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vkacademy In reply to ShiMoonWind [2005-06-04 06:10:29 +0000 UTC]

Who's your second favorite?

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ShiMoonWind In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-04 14:06:24 +0000 UTC]

I don't know any others, but everybody loves Jack. ( Insert evil laugh here)

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vkacademy In reply to dholms [2005-06-03 17:55:27 +0000 UTC]

"Pilates" No, it's the chop-chop workout.

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dholms In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-04 15:33:28 +0000 UTC]

aahhhhh.
be still my beating heart.
heh.

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vkacademy In reply to Athansor [2005-06-03 17:52:35 +0000 UTC]

Ah, musicals.

I'm still hoping someone will revive "Carrie" the musical. Apparently there were some real show-stoppers in that.

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Athansor In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-03 18:21:16 +0000 UTC]

I actually HAVE a cassette recording of that show!! The brother of a friend of mine in college was in it...and when she saw the show, she brought a tape recorder with here, and recorded it. Linsey Hately was wonderful--as was Betty Buckley--but at the big climax of the show--where it was supposed to be all dramatic and scary and sad--you can hear people snickering all around in the audience... (And really--you can NOT expect to be taken seriously if you insist on having a song with the lyrics, "Kill the pig, kill the pig! Ooo--ooo-ooo-ah! Make him bleed! Blood! KILL THE PIG!!!" Pig killings do not make for great songs! )

There are worse things, however! Would you believe that I almost premiered the role of Squeaky Fromme, in the first national tour of "The Manson Family: The Opera"??!!! (Nepotism at work! Someone I'd worked with doing a children's theatre tour was supposed to play Charles Manson...and he suggested me for the role of Squeaky. I'm rather glad that the project never got off the ground! )

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vkacademy In reply to Athansor [2005-06-04 06:04:18 +0000 UTC]

OMG, you could sell that cassette for millions! LOL

There is a book called "Not Since Carrie" about all the really tacky and bad musical ideas that have gone into production. [link]

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Athansor In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-04 12:07:05 +0000 UTC]

LOL!!! In college, I was a bit of a minor celebrity because of my vast (200+) collection of musical soundtracks and my smaller (but still substantial) collection of scores and sheet music from musicals...my exhaustive collection of reviews and magazine clippings from current shows...as well as the fact that I knew who was in 'em all--and for many, could sing the entire show, from start to finish. Including Carrie!

Alas--as an adult--other things interested me...and although there was a time when I knew WEEKS in advance when a new Andrew Llloyd Webber soundtrack would be released and bought it Day One--these days, I confess that I haven't even purchased his last two musicals (although they ARE on my Amazon wish list!). Nowadays, my spare cash goes for costumes for shoots, lighting and camera equipment and Photoshop and photography books, instead of musicals!

That book sounds AWESOME!!! (And Amazon had like 4 pages of excerpts from it--which, naturally, got me hooked, so I'm going to have to get that, at some point! ) There's definitely something fun about talking about Broadway flops!!! Thanks for that link!!!

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vkacademy In reply to Athansor [2005-06-04 19:08:06 +0000 UTC]

Oh yeah, I was a musical geek too. Even though I looked punk and everyone assumed I listened to Depeche Mode (I didn't know who they were) I was obsessed with PotO, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, etc. But yeah, it's sort of waned on me too BUT!!! Oh, I so want to see "Avenue Q" and "Spamalot." And maybe "Wicked."

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Athansor In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-04 19:48:16 +0000 UTC]

CHESS!!!!!! Oh my goodness--but that musical was a HUGE deal in my life!!!!!! A girl in my dorm played "One Night in Bangkok" for me, and then loaned me her copy of Chess...and I was in HEAVEN!!! Promptly ran to the ASUoP electronics store and bought my own copy--and OH the many many many evenings I would sit in my window, overlooking the quad, singing both parts of "I Know Him So Well", and thinking of Darren Davis--my best friend at college--one of the two most talented actors in our class--and my "first love"... (Nothing ever happened between us--but I SO enjoyed the delicious agony of unrequited love...and Chess! )

Doing stock theatre, that summer, I introduced all the other people in our group, to the musical...and we'd blast it out over the sound systems, acting out our own version of the musical...when a friend went to London and saw it--and sent me back a program from it--I was the envy of all! *happy sigh...* Good memories!!!

As for Phantom--well, let's just say it's pretty funny, seeing all the kids here, drooling over the movie version--and remembering how gaga I was over the original! (Actually got to go see in in NYC, with the original cast--including the DIVINE Michael Crawford--for my 21st birthday!) I read in a magazine article that Michael Crawford used to take a nap on a lavender towel, between shows--because it was a healing color...and I took the meager proceeds of my next paycheck, and went downtown and bought a lavender towel, immediately christened "Michael". It's in shreds--but I still have that towel, and it takes me back to much, much silliness and fun, everytime I see it!

As for SEEING shows--well, I may not be up on my musicals these days...but I'd be willing to see just about anything, to be honest--as long as it's Broadway or a national tour. I confess that I found Rent so loud, appalling and self-pitying (okay, so I'm not a Gen-X girl! ) that I would've walked out, if I hadn't been with a friend who adored it madly...but otherwise--gimme songs, pretty boys and girls, pretty costumes and a semblance of a plot--and I'm happy! (Hmmm....I'm now AWFULLY tempted to go to Amazon.com and find me some musical soundtracks! )

(Depeche Mode!!! The only song I know of theirs is "Somebody"..."I want somebody who cares/for my passionately/with every thought and with every breath"--very pretty, if not terribly rhymey. I did like Wham!, though--remember them? ))

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vkacademy In reply to Athansor [2005-06-05 00:43:13 +0000 UTC]

Oh yeah I remember WHAM!

Sadly, I was just a poor teen when Phantom was making the rounds with the original (or at least original Broadway) cast, methinks.

My first Broadway show that I actually got to go SEE was Les Mis, which I LOVED. I went and got the complete symphonic recording (the one with the international cast) and sat on the sofa with my headphones on, doodling as I listened. And OMG, when Eponine died I was crying so hard and trying not to let my family see cuz they so would have not understood. lol! Good times.

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Athansor In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-05 01:04:15 +0000 UTC]

My trip to see Phantom was actually part of what I used my student loan for that semester, I believe! Let's see...My friend Diane (who lived in Schenectady) had an extra ticket to see Phantom...and called me several months before, to ask me if I wanted to go--as my birthday present.

DID I???!!!!

So I used my loan to buy a $200 roundtrip ticket...and all my friends rallied round! My best friend, gave me $15 to buy a dress...and I found a wonderful satin and velvet concoction at the Gunne Sax warehouse, for just $15...my roommate Patrick (I lived with three guys) bought me stockings, and put together all my outfits for the week I'd be in NY--most of which, involved his jackets, pants or turtlenecks, since I had NOTHING he considered acceptable...my roommate Eric bought me nail polish, powder, and travelsize necessities...a friend from back East loaned me her wool coat...my parents managed to send me $20 (a HUGE amount of money for them!) for spending money (as well as to see other shows)...my piano teacher--who, at the beginning of the year, after I'd written a passionate musical analysis of the relationships in Phantom--and learned to play most of the songs, had told me I should go see it--and when I agreed I should--told me that if I managed to get up the money to GO to NYC--he'd buy my ticket to see Phantom--made good on his promise by giving me $100 (to take Diane to dinner at Sardi's!)--and off I went--for a wonderful, wonderful week--where Diane and I saw Phantom and Starlight Express (she knew the stage manager--so we go to go up onstage and walk around with him, after the show). Her mother took us to dinner at Sardi's--so I was able to use my tiny store of cash for important things--like sweatshirts from each show!

It was MAGIC--from one end to the other--far more fun than if I'd loads of money, and didn't have to think twice about going! I wish EVERYONE could have such a wonderful experience!

Les Miz is such an AWESOME first show--I'm glad it was that--and not something forgettable! (My first show was Cats--magical!) I know what you mean about the recording--I had the London cast first--and BAWLED my way through it...I later got the Broadway and then the International Symphonic (definitely the best--since it's the most complete--but it lacks the FABULOUS Colm Wilkinson :-/)--but there's nothing quite like the first time you hear that show, is there?! And Eponine--what a fabulous role! (And what a boon, her songs are, to us altos! ) I used to play "A Little Fall of Rain" on the piano (badly, I might add!), and I would sing Eponine...and my little sister would sing Marius--and we'd cry quarts, everytime we did it.

Yeah--definitely good times!!! (LOL!!! What a trip down Memory Lane!! )

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vkacademy In reply to Athansor [2005-06-05 01:21:25 +0000 UTC]

Wah!! Fellow Musical nerd!!!

I'm lucky that I married a musical nerd too. It's fun to have someone to sing with. Although I haven't learned any of the Frank Wildhorn musicals. I just can't get into them. I like melodrama as much as the next person, but after a while it gets a bit tiresome.

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Athansor In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-05 14:13:44 +0000 UTC]

Yep--that's me--a musical nerd!!

I think it is VERY cool that you married one--quite clever of you!!! My sweetheart, sad to say, loves music--is a drummer and pianist--but isn't used to singing. (I'm working on changing that, though! Ya GOTTA sing!!! ) When I was going to school in San Diego--at a school that was HEAVILY musical theatre--that was AWESOME. EVERYONE sang--and at the drop of a hat! And my family sings all the time, too...I miss that, here in Boston...

I know what you mean about the Frank Wildhorn musicals...I was SO disappointed the first time I heard "Jekyll and Hyde"! (Although once you get over your expectations--there are some nice numbers in it...it's just not a great soundtrack for a MUSICAL, is all.) I do enjoy Scarlet Pimpernel, though! For quite a few years, I used to hold monthly musical salons at my apartment...and we loved to sing rousing choruses of "Into the Fire", or "Falcon In The Dive"...along with many of the love songs. (Our pianist has a wonderful tenor--and adores love ballads--so we would gladly humor him! ) Overall, though, I wouldn't consider myself a Wildhorn fan--he DOES get a bit wearisome!

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vkacademy In reply to derpSTOCK [2005-06-03 05:38:54 +0000 UTC]

You make a hot chick.

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derpSTOCK In reply to vkacademy [2005-06-04 01:14:36 +0000 UTC]

^^:

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