NC Theater's Annie with Andrea McArdle as Miss Hannigan!

              Making another foray into Triangle-area regional theater, last night I saw NC Theatre’s production of Annie at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. This was in the same building where I saw Rent, but in a different theater.  There are like four theaters in this performing arts complex, and Annie was in the big one!  My ticket was only $30, and I was in the front row of the “balcony,” dead center.  I put quotes around the word balcony because I was under the impression that I would actually be in a balcony situated over orchestra seats, but it was really just an elevated tier behind the orchestra section, and it was pretty far back.  Nonetheless, I feel like it was still worth my $30. 

                I have a confession to make: Annie isn’t my favorite musical.  Now, I don’t hate Annie, but it’s never been on my list of must-see shows.  I’m not sure why, since I don’t have anything particular against it.  In fact, the only time I’ve ever actually seen it on stage was when I was in 7^th grade and my middle school did a production of Annie, Jr.  I’m pretty sure that doesn’t even count.  

However, I knew I had to see this when I saw the ad in the newspaper saying that Andrea McArdle would be playing Miss Hannigan.  Yes, that Andrea McArdle.  The original Annie.  Tony Award nominee.  The one mentioned in the [title of show] song “A Way Back to Then.”  Since I was born far too late to ever see Andrea McArdle as Annie, I knew this might be my only chance to see Andrea McArdle in Annie.  I’m so glad I did.  I was surprised by how much I liked it.  I’m not really sure what I was worried about.  I was most pleasantly surprised by the talent level of the children.  Many of the adult actors came from around the region and country (including a good few from NYC), but the children are all from the Triangle area.  I was delighted to see that they were really talented, especially the little one playing Molly.  I thought “Hard-Knock Life” was stellar, and I loved the choreography with the buckets.

I really only have two complaints about the show, and neither have to do with the acting or singing.  The first is that I don’t think Annie’s wig was red enough.  With several mentions to the red hair in the script, I don’t think it was a wise move to put her in a sort of muted auburn wig, which (at least from my seat far away) looked brown and not red at all.  As a natural redhead, I was disappointed.  Annie is one of the few Broadway musicals (including, of course, Redhead) in which redheads really get to be the star.  Live it up, folks!  It’s fun to be a redhead!  Don’t try to be subtle! 

The other complaint I have is the audience talking during the overture and the entr’acte.  I know that nothing is going on on-stage during these musical numbers, but they are actually part of the show, and I would like to listen without hearing murmuring from around the house.  I know that there were a lot of young children at this production, many of them probably seeing professional live theater (as opposed to children’s theater) for the first time.  However, this is a great learning opportunity about respect for the performing arts and how to behave properly at the theater.  A lot of kids think it’s really cool to do fancy things, so capitalize on that.  If we don’t teach children how to act at the theater when they’re young, we’re not allowing them to truly appreciate how wonderful and special the performing arts were.  I must give them credit, though: once the overture was over and the action started, they, as a whole, were quite well-behaved.  I just don’t want your children to grow up to be those people who made me stand up to let in a whole row of latecomers during the opening number of Rent.

                       All in all, the show was great.  The kids were great.  The adults were great.  Andrea McArdle was, of course, fabulous.  And as an encore, she sang “Tomorrow,” and then was joined by the young actress playing Annie, and then by the whole cast.  It was a fun treat for a theater geek like myself to see Andrea McArdle in the show that gave her her start.

An Evening with Idina Menzel, Marvin Hamlisch, and the National Symphony Orchestra

            Last weekend, I went to an amazing concert! It was “A Night with Idina Menzel and Marvin Hamlisch,” at such a wonderful, unique venue, Wolftrap.  For those of you unfamiliar with Wolftrap, it’s our nation’s only national park for the performing arts.  It’s an outdoor venue with amazing acoustics and welcomes a variety of shows every summer.  It’s really a staple of the greater DC area performing arts scene.  My parents and I scored lawn seats for only $20 apiece.  Sure, the lawn isn’t exactly up close and personal like the people who shell out the big bucks for real seats, but it has its benefits.  For one thing, the picnicking.  I told my mom to pack a picnic which would make all the other people there jealous.  Boy, did she ever!  While everyone else was chowing down on their Subway sandwiches and potato salad, we were feasting on an amazing picnic of homemade fried chicken, fresh mozzarella cheese, an array of fresh fruits, pita bread and hummus, and drinking some quality wine.  Good job, Mom!  As much as I’m sure you want to hear more about the picnic, on to the concert!

                It was so hot out, and they kept having to re-tune the piano because of the humidity.  The first part of the show was Marvin Hamlisch conducting the National Symphony Orchestra (my dad pretended to be outraged that they weren’t wearing tuxedos, saying that was wimpy to wear short sleeves just because it was 100 degrees outside) in an homage to great Broadway shows for women, including the overtures from Gypsy and Annie, Get Your Gun.  It was fabulous.  Listening to the National Symphony Orchestra play these songs really gave me some perspective on the recent controversy regarding the Broadway production of West Side Story cutting several violins and replacing them with a synthesizer, in order to cut costs.  I know that things are tight these days for everyone (trust me on this one), but I think that a full orchestra is so integral to the Broadway musical.  It’s part of what makes musicals special, and when shows scrimp on things like the orchestra, it shows.  I’m no musical expert, but I want all the instruments there, not a synthesizer.

                After a short break, it was time for Idina Menzel!  It was amazing.  I watched the whole thing through my dad’s binoculars.  Idina was a total trooper singing in the heat, and she sounded amazing!  She sang some awesome things, opening with Andrew Lippa’s “Life of the Party” (with an anecdote about how she doesn’t actually like parties), and also including “I’m Not that Girl,” an awesome mashup of Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale” and Sting’s “Roxanne,” introducing it as a song about prostitution, a wonderful arrangement of “No Day But Today,” and some original songs, including some she sings to her son.  Since it was too hot to sing all these songs back to back to back, she took time between songs to tell interesting and funny anecdotes from her life and career.  She told some great ones about meeting Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, having to sing “Tomorrow” from Annie at every family gathering as a child, and about how they told her she wasn’t allowed to use “four letter words” at this gig, so that meant she could still say “ass.”  She’s hilarious, and I really loved getting this glimpse into her life and personality. 

                One of my favorite moments of the show was when she sang “Poker Face,” the arrangement from Glee.  She introduced it by saying “this song has some interesting words in it, like muffin.”  I think it may be the first time that “Poker Face” has ever been done with a full orchestra of the caliber of the National Symphony Orchestra.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m so glad that I was there for it.

When she said, “this is my last song of the night,” and then began to sing a wonderful arrangement of “Tomorrow,” I turned to my mom and exclaimed “NO!  The program says she is going to sing ‘Defying Gravity’!”  I was shocked!  How could she tease me like that?  It would be one thing if it wasn’t in the program, but I was promised some “Defying Gravity!”

                However, there was an encore.  Thank God.  She came out, and Marvin Hamlisch noted that there was a certain composer she hadn’t yet done any songs from.  So, the two did “What I Did for Love” from A Chorus Line, and it was lovely.  Afterward, Mr. Hamlisch was like, “You know, there is still one song you haven’t sung yet…” and the crowd went wild.  I turned to my mom and said “I told you!”  And Idina sang, of course, “Defying Gravity,” noting that she’s going to be 85 in Vegas singing that song and mimicked her 85-year-old self doing the motions from the song.  She absolutely slayed it, and it was the perfect cherry on the top of a fabulous evening which I will never forget!
Wolftrap Website

The Sheet Music Controversy from the POV of Someone Who Never Needs Sheet Music

I have a confession to make: I can’t sing.  I can’t even carry a tune.  I don’t know what “key change” means, I can’t tell you an A-flat from a C-sharp.  My brain just doesn’t think musically.  Perhaps that’s why I love musical theater so much: the things they can do are things I simply cannot.  Nonetheless, I have opinions about the whole sheet-music controversy you may have heard about.  If you haven’t, go Jason Robert Brown's Blog to read up on it!  Just like Jeff says in [title of show], that he fully has opinions about shows he’s never seen, I’ve never in my life needed sheet music, but I have an opinion.

                I first want to say that I’m totally on Jason Robert Brown’s side in this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see the merit in other arguments.  I’m totally broke (as you know), and I’m a huge proponent of libraries.  The libraries in the counties I’m in now don’t have CDs, but when I lived in Massachusetts, I would check out CDs all the time.  This is a shocking confession: I burned a few of those CDs onto my iTunes.  I didn’t pay for all the music which lives in my iPod at this very moment.  I realize that a lot of people get music in less-than-legal ways and don’t really care, but it bothers me a little that I have music I didn’t pay for.  I’m saying this to show that I totally understand why someone would want to get free sheet music because the budget is tight and they need the music because it’s what fuels their soul.  I try to pay for music as much as humanly possible, and I don’t download it illegally.  I share with friends occasionally.  It’s tricky because while I believe that it’s not necessarily right, it’s also one of those things where we convince ourselves that it’s just a little thing, it’s not a big deal.  It’s not like we’re robbing a store or mugging someone.  We have ourselves (me included) convinced that these are just small misdeeds and that no one is really getting hurt.  I buy a lot of my CDs used.  The artist doesn’t get any money for that, but I paid for the CD.  It’s a big huge gray area.

                I think sheet music is a little different.  I’m not sure why, but it is.  I think Jason Robert Brown makes a good point in saying that he works very hard on each song, and that’s how he gets his money.  Songwriters, unlike recording artists, don’t have promotional merchandise, touring gigs, and album sales.  Many, especially new songwriters, make their money from the sale of sheet music.  And it’s not like they cost an arm and a leg.  And there is a way to share without stealing.  If I have a copy of Joe Iconis’s “Blue Hair,” and you want to use it for an audition, I will totally lend it to you, and then you can return it to me.  Easy as that.  Friends in the business, especially those who are broke and going out on a zillion auditions should definitely share with one another, and I don’t think that songwriters will disagree with me.  However, there is a right way and a wrong way to share.  Lend things to one another, but make sure that the person who owns that sheet music bought it.  I would love to hear from people on this issue, especially since I don’t have any personal experience getting sheet music.

                Lastly, there’s a great website from which you can purchase sheet music from a lot of great songwriters. New Musical Theatre

                Here’s what I would totally sing at every audition if I could carry a tune:

My Foray into Regional Theater: Rent

               Last night, I saw Rent at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh, NC.  The show was funded by Broadway Series South, which pays to have national tours of shows come to the Triangle area, so I thought it had potential to be pretty good.  I’ll be honest, though: I was skeptical.  I’m in general a skeptic (or, as some more honest friends let me know, a snob), and the only place I’ve seen regional theater is in Washington, DC, where I grew up.  Washington is a great theater town, perhaps more so than people realize, so I’m used to really good stuff.  Now, I love Raleigh.  I chose to live in Raleigh.  If I wanted to be elsewhere, I would.  I used to live in Boston, I could easily have chosen to stay in DC with my parents, but I picked Raleigh because I love North Carolina and I love this city.  That being said, Raleigh isn’t known for its theater.  It gets some good names here, but no producer is about to bring a pre-Broadway show here for an out-of-town tryout.  This kind of gets you in my mind-set for what I was thinking going into this production of Rent.  I was hopeful, yet cautious.

                Turns out, I really enjoyed it.  I’ve seen Rent twice before: on Broadway shortly before it closed (I told my mom I would just die if I didn’t see it, so it was a college graduation present), and a youth production in Greensboro, NC starring my friend Brandon.  Like many musical theater nuts of my generation, I know literally every word of this show by heart.  Let me first say the things I didn’t like and get them out of the way.  Don’t worry, it’s a relatively short list.  At the beginning of the show, I thought it was too quiet.  When the notes to “Rent” start playing and Mark starts singing “How do you document real life...” I want to literally feel the music in my bones.  I’m not a fan of loudness in general, it hurts my ears and I startle easily, but Rent is a rock musical – it’s supposed to be loud!  Turn up the volume, folks!  By the end of the “I’ll Cover You” reprise, I felt like the volume had reached an appropriate level.  The only other thing I didn’t like had nothing to do with the production but, like other shows, has to do with the etiquette of other theater patrons.  Almost my entire row showed up during the opening number, and I was on the end, so I had to stand and let about 10 people pass me, all while trying to not miss a moment.  The lady in front of me had her Blackberry on her lap and it had a red light which blinked every few seconds.  The girls behind me were chatting during the show until I gave them the Ellen Degeneres “Don’t you know that’s irritating?” backwards glare.  Seriously, folks: etiquette.  It is not that hard to put your phone in your pocket and wait until intermission to discuss things with your friends.  Also, when Collins and Angel kissed, I heard these girls giggling because Angel is really a boy.  Oh my goodness, get over it!

                Okay, now I want to say what I liked.  Some numbers really stood out.  “La Vie Boheme,” a favorite of mine, was so well-done that for those minutes, I didn’t even notice the blinking Blackberry light.  I loved “Take Me or Leave Me,” and I thought the actress who played JoAnn had a phenomenal voice and blew the lid off that song.  Sometimes, as a theater junkie, especially having seen shows multiple times, we forget the power that shows can have on first-timers.  The lady in front of me (yes, the one with the Blackberry, but it’s okay) was clearly very moved by “Seasons of Love,” as she was clapping along in pure delight.  I just think it’s so wonderful to see the impact theater has on people.  That’s when it occurred to me why regional theater (and community theater and high school theater and so on) is so vital to the arts.  If there were just Broadway, think of how many people wouldn’t have access to some of the most amazing things ever written.  Let’s face it, not everybody is as into theater as I am (something I still can’t quite wrap my head around), but that doesn’t mean it can’t affect them.  I’d bet that a lot of people in that theater couldn’t tell you details of Jonathan Larson’s life, couldn’t name for you all of the principles in the original Broadway cast of Rent, and haven’t read Anthony Rapp’s memoir twice.  But the power of Larson’s show reached them because of this wonderful production of Rent.

                I know I’m going on a long time here, but I also wanted to say that seeing this was very budget-friendly.  I got a seat in the balcony (it’s only a 600-seat theater, so the seat was actually great), which cost me, all in all about $35.  I arrived early so I could find street parking and avoid the $7 charge to park in a lot.  And, most importantly, I had a great night at the theater with one of my favorite shows.  I’m becoming less of a cynic, and from now on I’ll be way more open-minded when it comes to regional theater in Raleigh.  It’s good.  I think the Triangle would be a great place for an out-of-town tryout, just in case any producers are reading this and they’re wanting to do something different with their show.

Broadway Series South presents Rent

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

I have a confession to make: I recently cried on the phone to my mom. I read that Next Fall is closing on July 4, and I desperately want to see it. I, however, cannot afford it, and my mom recently had to bail me out of an overdraft fee fiasco. I, acting like myself at 14, told her I couldn’t imagine living my life never seeing this play and that I desperately needed to and didn’t know how I would go on. Dramatic, yes. But hey, the whole point of this blog is that I’m addicted to all things theatrical. So play along with me here. My mom, honest and wise as she is, told me that sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to pay the bills. My retort? “But this is my passion!” Her reply, “I’m sorry. That’s how it goes sometimes.” I was angry. She was right.
I’m still bummed about not being able to see Next Fall, but I’ll live. I have, however, been making some progress. A few days ago, I noticed that there is a new batch of tote bags for sale made from the Hair billboard. I wanted one, and got almost all the way through the purchasing process, and then I realized I really don’t need it. So I didn’t buy it! That’s right, folks! I resisted the urge to purchase limited Broadway memorabilia from the show that changed my life. I’m very proud of myself. I used that money for groceries instead. I’m very proud of myself. I also sold a bunch of books to Barnes & Noble through their textbook buyback and got like 70 bucks! That’s going right to my Broadway trip fund, and I’m prepared to part with more of my books as well. I’m going to seriously re-evaluate which of my books I need and which I can sell to get money for the trip. Hooray! New York City for Columbus Day weekend! I really hope it works out!

[title of show] Again!

               So, I may or may not have scored a comp ticket to [title of show] at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA because of a college connection.  And by that, I mean I totally scored a comp ticket to [title of show].  That really helps out with my thrifty theater goals, considering I had just dropped 70+ dollars on a front-row ticket to Sycamore Trees. 

Anyway, it rocked, of course.  I love it.  Also, I had a major life realization at this performance.  My whole life (well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but whatevs, go with it), I’ve been underestimating old people.  As I walk to my seat of the Sunday matinee, I become increasingly worried about the number of elderly folk in attendance at this performance.  How would they handle the gay jokes?  The f-bombs?  The shirtlessness?  The girl-on-girl kissing?  I was panicked about who was going to shelter the old people from the youthful sensibility of the theater!  Silly me.  Throughout the show, they were laughing at all the right parts, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves.  In the show, Susan even says that the old matinee ladies have been through a lot, they can certainly handle her dropping a few f-bombs on stage.  Clearly, I haven’t been giving old people enough credit or enough cool points.  I’m now reformed.

                Seeing [title of show] a second time was way cool.  I already knew I loved it, and that it was hilarious, and I was delighted to discover that the jokes don’t lose their humor when you know they’re coming.  I feel like I could see it 80 more times and still love it just as much.  If only…

 Washington Post Review of Signature's [title of show] 

Signature's [title of show] Blog! 

A cool article about twins who are director and cast member

Sycamore Trees, or the Time I Cried All Through Act 2

                I have been such a slacker about my blog!  It’s that whole full time job, full time student, no-one-reads-the-blog-anyway mentality.  Nonetheless, I saw a great show that I need to talk about.  It’s a world premiere musical called Sycamore Trees, and I saw it at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA.  It’s Ricky Ian Gordon’s autobiographical show, starring a slew of Broadway folks, including three-time Tony Award nominee, Marc Kudisch.  At first, I was a little skeptical of such a serious musical, since it’s almost impossible to set a somber tone in a musical.  But, I think they pulled it off.  The acting was great (how could it not be, with such high-caliber actors?!), and I was so moved that I spent nearly all of the second act in tears.  When Andrew’s dad, played by Marc Kudisch said “my son is brave,” that just sent me into a whole new strata of emotion.  It was so cool to be in such a small performance space with such dynamite talent.  Oh, and the guy who played The Man/David was mega-handsome, just sayin’.

                I don’t know what’s next for this show, but I hope it is able to garner a performance venue in New York and that it achieves great success.  I think it has the potential to be great, but I think people might be skeptical at first, like I was.  Around intermission, I was wondering what the point of the show was, what I was supposed to take from it.  By the end of the show, however, I came to the realization that telling the story of your life isn’t (and probably can’t be) about one solitary message, and has to be presented and viewed holistically.  It’s about life and the appreciation of it and the people who are along for the journey.  It’s sad, it’s funny, it’s moving.  If you get a chance, you definitely should check it out!

  Washington Post Review, Including Video

The Color Purple was awesome - but please get to the theater on time!

         Last week, I saw the non-equity national tour of The Color Purple. I loved it, but I have to say it was surprisingly uplifting. I got the book at the library, and I didn’t have time to finish it before seeing the show, but based on what I read, I was expecting a major downer. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the show was able to take such heavy subject matter and create a show which left the audience with a feeling of joy and gratitude.
       Also, I thought the music was super catchy. I love the southern gospel feel of the big company numbers. Maybe it’s because I live in the south or maybe it’s because that gospel feel just seems so genuine, but I’m hooked. The Original Broadway Cast album is now on my wish list. I need that on my ipod, stat!
       Unfortunately for the actors, who did a fantastic job, the thing I remember most about the night is the ridiculous amount of people who showed up late to the show. It makes me so mad! I am always early to everything, but I make a particular effort to get to the theater early for several reasons. I don’t like to miss any of the show, and I don’t want to ruin the show for the other people. It’s not a movie, people! Get there on time! And while I’m at it, I think I also need to remind the world that it is not appropriate to talk full-volume to the person next to you during a live theater performance. I didn’t pay all this money to hear you! Phew! Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Fan Letters: Dorky or Awesome?

I have a confession to make: I mailed a fan letter to Wesley Taylor (of Rock of Ages and The Addams Family and general awesomeness) a few weeks ago. It’s strange because he is my age. The way I see it, if he and I lived in the same town, he would have been in my geometry class. How do I tell a could-have-been geometry classmate that I think he’s super awesome and kinda dreamy without coming across like a 12-year-old girl? My approach: I acknowledged that it was strange for me and let him know that I don’t know how to write a fan letter without sounding like a dork. Other than that, I was honest, wrote in my own style of writing, and handwrote the letter using my best penmanship and a purple pen. I wanted to be me, but I also wanted to stand out.

One thing I wasn’t sure about, but did anyway, was to include a self-addressed stamped envelope and asked (awkwardly) if I might have a signed Playbill or napkin or scrap of paper. I’m not really sure how it works, if you have to send the thing you want signed, but oh well. I acknowledged in the letter that I have no idea what I’m doing. My friend read the letter before I sent it, and she declared it not too dorky and not creeperish, so I hope that’s enough.

Guess what?! He wrote me back! He wrote me a super sweet note, and he got back to me very quickly. He told me that my letter was the classiest fan mail he’d gotten, assuaging my concerns that I was a total dork. I was so appreciative to receive a response, and that event really fueled my drive to make it to NYC this summer to see The Addams Family and thank him in person.

Anyone else out there written a fan letter? I’d be interested to know your experiences and whether or not you got a response. I bet it depends a lot on to whom you write. A Broadway legend may not have time to respond to all of his or her letters, but and up-and-coming star may not have as much fan mail to go through. Thoughts?

Thrifty Theater: The Follow-Through?

               Awhile ago, I set a goal to try and save money with regards to my theater addiction.

                The good news?  The tour of The Color Purple is coming to Durham, and I bought a $25 seat.  It’s in the (gasp!) balcony. This is a big step for me.

                The bad news?  I bought a last-minute $70 seat to see Wicked a second time, plus a $55 really awesome Wicked zip-up jacket.  One step forward, twelve steps back.

                Also, Wicked is in Charlotte right now, which is about 3 hours away, and I spent a good deal of time yesterday figuring out if I can go, factoring in that the only remaining seats are $95.  I know I can’t afford it, but it’s taking everything I’ve got to stop myself from buying those tickets!

                Lastly, I REALLY want to go to New York City sometime this summer to see some real Broadway.  I’m trying to save up for it, but it’s so expensive to travel there and tickets are pricey.  I’ve got enough saved up to buy 2 discounted balcony seats.  I guess if I do go, I’m going to have to go knowing that premium seats are not to be had.  I’ll survive.  I’d so much rather see a show from the back row than see no show at all.