Best Places in NYC: The Strand Bookstore
I made a little video about one of my favorite places in New York...and a mini bookstore haul!
UPDATE on Posting Schedule
Hi there readers,
I wanted to give you a quick update on my different posting schedule for this summer. Between work, class, research, and simply living in New York, I don't think that I can hold myself to posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Plus, sometimes I'm struggling because I want to post more than that!
Instead, for the summer, I'll be posting three times a week but not on any set days. And I may post more if I see more than three Broadway shows in a week (I'm seeing four this week!). I'll be discontinuing Friday Internet Finds just for the summer, to make more space for posts.
In regards to my YouTube channel, I'll hopefully still be uploading a video either Sunday or Monday of every week.
If you have any suggestions for posts or videos, please put them in the comments below or Tweet them to me at @nicoleackman16.
Love,
Nicole xx
I wanted to give you a quick update on my different posting schedule for this summer. Between work, class, research, and simply living in New York, I don't think that I can hold myself to posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Plus, sometimes I'm struggling because I want to post more than that!
Instead, for the summer, I'll be posting three times a week but not on any set days. And I may post more if I see more than three Broadway shows in a week (I'm seeing four this week!). I'll be discontinuing Friday Internet Finds just for the summer, to make more space for posts.
In regards to my YouTube channel, I'll hopefully still be uploading a video either Sunday or Monday of every week.
If you have any suggestions for posts or videos, please put them in the comments below or Tweet them to me at @nicoleackman16.
Love,
Nicole xx
Review: Bright Star
Bright Star might just be the most uplifting show currently on Broadway. My roommate Kimmy and I went and got rush tickets yesterday morning for last night's show. I still can't quite believe that we paid just $30 for orchestra row C!
I don't want to give away too much, but the show is set in North Carolina in two different time periods: 1923 and 1945. There are two storylines interweaving around the character of Alice Murphy (brilliantly portrayed by Carmen Cusack). The first act ends with one of the most shocking moments I've ever seen on a Broadway stage. The resolution in the second act is fairly predictable, but heartwarming nonetheless. The music, if not particularly memorable, is unique for its bluegrass style. My personal favorite was definitely "Another Round," a hilarious dance tune about drinking.
After seeing the show, I definitely understand why it was nominated for a Tony for Best Musical and it's clear that Carmen Cusack deserved her nomination for Best Actress. While her vocals are flawless, it was her acting that stood out to me. She had me in tears three separate times! I also have to mention that she was so lovely at stage door and just a ray of sunshine.
Another standout performance was A.J. Shively as Billy, a young man who has returned from World War II and wants to pursue a career as a writer. With a lovely voice and believable acting, he stood out amongst the cast. His comedic timing was also on point and he was suitably adorable in his romantic scenes with Margo.
The main reason that I wanted to see Bright Star was because of Paul Alexander Nolan, who stars as Jimmy, Alice's love interest. I absolutely adore Paul on the Daddy Long Legs and the Doctor Zhivago cast albums, so I wanted to see him in person. How do I even describe how wonderful Paul was? His voice is stunning and he was just so charming.
We also had a nice chat at stage door about Daddy Long Legs, which I think surprised him a bit. He even told us a bit of trivia about our favorite song from that show, "My Manhattan"!
Sadly, the news that Bright Star is closing on June 26 came out while we were at the show. If you can possibly get to the show before then, I would highly recommend it. The bluegrass music has a great bounce to it, the cast are impeccable, and the show will rip your heart out only to put it back together again better than it was before. With everything that's been going on in the world these past few days, this show was exactly the inspiring message that I needed to see.
I don't want to give away too much, but the show is set in North Carolina in two different time periods: 1923 and 1945. There are two storylines interweaving around the character of Alice Murphy (brilliantly portrayed by Carmen Cusack). The first act ends with one of the most shocking moments I've ever seen on a Broadway stage. The resolution in the second act is fairly predictable, but heartwarming nonetheless. The music, if not particularly memorable, is unique for its bluegrass style. My personal favorite was definitely "Another Round," a hilarious dance tune about drinking.
After seeing the show, I definitely understand why it was nominated for a Tony for Best Musical and it's clear that Carmen Cusack deserved her nomination for Best Actress. While her vocals are flawless, it was her acting that stood out to me. She had me in tears three separate times! I also have to mention that she was so lovely at stage door and just a ray of sunshine.
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| I honestly don't know what my face is doing. |
The main reason that I wanted to see Bright Star was because of Paul Alexander Nolan, who stars as Jimmy, Alice's love interest. I absolutely adore Paul on the Daddy Long Legs and the Doctor Zhivago cast albums, so I wanted to see him in person. How do I even describe how wonderful Paul was? His voice is stunning and he was just so charming.
We also had a nice chat at stage door about Daddy Long Legs, which I think surprised him a bit. He even told us a bit of trivia about our favorite song from that show, "My Manhattan"!
Sadly, the news that Bright Star is closing on June 26 came out while we were at the show. If you can possibly get to the show before then, I would highly recommend it. The bluegrass music has a great bounce to it, the cast are impeccable, and the show will rip your heart out only to put it back together again better than it was before. With everything that's been going on in the world these past few days, this show was exactly the inspiring message that I needed to see.
Review: She Loves Me on Broadway
On May 28, I finally achieved two of my life goals: I saw Laura Benanti perform live and I met the voice actor behind my favorite Disney prince (Flynn Rider, of course).
If you're in New York, go see She Loves Me as soon as you can (especially because it closes July 10). If you've seen the movie You've Got Mail, then the plot may seem familiar: parfumerie employees Amalia and Georg are at odds in their daily life, but they each have an anonymous pen pal that they're in love with...any guesses how it ends?
If you're in New York, go see She Loves Me as soon as you can (especially because it closes July 10). If you've seen the movie You've Got Mail, then the plot may seem familiar: parfumerie employees Amalia and Georg are at odds in their daily life, but they each have an anonymous pen pal that they're in love with...any guesses how it ends?
Laura Benanti is absolutely stunning in the lead role of Amalia. When I saw the show, she was actually sick with a cold but her vocals were still insanely amazing. I've loved Laura for years, but seeing her live completely exceeded all my expectations. She's absolutely charming as Amalia and the audience can't help but like her. (Side note: She doesn't stage door most of the time because of how often she's been sick, but she sends out a stack of signed playbills. Bless her.)
If having Flynn Rider's voice wasn't enough to make me adore Zachary Levi, his lovely portrayal of Georg certainly did the trick. His vocals surprised me by how good he was (not that I'd doubted him; I just had never heard him sing like that before) and his comedic timing was impeccable. I came out of the theatre kind of in love with Georg myself.
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| Zachary Levi was the absolute nicest at stage door! |
I also can't not mention Gavin Creel and Jane Krakowski, both of whom make their somewhat odd characters so very likable. Their dancing and chemistry are both incredible and I had no idea that Jane can sing as well as she can. She's so much tinier in person than you would expect and photos and video somehow do not do justice to how pretty she is.
If I had an infinite supply of money, I would go see this show every single day (in addition to buying Hamilton tickets). It's by far my favorite thing I've seen on Broadway this summer and not just because I too would fall in love with a guy who brought me vanilla ice cream. x
NYC Room Tour
Sorry I haven't been posting lately, but I've been settling into my new apartment in New York City! So I thought that I would share a little tour of my new place with all of you. x
Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
I missed seeing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in theaters, so I decided that it gave me the perfect opportunity to read the book before the movie comes out on DVD on May 31. So I picked up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith at the bookstore and devoured it (pun intended) within a few days.
As someone who has loved Jane Austen for years, I found this adaption incredibly clever. I love different Austen adaptions (my favorite are Pemberley Digital's Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved of course) and this one is perfectly cheeky while still offering a compelling story.
I found the way that they handled the zombies to be delightful, with words like "the plague" and "unmentionables." The author clearly has a good grasp on Regency England and I found the small tweaks to the society (training in Asia, ninjas galore, etc.) to be incredibly well-done.
Mostly, I loved the characterizations in this novel. Jane Bennet is my favorite character and I loved that she was made even stronger than she perhaps is in the original novel. I adored the fierce and sometimes frightening Lizzie. But mostly, I finally found a Darcy that I truly love whose intentions seem more pure somehow, with zombies in the mix.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice...and a good laugh! Now I can't wait to see the film when I can buy it on May 31.
As someone who has loved Jane Austen for years, I found this adaption incredibly clever. I love different Austen adaptions (my favorite are Pemberley Digital's Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved of course) and this one is perfectly cheeky while still offering a compelling story.
I found the way that they handled the zombies to be delightful, with words like "the plague" and "unmentionables." The author clearly has a good grasp on Regency England and I found the small tweaks to the society (training in Asia, ninjas galore, etc.) to be incredibly well-done.
Mostly, I loved the characterizations in this novel. Jane Bennet is my favorite character and I loved that she was made even stronger than she perhaps is in the original novel. I adored the fierce and sometimes frightening Lizzie. But mostly, I finally found a Darcy that I truly love whose intentions seem more pure somehow, with zombies in the mix.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice...and a good laugh! Now I can't wait to see the film when I can buy it on May 31.
Workwear Haul
This past week has been spent shopping for clothes for my internship, so I wanted to share what I found with you. Everything in the haul came from H&M, Loft, Target, and Charming Charlie, which proves that it is possible to find nice work clothing on a budget! x
Friday Internet Finds
It's nice to be home...even if I'm only here for another week! Let me know your summer plans in the comments below.
1. Buzzfeed now lets you make a quiz that you can send to your friends to test how well they know you. Time to challenge your friends to see who really knows you best!
2. I love this College Fashion article of outfits inspired by the female characters of War and Peace. Especially because I know them because of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
3. My dear friend Fletcher wrote a beautiful blog post reflecting on his first year of college.
4. It's so exciting to see some first photos from Aladdin rehearsals in the West End. While it makes me sad to think of something else going into the Prince Edward Theatre (I'm still in mourning for Miss Saigon), I think Aladdin is going to be an amazing production!
5. I love this video from Broadway.com asking quirky questions to some of this years Tony nominees!
1. Buzzfeed now lets you make a quiz that you can send to your friends to test how well they know you. Time to challenge your friends to see who really knows you best!
2. I love this College Fashion article of outfits inspired by the female characters of War and Peace. Especially because I know them because of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
3. My dear friend Fletcher wrote a beautiful blog post reflecting on his first year of college.
4. It's so exciting to see some first photos from Aladdin rehearsals in the West End. While it makes me sad to think of something else going into the Prince Edward Theatre (I'm still in mourning for Miss Saigon), I think Aladdin is going to be an amazing production!
5. I love this video from Broadway.com asking quirky questions to some of this years Tony nominees!
Best Broadway Snapchatters
If you're a fan of musical theatre and you use Snapchat, then you need to be follow these accounts! As someone whose two great loves are social media and theatre, I love these for backstage looks at shows and staying up on the latest news. Now all we need to do is convince Lin Manuel Miranda to get Snapchat...
If you know of any Broadway or West End or other international musical theatre Snapchat accounts, please leave them in the comments below so I can follow them too! x
Andrew Chappelle (achapphawk)
Andrew is obviously the social media star of the Hamilton cast. Whether he's sending you clips from his dressing room or snaps of his adorable dog whose name is Patti LuBone (best. dog. name. EVER.), his story will make you feel like the world is a happier place. If you're looking for other Hamilton Snapchatters, check out Daveed Diggs (daveeddiggs), Leslie Odom Jr. (leslieodomjr), or Hamilton's Snapchat (hamiltonmusical).
Courtney Reed (rhodesreed)
The beautiful Courtney Reed plays Jasmine in Aladdin...and apparently makes an amazing matcha tea. I love Courtney's snaps from cast shenanigans to her favorite places to workout and eat to her trips into Sephora. Plus, Courtney is making me want to be healthier...and showing me the best places to eat while I'm in New York this summer!
Laura Benanti (therealbenanti)
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit obsessed with Laura Benanti...so of course, I love her Snapchat. She posts some backstage fun and cute pics with her husband. She's basically Broadway royalty, so how could you not want to follow her? I can't wait to see her in She Loves Me in just ten days!
Chris McCarrell (chrismzcarrell)
It's worth following Broadway's Marius for his snaps of him singing (and the close-up shots of his gorgeous costumes) alone. Plus, you'll get to see shots of the other members of the Les Miz cast until it closes on Broadway in September.
Humans of Broadway (humansofbway)
This sister account to the amazing Humans of Broadway Instagram always has something cool going on. If you love Humans of New York, you'll want to check out this cool addition to Humans of Broadway's normal content.
And finally....the Tony Awards (thetonyawards)
Obviously, with Tony season coming up, it's imperative that you follow this account now for all the backstage snaps on the night of the Tony Awards. However, this account doesn't fall inactive at other times of the year...they snap from the red carpets of every Broadway opening. Definitely one you don't want to miss out on!
If you know of any Broadway or West End or other international musical theatre Snapchat accounts, please leave them in the comments below so I can follow them too! x
Andrew Chappelle (achapphawk)
Andrew is obviously the social media star of the Hamilton cast. Whether he's sending you clips from his dressing room or snaps of his adorable dog whose name is Patti LuBone (best. dog. name. EVER.), his story will make you feel like the world is a happier place. If you're looking for other Hamilton Snapchatters, check out Daveed Diggs (daveeddiggs), Leslie Odom Jr. (leslieodomjr), or Hamilton's Snapchat (hamiltonmusical).
Courtney Reed (rhodesreed)
The beautiful Courtney Reed plays Jasmine in Aladdin...and apparently makes an amazing matcha tea. I love Courtney's snaps from cast shenanigans to her favorite places to workout and eat to her trips into Sephora. Plus, Courtney is making me want to be healthier...and showing me the best places to eat while I'm in New York this summer!
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| from Courtney's Snapstory today |
Laura Benanti (therealbenanti)
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit obsessed with Laura Benanti...so of course, I love her Snapchat. She posts some backstage fun and cute pics with her husband. She's basically Broadway royalty, so how could you not want to follow her? I can't wait to see her in She Loves Me in just ten days!
Chris McCarrell (chrismzcarrell)
It's worth following Broadway's Marius for his snaps of him singing (and the close-up shots of his gorgeous costumes) alone. Plus, you'll get to see shots of the other members of the Les Miz cast until it closes on Broadway in September.
Humans of Broadway (humansofbway)
This sister account to the amazing Humans of Broadway Instagram always has something cool going on. If you love Humans of New York, you'll want to check out this cool addition to Humans of Broadway's normal content.
And finally....the Tony Awards (thetonyawards)
Obviously, with Tony season coming up, it's imperative that you follow this account now for all the backstage snaps on the night of the Tony Awards. However, this account doesn't fall inactive at other times of the year...they snap from the red carpets of every Broadway opening. Definitely one you don't want to miss out on!
My Room Tour
It's a bit funny that I'm posting this room tour on the day that I'm moving out of my apartment...but at least I finally got around to it! Enjoy and don't forget to ask me if you've any questions about where something is from. xx
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