I hope all my American readers had a great Fourth of July holiday. I spent the long weekend at my family's new beach condo -- mostly, we were fixing it up to use for the rest of the summer. However, tomorrow I fly out to Florida to spend a few days with friends down there.
I wanted to squeeze some content in for the day and a half that I'm actually home, so without further ado, here's a new edition of Friday Internet Finds where I round up some of the best theatre links I've found this week.
Popular: Buzzfeed shared this quiz to determine how mainstream your opinions about musicals are. (But what I'd really like to know if who everyone's favorite Schuyler Sister is.)
Shakespeare in Space: The first photos were released of Star Wars's Oscar Issac as the tortured prince in the Public Theater's production of Hamlet and they are well worth a look. I really hope I get a chance to see this production before it closes in September as it's the intersection of everything I love (theatre, literature, and Star Wars).
Stage to Stage: Josh Groban announced that he will release a coffee table book detailing his experiences making his Broadway debut in Great Comet. More details to come soon about preordering it, but I'm positive it will be proudly displayed in my living room soon next to my Great Comet book.
The [Blog] in My Mind: If you're not already reading it, make sure to bookmark Eva Noblezada's blog which contains her insightful and often touching musings about her life and her Broadway debut in Miss Saigon.
Sonya Together: This week, Brittain Ashford released a YouTube video of her and her Sonya replacement, singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, singing "Sonya Alone" together and we have truly been blessed by angels.
On my family's vacation to Disney World last week, we went to Disney Springs for the first time. If you haven't been to Disney in a while, you might know it as Downtown Disney; it's a beautiful area with shops and restaurants.
Since we took Thursday off from the parks to recuperate a little, we headed to Disney Springs with the help of my cousin Marisa who lives in Orlando. She recommended The Boathouse for lunch, a cute boating themed restaurant that boasts incredible seafood and a wide selection of drinks.
We couldn't have been more pleased with our delicious food or the calming relaxed atmosphere, a big change from being in the parks! Everyone at the table (well, except my little sister) ordered a beer from the Funky Buddha brewery which is local to Florida. The waiter described The Floridian as similar to a Blue Moon, my favorite, and I absolutely loved it.
My mom and I both started with the Maine Lobster Bisque which was amazing. I could have done with a bit more actual lobster in it, but I feel like I can't complain because the flavor was so incredible.
For my meal, I ordered one of the specials: a Shrimp Po-Boy. My only complaint is that I have no idea how they intended for me to eat this sandwich. It was served on an incredible, but thick, baguette with fresh tomato and lettuce. I ended up eating off a lot of the shrimp before attempting to pick it up (well, after my first failed try).
I got truffle fries as my side but my sister ordered one of the "Sides to Share" to go along with her soup as her meal. They're not kidding when they say you can share the sides! She basically received a mountain of delicious truffle fries.
The Boathouse is definitely a restaurant I'll return to on our next trip to Disney. It's a bit on the pricey side, but no worse than your average upscale seafood restaurant. If you go, definitely try one of their beers and the truffle fries! x
The reason I've been somewhat silent on this blog lately is because I was busy with graduating from college and then recovering from the chaos of moving home. Yes, I graduated from university!! Normal content should resume soon, with some Disney World posts and Friday Internet Finds.
On May 20, I graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a BA in Strategic Communications and History with a minor in French. It's strange to think that my four years are already over -- but I feel like a completely different person than I was when I started, as cliché as that is.
my amazing parents and little sister
While at Elon, I studied abroad at the University of Sussex and the University of St Andrews, did a Winter Term trip to Disney World and Disneyland, and did internships in Raleigh, NC and New York City. I completed my Honors Fellows thesis project (and even got a scholarship for it!) on the salonnières, women who ran salons in Enlightenment Paris. I also worked for Elon's newspaper, history department, and comedy sketch TV show, Elon Tonight.
With my roommate Brian and best friends MaryClaire and Lauren
In all honesty, I have some regrets about my time at Elon and things I would do differently if I could do it over. I regret not majoring in Arts Administration or minoring in Theatre Studies. Most days, I wish that I had gone back to the University of Sussex instead of going to St Andrews (but then I remember I wouldn't have met my darling friend, Lucy, and I take it back!). And, I'm graduating with no job yet in a friend group of people who mostly have their plans sorted which has been difficult.
with my best friend, future broadway star kimmy
Those difficulties aside, I had a wonderful graduation day. I had family who had come from across North Carolina, Florida, and Illinois and friends who had flown back from being in LA all spring just for graduation week. Plus, I had my amazing roommates (one of whom was my freshman year roommate!) and other incredible friends. (And there's something a little funny in watching the first boy you ever kissed get his diploma!)
with my new diploma!!
All day, all I could think of was how lucky I was to have these stupendous, kind, intelligent people beside me. I perhaps summed it up best on my Instagram post, or rather Dave Malloy summed it up best with Natasha's line in Great Comet: "And for the first time in many days, I weep tears of gratitude, tears of tenderness, tears of thanks."
Check out my video for more information and musings!
Happy Friday! Or rather, Friday evening as this is going up a bit late in the day. I've taken three exams in the past day and a half and only have one more left now. Are any of you dealing with exams right now? Thank goodness for the Broadway news that gets me through the day.
No One Else: I was so excited when I saw this "Which Great Comet Character Are You?" quiz from Buzzfeed earlier this week. (Though I think this one is actually better.) I got Natasha on both of them; let me know what you get in the comments!
Happy Easter: NBC has announced that their next televised live musical will be Jesus Christ Superstar on Easter Sunday of this coming year. Thoughts?
Ben Platt, the Unicorn?: This New York Times article examines Ben Platt's nightly transformation into anxiety-riddled teen Evan Hansen, how he got the role, and how he's taking care of himself mentally and physically.
Wait for It: In the fall, I wrote my communications capstone paper on how Hamilton's marketing team has dealt with the issue of ticket scarcity. It was published in Elon's Communications Journal which came out this week, so now you can read it here.
Broadway's Favorite Vlogger: Need a recap of every show that's been on Broadway this year? Check out Playbill's Tyler Mount, who is without a doubt one of the best Broadway vloggers ever.
A Kinky Boots review is better late than never, right? In March, I finally got the chance to see my favorite actor Killian Donnelly as Charlie Price on Broadway. Kinky Boots is actually one of my favorite shows, as I saw it last summer on Broadway and I saw the tour in the fall. However, it's the West End cast album with Killian that I've always listened to so I was so excited to finally see him in the role.
There was definitely something in the air because the audience went wild over the show. I was lucky to have an amazing orchestra seat (thanks, Mom and Dad!) for this moment that I'd been waiting for. I think that the show's message of acceptance and love has become even more important with our current political climate. I recommend it to anyone going to New York!
I loved Taylor Louderman as Wendy in Peter Pan Live! so I was so excited to see her as the quirky and too relatable Lauren, who works at Price & Sons. Her Lauren was so adorable that I don't think anyone could not root for her! She gave her a depth that I think the character sometimes lacks, much as I love her. And her "History of Wrong Guys" was absolutely amazing!
I was lucky enough to see J. Harrison Ghee as Lola on tour and he has only improved since making the leap to Broadway. His Lola is absolutely legendary, as he handles humor and drama equally well. His "Hold Me In Your Heart" made me cry once again! I also never fail to be impressed by his dancing, which is utterly fantastic.
Killian Donnelly as Charlie Price was everything I'd hoped for and more. If only we could keep him on Broadway for longer! Charlie is a difficult character in some ways because he's really not very likable to be honest. But Killian manages to make him sympathetic and really portrays his crisis about how to proceed with his life. Killian's "Soul of a Man" is the stuff of legends, but he also shines in songs like "Everybody Say Yeah" and Charlie's soliloquies.
While Kinky Boots is always an amazing show, the current cast truly shines and makes the source material even better. I highly recommend going to see it if you're in the city!
Happy Friday! This was a big week for the theatre fans with the Tony Awards nominations on Tuesday. There were some definite surprises (Allison Janney getting snubbed, Mike Faist winning out the Featured Actor nomination over Will Roland), but I was so pleased for everyone nominated! What did you guys think?
Style through the Years: This absolutely beautiful People Magazine article chronicles the different time periods of fashion present on Broadway right now from Anastasia to The Bandstand. A Little Preview: The Broadway cast album for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 will be released later this month on May 19, but they've uploaded their new recording of "Letters" to their YouTube channel. It's my absolute favorite song in the show!
I Got Lina??: I was so excited when I saw Buzzfeed's new "Which 'Singin' in the Rain' Character Are You?" quiz, but then I got Lina? Please let me know what you guys get!
You Get To Choose: The Broadway.com Audience Awards are now allowing you to vote for nominations. Make sure to fill out the form and vote for all your favorites (but especially vote for Alistair Brammer!). City of Stars: Now, my friends will tell you that I absolutely hated La La Land. However, I'm in love with this beautiful cover of "City of Stars" by my faves, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Pete Bucknall.
Tomorrow is one of the most important days of the year for theatre nerds everywhere...Tony Award nomination day. I was lucky enough to be a part of an exciting new podcast series, Next Best Theatre, where we discussed our predictions for all the main awards. You can check out the podcast hereand keep reading for all my predictions for the musicals categories.
Featured Actress in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
Jenn Colella, Come From Away
Brittain Ashford, Great Comet
Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly! Featured Actor in a Musical
Andrew Rannells, Falsettos
Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!
Michael Xavier, Sunset Boulevard
Lucas Steele, Great Comet
Nick Cordero, A Bronx Tale Best Actress in a Musical
Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!
Patti LuPone, Warpaint
Christine Ebersole, Warpaint
Denée Benton, Great Comet
Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon Best Actor in a Musical
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Andy Karl, Groundhog Day
David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!
Jon Jon Briones, Miss Saigon
Josh Groban, Great Comet Best Musical Revival Hello, Dolly! Falsettos Miss Saigon
Of course, there's a high chance that Sunset Boulevard will take the third nomination but I have to keep hoping for Miss Saigon.
Best Musical Dear Evan Hansen Come from Away Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 Groundhog Day
Don't forget that the Tony nominations are live-streamed on their website tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m., which will be hosted by Hamilton's Chris Jackson and She Loves Me's Jane Krakowski this year. Check back for my predictions for who will win each award later this month!
If anyone has been reading my blog for a while, they might remember that I used to do roundups of fun Internet links every Friday. Recently, a friend asked me if I might consider bringing it back and I've decided to do so -- but with a twist.
For now (and I'll continue it if it goes well!), I'll be doing Friday Internet Finds but with all musical theatre related links. So make sure to check back every Friday for my fave Internet finds of musical theatre and theatre links of the week. And let me know in the comments below or on social media if you like these! x
Skimm for Broadway: If you want to stay up to date on daily Broadway news, consider subscribing to the Broadway Briefing newsletter. It includes important news, events happening that day, Broadway birthdays, and more delivered straight to your inbox!
Newsie No More: Dear Evan Hansen's Mike Faist opened up to MTV about playing the troubled Connor Murphy in Broadway's biggest hit of the season. He discussed how he's dealing with portraying a suicidal teen and why he rarely stage doors.
Things I Almost Remember: I got a perfect score on this "How Well Do You Know Anastasia?" quiz from BroadwayWorld.com. How well can you do?
It's Bigger: This Broadway.com article explains how this year's Broadway season boasts the most new musicals since 1981...and what that means for the Tony Awards. Charmante: As they approach the release of their Broadway cast album next month, Great Comet has been releasing music videos for their songs. This jazz club themed one of Amber Gray (who plays Hélène) singing "Charming" is absolutely stunning.
Miss Saigon has been one of my favorite musicals since I discovered it years ago and it's much more than simply the show that shot Lea Salonga to stardom. I saw it last month, on March 24, to celebrate my sister's birthday. Based on the opera Madame Butterfly but set in the Vietnam War, it tells the story of a young American GI and a Vietnamese girl who are separated by the fall of Saigon. Furthermore, it brings light to the situation of the "bui doi" -- the half-American children born to Vietnamese women who had to deal with the stigma of their Western heritage. As a history major, how could I resist a show like this?
The music is written by the team that brought us Les Mis: Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil. It's a sumptuous score, alternating between dance numbers like "American Dream" and "The Heat is On" and soaring ballads like "I'd Give My Life for You" and "Why God Why." You can't leave the theatre without at least one song in your head. (If you'd like to listen, I recommend the recent live West End revival recording.)
This first Broadway revival takes after the recent West End one, even importing some of its cast. It's grittier than the original production and more focused on showing the atrocities of war. The sets are realistic enough to immerse you in the action and the costuming is lovely. Of course, it's the helicopter that many come to see and the effects surrounding it (especially with lighting and sound) are intense and impressive.
I could write whole essays on how fierce and wonderful Eva Noblezada is as Kim. Eva first played the role in London, right after graduating from high school (yes, I feel inferior in every way). Now back in her native United States after finishing up playing Eponine in Les Mis, it's clear that her Kim has only improved. Aside from her stunning vocals and acting that leaves me sobbing every time, I'm always impressed with how naturally she interacts with the young children who play Tam.
You can check out her singing "I'd Give My Life for You" at the Olivier Awards:
Though this was my third time seeing Miss Saigon, I've never seen anyone but Jon Jon Briones as the Engineer and I frankly never want to. It's a character with a tricky line to walk between comedic relief and showing the immorality that flourishes in wartime and Jon Jon executes it perfectly while also providing a humanity to the character. His "American Dream" is a show-stopper; the audience didn't stop applauding for several minutes the night that I saw it!
I truly didn't think that Alistair Brammer's Chris could be improved upon after seeing him in the West End, but Alistair proved me wrong. Alistair has been one of my favorite actors since I was sixteen and I'm so incredibly proud of him for being a leading man on Broadway, especially for a role like Chris which he seems born to play. (Yes, I feel like a proud little sister or something.) His voice is well-suited to the score and his "Why God Why" is the kind of performance that makes you remember why you love live theatre. However, it's his acting that impresses me the most: he truly shows a man broken by war and frustrated by his inability to help the people of a country torn apart. His "Confrontation" in Act II brought me to tears, especially his deliver of the heartbreaking line, "I'm an American, how could I fail to do good?" It's also worth saying that while his American accent was good in his West End performance, it's so impeccable now that I'm sure some are surprised to find out he's English!
If you have the chance, I would highly recommend seeing this beautiful and moving show before it leaves Broadway again in January as it's on a limited engagement. Worth seeing for any one of the three leads alone, it also boasts an impressive ensemble and cast of featured actors. For now, I'm just glad to have my favorite show back on Broadway, living the "American Dream."
Make sure to check out my full review video below x
I never would have guessed that War and Peace would be great material for a musical, but that was before seeing Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812. I was lucky enough to see this masterpiece in March over my spring break at the Imperial Theater on Broadway. This new Tony Awards hopeful was written by Dave Malloy and is an adaption of a small part of Tolstoy's work. It follows Pierre through his existential crisis and Natasha through her anguish over the two men in her life, Andrey and Anatole.
I chose to see the show mostly because I had read so many good things about its immersive experience. They remodeled the Imperial Theater (where I have seen Les Mis three times) to include seating on the stage and ways for the actors to access the orchestra and balcony. With the actors all around you, it's hard not to get swept away in the action of the show. It has such an intimate feeling and if you're lucky, you might get handed a dumpling, shaker, or letter during the course of the musical!
However, even if it weren't one of the coolest theatrical experiences ever, the music itself is worth seeing the show. Dave Malloy has created a show that intermingles haunting melodies like Pierre's "The Great Comet of 1812" and Natasha's "No One Else" with rousing songs like "The Duel" and "Balaga." My sister and I both walked out the the theatre with the chorus of "Letters" stuck firmly in our heads! You can currently buy the Off-Broadway cast album featuring Malloy himself as Pierre and Philippa Soo as Natasha or wait until May when the Broadway cast album is released.
If you've not heard, Josh Groban is currently playing Pierre and I don't think I've ever been so surprised by a performance. Of course, I knew that Josh has a lovely voice but I wasn't prepared for his impressive acting performance. He brings a gravity and a realness to Pierre's struggle...and even made me wish I could play the accordion? If you have a chance to see him before he leaves the show in July, I would highly recommend it. I'm expecting a Tony nomination for this one!
No, I did not leave the lipstick mark on his cheek.
Denée Benton is absolutely stunning as the troubled ingenue Natasha. With a pure beautiful voice and an ability to portray emotion from across a theatre, it's easy to see why she was cast in the role. Natasha is definitely one of my favorite female roles on Broadway right now and Denée makes the audience feel for her.
While sadly I didn't get to see the great Lucas Steele as Anatole, I was lucky enough to see his understudy Blaine Krauss who was absolutely incredible. His charisma onstage was magnetic and he sang the (rather difficult) role wonderfully. Though Anatole is somewhat of a cad (spoilers!), I couldn't help but be drawn to him and found myself watching him in scenes with the ensemble. I also just can't help but be impressed by any understudy or swing in a show with blocking this difficult!
If you only have the chance to see one show from this Broadway season, I would pick Great Comet because there's simply nothing else like it. While the plot is admittedly complicated and perhaps somewhat difficult to follow, the beautiful music, set, and costumes are absolutely a must-see. And who knows...you might come away with a War and Peace obsession like I did.
Make sure to check out my video review on my YouTube channel as well! x
