On Broadway #4: Anything Goes

And now, for the posts you've really been interested in: my recap of the Broadway shows I saw in New York. I'll give you the low-down on the plays (all musicals) in the order in which I saw them.... except this one, which we saw last but I want to review next.

What? I'm allowed to change my mind!

Here is the fourth of five:

Anything Goes

Anything Goes is one of those oldies-but-goodies written by Cole Porter in 1934. Consequently, the music is fantastic, but the story is really, really super cheesy. I had never seen the play before. Pretty much all I knew going in is that I will see anything where Sutton Foster dances, I kinda wanted to see what the fuss about Joel Grey was, and Centerpoint Legacy Theatre is doing the show later this year and I might want to audition. Oh, and I had heard a few of the songs: "Anything Goes", "It's De-Lovely", etc...

Did I mention that my seat was on the fourth row?

I was on the back row in the front section, on the left. This just happened to be where the actors entered to board their "cruise ship" (the stage), which meant that several brushed past my hair -- it gave me the chills! I felt like I was part of the show right from the beginning. Since it was my closest seat of all the shows I'd been to, I took a moment to look backwards and noticed that there were monitors on the balcony so that the actors could see what the conductor was doing at any time. Whoever came up with that idea is a genius. I wish I'd had access to something like that during some of my shows!

Sutton Foster is a STAR! The very definition of a triple-threat. She came onstage with a very lackluster line, and the audience still went nuts! She lights up the stage whenever she's on; I couldn't help but follow her where ever she went! I could NOT believe it when, during the first act finale "Anything Goes", she lead the entire ensemble in a 5-6 minute dance break and then CONTINUED SINGING! Not only that, she was belting. It was a brilliant, brilliant moment in my theatre-going career. I seriously started crying. It was worth the price of the ticket just for that number. She was rightfully the leader and star.

I LOVED that nearly all of the actors got to tap dance during the "Anything Goes" number. They were all wonderful! Several actors agreed with me afterward that you just can't be sad when tap-dancing. This video clip doesn't even do the song justice -- half the number is cut out. Watch it anyway!


Yes. I want to sign up for a tap class in the very, very near future.

"Broadway legend" Joel Grey a disappointment in my opinion. He's been playing the hapless, lovable loser for quite a few years now, but his understated style was a black hole in the middle of this cast of colorful characters and energetic actors. He looked old and tired. His song was by FAR my least favorite. Then again, it's not his fault that the script called for two ballads back-to-back in the second act. I'm glad he wasn't nominated for a Tony; he would not have deserved it.


After the play, Larissa and I waited at the stage door, while Keri took a "Happy Mother's Day!" call from her family. Larissa has seen Sutton in every Broadway show Sutton has starred in, but never met her, and I admit I would have loved a photo with this bona fide star! Sadly, neither Sutton nor Joel came out to greet the fans, but everyone else did!

Turns out, everyone appeared a lot taller onstage! We were shocked to learn that Jessica Stone, who played Jersey heart breaker Erma was the same size as Larissa, and ingenue (and winner of talent-competition show Grease: You're the One That I Want!) Laura Osnes is my height! And may I say that everyone we met was insanely nice? Laura and I chatted about how great her voice is, and she raved about how cute my hoodie is. It seemed perfectly natural for us to put our arms around each other in my photo:

Me and Laura Osnes

Jessica had a long conversation with a teenage girl near us about how she broke into show business. And I was brave and asked one of my two ensemble-guy crushes for a photo. He was so flattered when I told him he was one of my favorites! Men in uniform are cute! (Yes, I'm aware he's not in uniform at the moment.) I have a special place in my heart for an ensemble. Most of the time in a dance show, they work harder than the leads. If Sutton hadn't been so amazing, that would have been true in this show.

Me with one of my ensemble-guy crushes, Ward Billeisen

Even if we didn't get to meet Sutton Foster, I'm glad we waited around and got to meet so many nice theatre people. Just a reminder that they're just like you or me. They just happen to sing, dance, and look beautiful for a living!

My parents will be in NYC in the not-too-distant future, and bought tickets to see this show with Aaron, Peter, and Jordyn. I hope they enjoy it! It might not have been the show I would have picked for them (they bought tickets before I had seen it), but I think they'll appreciate it anyway. They better, or I've done a terrible job teaching my brothers theatre appreciation. I KNOW my dad will like it!

As a side note, as someone thinking about auditioning for this play in the next month or so, I'd love to play Hope or Erma or even be in the ensemble. Tap dancing? Sign me up!

In conclusion, it was a great show, and I WISH I could go again! Sometimes, there's nothing like a good old-school production. I'm so glad they revived this one.

WANT

Last Friday, I went for a little walk around the Gateway mall, and mosied on into my favorite clothing store, where I almost never buy clothes -- no matter now cute -- because it's all so stinking expensive.

And I saw this on a hanger:

*Cue the angels singing*

As with so many wonderful romances, it was love at first sight.

And then I saw the price tag: $228.00.

Just like that, the romance died.

Still, I went back today and tried it on. Wouldn't you know it? I looked completely adorable in the thing! I knew I would. I had a huge frown on my face the whole time I had it on, because I was trying to convince myself to stay strong and not buy it. Sure, I'd love to wear it at the wedding I'm going to on Saturday... and pretty much every Sunday for the rest of my life... and I could use the self-esteem boost of feeling pretty... but it's $228.00!

I am proud to announce that I stayed strong and did not impulsively snatch the dress up, even though I really did look great in it. I did put it on layaway, though. I had to!

Imagine my consternation, though, when I finally got around to last night's episode of Glee, and saw this:

Gah! The dress is taunting me on this annoying character who pairs it with white tights and ugly booties!

Larissa says if I can stay strong for 4 months it will go on sale for cheap... that is, if it doesn't sell out in my size first.

Sigh. 

I have other clothes. I'll wear those, and shop at discount stores in the meantime.

It is a cute, cute dress though.

It is

When contracting "it is", I'm thinking of adopting "'tis" to supplement "it's." I use "it's" a lot. Maybe I should mix it up a little.

Just go with me on this:
1. It's a shame they wanted to hate a show they paid so much to see.
vs

'Tis a shame they wanted to hate a show they paid so much to see.

2. I don't know if I can handle what it is now... it's too overwhelming.

vs 

I don't know if I can handle what it is now... 'tis too overwhelming.

3. It's nice when these things work out!

vs

'Tis nice when these things work out!

(I don't like "'tis" in that one.)

4. I don't care if it's an old-fashioned idea -- it's the dream.

vs
I don't care if it's an old-fashioned idea -- 'tis the dream. 

(See what I did there? Using "'tis" to replace the first "it's" would have been a bit much. Also, I don't think that's the way "'tis" is supposed to be used... I'm not much of a grammar nazi unless in formal situations -- punctuation, yes, but not grammar -- but I think that would be wrong.)

What do you think? Does it sound pretentious? Should I give it a shot in the next few posts and see how it goes?

If "'tis" is well-received (now that I've mentioned it I can't expect it'll be unnoticed), I might try using it in my verbal communication.

Nah. That would be pretentious!

Blonde vs. Redheaded

When I dyed my hair back in November, I told myself that I had to keep it red for at least three dye cycles (so, about 4-5 months). Red dye is notoriously prone to fading, and wreaks havoc on blonde hair when you try to get it out. So, I was determined to stay redheaded for awhile, but the plan was always to go blonde again for the summer. In fact, I was not particularly excited to have it re-dyed red the last time I went. I missed my old hair.

Now that the summer is practically upon us, and I have a good half-inch of blonde roots peeking from under the red "ends" (which are about two feet long), I'm not sure I'm ready to give up on the red.

I'm a little attached to it.

Don't get me wrong. I love being a blonde. My curly, blonde hair has always been my most recognizable feature. It was fun being the only blonde woman when I did A Christmas Carol, and I'm pretty proud of the fact that up until last summer I hadn't had it highlighted in about 15 years -- I'm a REAL blonde.

But, I feel like the red goes better with my usually whiter-than-white skin tone, and I love that there are so few curly-haired redheads (or redheads in general) and I could pretend to be one of them. You wouldn't believe how many compliments I get from people who believe I'm a natural ginger. I'm cute as a redhead, too.

On the other hand, if I went back to blonde, I wouldn't have to worry about my roots growing out, the color fading, or damaging my hair with additional dye jobs, and I could use the extra cash for something else. Plus I kind of miss the blonde.

Sometimes I feel like being a blonde isn't as special as being a redhead.

And there's the hope that I'll get to spend a crazy amount of time in the pool this summer. Chlorine and red dye don't play well together, and spending that much time in the pool would be hard enough on my hair.

Yes, I am aware that this post is more-than-usually vain. It doesn't matter what color my hair is. It's pretty either way. I guess the real question is whether I'm ready for a change, and if I decide to go blonde again, am I ready to face the fact I might have to have a significant cut to shed the potentially severe damage?

I've decided to wait at least two weeks. After that time, I will have the results back on all of the plays I auditioned for last week. If I do one, I'll present the idea of staying red or going blonde and let the director decide (that's what I did during The 1940s Radio Hour, which lead to the perfect excuse to going red in the first place). I want to get this question resolved sooner rather than later, because I am starting to loathe my blonde roots. My natural color is such that, peeking out from the red the way it is, I'm paranoid that it looks like I'm trying to cover up some gray. It's possible I do have gray hair on top of my head (I know I do in my eyebrows), but this is a bit worse than I can handle.

If I don't do one of these shows... I think I'll go back to blonde. As much as I love the red, it might be time to go blonde again. I wonder if I'll get the same surprise every time I look in the mirror for the three months after that I did after going red. It took awhile to get used to, but I have loved it!

After all, in another 18 months I'll probably feel impatient for another color-change and go red again... that's about as long as it takes to need another change!

On Broadway #3: Billy can DANCE!

And now, for the posts you've really been interested in: my recap of the Broadway shows I saw in New York. I'll give you the low-down on the plays (all musicals) in the order in which I saw them.

Here is the third of five:

Billy Elliot

Back in February, we bought tickets for four shows: Wonderland, Catch Me If You Can, How to Succeed..., and Anything Goes. Larissa mentioned that we could potentially see a fifth play on Saturday afternoon, but we thought, depending on the weather, we might want to just explore Central Park that day.

However, when Saturday morning rolled around, I decided that since I didn't know when I'd make it back to New York, I wanted to see another show. I debated between Billy Elliot v. Jersey Boys, and ultimately decided on Billy Elliot. Fortunately, my brother Aaron, who was scheduled to join us that afternoon, was totally up for seeing the play with me. This is one of the many things I love about Aaron: He may not know much about the play itself, but if it sounds at all interesting and involves hanging out with someone he cares about, he is all in! (I should mention he seen quite a few Broadway musicals that I have not, and I am jealous.) I am really grateful he wanted to come, because I would have felt terribly guilty abandoning him when he took a five-hour bus ride from D.C. to spend some time with me! Thanks for not making me choose between you and the show, but if I'd had to, I would have chosen you, Aaron.

Larissa and Keri accompanied me to the TKTS booth in Times Square so I could buy the tickets, then we hustled over to Columbus Circle to meet up with Aaron, and eat lunch at the Shake Shack, which was well worth the visit! The ladies wanted to take advantage of the shocking beautiful weather to visit Central Park, so Aaron and I said good-bye and made our way back to Times Square.

Forgive me, I can never tell just part of a story... I blame LOST for my compulsion to put everything into context!

I was disappointed when I learned that our seats were in the fourth or fifth row from the very back in the balcony just one row behind the auditorium entrance, which could have resulted in limited viewing had the lady in front of me.

Once the play started, I didn't care about my seat.

Billy Elliot is the story of young man in coal-mining town in Ireland in the 1980s. Billy accidentally ends up in a dance class, discovers he likes it and is good at it, and has to fight against the social stigma against it.

The dancing blew me away. So many different styles and innovations. I cried during the pas de deux when he started to fly -- that's how singing makes me feel! Loved the way they made Billy's fight to dance overlap the coal miner's strike for better conditions. The battles seemed so similar in context. Now the clip they did during the Tonys made sense, though at the time I thought it was just weird.

The clip would have made more sense if Billy and Elton John yelled at each other in the introduction. You know those times when you are just so angry that you have to do something physical? Some people run, hit, or break things. I cry and then sing it out. Billy dances. He's dancing through pure anguish and frustration and I know exactly how that feels.

The kids playing Billy deserved their Tonys (all three won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical). I  couldn't believe the emotional range and different types of dancing they had to do. It was just beautiful.

I've been a fan of Gregory Jbara (who plays the dad) since I saw him in Victor/Victoria in 1996... that play also starred a fairly well-known actress by the name of Julie Andrews. I got to meet Gregory after Victor/Victoria and he was really nice. He also totally deserved his Tony for Best Supporting Actor for this show. The whole sequence with him as a rough, blue collar worker among the refined people at the Ballet school was just priceless. So funny and so touching! I love it when I can relate to the people on stage!

To be honest, I couldn't understand some of the dialogue due to the heavy accents, but that turned out to be a good thing, because I missed a lot of the swearing. Consequently, the swearing didn't bother me as much as it might have, although it was jarring when the kids swore (the first word Billy speaks is the F-word). But, if the parents are swearing the kids end up doing it, too. I was expecting the language beforehand, though. The movie the play is based on is rated R for language; I saw it once on TV and wondered why I'd never seen it before!

This was the only really "substantial" show I saw during that trip, meaning it really took me outside myself and made me think. I cried during other shows, but then it was mostly because I was overwhelmed by the performances and production value. Seeing the way the people in Billy's town initially react to and gradually accept his desire to dance made me wonder if I act in that hurtful way to people sometimes. We all have our version of "normal" and have a desire not to stand out in a way that others see as negative. It's hard for people to be different and be treated differently, especially when we know it's going to hurt the people we love. It's even harder to break our stereotypes about "different" people and see everyone as an individual, especially because those differences are only part of a whole. We all want to be accepted for who we are.


Unsurprisingly, Aaron was a terrific companion to see this particular play with. He appreciates a good performance, and has wonderful insight when we talk about them later. It's fun to go with someone who enjoys theatre but isn't a theatre person per se; he recognizes and sees things that don't even occur to me. He even let me take control of his handkerchief, and didn't complain about its state when I returned it to him. I really did intend to wash it first, but forgot. Thanks for being prepared, Eagle Scout Aaron! I'm so glad we got to share this show together!

I completely love this photo of Aaron and I pretending to do ballet. He didn't believe me when I told him how the feet are supposed to be positioned during fifth position (see photo below). Though you can't see our feet, I promise we're doing a modified fourth, even if our arms are wrong (it has been a long time since I had any real ballet training).

Take a look at Aaron's blog post for his take on Billy Elliot and How to Succeed (which I'll be writing up next). 

On Broadway #2: I surely would catch him if I could...

And now, for the posts you've really been interested in: my recap of the Broadway shows I saw in New  York. I'll give you the low-down on the plays (all musicals) in the order in which I saw them.

Here is the second of five:

Catch Me if You Can

The second play we saw was based on the real-life story of teenage con-artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. When his parents split up, he went into crisis mode, forged checks (stealing over $2 million from various banks around the world), and eventually impersonated an airline pilot, an ER doctor, and a lawyer before finally getting caught and going to jail. The story explores his adventures, and how he was caught by FBI fraud investigator Carl Hanratty. It's a fascinating story! Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in a movie version several years ago. I might need to read Abagnale, Jr's book now.

I loved how retro-60s everything was! The musical is new this year, but as stage-Frank shared his story, he did it in a way that would have been contemporary for him. Jazz, christian, folk, rock 'n' roll -- it was all there. It was easy to step into the sixties and immerse myself into the story.

I'll be honest, Aaron Tviet (Frank, Jr) reminded me a LOT of my high school boyfriend, who also had blue eyes, dark hair, a fantastic singing voice, and an innocent, sincere, easy-going demeanor. I didn't quite believe him as a 16 year old, but routed for him anyway!

Norbert Leo Butz (antagonist Carl Hanratty) needs to win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. Fine, I didn't see any of the other nominated actors, but he was so brilliant that if anyone else wins I hope they really deserve it! It was fun to see him convincingly play a  character 10-15 years older. You'd link that would be easy, but I've done "older" acting, and it's much easier to play significantly older or younger. My favorite, favorite number in the show was "Don't Break the Rules" where Carl dances stiff-legged and awkwardly alongside his FBI cohorts. Only a really good dancer could pull that off. Seriously, I could have watched him dance badly all day. This video doesn't do it justice, but watch it anyway:

It was fascinating to watch these two characters onstage together: a dichotomy of the lonely, socially-awkward FBI agent and the lonely, suave, handsome teenage boy who needed each other. They had such a great chemistry.

When I researched the show beforehand, I kept watching videos on playbill.com and in interviews everyone would talk about the chorus girls and their long legs. I rolled my eyes and laughed... until I actually saw the show. Holy granola! Every single one of those girls had six-pack abs and legs to their neck. I was sitting in the balcony and could see how cut their abs were in their first-number, bare-midriff costumes. (I tried hard not to think about how out-of-shape I am.) They were mostly tall anyway, but those legs, paired along with short skirts and tan shoes... yep. Freakishly long legs. Again, it was fitting to have these freakishly gorgeous, more-or-less exploited women in this sixties-mentality show!

So it was a relief when the girl Frank fell in love, Brenda, with was an adorable, "normal" girl! She stomped on the stage in the midst of all those chorus girls, and everyone cheered! Keri and I agreed afterward that Larissa needs to play that part someday. She would totally kill it!

My experience was only slightly marred by an over-enthusiastic guy sitting a couple of rows behind me. (Welcome Broadway rant #2.) I'm pretty sure he'd seen the show multiple times -- or maybe he just really liked it -- but applause was never good enough. Every time anyone finished their song, he'd elicit a sharp "Woo!" and start applauding wildly. Granted, a lot of numbers were very good, but few deserved that level of appreciation. Plus, he was in the balcony, so it's unlikely that the folks onstage could have heard him anyway. I'm sure Aaron DID hear this kid should "Marry me!" at the end of the ll o'clock hour song. I am very proud of myself for not punching the kid. I get it! Aaron's fabulously talented and you enjoy the show. SHUT UP ALREADY AND LET ME ENJOY IT!! I am probably the only person this bothered. Still, it bothered me!

Anyway, I am a big fan, and will be buying the soundtrack and hope it does well at the Tonys (I'm excited to see what number they perform). My parents will be traveling to NYC in the near future and have tickets for this show. I can't wait to hear what they think! The entire time I was watching, I thought, "My parents are going to love this!" I hope they do!

For another opinion on the show, check out Larissa's and Keri's review.

*SPOILER BELOW (if you don't already know the story)*

My favorite line was, "You want to put me in jail, then let me out, then pay me for what you put me in jail for?"

Hey, after watching this show, I'd want to keep Frank around, too!

On Broadway #1: A wonderful Wonderland

And now, for the posts you've really been interested in: my recap of the Broadway shows I saw in New York. I'll give you the low-down on the plays (all musicals) in the order in which I saw them.

Here is the first of five:

Wonderland

I'll start off by saying I've never been a fan of Alice in Wonderland. Specifically, I haven't liked any movie based on the book, with the exception of the Tim Burton film release last year, and that's probably because instead of rehashing the same weird book, they used the characters to make up a new story. I know the book is supposed to be an allegory on the British parliament, but the original story is more than a little off-putting.

But when Larissa suggested Wonderland as one of the plays she wanted to see, I thought, "Why not?" I found a link on Larissa's blog roll to one of the ensemble members of the play, and started reading Natalie Hill's blog, Mormon in Manhattan (Natalie is on the far right in my photo above -- how cool to be on the side of a building like that!). The more I read, the less this sounded like the typical Alice in Wonderland.

What I found when I watched the show was wonderful!

Like Time Burton, Frank Wildhorn took the mythology and characters and created a unique, fun, slightly crazy story about a more-or-less modern-day woman who falls asleep and finds herself (literally and figuratively) in Wonderland. She meets the caterpillar, the cat, the rabbit, and a white knight who help her to face and defeat her personal demons.

There were several one-liners that I thought very clever. My favorite was said completely deadpan by the Mad Hatter to the Queen of Hearts: "No one says, 'Off with your head' with your thoughtlessness and reckless abandon." (Yes, I pulled out my journal so I could write it down verbatim.)

The music was fun and the singers were amazing! Holy cow, Alice and the Mad Hatter -- a woman, in this version -- could belt! It sounded effortless! I need to buy the soundtrack just for them. Possibly my favorite number was in a "boy band" style. The dancing was so earnest in the style of 'N Sync that I laughed through the whole thing. I want a video! There was a definite 1990s vibe about the songs -- Wildhorn said in his notes that he was trying a more contemporary style and it made for a very eclectic, upbeat show.

The costumes were inventive and fun. My favorite was the Queen of Hearts and her attendants (as pictured with me above). There were hearts all over the place, and not just printed on the fabric. The tiara, puffed sleeve shape, hairstyle, and construction of the skirt all suggested just enough of a heart shape to keep it from being too obvious. They also had a song where everyone in the cast, including the men, dressed as the traditional Alice with the blue dress, pinafore, striped stockings, and long, dark wig. Hilarious!

Unfortunately, I missed about half of that Alice number, because of late seating. At Pioneer Theatre Company, if you are late to a performance, they'll wait to seat you until a break in the action, and usually they just make you sit in the last two rows of the orchestra until intermission. I love it. It teaches people to be on time, and it doesn't interrupt anyone else's experience.

On Broadway, they don't do this. I guess they want to sell those last two rows in the orchestra if they can, and people would be pretty mad if they paid $150-$200 a ticket and were told they had to miss more than they already had because of lateness. But, for crying out loud, if you know you're in the 6th row in the MIDDLE OF THE ROW, please make an effort to be on time so that you don't have to crawl in the dark over all the people who actually got there before the show started!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of rant.

During intermission, the men sitting behind me ripped the show to shreds. They thought the costumes were a rip-off of Wicked, and the music was lame, blah, blah, blah. It's a shame they wanted to hate a show they paid so much to see. I just smiled to myself. I wanted to enjoy the show, and I did. I am really excited for this show to be released to regional theaters and high schools, because I think it will really flourish. Also, I'd love to take a crack at Alice or the Queen of Hearts one day.

Do you want to hear something sad? I was one of the last to see this play on Broadway, because Wonderland closed yesterday! It's such a shame -- it had a lot of potential and was a lot of fun. I'm glad I got to see it in all its glory, and sad that more people won't.

The funny thing is, I felt like the weekend became Alice in Wonderland-themed! We went to Alice's Tea Cup twice for breakfast, where there were quotes and pictures from the book splashed all over the walls and in the decorations, and I bought an Alice-themed journal there that I am excited to use. And when I came home, I checked the novel out from the library. I'm on chapter 3 and I quite like it so far. Who knew?

For another glowing review, a more in-depth description of the plot and characters, and photos of the show, see the link in the show's name above, or check out Larissa's blog post about the show (or both). You won't regret it!

My ward is officially too big

About three weeks ago, the leaders of my church reorganized the Young Single Adult (YSA -- for people aged 18-30 years old) wards. As I understand it, the changes included the following:

• They removed the singles wards from the rest of the family stakes
• Created stakes comprised entirely of singles wards
• Each ward has about 150 active and inactive members within the boundaries
• Members are required to attend the ward in the boundaries where they are located
• Members older than 30 are required to either attend their local family ward or go to the mid-singles 

I currently attend a mid-singles ward, and for the most part, the YSA change doesn't affect me. For the most part.

Two weeks ago, I was early to church and sat near the front of the chapel. I heard there were several new people, but since only about two-thirds of the ward was familiar to me anyway, I didn't think much of it.

This week, I was fifteen minutes late. Our building has a tiny parking lot (in spite of being a Stake Center), so I was not surprised that it was full. I WAS surprised that the road was lined for two blocks, and it took me ten minutes to walk to the building -- so now I was almost twenty-five minutes late. When I opened the door to the Cultural Hall, I was shocked! The back row reached the middle of the room -- nearly as busy as a Stake Conference. Previously, we had about 300 members in our ward. Now, we have at least 500.

It's insane! If I were new in the ward, I would have been very intimidated by the sheer number of people.   As it was, I was a little intimidated anyway. I don't like rooms full of people I don't know!

After Sacrament Meeting, my one friend that I could find, her friend, and I made a beeline for our favorite Sunday School classroom. I'm glad we did, because it didn't take long for the room to fill up. I was late to Relief Society, and it was standing room only. Just ridiculous.

I really, really, really hope the General Authorities are planning to reorganize the mid-single adult wards next. There are only three in the Salt Lake valley, and as I understand it the others are more crowded then mine. How in the world are the Bishoprics supposed to handle so many people?

At the moment, I am seriously considering going to my family ward. I liked my ward the way it was, but I don't know if I can handle what it is now... it's too overwhelming.

I guess I'll wait awhile and see what happens.

In the meantime, I'll make more of an effort to be early so I can get a decent seat!

My best friends in my ward: Wendy and Sylinda. Thanks for keeping me grounded! 

Crazy, jumbled Broadway dream

Last night/early this morning I had a really cool, really weird dream (I know, what's new, right?)

Larissa and Keri and I were staying in some hotel in Miami, FL, but it wasn't really a hotel. It was patterned like my old elementary school (L-shaped with long hallways) and seemed to be attached to the airport somehow. We were exploring the place when we realized that they were having rehearsals for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying there. Some of the actors would come out of the classrooms from time to time and sit around in plush chairs and rehearse their scenes. Imagine how excited we were when Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette came out! I didn't want to interrupt the rehearsal and thought my chances were slim, but I wanted a photo with them (hopefully together) and thought, "Well, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?" So, I walked through everybody to Dan and sat down and started talking. He seemed uncomfortable at first and then started opening up to me about some very personal stuff. He agreed to a photo and went into a corner where Keri and Larissa were waiting (and started taking photos). I then went to John and he was very polite about the whole thing and immediately agreed to a quick photo. As we were walking I told him I was a HUGE fan of The 10th Kingdom and his reaction told me he wasn't terribly proud of that show [photo courtesy of playbill.com].

Anyway, we took the photos, and then the men went back to their rehearsal.

Well, we went back to our hotel room to check out and I looked at the pictures and my photo of John didn't turn out at all. I was pretty upset, but what could I do? I'd had my chance. I tried interrupting the rehearsal again but the director chased me out and called security on me. 

We checked out of the hotel room, and then I realized that I had left an expensive photo in our hotel room. Larissa checked through her back and the only keys she could find were large Alice in Wonderland-type things -- she didn't have the room key anymore. So I left my friends where they were and spent the rest of the dream trying to find someone to open the hotel room.

INSTEAD, I discovered that the hotel was also a mall/Broadway theatre!

As I was walking around, I found stairs leading to a theatre where Sutton Foster was performing. I don't know what show it was supposed to be and I had already, but hadn't had a photo with Sutton, so I went looking for the green room or stage door so I could hopefully catch her while she wasn't onstage (still looking for a janitor, too). I went down a really long, steep staircase, and ran so fast I almost fell down those stairs and barely missed crashing into the usher at the bottom. I don't remember if I got my photo -- I don't think so -- but I did see her looking all gorgeous and long-legged in an emerald-green flapper costume [photo courtesy of stamfordadvocate.com].

I continued on my quest to find someone to open my old hotel room, and came upon another How to Succeed rehearsal. John wasn't friendly at all, but Dan definitely was. He started kind of following me around -- wearing his jacket from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and suddenly he shouted "Stop!" I froze, and peeked back at him and saw he was standing in a spotlight and noticed there was a crowd of people around us. "We're in a play!" I thought. "We're in some play and he has a different girl every night act as his love interest and tonight it's me!" He proceeded -- while I was frozen -- to sing a song about how incredible I was and how much he loved me and then he was singing to me begging me to tell him how much I loved him back. I thought, "How the heck do I respond? If he really loves me outside the context of the play, I don't love him in the same way and have to say 'No' and if it's just a play does he have a different ending for whether I say no or yes?" He ended the song kneeling at my feet, where my still-frozen head could see him. 

Then some musical underscoring came up for my reply. I had to say no, so I made up this long, flowery speech (to fill up the music) about how I thought he was a great guy and I'm glad I met him, but I just couldn't give him what he wanted. By the end, I was crying! I overheard an old lady say that my response was waaaay better than any she'd heard the other nights she'd seen the show. Dan was hurt, and sang an angsty song, and then moved onto the scene with "Brotherhood of Man." I guess he rallied ;-) I tried one more time to get a photo with John, but since hearing that I liked The 10th Kingdom, he wasn't very cooperative and I decided to give up. 

I left the stage/crowd of people to, again, find a janitor and get the photo from my hotel room. I came upon a place where there were a whole bunch of conveyor belts going up and down (instead of escalators). Dan was behind me and calling to me, but I jumped on a belt going up (lying so that my head was angling down) and rode through a rough-hewn tunnel to the top where Larissa and Keri were waiting.

Turns out, they had caught my performance with Daniel and taken a ton of photos. I was so glad to find out I hadn't imagined the whole incident! They also offered to pay me for the photo I'd left in the hotel room. They just wanted to get out of there, and I guess I can't blame them. I gave up on my quest to get a photo with John and that photo from my hotel room. It was about that time that I woke up.

As I lay in bed this morning, I thought it funny that my dream had allusions to all of the plays I saw in NYC:

• Wonderland - keys and conveyor-belt tunnel
• Catch Me if You Can - Miami and the airport
• Billy Elliot - Dan in the spotlight and me turning him down
• How to Succeed - do I even need to spell this out?
• Anything Goes - Sutton Foster and the hotel room
• Harry Potter Exhibition - Dan's Prisoner of Azkaban jacket
• I think the whole elementary room thing came from my walking to my elementary school earlier this week. It's being torn down in the near future, and I just wanted to take a look at the yard. So many happy and not-so-happy memories! I'm sad the building won't be there much longer.

I was also doubly annoyed that it seems all of the notes I'd saved in my draft folder on BlogSpot seem to be gone, as is another post I'd been working on. Grrr! Oh well. At least it's still all in my mind and I can rewrite them. They won't be the same, but my posts never end up the way I think they will anyway!

NYC - the place to be!

Sorry to duplicate this post. I originally published it yesterday afternoon, right before BlogSpot went down and (possibly) deleted everything within a 30-hour time period. Sadly, the draft/notes I saved for the individual play posts are gone so I'll have to start over on those, but I was able to recover this monster from Reader. Hooray!

Times Square in New York City

During that trivia game my brothers and I gave my parents for Christmas, someone submitted the question "How many times has Megan been to New York City?" I was very surprised that the player who answered the question answered correctly! They could even name all of the instances (high school, college graduation, etc). I had been to NYC six times. Enough that I'd seen most of the tourist sights I knew and cared about, and just wanted to shop and see plays on subsequent visits.

The last time I visited was September of 2006 -- four and-a-half years ago. It may surprise some of you that it's been so long, but it's true! There hadn't really been any plays I was dying to see, and I had other vacation destinations on my mind.

But after I returned from that two-week frenzy that was the Caribbean cruise and Disneyland, it didn't take long before I was sad not to have another vacation planned.

Then out of the blue, one of my favorite people sent me and several of her other friends an e-mail asking if we'd care to join her in NYC in May. Um, YES! Larissa suggested four plays and a few other activities, pointed us toward awesome deals on theatre and plane tickets, and basically just made me more excited every time I saw a message from her in my inbox. I even found us a killer deal on a hotel room, thanks to a generous, awesome brother. We would have welcomed a slightly larger group, but in the end, Keri, Larissa and I were all on board.

After months of waiting that went by oddly fast, we finally got to go last week!

For a detailed itinerary of everything we saw and did, I'd like to refer you over the Larissa's blog post. I think she does a really good job touching on everything. Plus, I love her writing style.

Like Larissa, I plan to write up individual blog posts for each of the plays I saw: Wonderland, Catch Me if You Can, Billy Elliot, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Anything Goes. However, there are a few personal highlights and other observations I want to share:

• The weather was PERFECT! It was low to mid-60s the entire time, which only felt cold Monday morning, and it only rained once briefly Saturday afternoon while I was in a show. Weather.com had been forecasting that NYC would see rain every day. I'm so glad the forecast was wrong! 

above: in front of Bethesda fountain in Central Park

below: a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the South Street Seaport

• Keri is currently about seven months pregnant. Now, I know that she would have preferred NOT being pregnant for the duration of the trip (especially since some people were beyond rude -- who asks a pregnant woman if she's carrying a horse?) but there were some interesting benefits. For one, we were almost always able to find her a seat on the subway. If there wasn't one readily available, some thoughtful person would stand up and offer his seat to her. It was pretty awesome to see that there are still chivalrous people in the world, even in New York. Another was that apparently the TKTS people let you go to the front of the line if you're pregnant or injured, so instead of waiting 45 minutes to get my tickets to Billy Elliot, I waited 10. Hooray! I must say, as uncomfortable as she must have been, Keri didn't complain, and she didn't slow us down. I'd travel with her any time.

Keri and Larissa on the subway our first day

• Larissa is a terrific tour guide! I honestly think she could make a career out of showing people around New York. She was worried that we wouldn't have time to see everything we wanted which may have made the trip slightly less fun for her. However, she knew where everything was, had no problem navigating the subway, and picked fantastic shows to see (she was initially surprised we picked all the same shows she did -- they were all great)! She's another person I'd absolutely travel with any time.

• My brother, Aaron, joined us for a couple of days. I love Aaron. He's the kind of guy who gets along with everyone, is always up for something new, and finds enjoyment in everything he does. I am never embarrassed to introduce him to my friends -- actually, I was kind of worried that Larissa and Keri would end up liking him more than they like me! Aaron joined us for Billy Elliot, How to Succeed, Rubix Kube, and brunch at Alice's Tea Cup (go there -- the food is DELICIOUS!), and I think they were all even more fun because he was there with me. Since we were together on Mother's Day, we called ours and sang "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" while walking around Times Square. I am so glad he was free and wanted to come!

 

above: Aaron, Keri, me, and Larissa at the Canal Room to see '80s cover band Rubix Cube
below: Aaron and I outside of Alice's Tea Cup

 

above: Larissa, Keri, me, and Aaron in Central Park

• I also got to spend some time with my friend Kristen K who is living in New York now. She and I met each other seventeen years ago and we still think of each other as sisters, even though we don't see each other often! We're both just the same as we've always been! We had no trouble finding things to talk about, and she gives some of the best hugs ever. I am thrilled she was in town while I was there and had some time for me! I hope it's not another 3 years before I see her again... I'll have to do something about that :-)

 Kristen and I inside and outside of Serendipity - both natural blondes, both currently sporting red hair!

• Are you noticing the "Muggle" t-shirt I'm wearing in the above photos? I bought that at the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Discovery Museum in Times Square! Larissa found out about it the day before we left and I am so glad that she did because I LOVED it! It was basically an exhibit of a ton of costumes, props, wands (yes, they're props, but they displayed wands for almost every character and they were all unique), scenery, music and video clips. I completely geeked out. I took my time walking through and studied everything in there. It was fun to hear all of the kids exclaiming over stuff they recognized (especially when they couldn't think of the item or character name); my favorite was a little French boy who chattered on in his natural language and all of a sudden I'd hear "Dumbledore" or "Hufflepuff" -- so cute! I stifled a laugh when while I was drooling over a Lucius Malfoy costume, a tweenage girl started freaking out over a Draco costume next to it. It was awesome to see how the costumes grew bigger as the actors grew up, and all the intricate little details, right down to the snakeskin boots Gilderoy Lockhardt wore with his dueling outfit. So. Very. Cool. I wished I'd been allowed to take photos and I'm sure I would have maxed out the memory card on my camera. Loved it, loved it, loved it!! I had a hard time choosing souvenirs, and blew quite a bit of money even though they didn't have a "Dumbledore's Army" shirt in my size.

above: at the entrance to the museum

below: proudly displaying my new t-shirt in Grand Central Station

Oh, and I'm currently redesigning Hermione's Yule Ball gown for my someday wedding dress. I can't begin to tell you how much I love this idea. (No, it will not be pink... probably.)

• We bought our theatre tickets separately and we never sat together. The only exception was that Aaron and I sat together during Billy Elliot, because I bought the tickets at the TKTS booth earlier that day. However, sitting apart didn't seem to bother any of us. We were all too engrossed in all of the plays during the actual performances. Afterward, we had plenty to talk about!

 

Keri and I in the audience for How to Succeed. She had the seat right in front of me!

• Our hotel room was HUGE! Thanks to Aaron, we got a great discount on a room, and we each had our own beds! (Well, Aaron shared with me the one night he was there.) We didn't even know a room of that size was available in New York. It was large and comfortable and the staff was pleasant. Not only did we get a good price, but it was in a great location. It's nice when these things work out! 

Notice Larissa doing a backbend on the hide-a-bed? She rocks. 

• I'm not sick anymore! I was so worried after being sick last month and then so tired for the last couple of weeks that I might have trouble keeping up -- I didn't! And I packed terrific shoes. Generally, my feet would get tired sometime around lunch, but by the end of the day they didn't ache very much. Happy, happy!

 

at Highline Park

• If I were to go back to New York in the next few weeks, I'd see The People in the Picture, Sister Act, War Horse, and Jersey Boys. From everything I saw and heard while there, those are the shows to see (well, those and the ones I actually DID see). No, I am not interested in The Book of Mormon musical. I can't even sit through an entire episode of South Park, and I can watch that for free. I understand that the writers make fun of everyone, but that's generally not my favorite way to be entertained.     

Oh, hey! Friends who've seen Jersey Boys somewhat recently (I'm looking at you, Rach), how was the F-word quotient? I know you're sensitive to the word, too, but did it bother you overmuch in the show? Just curious. I'm thinking about going to Las Vegas to see it.

• The very last touristy thing we did on the trip was briefly spend some time in the Toys R Us in Times Square. I cannot go to a Wal*Mart, Target, or toy store without walking through the Barbie aisle, and Larissa and Keri indulged me. I wasn't expecting to find a Dream House fascade!

 

Can you see me in the middle window (above) and the far right window (below)?

Well, those are the big "overall" things I want to make sure I remember. Wow. This was a great trip!  I can't wait to go again!

And now I have to plan another vacation so I have something else to look forward to. Hooray!

More information to come about the Broadway plays I saw. Stay tuned...

Observations about the royal wedding

My cute friend Chantryce knows I have a fascination with the royal family, and asked my opinion on the wedding. Then I decided that I just wanted to write everything down before I forgot it all...

I did not stay up to watch the ceremony live at 3 a.m. MST on April 29, 2011 and I don't regret it. I was still trying to recover from illness and I didn't want to take a day off so close to my NYC vacation. I did, however, record 6 1/2 hours worth of wedding coverage from Good Morning America on my mom's DVR. I avoided Facebook and several other sites I frequent because I didn't want to ruin the surprises for myself. Instead, I rushed to my mom's house to watch the event with her. I'm glad I did it this way, because that way I could fast-forward through most of the before and after commentary and long-stretches of time where nothing was happening.

Anyway, on with the e-mail I sent to Chantryce:

Hello darling Chantryce!

I miss you! What's going on? I hope this Facebook fast has been soothing to your soul -- I know I'm planning to take one myself very, very shortly. For me, sometimes it's just too overwhelming and depressing to see all those statuses, and photos, and invitations to things I don't want to go to but feel guilty saying no to...

Which reminds me, I need to shoot that e-mail out for the Seven Brides auditions. I had thought of auditioning for Midsummer Night's Dream up in Layton, which would have conflicted with Seven Brides auditions, but I don't think I will.

Aaaand, I'm rambling just a bit, so I'll get on with my (admittedly rambly) opinions about the royal wedding.

IT WAS GORGEOUS!

Seriously, how could one say otherwise? Westminster Abbey was a little ostentatious (says the girl who wants to marry in either the Salt Lake Temple or the Bountiful Temple), but it worked for this particular event, you know? I couldn't believe how many people they crammed into that place -- how fun would it be to say you were there? I loved the trees going down the aisle, and that red carpet was a stunning backdrop for everyone who walked down. And those little kids in their stiff dresses and slightly-too-large uniforms were pretty much the cutest things in the history of the royal family (even though none are IN the royal family).

And then there were cutie William and Harry, as happy, nervous, and handsome as could be! I loved watching them, wished they'd kept their hands at their sides more and their uniforms matched (but of course they have different ranks in the army, so that wasn't likely), and wondered why Harry's uniform was just a smidgen more decorative than William's. I think it's adorable how well those brothers get along, and I was glad that Harry was the best man. As an outsider to the royal family, I think it would have been weird to me if the best man had been someone I wasn't familiar with, although since it's William's wedding he had every right to choose another close friend if he wanted to, of course.

A couple of times while watching I had to remind myself that even though this wedding was a cultural big deal, it was still just about two people who want to get married, and they should be allowed to do what they want, right?

I liked Pippa's bridesmaid dress, but I was sad that the front was wrinkled 'cause it made the dress look tighter on her than it really was. Also, I've heard it's tradition in Britain for the bridesmaids to wear white, but I think I would have liked the dress more if it had been a different color, like that green one she wore later, which I LOVED! Maybe there was a fear of detracting from the bride, but at this wedding was that even possible? All eyes were on Catherine.

Which brings me to the beautiful bride. She looked lovely, just as she should have. She was something out of a fairy tale, and I liked the individual pieces (the tiara, the hairstyle, the veil, the dress). But somehow, it didn't come together for me. [I will acknowledge that everything I'm about to say is unfair, because if this had been a non-royal wedding I wouldn't be so critical.] I was disappointed in the dress. It was classic and appropriate for the venue and pretty and... has been done before. This is the dress that will be copied and emulated by thousands of other brides for the next twenty years? It's ALREADY the style. It was the style 60 years ago when Grace Kelly wore it at her wedding. I'm sad for Kate's sake that I saw her dress and thought of Grace --or perhaps Kimberly Williams in Father of the Bride -- instead of Kate. Maybe I would have liked it more without the high collar. Imagine if the collar was gone, and neckline a bit wider, showing off more of her long neck and collarbone. Then it wouldn't have seemed like the collar was competing with her long hairstyle. Plus, I'm just not a fan of the see-through thing on the bodice, though I was very, VERY glad it wasn't strapless -- don't get me started on those. I also felt that the skirt should have been more simple in the front - it either didn't need so much paneling, or it needed a puffier petticoat underneath. And much as I loved the veil, it was hiding the bustle in the back - the only part of the dress that looked like it might be interesting.

It's funny that everyone had an opinion before we saw the dress of what it should be (this link was sent to me by a designer friend of mine who came up with the two sketches at the top), and now that the wedding's over, we still have opinions!

However, Kate obviously loved the dress, and William couldn't take his eyes off her, and that's all that really matters.

I adored Kate and William's interaction during the ceremony and vows. I hope that my fiance/husband looks at me with such love and tenderness on our wedding day. They were just so shy of any media attention that they didn't hold hands or anything and that's a foreign concept to me. The ceremony was a bit long for my taste, but since it's all the public got I was grateful! I teared up more than once, especially when William and Kate acknowledged/bowed/curtsied to the Queen before walking back up the aisle. I did think it odd there was no "You may now kiss the bride." Maybe that's only something Americans do? Or was it a royal family/modesty thing? I don't know, but I was disappointed.

Weren't the hats the guests wore a scream? Sometimes I wish hats were fashionable here in the States. I think my personal favorite was the Queen's. My mom saw it and said, "It looks like a cake! It's cute!" Just a simple, cheery, yellow hat.

I enjoyed watching the carriage ride and the balcony, but my favorite was William and Kate speeding around in the Aston-Martin. Awesome! They really are just a cute little couple, thrilled to finally be married after years of wishing. They are so fun together. It was nice to see a bit of their personalities shine through, since everything else had been so traditional and formal up to then.

I think that about wraps it up. What did you think? Feel free to disagree about the dress -- plenty have!

Have a happy Thursday, Chantryce. I hope you have some fun things planned, and you know how loved you are.

xox, Meg

A cupcake story

Monday, on the last morning of our epically awesome vacation to New York City, my friends and I decided to stop into a bakery called Crumbs. Larissa had been talking about it the entire trip, but for some reason, I didn't remember until after we'd made our purchases that she'd been saying her sister said they were awful... whoops!

Well, I bought a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter cream cheese frosting for me, and a carrot cake cupcake for my mom. Don't they look amazing?!! For $7.50 total, they'd better be!

Those things were HUGE! About twice the size of a normal cupcake, and with twice as much frosting. I had tried a cupcake from Magnolia bakery that morning, and it was much better than I'd expected, even being a day old (mmm, cupcakes for breakfast!) I'm used to the good ole box-batter variety, but this was in a class by itself!

I bet you're super-jealous of my cupcakes. Can you even imagine how good they were? Haha! You have no choice but to just imagine.

And so do I. Because I dropped those Crumbs cupcakes.

On the floor.

Of the bathroom.

At the JFK airport.

Frosting. Side. Down.

All I know is they were perched fairly safely between the straps of my purse inside their protective plastic box, and I didn't even notice I hit it with the stall door until I heard a plastic sort of THUD, turned around, and saw the frosting kissing the wet floor.

I didn't even consider still eating them.

The peanut butter cupcake was just a wee bit smooshed, but when I picked up the carrot cake ALL of the frosting remained on the floor. It was so depressing! I threw them both away, of course. At least they didn't fall in the toilet - that would have been more difficult to clean up. Ewwwwwwwwwww!

I didn't take a photo. I didn't think of it in time and there were too many people in line.

I walked back to our terminal and said to Larissa, "Guess who just dropped her cupcakes on the ground?" I was trying really hard to be jovial about it, but the fact was I thought it was a rotten way to end the trip. Just felt like bad karma (karma and I aren't the best of friends) and I was sad that I had no thank you gift for my mom for driving me to and from the airport.

I had to laugh, though, when Larissa said what I'd been thinking: "I'm sorry, but if this was going to happen to someone, it would be you!" It's so true! I'm the girl who falls in the fire at Girls' Camp, gets hit in the face with a softball during the company game, and is afraid will fall into my own cake at my wedding! Blergh. No one can tell me I'm not clumsy!

Keri had bought the peanut butter chocolate cupcake, too, and let me try some of the frosting. It was pretty good! She offered to let me have more, but my heart wasn't in it. I hope she liked it, though :-)

Maybe it's just as well I didn't get them all the way home. I don't really need the calories.

And I must admit, it makes for a pretty decent story!