Hello from Otherlands--my new Memphian obsession. If you live in Memphis or have the oppotunity to visit, please go to Otherlands and consume as much cinnamon toast (on sourdough bread) and hazelnut lattes as humanly possible. I've been here a couple of times in the last week and I can't get myself to try anything else. The toast is way too addicting.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post comparing my experiences in Dallas to those in Memphis--I have to say that Memphis grows increasingly more charming. I keep finding little treasures (through other people kindly driving away from the Rhodes bubble) in Memphis that make it a far more attractive place to live. I still don't particularly see myself staying here after college, but it's certainly a much more fun place to be than I had anticipated.
I had one of the most wonderful weekends this past weekend since I've been here. Friday night, I danced for five hours (straight!) in the Dance for the Cure dance-a-thon. Anyone who knows me should not be surprised that I forced my team to stick around the entire time. We did not just sway back and forth on the dance floor--we went all out. I'm telling you, four and a half hours in, I literally was doing high kicks, cartwheels, and jumping into the splits. This was probably because they finally played a musical theatre song (the ever-so-popular Grease medley that they play at all high school--and apparently college--dances) Musical theatre truly makes everything more enjoyable. For instance, in my music theory listening assignment from last night, we had to listen to one song/arrangement from Oklahoma. Whereas my analyses of Viardot-Garcia, Mozart, and Brahms were about 1/2-3/4 page, my Oklahoma analysis spanned three pages. Single space.
This brings me to my Sunday evening. (I can backtrack and brief you on Saturday in a second.) Sunday, I decided to go see the last performance of Hairspray in Memphis rather than doing homework. I am ever so glad that I made this decision. The weather was gorgeous all weekend, I worked Saturday afternoon, I walked to Starbucks several times (I've found that a walk to starbucks is about the best incentive EVER to get me to "work out")did a danceathon, had a couple of rehearsals, and saw Hairspray.
Now my thoughts on Hairspray:
Of course I enjoyed it. And yes, I was one of those truly obnoxious people who mouths all the lyrics and is literally bouncing up and down in their seats. I normally wouldn't have such poor etiquette, but I was in a student rush seat that no one (besides my other musical-theatre-crazed friend) was near, and I felt it appropriate to go all out. Link was dreamy enough, Elvisy enough. Edna was amusing and fun. Wilbur was adorable. Tracy was, sadly enough, the understudy. Sometimes this isn't such a bad thing--I work at a music hall back in Dallas and I Much much much preferred the Jo March understudy to the actual touring Jo in Little Women (PS How amazing is the DSM 2008 season? It is ridiculous!) I found Tracy to be a bit obnoxious. She had a very deep, mature voice for Tracy. This is preferable to the over nasaly heinously shrill Marissa Janet Winkour, but not preferable over the happy medium that Nikki Blonsky provided in the film. She just seemed too old. She was obviously wearing a fat suit. It's like Mary Martin bein Peter Pan (yes, yes, argue with me all you want--I STILL find a 50 year old female unfit and creepy as Peter Pan.) She was a skinny, old Tracy. There's something seriously wrong with that. The Von Tussles were obnoxious enough. However, the real star of the show was Alyssa Malgeri. I spent half of the show envying her--she's adorable, tiny, ridiculously talented, side splittingly hysterical, and undergrad at NYU touring in one of the most big budget tours currently travelling through the states. I pretty much hate her. As much as I hate her, though, I love her about ten thousand times more. I desperately want her to be my best friend. Alyssa Malgeri will hopefully have a long, wonderful career ahead of her and I hope to be first in line at as many of her upcoming productions as possible.
Saturday I attended the Fall Date party (woohoo!) which was enjoyable. All in all, I had a lovely weekend.
Monday night was even wonderful. My favorite piano in all of Rhodes is usually in a room which remains locked 99% of the time, except when performances are going on. Wonderfully enough, the door was unlocked. I turned on the stage lights, turned off the audience lights, and played Jason Robert Brown on a Steinway extended grand in the middle of a thunderstorm. Talk about magic.
Not too much else is new with me. There are the ever present Singers and Lipstick rehearsals and performances, there's lots of wonderful/happy things going on with CODA (better make that a new post), and school is just fine. At the same time, I'm ready for Thanksgiving. I need a break. I'm pretty ready for another holiday....
Until next time--
1 comment:
From Roseanne Blair:
I was reading your blog and it wont allow anonymous comments, and I cannot--for the life of me--- remember my own blog username so here goes: (my thoughts on a non fat tracy)
This is a role created specifically for a big girl. She is supposed to be big and the whole point of this damned show is that no matter what you look like (especially if you don't fit into the societal norm) you can still shine. Regardless of whether or not this girl was an understudy, she should have been big, for real. To do it any other way (SPECIFICALLY A FAT SUIT) is almost making parody of the entire message of the show. And least I remind you, on broadway, there are legions of roles for average size girls, but there aren't too many tailor made for big ones... I can think of the roles of Tracy, that girl from Bare, and maybe a few scattered character pieces, but that's ABOUT IT. I am also sure there are tons of big girls who are made of pure talent who could have understudied the role too. So unless she was a swing (there should be a specific understudy for Tracy and not a swing) she shouldn't have been her. Especially if she had a deep, mature voice. CURSES! I would love to play Tracy myself, but I am probably too tall. Blast.
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