Spring Awakening Tour

After the morning madness that was HAIR, my lovely friend Meredith and I headed to Philadelphia where we caught the Friday evening performance of the SPRING AWAKENING tour.

Since saying adios to it back in January, it was very odd to revisit this old friend. This tour is by no means terrible. It had some really really great moments, Jake Epstein went on for the first time as Melchior, and he had some really fantastic choices, especially during the scene where he writes in his diary. I had never heard a Melchior say those lines actually as if they were writing it down. It was very very good.

But unfortunately, it seemed as if this tour has turned into a comedy routine, where the Thea goes for the radical laugh more drastically, the beating scene gets a big lulz, and I could care less about what happens at the end.

So fortunately for me, I have amazing memories of the Broadway productions to occupy my thoughts. Oh also, who ever the musical director was, he was my favorite thing about the night. Just sayin'.

Hi!

And I'm back.
With some updates.

Since I last left, I was back home in Phoenix and now I am settled back at school. The only show I have seen so far was the final performance of Spring Awakening. I wrote a few entries back about how significant this show has been on my life and that night was absolutely amazing. It was my first time seeing the new cast and they held their own - especially when they did an encore of "Totally Fucked" during the show! I think that's when i realized, "what am i going to do without this?" And started to get teary eyed. I was quite proud of my emotions up until that point - and then "Those You've Known" and that amazing drum beat - gets me every time!

The entire (mostly) alumni came back on stage and it was so lovely to see everyone. I was sitting next to a man who had seen the show over 100 times, and I'm thought - wow and people give me flack about seeing it 8 times but that's the thing - if you love something SO much, of course you're going to see it more than once - that being said, when someone says they have a favorite album, they have most likely listened to it once - so why can't I do the same about seeing shows without getting crap? Just a thought.

So - this season has been pretty dismal for the arts. Shows are closing, performing arts centers closing around the country - will my degree be useless if there are no positions open for me when I graduate? I think that's been on my mind a lot lately - the whole resume, internship, job, life has been taking it's toll. Who knows though.

As for this spring - I hope to see many shows, Billy Elliot, Hair, Guys and Dolls....!

Not Gone...Another Broadway Closure

The Bitch Of Living, indeed.

This is shaping to be a very hard season for Broadway and Broadway fans.

With the closing of Rent, Xanadu, [title of show], Legally Blonde, and the soon to be closed Hairspray and Spamolot, this is a heartbreak season.

Add my heartbreaking to this list, Spring Awakening with end its run on Broadway, January 18.

Spring Awakening has a close place in my heart. I first heard about it when it opened on Broadway December 2006. A few friends had seen it early in its run and blogged their comments and soon, I was downloading the cast recording on iTunes and quickly memorizing the lyrics.



It wasn't until June of 2007 that I was able to see the Original Cast on Broadway do their thing. I remember being so mesmerized by the set and especially the amazing light design.

Since then I have seen it 8 times, the most recent was last May. I suppose the reason I haven't gone back is because the Original Cast has left, so an empty feeling is felt. Although I haven't seen the new cast, I have heard many goods thing along with the not so good things. This shouldn't be the reason why the show is closing its doors. I find it hard to believe that the Original Cast is what brought people into the show. It won 8 Tony Awards and has an amazing pop/rock score thanks to Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater

The show will go on of course. There is a National Tour that recently started this fall. Three Broadway actors are included in this tour, and fresh new faces as well. I most likely won't see the tour until it hits Boston in April.




The news of Spring Awakening's close breaks my heart. Now I won't have a very good reason to walk down 49th street anymore. True story: I took a job working at a summer camp in the summer of 2007 to babysit little kids for two months, just so I could come to NYC to see Spring Awakening. I ended up being lucky enough to see it twice that summer, and many times since then, so in writing this entry, it truly saddens me that many young adults will not get to see this incredible show. What touched me, has affected thousands, much much more. I can't imagine a greater show for our generation, right now, that has the same resonance and heart.

Now they’ll walk on my arm through the distant night
And I won’t let them stray from my heart
Through the wind, through the dark, through the winter light
I will read all their dreams to the stars

I’ll walk with them now
I’ll call on their names
I’ll see their thoughts are known

Not gone –
Not gone –
They walk with my heart –
I’ll never let them go

I’ll never let them go
I’ll never let them go
You watch me
Just watch me
I’m calling
I’m calling –
And one day all will know

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122671.html

i wish you could see me, i'm looking so silly

My birthday was this past Monday and there was no better way then spend an evening listening to lovely music.
I've been a fan of John Gallagher Jr. even before I was able to see Spring Awakening over the summer of 2007. I listened to Old Springs Pike and then in turn, Johnny's solo music.
I never had the honor of watching him perform his own music, until this past Sunday at the Highline Ballroom in NYC.
His music is pretty incredible; of the heart.
His lyrics are beautiful; rhapsodic.

I can't wait to see the play Farragut North in November at the Atlantic Theatre Company. A political thriller drama....sounds good!