MTI - Constant Improvement

I'm not sure if anyone read my post a while back about my newest Broadway Blogspot article, "Constant Improvement."  Well, it seems that it's also been posted on Music Theatre International (MTI) Showspace.  I think that's pretty cool!

MTI is a theatre licensing company that handles the rights of hundreds (probably more) musicals.  MTI Showspace is the company's own social media network that's "where theatre people click."  Anyway, they added my article to their blog a while back and I just found out about it.

If you haven't had a chance to read it, check it out here.  Let me know what you think and if I made any sense.

Until next time...

The Book of Mormon

I don't usually "jump the gun" on buying tickets to see Broadway shows.  They're so expensive these days and you can almost always find them discounted once it gets closer to opening night.  But I just had a feeling about The Book of Mormon and thought that if I waited too long, I might not get to see it for a while.  Two months ago, all the press was still on the disaster that has turned out to be Spider-Man but this musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of South Park) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q)  was quietly building its own little buzz and I decided then I wanted to see this on my birthday.  It was worth EVERY penny of the full price!

The sound of a doorbell is the first thing you'll hear when you go to see BOM.  You'll see a handsome, smiling face wanting to tell you about a third part to the Bible... and then it's all downhill from there!  The story starts with the elders each being paired off and receiving the assignments for their missions.  Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) is the pretty, overachiever who has been praying for Heavenly Father to pair him with a worthy elder and send them to that most wonderful place on earth... Orlando!  Elder Cunningham (Josh Gad) is the schlubby, chubby underachiever who just wants a new best friend.  Needless to say, the two are paired together and sent to, not O-Town, but Uganda to help spread the word to the African Villagers.

Of course when they get there, the village is not what they expect.  They meet up with the other elders, led by Elder McKinley (Rory O'Malley), who fills them in on the village and what's been going on.  Elder Price sets out to convert everyone in the hapless village but, soon learns that they have their own way of dealing with their issues.

I have to say, this is, quite possibly, the funniest thing I've ever seen on stage!  The writers have taken controversial subject matter and created a friggin' hilariously wrong show that I spent two and a half hours laughing out loud at.  Part of what makes it so funny is the extreme sincerity with which it has been written.  Also, that sincerity transfers to the stage and there's no "wink wink" moment where they're  like, "Aren't we funny?"  

Director Casey Nicholaw has staged a show that zips along at a rapid pace that had me thinking, "Really?  It's already over? "  But the it's great, leaves you wanting more and you don't miss a single joke! And believe me, there are a TON of them.  

The book and score from Parker, Stone and Lopez is full of songs that you may be surprised at yourself for wanting to sing(no matter how wrong) long after the show is over.  And it's full of jokes that make sure to offend everyone but they're too funny for you to care.  Well ok, the two people behind us who left at intermission cared but, that's their problem for not knowing what they were getting into.

Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad are a perfect odd couple pair.  They play off of each other hilariously and are great in their quest to bring the story of Joseph Smith to the people of the village. As a team and apart, the two find more to their characters than just the superficial differences to make you want them both to succeed on this mission.

As Nabulungi, the young lady in the village who tries to help the boys with their teaching, Nikki M. James is a sweet girl with a big voice dreaming of something better for her life and that of her fellow villagers.  She truly believes that the boys are offering a better way of life to her and her people and does her best to help convince the others.

Rory O'Malley is great as Elder McKinley!  When the boys first arrive, he tells them how to deal with their feelings by teaching them to "Turn It Off."  It turns into one of many show stopping moments in the show.

Overall I'd have to say, if your easily offended, don't go see the show.  You'll just be wasting your money getting pissed off and you won't get a refund.  But if you stick it out, you'll realize the show isn't really about offending people at all.  There really is a heart at the center of BOM and if you allow yourself to notice it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.  And you might pee your pants laughing, in the process! I'm not kidding when I say it might be the funniest musical ever!  If you've got the money, I highly recommend it but don't be shocked if you can't get tickets.  The performance we were at was packed.  And from what I understand, they've all been like that lately.

I'd love to see it win some major Tonys in June!  But, that remains to be seen.  If I could, I'd certainly vote for it.

Until next time...

The Underrated - Marin Mazzie

So for this Underrated post, I decided to write about one of my favorite stage actresses... 

Marin Mazzie

She first came onto the Broadway scene as a replacement in the musical, Big River.  But, it was her role as Clara in Stephen Sondheim's Passion that put her on the Broadway map and earned her her first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress:

If you watch the video, you'll notice two things right away.  First the fact that she's practically naked throughout the scene but, more importantly the second she opens her mouth and starts to sing, you don't notice anything else but that amazing voice!  She was definitely set to become a Broadway star.

A few years later in 1998, she received her second Tony nomination as Mother in the epic musical Ragtime.  In a huge cast of characters (which included Brian Stoke Mitchell and Audra McDonald) her Mother stood out as a woman whose "proper" life is turned upside down when she discovers a "small negro child" buried in her backyard.  Towards the end of the show, she sings "Back to Before" which, for me, is one of THE best songs in a show full of stand out numbers!

After Ragtime, she went on to star in the revival of Kiss Me, Kate! as actress Lilli Vanessi (again with her Ragtime co-star Brian Stokes Mitchell) and earned her 3rd Tony nomination, this time as Best Lead Actress.

I had the chance to see Kiss Me, Kate after it had been nominated for 12 Tonys and she was hilarious as Lilli Vanessi  and her show within a show character, Katherine.  I really thought she was going to win that year but, the award went to Heather Headley for Aida instead.

A few years after Kate, Ms. Mazzie appeared in a special called My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies in which she participated in an Andrew Lloyd Webber medley with Audra McDonald and Judy Kuhn.  Watch the video and try not to be blown away by the three of them.  It's about 7 minutes but, I promise, it's worth it.

After having starring roles in Spamalot and the short-lived Enron, she took on a role that many weren't sure she would be able to manage.  That of Diana, the bipolar wife and mother in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony winning musical, Next to Normal.  Many people were unsure if she'd be able to successfully follow in the footsteps of the role's originator, Alice Ripley, who won the Tony for Best Actress.  I'm a big Marin fan but even I had my doubts.  Well, she shamed all of us naysayers when she proceeded to take a character so clearly etched in our minds and turn it into her own.

The clip above is from Broadway on Broadway and not the show itself but, it's a perfect example of a song that I didn't quite care for until I saw Marin perform it in the show.  She brought a subtlety to the character that didn't overshadow the rest of the cast and you could see every emotion across her face.  She was brilliant!  If anyone ever deserved a Tony for replacing someone in a Broadway show, it's Marin for this role.  No one thought that you could improve on Alice's brilliant performance and, yet, Marin was just as brilliant and, in my opinion, even better.

If you don't know who she is, hopefully I've just given you reason to go to YouTube or iTunes to search her and give a listen.  I'm not sure why she's not a bigger star than she is but, she truly deserves to be.

Until next time...

April's Comin'

So, the first quarter of the year is already over and all I can say is, "What the?"  It's been an odd three months during which I felt like everything in my world was going faster than I was.  With auditions, work, dance and everything else, I felt like was hardly keeping up with life.  But after today, that'll be in the past and we'll have April upon us.  Besides finally getting consistent warmer temperatures and the inevitable horror of tax time, there are three things that I'm really looking forward to this month.  Allow me to share them with you:

1)  It's my birthday!

      Now I know this first one is a bit of a cheat since it's every April but, I've always been a kid when it comes to my birthday.  I kind of like the idea of having one day that revolves around me.  I do, actually, share this day with my dad but I think once I he was born, he gave up on his own and I took over.  For the most part I've always picked a general place that anyone can afford and invited whomever wanted to come but, this year I did something a little different.  On a total whim I decided to get tickets to:

2)  The Book of Mormon!

     Out of the blue one day, I just decided that this was what I wanted to do on my birthday.  I can't lie, I've always been a fan of sarcastic, stupid(but actually, smart) humor.  The kind that borders on offensive.  But really, isn't that what makes it funny?  But one thing that makes me appreciate a show like South Park, is that everyone is a target of their humor.  I get more excited as the time gets closer because I have yet to hear a single negative thing about the show and, now that the rave reviews have come out, the show is set to, possibly, be the coolest Best Musical winner since Avenue Q(Robert Lopez who helped to write that show is also a writer with Trey and Matt on this one!)

3)  With the terror of Tax Day coming on the 15th, it's only appropriate that the third thing I'm looking forward to is set to be released on the same day.  That would be Scream 4!

     I've already mentioned this one in two previous posts so, I'll just send you to the first one here, if you'd like to know my reasons for choosing this one.  Needless to say, I think I've been waiting for this one longer than Book of Mormon and even though this one probably won't be getting any awards, I can NOT WAIT!

So, that's what I'm looking forward to in the month of April.  How about you?

Until next time...

   

My New Blogspot Article

So the latest article on the Broadway Blogspot is from me.  I decided to write about the need to always be working on improving oneself in their career.  I know it fits with any career but, I think it's especially true in a performer's world.

Anyway, check it out at Broadway Blogspot!

What do you all think?  What are you doing to improve yourself in your careers?  Or if, like me, you're stuck in a survival job, what are we doing to get out of it?

Until next time...

The Underrated - Martha Plimpton

I've decided to start a new feature on Gator Music that gives a shout out to those performers whom I feel are exceptional and never get their proper due.  I've decided for the first one, I'll start with:

Martha Plimpton

If anyone has seen The Goonies, you'll remember the tomboyish blonde with the glasses who was constantly giving crap to Corey Feldman's Mouth.  THAT was Martha Plimpton.  Even as an 8 year old boy watching it in the movie theater, there was something that drew me to her Stef that her apart from the other characters.  She seemed to be the only voice of reason amongst the group of tweens searching for One-Eyed Willie's gold.  I wanted to post a clip from it but, the YouTube poster of "The Wishing Well" clip doesn't allow sharing so, click here to see it.

Next we have the movie Parenthood:

This is another one of my favorite movies in which she had a supporting role as Julie, the rebellious teen daughter of Helen (Dianne Wiest).  It's an ensemble film with too many amazing talents to name and she STILL manages to stand out.  Keanu Reeves gets the label on this clip but, Martha does a great job in her role as his teenage wife.

The next film is an awful little movie called 200 Cigarettes.  I specifically went to see it because of Ms. Plimpton.  It's not her fault, I was just excited that it was the first movie since Parenthood that I was aware she was in.  Potentially, a great cast that was done no favors by this film.  Martha was the best thing in the whole movie.  Check out the trailer, it's all you need to see:

Since then, she's been nominated for an Emmy for her appearance on Law and Order:SVU.  She's also received three Tony nominations for Coast of Utopia, Top Girls and Pal Joey.  She's been appeared in more shows and films than you could guess and has, most recently, become the best thing on the best new sitcom of the year, Raising Hope.




If you haven't seen Raising Hope, shame on yourself!  It's on after Glee and is so much funnier!  Oh Glee, where do I begin with the disappointment? But who cares... Watch RAISING HOPE!

Until next time...

Oscar 2011 aka The Snoozer

Well, I just sat through the entire Oscar broadcast and all I can say is, "Thank God it's over!" It has to be one of the most boring award telecasts I've ever had to sit through.  Kudos to Anne Hathaway for doing everything she could to carry the show because, the writers and James Franco (high as he might have been) did her no favors.

But still, there were a few moments of fun.  Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Billy Crystal and Sandra Bullock were all good sports and highlights of the evening.  The ever changing set was pretty cool.  And of course, there were lots of pretty dresses.

But first and foremost, it was still Hollywood's biggest night for movies.  My voting, which only carried weight in my apartment, wasn't very good.  It seems I vote more with what I love and apparently, not so much with what's supposed to win.  Anyway, here are the winners and who I picked:

Category: Winner/Who I Picked
Best Short Film (Live Action): God of Love/The Crush
     Never saw or heard of any of these until the awards.  I chose The Crush because it reminded me of the Alicia Silverstone/Cary Elwes movie.  The guy who DID win gave the funniest speech of the night.

Best Visual Short (Animated): The Lost Thing/Let's Pollute
     Same as above except, none of these films reminded me of anything.  Let's Pollute just sounded funny.

Best Documentary (Short): Strangers No More/Sun Comes Up
     Same as above.  Sun Comes Up just sounded positive.

Best Visual Effects: Inception/Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
     The first category where voting with my heart got me squat.  I guess, Inception was a shoo-in but, I love Harry Potter so I couldn't help it.

Best Sound Mixing: Inception
     Did the others really have a chance?

Best Sound Editing: Inception
     See above.

Best Makeup: The Wolfman
     The most "showy" of the nominees always wins.  And I agree with Ms. Cate Blanchett, "Gross."

Best Cinematography: Inception/The King's Speech
     Another given for Inception but, I thought TKS might take it.  I was wrong.

Best Film Editing: The Social Network/Black Swan
     This was a tough call but, I thought BS would pull it out.  Another incorrect guess for me.  If we were ranking them, I would've put TSN second.

Best Documentary: Inside Job/Waste Land
     Another one where I saw none of the nominees and felt shame for having not heard of them.

Best Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
     I loved that Reznor and Ross' dark score pulled out the victory.  Of the nominees, I felt, theirs' was the music that added the most to the respective film.

Best Original Song: We Belong Together/I See The Light
    Congrats to Randy Newman for writing the same song that has been nominated 20 times and now won twice.  Judging by the telecast, I thought the song from Tangled (I See The Light) should've gotten the win.  If they'd used Donna Murphy in the performance, they probably would have.

Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood - Alice In Wonderland
    The movie with the showiest costumes also produced the winner with the worst speech of the night.

Best Art Direction: Alice In Wonderland/Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
     Another one where my love for Harry Potter clouded my judgement.  Common sense would've told me to vote for AIW.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network
     Aaron Sorkin won for THE best screenplay of the year!

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler - The King's Speech
     David Seidler won for the 2nd best screenplay of the year!

Best Foreign Film: In A Better World (Denmark)/Biutiful (Mexico)
     Denmark beat Mexico in the Miss Universe category.  Foiled again!

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3                                  
     Really? Did the other nominees think they had a shot?

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo - The Fighter/Amy Adams - The Fighter
     Another one where I went with my heart.  I knew Melissa Leo would probably win but, I'm on the bandwagon for Amy Adams to get the little gold man.  She's always solid and gets overshadowed by people in the showier roles.  Her time is coming!

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale - The Fighter
     Speaking of solid actors who always get overshadowed, Christian Bale (hateful as he may sound on those Terminator recordings) is a great actor who got the recognition he deserved, finally.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
     Probably the category that will have had the most dispute this year but, I loved Portman's portrayal of the ballerina who JUST wanted to be perfect.  It was creepy and weak and powerful and great!  I know others think Annette Bening should've won but, I'm not so sure.  To me, she's always so big on film I'd love to see her on stage.  Bring the woman to Broadway!

Best Actor: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
     Another shoo-in winner, this year.  Amazing and should have one for simply being the ONLY actor (I love you, Meryl!) to come out of Mamma Mia unscathed.

Best Director: Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
     Deserved win.  Plus, he got bonus points for giving credit for the idea of the film to his mum.  She saw a play called The King's Speech and said it should be his next film.  Like he said, "The moral of the story, listen to your mum."

Best Picture: The King's Speech

     Tough call but, I also went with TKS!  I went in expecting a "typical" boring, British film and was greatly surprised by what I saw.  Colin, Helena, Geoffrey and the rest of the cast were great!  Plus, the script was funny and poignant and everything you'd want in a Best Picture winner.  Congrats to all involved!


So, I had a not so great 54% voting percentage (13 of 24) Anyway, those are my comments.   What do you think of the night?


Until next time...