularly care for the whole June and Frankie thing or whoever they were.  I started fast forwarding.
• It got to the parade of nations and I was going to fast forward some more.  But I was at Shauna's house and Ashlin was standing on the couch with her front paws in my lap and her face in my face...and she wouldn't get down.  So I turned the TV off and went home.

This wasn't my favorite Opening Ceremonies.  That honor goes to Beijing, of course.  But I enjoyed it very much.  I look forward to watching the rest later! 

Fun Family Facts

In honor of Pioneer Day, I have looking on FamilySearch.org to find fun facts about my ancestors.  I started out just looking to verify that my great-great grandfather had been born at Winter Quarters and then I quickly realized, as I clicked on other names, that some entries have little fun facts!

I discovered that my great-great-great grandmother, Polly Ann Guymon Johnson was an excellent seamstress.  At one time, she had over 60 geese.  She also had a cupboard in her house that was made out of the wagon box they used to cross the plains.

I found out that my great-great grandmother, Eleanor Cook Neal Milligan (yes, Neal is named after her maiden name), met my great-great grandfather when he came to work for her father.  She refused to kiss him at their wedding because he had a mustache.  I also found out that she was named after her father's 1st wife, Eleanor Cook!  Wow!

I discovered that my great grandparents, George & Eula Milligan, were married in Boulder.

I've been having fun looking this stuff up!  I wish there was more to find!