An out-of-the-ordinarily musical weekend

Last Saturday was the result of weeks of preparation. I had two singing events, and honestly I've been more than a little stressed about them. I wish they hadn't been scheduled for the same day, but I worked hard, I got through it, and I even had fun. Woo-hoo!

Ragtime audition at Hale Centre Theatre
I hadn't auditioned at the Hale in over two years, but I love this play so much that I knew I would regret it if I didn't try. I chose to sing "The Most Amazing Thing" from Little Women because I'm comfortable with it and could infuse the song with personality; it was tough to choose which 16 bars to sing (it really needs 32). Since I was hoping for a shot at Evelyn Nesbit, I picked an outfit ahead of time that I thought was reminiscent of a 1900s chorus girl. Between the short dress and boots that encourage a little swagger, I felt confident and attractive, which is always a good step (after preparation, of course). Wish I'd remembered to take a photo of the outfit. I received a ton of compliments on that polka-dotted dress.

The night before the audition, I prayed that I wouldn't humiliate myself, I would sound good, have fun, feel glad that I tried (regardless of the outcome), and that at least one of my really good friends would be there to chat with beforehand, and to come into the audition with me. I am so grateful that my prayers were answered! The first person I recognized was my Elisha, and many others came in and out to help me feel loved and talented and awesome. It was tough for me not to be intimidated by some of the talented folks there. I kept reminding myself of the roles I've played lately. I've had some awesome opportunities and fun parts, and that's got to count for something, right? Plus, those people are so nice I was glad to see them in spite of my competitive spirit!

The actual audition went by fast. I decided to sing some high notes I hadn't been planning on, and was glad that the accompanist/music director is familiar with my song. I smiled inwardly about 10 seconds in when both the producer and director put their heads down in sync and started writing! It could only be good or bad.

Turns out it was "not this time" and I wasn't called back. It's okay. I accomplished all of my goals and I am satisfied. I'm a little surprised by how peaceful I am about not being called back. I guess I'm just glad for a little more free time... and that I get to audition for some other shows that are coming up (there are at least 4 others I'd like to audition for this summer).

Meanwhile, a bunch of my friends and favorites were called back and my fingers are crossed! I love Ragtime; the music and story are beautiful and I hope to be a part of it someday. Can't wait to see this production, whoever is cast (although I'll be more excited about some choices than others)!

St. Patrick's Day Party
When Eve first approached me about singing at our ward's St. Patrick's Day party, my initial response was, "Probably not, but I'll think about it." The idea was to have several people in the ward sing a few songs as background entertainment. More "cabaret" style, less "karaoke." A few days later, I wrote an e-mail intending to say "No," and on a whim said "Yes" instead!

Eve asked that I prepare three songs, and encouraged me to sing at least one with another person. I knew my darling friend Kristen would be there, too, so I asked if she wanted to try a duet and and I am so glad she said yes! I love singing with her. She's another one I try not to be intimidated by -- that girl can sing! Her solos were beautiful. We sang "In His Eyes" from Jekyll and Hyde and I think it went well.

I thought it might be fun to ask Nichole and Larissa if they wanted to sing "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" -- sort of reprise it from when we sang it together in the 1940's Radio Hour. The main snag was that we didn't have an alto... so I decided to learn it. I'm sure no one would have complained if I had sung the top line with Larissa -- our harmony would have been louder for sure! I'm pretty proud of how well I did, except that by the time we sang the song my voice had rebelled from all of the practice and wouldn't hit many of the lower notes anymore, especially not as loud as they needed to be. Ah well, it gave me an excuse to hang out with two of my favorite people while we practiced and performed! I could tell that the audience really enjoyed it -- if a slight lowering of the chatting was an indication ;-) As a bonus, I now know all three parts to the song. So, if anyone needs me to fill in sometime, let me know!

My third song was "In Love with a Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific. I chose that one because 1) it was upbeat, and 2) I already knew it... and then I had to get used to a new minus track. *Eyeroll* It a fun song to sing though. After I was done, DJ Rob (also Larissa's boyfriend, which might be the more important title) asked me who "the wonderful guy" is, to which I responded something like "no guy, just a wonderful song!"

I wish the party had been on a different day because sit would have been nice to focus on the audition. Learning three songs on top of it was less enjoyable than it might have been otherwise. On the other hand, it's good to grow my skills and work hard, and I'm glad to have these songs in my repertoire.

Lindsay and Emily -- awesome fans/friends

Karaoke really isn't my thing and I was very nervous about this event. It's another one I'm glad I did, in spite of my initial feelings. I loved singing with my friends. In the end, we're not sure how much the audience actually listened to -- we ended up feeling more like background noise -- heaven knows I shouted myself hoarse talking with people between and after my songs! A bunch of my friends came to support me and meet new people. It was cool to see each other outside of our normal spheres and introduce them to some of my other friends. I don't go to a lot of parties, but if more were like that I might try harder :-)

If you want a little info on the venue and the other performers, check out Eve's blog.

In addition
I also managed to finished The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and appendage videos. I found out too late that if I pay attention to the "featured videos" at end of each of Lizzie's vlogs I'd get Lizzie's, Lydia's, Maria's, and Gigi's videos all in the right story order. I missed out on quite a bit. Nevertheless, I watched them all and might need to start over! I even introduced them to my mom and to Lindsey. It's killing me that the story isn't finished yet. I'm not nearly as excited about finishing Arrested Development as I am in seeing how the vlogs handle the last two chapters of Pride and Prejudice.
(I discovered they are produced by the Vlog brothers. Awesome -- or should it be DFTBA: don't forget to be awesome? -- and totally makes sense.)

What were you up to last weekend?

A modern-day Elizabeth Bennet

Well, we all know how much I love a good fanfiction or even just a clever take on a well-loved story, and this week I was introduced to my latest obsession: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!

It's a modern take on Pride and Prejudice, filmed entirely in 3-6 minute video blogs. Lizzie starts the project for her graduate degree thesis, intending to chronicle her families lives for a certain number of weeks. It's fascinating to see they way they've updated the story. It's set in the United States (the girls live in a small town, and the big city is L.A. instead of London). The ball at Netherfield is now Bing Lee's birthday party, there are only three sisters -- Lizzie, Jane, and Lydia -- but the other two from the book are referenced, Jane is a low-level fashion designer trying to pay off student loans, and the way Lizzie reiterates previous conversations (affected by her and her friends dressing up and doing impersonations) is just hilarious.

I must say that the casting is PERFECT! When we finally meet Bing Lee, I can see why Jane likes him so much. And Mr. Collins is a hoot! Charlotte, Jane, Lydia, Caroline, Lizzie... they're all great. I hope we get to meet some of the others, too, like Mr. Darcy ;)

I'm about halfway through, and I cannot get enough! Lucky for me, Lizzie only has to film a few more videos until she finishes the story (I think the current one is #95), so I can just watch them all straight through! No waiting for me! It is a commitment to watch them straight through ; it's at least 7 hours total. I've been told that the ones in the 70s and 80s are the best. The way I'm going, I'll get to watch those tomorrow!

If you're curious about it, take a look at the first episode:


Also, because I can't get enough of Lydia (and want to high-five her every time Lizzie leaves her hanging), here's the first video in Lydia's own vlog, filmed while she is staying with her cousin Mary, and Jane and Lizzie are staying with the Lees.

(I love the multiple nods to The Lord of the Rings movies in the Baby-sitting episode.)
Oh, it looks like there are more than the original 7! I'll wait to watch them, 'cause I am guessing they relate to Lydia's later adventures, and I'm not there in the Lizzie videos yet.

Are you at all interested in watching this series? Do you have other "fanfiction-esque" series on your must-see or must-read list?

This weekend is going to be a bit crazy for me, and also fun. I hope the same for you!
Happy Friday, my friends!

Many Milestones

Every once in awhile, I think of the biblical phrase "marrying and giving in marriage." It's used to illustrate times when there are no big earth-shattering events, just day to day living, because what is more normal than people getting married, going to work, raising children, having birthdays and so forth? It's a relevant phrase in the scriptures and in my own life.

This last week was been a lovely one, where I've seen my friends go through milestones in their lives. None are terribly exciting to the outside world, but each have changed for the better the lives of the people involved.

My friends Brandon Rufener and Kate Lowder were married on Memorial Day Monday. I was privileged to attend the rehearsal barbecue the night before, and the actual ceremony. I smiled wide when I saw Brandon walk to his place wearing green socks, and I nearly started crying when I saw how incandescently beautiful Kate looked in her brilliant gown, veil, flowers, and pink shoes. They had been planning this day for a year, and everyone there was thrilled it wasn't rained out! It was fun to watch Kate and Brandon dance and socialize, and her gorgeous bridesmaids running around taking photos, making sure the bride and groom were happy, and ensuring there were no huge problems. I visited with many loved friends there. It was truly a celebration to remember. I am excited to see how Kate and Brandon's life together affects each of them and the changes they will no doubt make to the world around them. Congratulations, you two!

Tuesday, Michelle B called me to invite me to an impromptu barbecue in honor of her 30th birthday. Michelle hadn't been looking forward to that particular milestone, so her new boyfriend took her on vacation to southern Utah for the actual big day. Sounds like they had a great time! By the time I arrived at the party on Tuesday all the food was gone, but all I wanted to do was talk with my friend anyway. That's when I learned about the new boyfriend (whom I know well and fully approve of for her). Apparently, Michelle's daughter absolutely loves Ryan and already wants them to get married. She wanted Michelle to ask him if they could get married... how do you explain to a 5 year old about adult long-term relationships? It was pretty funny. I'm just excited for her. Michelle deserves to be with a guy who will make her laugh and completely adore her and her little girl, and Ryan does that for her. Her ex-husband didn't and isn't doing a good job of making either of them feel wanted. I'm trying not to get my hopes up about her and Ryan... but they already are :^D

My nieces Zoe and Summer are finally sleeping in cribs, wearing clothing, gaining significant weight, and successfully using a bottle. The nurses even let my mom hold Summer earlier in the week (only the parents had been allowed thus far), and Adam got to give Summer a bath yesterday. Big steps! It's only a matter of time until they can come home!

G-unit graduated from pre-school on Friday, which means he'll be starting Kindergarten in the fall. That's crazy! He's such an intelligent, articulate, creative, picky, bossy, happy kid. Lindsey and Adam threw him a party Friday night and invited my parents and brothers and I. We ate pizza and cupcakes, talked with each other, and played several board games with G. He showed off his new room (he moved downstairs so the girls can be close to Mom and Dad), and we laughed hysterically while I used his stuffed orangatang as a puppet while singing "I Wanna Be Like You" from Disney's Jungle Book. It's been really fun watching him become so self-sufficient and yet so personable. How I love him!

I saw Spotlight Production's Pride and Prejudice (the one I auditioned for and decided not to do) on Saturday. I have been regretting for a few weeks now that I chose not to do it. I love the story and the language and the characters but at the time it was the right choice to make. I talked with director Brighton at the show and she said I had been her first choice for Jane. As I talked with her, I realized how much it would have meant to Brighton for me to do the show, as I was one of the first people she'd met in the theatre community. She was kind and super-excited to see me, but I felt very keenly how much I'd disappointed her. Well, hindsight is always 20/20. I hope that I have another chance both to work with Brighton and to be in Pride and Prejudice. It was still a great show without me! I was most excited to see Kate S. play Elizabeth. I met her during the callback, and almost did the show just to play Jane with her. She told me about how passionate she is about the book and the characters, and it came through in her performance. She and Mr. Darcy were great together. It was a well-done production (especially the second act). I am seriously considering seeing their final performance tonight.

Yesterday, I attended Allyson H's farewell. Allyson played Laurey when I was Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, and Fiona when I played Jeannie in Brigadoon, so we've had the opportunity to become pretty close. As I listened to her talk, I realized how jealous I am of her! I always wanted to serve a temple/visitor's center mission (I love Latter-day Saint church history), and she has the whole thing ahead of her. My mission seems so far away sometimes. I leafed through my missionary journals on Saturday while I finally unpacked them, and was surprised how much I didn't remember, how much I'd admired and loved my companions, and the depth and strength of my testimony. I look forward to learning some of Allyson's experiences and about the lessons she'll learn. It was a wonderful meeting. I gave her a hug afterwards and wished her luck (her dad spotted me and said "Is this the girl who can't say no?"). I'm glad I went!

So many lives changing; so many happy events. It was a full and happy week! This week promises not to be as busy, but I am looking forward to finally hosting a baby shower for Lindsey with our relatives. Keep your fingers crossed that it goes well. I'm a little nervous to be the hostess!

Fiction-o-holic

KUED ran a television miniseries during the last few weeks called Lost in Austen that I quite liked. It's about a young woman, Amanda Price, living in a suburb of modern-day London, who one day discovers Miss Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice in her bathroom. Elizabeth has found a door in her house at Longborn that leads directly into Amanda's house. They end up switching places, and much to Amanda's delight, she learns she has appeared at the beginning of the story. Unfortunately, since she's there and Elizabeth isn't, she ends up messing everything up while she's trying to direct the action. It was a really engaging story, and I was quite satisfied by the ending. And it posed a good question: what do you do when the main character is removed from the story and replaced with someone totally inappropriate?

The other day, I went out to lunch with some coworkers, and they asked what I am reading. Kate had loaned me Enchantment by Orson Scott Card and it's really good! It's about a young man, Ivan, who grows up in Russia during the Cold War, moves to America with his family, and then goes back to Russia to do research for his dissertation on the origin of fairy tales and their relation to life during the 10th Century, then becomes a key player in a fairy tale himself. I'm about halfway through, and it just gets better and better! I have no idea how it's going to end, and that's a rarity for someone who reads and watches as much television as I do. I can predict a lot of endings.

I think my standard of how "good" something is is how much it diverts from the outcome I'm expecting. I like to be surprised! It makes me feel a lot more engaged in the story and characters and appreciate them more.

As I discussed the book with my friends, I realized that Enchanted has similar elements to Lost in Austen. And though both are fantastical stories, I have no trouble accepting them.

Apparently, I'm not a skeptic when it comes to fiction.

For example, the television show LOST was pretty wacky this last season, with a huge plot dealing with time-travel. I thought it odd, but was happy to follow along, and it's even making sense to me. I have no problem with the time-travel element at all. They have some very specific rules... that the characters are trying to foil. But because of those rules I accept the oddness of the situation.

I think one of the reasons I didn't love the Star Trek movie at first is because it didn't follow LOST's rules of time-travel. But upon seeing it again I realize the Star Trek movie does establish and follow its own rules, which frees up that suspension of disbelief so I can just adore the movie and see it as many times as I want...which I no doubt will until Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out and I have to see it multiple times...

So, I have surrounded myself with a lot of fiction. I can accept the crazy stuff, but often during my regular life -- like while driving -- I say "really?" all the time. Funny how real life surprises me and causes me to question, but I take fiction in stride. Probably because real life affects me personally. I'm not an outside observer, so I have to be active and can't expect all of the insight to just come to me. Plus, the choices I make affect other people, too, so I can't just do whatever I want willy-nilly. Happily ever after is not guaranteed in real life, unfortunately, no matter how hard you work on it. That doesn't mean there isn't plenty to enjoy though!

What is the point of this blog? I forget. I don't want to make it into a whole "life is like a novel" thing, or explore why I like reading or watching about fictional characters. I simply like to enjoy some quiet time in the midst of my own life adventures.

So, I'll end with a list and let you come to your own conclusions:

1) These are great stories and I am recommending them to you (Lost in Austen is available on DVD!)
2) I like rules,
3) I read and watch a lot of fiction,
4) I like stories with great characters that feel familiar and yet surprise me,
5) Mixing or reinventing well-known stories can be cool and interesting,
6) Reading about quiet times in a novel is boring, while quiet times when reading a novel is preferable,
and
7) Real life is probably stranger than fiction because I have to participate.

The End.

Audition Decision

"Then from out of the blue
and without any guide
I know what my decision is...
which is not to decide."
- Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods.

Okay, the above quote isn't quite accurate. After much deliberation and discussion with friends whose opinions I trust, and who understand me and my plight, I made the decision to go ahead and audition for all three of the plays I'm interested in and then see what happens.

In fact, I had my first audition last week: some friends are producing Pride and Prejudice independant of any theatre group. This is the one that prompted me to write the "Quandry" post. How can I not audition for this play? I LOVE Pride and Prejudice!! I admit, I am very attracted to the idea of doing a non-musical play. That's where I had most of my training, and to this day I feel much more confident as an actress than a singer. Though I love to sing more than any other activity in the world, it would be nice to perform without hiding behind the music, you know? Plus, I had a lot of fun brushing up on my proper English accent. "All who fear the law ought not to be caught!"

Well, the audition went well, I was called back for Jane, I went to the callback... and then I decided I don't really want to do that just now. While I am flattered -- the Jane in the Keira Knightly version was played by a Bond girl, after all -- I think Jane would be a bit of a stretch for me. I could do it, but I kind of just want to play a slightly more emotive role right now. Also, I'm not thrilled about being double-cast, I didn't want to pay $50 to do a show, and when it comes down to it, I would be disappointed not to audition for Taylorsville Arts Council's Oklahoma! and Midvale Arts Council's Seussical; I have been really excited about both of those plays for a while now. So, I pulled the director aside and said honestly that I didn't think the show would be a good fit for me. She was very supportive and understanding, and I sent her an email later thanking her for being so nice. She assured me we're still friends, which really is the most important thing. I panicked a bit yesterday afternoon about whether I'd made the right choice, but I believe that I have.

And now I'm even more excited to audition for Oklahoma! and Seussical. I wish I didn't have to wait 2 or 3 more weeks! Oh wait. I need to prepare audition pieces. I'll probably need those 2 or 3 weeks...

Recap: I auditioned for Pride and Prejudice and decided not to do it.
Left to audition for: Oklahoma! and Seussical.

P.S. Will someone promise to do Pride and Prejudice sometime so I can give it another go? Please?