Maybe it's just the earl grey vanilla creme tea latte talking, here (what do they put in these things anyway? Crack? They are SO crazy delicious!) but I saw this blurb in the paper** this morning and it makes me strangely excited...
"Also at the Bank of America Theatre, Tony Award nominee and ''American Idol'' finalist Constantine Maroulis will reprise his critically acclaimed role as Drew in the hit musical ''Rock of Ages'' for a two-week run, Sept. 21-Oct. 3."
So come on, who's coming with me to see Constantine? You know you want to!
**And when I say "Paper" I mean the Sun Times. And I also mean online.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
twain wreck
Thanks, Ellen, for introducing that line of Shania Twain jokes (the Twain has left the station) etc on Idol last night and Tuesday.
After a Twain-wreck of a country night - why couldn't the theme have been country week, with ST as mentor, without all of the contestants having to sing her songs? I am convinced that this did nobody any favors, except perhaps Ms. Twain herself.
Last night's ridiculous results show featured the top six in a vampire themed Ford commercial (I guess you need to be exciting when all you've got to work with is a Ford), an appearance by Shrek co-stars Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz, performances by Lady Antebellum (I am not a huge country fan, but I kind of liked their song, and I really love their name. Great band name!), Rascal Flatts - twice - the second time with Shakira (?) and Sons of Sylvia, introduced by Carrie Underwood, although she herself didn't perform, which is a bit of a mystery. Didn't she just win a CMA award (is it me, or is there a country music awards show like every other week?)?
Eventually, there were also some results. The rather shocking bottom three included Big Mike, Casey and... Siobhan. Now, I was not a huge fan of Siobhan, but the girl can SING. She was miles better than most of the other contestants. Whatever, I thought she was there for drama value. But no. Ryan sent Mike back to safety and the bottom two were Casey and Siobhan. And then I knew - Casey is a golden rock god. If all the voters are tween-age girls, naturally they'd all be voting for the cute guy (with nicer hair than me, wtf?) - meaning curtains for Siobhan. Oh, you fickle fickle voting public.
After a really long commercial break, it came to pass. This now? Is the reason that the judges' save exists and the very week it should have been used. But nobody asks me. I think that they could have spent less time with the random performances and more time on the contestant and her "journey" on the show. She sang a final song (the Aretha one. It's too early in the day for me to remember what it is called), she screeched the high note at the end and then went into the audience to hug her family (and also Simon. I would totally have hugged Simon).
And then there were five. So much for it being a girls season, huh? Next week the top 5 will be mentored by Harry Connick Jr on the songs of Sinatra.
After a Twain-wreck of a country night - why couldn't the theme have been country week, with ST as mentor, without all of the contestants having to sing her songs? I am convinced that this did nobody any favors, except perhaps Ms. Twain herself.
Last night's ridiculous results show featured the top six in a vampire themed Ford commercial (I guess you need to be exciting when all you've got to work with is a Ford), an appearance by Shrek co-stars Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz, performances by Lady Antebellum (I am not a huge country fan, but I kind of liked their song, and I really love their name. Great band name!), Rascal Flatts - twice - the second time with Shakira (?) and Sons of Sylvia, introduced by Carrie Underwood, although she herself didn't perform, which is a bit of a mystery. Didn't she just win a CMA award (is it me, or is there a country music awards show like every other week?)?
Eventually, there were also some results. The rather shocking bottom three included Big Mike, Casey and... Siobhan. Now, I was not a huge fan of Siobhan, but the girl can SING. She was miles better than most of the other contestants. Whatever, I thought she was there for drama value. But no. Ryan sent Mike back to safety and the bottom two were Casey and Siobhan. And then I knew - Casey is a golden rock god. If all the voters are tween-age girls, naturally they'd all be voting for the cute guy (with nicer hair than me, wtf?) - meaning curtains for Siobhan. Oh, you fickle fickle voting public.
After a really long commercial break, it came to pass. This now? Is the reason that the judges' save exists and the very week it should have been used. But nobody asks me. I think that they could have spent less time with the random performances and more time on the contestant and her "journey" on the show. She sang a final song (the Aretha one. It's too early in the day for me to remember what it is called), she screeched the high note at the end and then went into the audience to hug her family (and also Simon. I would totally have hugged Simon).
And then there were five. So much for it being a girls season, huh? Next week the top 5 will be mentored by Harry Connick Jr on the songs of Sinatra.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
that don't impress me much
Last night Shania Twain was the mentor on American Idol, and thus, all of the contestants had to sing from her "songbook" such as it is. I was totally geared up for some gender bending moments, like Big Mike crooning "Man, I feel like a woman" but alas, it was not to be.
Shania is lovely, but singing her songbook is not like singing that of Lennon and McCartney (which the Idols did a few weeks ago). I could only think of one actual song of hers last night (Man, I feel like a woman) although more of them started coming to me as the night went on. But I think it's limiting. So... it was kind of uneven. Lee sang "You're Still the One" which was just all right for me. It didn't seem to fit him. I don't know, it was disappointing all around. My fave Mama Sox sang a cute song, I had never heard it before, but it was not her best and all the judges told her so (I think she should have done "that don't impress me much" personally). It felt like when Lilly sang that Patsy Cline song - I hope Crystal's fate does not match Lilly's!! And I am SO TIRED of Siobhan Magnus, I don't get her at all. I thought her song and entire look was, to borrow a word from the new judge on ANTM: DRECKITUDE!!
An irritating night over all - bottom two predictions: Aaron and Casey
And by the way, what the heck is a "wheelhouse"??
From there we went into Glee which I was really looking forward to, what with the return of Kristin Chenoweth. And after last week's stellar Madonna episode, I thought these guys were on a total roll. But no. I still liked the episode, it just wasn't up to standard. Kristin's character April was back to flirt with Will and, naturally, sing her face off ("I feel a duet coming on!" she said, in the first scene, and that duet Fire was the best one of theirs all night). But the best storylines involved the actual Glee clubbers (duh). Mercedes, now a Cheerio, battling with weight and image issues (leading to a beautiful and moving rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"), and Kurt (or Curt?) who had played matchmaker for his dad with Finn's mom, presumably to get closer to Finn. This ended up biting him in the butt, as his dad started bonding with Finn over sports. He did, however get to sing a really great solo (!) and he has a lovely voice. I am happy to see him and Mercedes getting to really shine, and sing more solos.
The Will/April storyline fell apart and dragged the momentum of the show down. Their second duet, when April turned up at Will's apartment (uh, why?) and ended up sleeping over (???) - I don't even know what it was called - went on FOREVER. And served no purpose. Then April's millionaire kicked the bucket, and now she is off to broadway to stage the first all white production of The Wiz (huh?). Another big song on the stage of the auditorium (which she bought to thwart Sue's evil wiles once again) and she was off. Why is Will such a man-ho all of a sudden, anyway?? Will he make out, or at least think about making out with all of this season's guest stars??
Messy. Made me long for a little of Rachel's teen angst. She and Jesse were mysteriously quiet this week. I want to hear you both SING, dang it! My theory is that Jesse is really a double agent and come regionals he is going to go back to Vocal Adrenaline and crush poor Rachel, and she will sing about it with a FIERCE solo.
Favorite moments: Sue saying she was going to write to the Sec of State to tell them she was no longer carrying photo id because "everybody should know who I am", and also wondering why Mercedes and K/Curt didn't have a show on Bravo.
Until next week, Gleeks.
Shania is lovely, but singing her songbook is not like singing that of Lennon and McCartney (which the Idols did a few weeks ago). I could only think of one actual song of hers last night (Man, I feel like a woman) although more of them started coming to me as the night went on. But I think it's limiting. So... it was kind of uneven. Lee sang "You're Still the One" which was just all right for me. It didn't seem to fit him. I don't know, it was disappointing all around. My fave Mama Sox sang a cute song, I had never heard it before, but it was not her best and all the judges told her so (I think she should have done "that don't impress me much" personally). It felt like when Lilly sang that Patsy Cline song - I hope Crystal's fate does not match Lilly's!! And I am SO TIRED of Siobhan Magnus, I don't get her at all. I thought her song and entire look was, to borrow a word from the new judge on ANTM: DRECKITUDE!!
An irritating night over all - bottom two predictions: Aaron and Casey
And by the way, what the heck is a "wheelhouse"??
From there we went into Glee which I was really looking forward to, what with the return of Kristin Chenoweth. And after last week's stellar Madonna episode, I thought these guys were on a total roll. But no. I still liked the episode, it just wasn't up to standard. Kristin's character April was back to flirt with Will and, naturally, sing her face off ("I feel a duet coming on!" she said, in the first scene, and that duet Fire was the best one of theirs all night). But the best storylines involved the actual Glee clubbers (duh). Mercedes, now a Cheerio, battling with weight and image issues (leading to a beautiful and moving rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"), and Kurt (or Curt?) who had played matchmaker for his dad with Finn's mom, presumably to get closer to Finn. This ended up biting him in the butt, as his dad started bonding with Finn over sports. He did, however get to sing a really great solo (!) and he has a lovely voice. I am happy to see him and Mercedes getting to really shine, and sing more solos.
The Will/April storyline fell apart and dragged the momentum of the show down. Their second duet, when April turned up at Will's apartment (uh, why?) and ended up sleeping over (???) - I don't even know what it was called - went on FOREVER. And served no purpose. Then April's millionaire kicked the bucket, and now she is off to broadway to stage the first all white production of The Wiz (huh?). Another big song on the stage of the auditorium (which she bought to thwart Sue's evil wiles once again) and she was off. Why is Will such a man-ho all of a sudden, anyway?? Will he make out, or at least think about making out with all of this season's guest stars??
Messy. Made me long for a little of Rachel's teen angst. She and Jesse were mysteriously quiet this week. I want to hear you both SING, dang it! My theory is that Jesse is really a double agent and come regionals he is going to go back to Vocal Adrenaline and crush poor Rachel, and she will sing about it with a FIERCE solo.
Favorite moments: Sue saying she was going to write to the Sec of State to tell them she was no longer carrying photo id because "everybody should know who I am", and also wondering why Mercedes and K/Curt didn't have a show on Bravo.
Until next week, Gleeks.
anything goes!
For some reason, I am in the mood for some Reno Sweeney style sass this morning. Here she is, boys!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
watch it. watch it. watch it again...
This video opened the Gala performance on Friday - it takes forever and a half to load, but be patient, it is worth it to see these amazing dancers!
The Joffrey Ballet: 2010 Spring Gala Video from Sasha Fornari on Vimeo.
Friday, April 23, 2010
tonight!
All aboard and full steam ahead! This is where I will be tonight (and into the wee hours of tomorrow). Sometimes I get the chance to leave my regular life and step into this ultra-glam one, for a few hours, anyway, when I am not working at the event! I still need to look pretty, so I got a manicure yesterday and managed not to do any serious damage to it (yet). I always manage to screw up my manicures because I am SO impatient. One year, I got a French manicure and went to work at Archivers, where I promptly got a nail caught on a blue ink pad. True story. Or I don't sit under the dryer long enough and rub against something and ruin it. You'd think I would get the idea by now, but...I am also planning to go across the way and get some professional help with my hair. The past few years, I've gotten blow outs on gala day - but when I do that at 12:00, by the time I am actually at the Gala it has fallen flat. Such is the curse of the thin, fine hair. So I am going to ask them to put it "up." Something elegant and classy, like, and not an updo of the "what the fuck is THAT" variety. Once, we were doing some hair modeling for updo practice for one of my friends who is a stylist. Her "boss" came and told us that philosophy - when you come into a room with one of my styles, he said, people should look at you and go "what the fuck is THAT?" which is personally not what I want people to be asking themselves when I enter a room. I would prefer a standing ovation, please, when I walk into the room, not people pointing and sniggering and going, what happened to her head? I never really listened to that guy because 1) he was a db of the first water and 2) he had these crazy ass zig-zag sideburns and really? I could not ever take someone seriously with facial hair like that.
So anyway, the aim is elegant and classy and I will try and document the evening... but first, to work!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
happy birthday, patti!
Actor, diva, sassy beltress, and paesana (What can I say? I have an affinity for my fellow Italian-Americans!) the Patti has it all in spades. Happy happy happy birthday - I am planning on having a sugar bliss cupcake in your honor, today, Patti, although I suppose a martini of some kind would be more fitting, but whatever.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
the power of madonna
Glee's All Madonna episode is on tonight and once again, the nerd choir girl in my soul is doing backflips! I mean, come on, it's Madonna, she who provided the soundtrack to my 80s childhood. I used to have all of her albums - on cassette. In fact, I think True Blue was the first cassette I actually bought. Who can resist the awesomeness of old school Madonna, like "Borderline" and "Live to Tell" and "Holiday" and "Material Girl" and "Lucky Star"??? And Glee? Is just awesome. Put them both together and you get a veritable explosion of awesomeness. I would listen to Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison singing the alphabet. And when you throw in Jane Lynch Vogue-ing? It's magic, people.I think I stopped digging Madonna after Evita (when she started taking voice lessons and living in England and making crappy movies). I love Evita (for obvious reasons, which you would know if you've been following me for any period of time. I even used to play out the balcony scene on my front porch when I was a kid) and I saw the movie a few times (for a while there, I would sing along with Che but with an Antonio Banderas inflection) but yeah. It's not very good, is it? It's pretty, and she looks good, but Madonna and Antonio lack the power, the fierce intensity, the just plain scariness of the original broadway cast (I still can't listen to that cast album all the way through in one sitting. They are both just terrifying on it.) and missing that intensity is rather missing the point, yes?
Sidebar here - I have a very vivid memory of talking about the movie in Spanish class and getting into it with a classmate of mine, because she claimed that Eva Peron was half Croatian. And I would have gone along with that, like oh, okay, little known fact, etc - except then she told me that Eva says so in "Rainbow High." Uh, what? First of all, don't question me about the book, chica. I mean, I know they changed a bunch of things for the movie ("She's our new world Madonna with the golden touch..." in "Rainbow Tour", being one of those changes.) Second of all, no. Just...no.
And then the music started getting weird (Don't Cry for Me Argentina dance remix, anyone?), and I stopped being a big fan of Madonna's. But this Glee episode excites me a whole lot. Nostalgia, I guess, for the days of Park View (and who thought I would ever say that?), crimped hair, neon pink everything, bangle bracelets, big bangs, fingerless gloves, layered socks and all of that fun 80s stuff.
Whee!! Can't wait for tonight to get my Glee on!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
an eclectic celebration of the dance
Last night, it was off to the Civic Opera house for the opening night of ABT's visit to Chicago. They will be here the rest of the week with Swan Lake, but I prefer the mixed rep programs. Story ballets are great and popular, I know, but with the mixed rep programs, you get a little sample of different kinds of work. If you don't like one of them, you don't have to sit through it all night. I remember that Sleeping Beauty got a little old after a while... towards the end it was like: Now she dances!! And now HE dances! And, oh, she will dance again! And then they dance together! Awww, the end. But no! She dances again! and so on. It was like, OK, I get it, can you two just live happily ever after, already??
Anyway. The program was the All-American Celebration and first up was Twyla Tharp's Brahms-Haydn Variations. It was... yeah, I don't know. Busy. There was a lot going on up on stage, and I didn't quite know where to look. It wasn't bad, exactly, but it was... busy is the best word I've got for it. Lots of bodies in motion (the work includes 30 dancers) doing Twyla! Twyla! Twyla! Not my favorite of the night (maybe they should have kept it all inside? Anybody catching my Birdcage references here???)
The next piece was Paul Taylor's Company B, featuring music from the Andrews Sisters. ABT's website describes the piece: "Even though this dance is set to the lighthearted and fun loving tunes of the Andrews Sisters, the brilliant choreographer Paul Taylor explores not only the jitterbug, waltzes and polkas that were the social dance scene in 1940s America, but also he skillfully mixes the dances with images of the GIs during WWII, sensitively expressing the trepidation of War and the powerful emotions that surround living within its reality. The dance focuses on such poignant dualities, set to such beloved songs as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Tico-Tico" and "Bei Mir Bist du Schön."
So, yes. I definitely got that there was an undertone about the trepidation of war and so on, but mainly I got: GAP commercial. All the dancers were running around in khakis and pastels and especially in "Bei Mir Bist du Schon" where they were all in a group, it just seemed like you turned on the tv and all these great dancers were advertising the GAP. It was beautifully danced, but yeah. Fall into the GAP.
Anyway. The program was the All-American Celebration and first up was Twyla Tharp's Brahms-Haydn Variations. It was... yeah, I don't know. Busy. There was a lot going on up on stage, and I didn't quite know where to look. It wasn't bad, exactly, but it was... busy is the best word I've got for it. Lots of bodies in motion (the work includes 30 dancers) doing Twyla! Twyla! Twyla! Not my favorite of the night (maybe they should have kept it all inside? Anybody catching my Birdcage references here???)
The next piece was Paul Taylor's Company B, featuring music from the Andrews Sisters. ABT's website describes the piece: "Even though this dance is set to the lighthearted and fun loving tunes of the Andrews Sisters, the brilliant choreographer Paul Taylor explores not only the jitterbug, waltzes and polkas that were the social dance scene in 1940s America, but also he skillfully mixes the dances with images of the GIs during WWII, sensitively expressing the trepidation of War and the powerful emotions that surround living within its reality. The dance focuses on such poignant dualities, set to such beloved songs as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Tico-Tico" and "Bei Mir Bist du Schön."
So, yes. I definitely got that there was an undertone about the trepidation of war and so on, but mainly I got: GAP commercial. All the dancers were running around in khakis and pastels and especially in "Bei Mir Bist du Schon" where they were all in a group, it just seemed like you turned on the tv and all these great dancers were advertising the GAP. It was beautifully danced, but yeah. Fall into the GAP.
But you know, I LIKE the GAP, so I'm not saying this is a bad thing, or that I didn't enjoy it. It wasn't. And I did. It's just that while watching it, I was reminded of an ad for khakis, that's all I am saying. I am not proud that this was the image that popped into my head, because I am trying to become a more sophisticated viewer of dance. I still feel like as long as nobody falls down, it's a great performance. I am not really a great analyzer of technique etc. BUT - I felt better when I ran into someone I work with, a former dancer who performed in this piece several times. He didn't think that the lighting brought out the mood of the piece in a good way - so the guys lurking around in the background symbolizing soliders going off to war weren't really portrayed the right way.... So let me tell you, if he wasn't getting it, and he knows what to look for in a dance performance, from a dancer's perspective, I am not sure how much of the audience got it.
(See what I mean about the GAP commercialishness about this? Photo from ABT.org)The final piece was Jerome Robbins's Fancy Free about three sailors on shore leave in NYC. It was the best piece of the night. With music by Leonard Bernstein and a cute city-bar backdrop, it was kind of fun and West Side Story-ish. I kept expecting them to break into "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way..." and they DID have a rumble (three sailors, two girls, oh, no!!) and then there was a lot of awesome dancing as all three tried to impress the girls. I liked it. But then I am a sucker for sailors...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
tonight - ABT at the Civic Opera House
Tonight, I am checking out the American Ballet Theater in the All-American Celebration: a mixed rep program featuring Twyla Tharp's The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Paul Taylor's Company B and Jerome Robbins's Fancy Free. Dinner at Italian Village before the show.Full report tomorrow!
Friday, April 09, 2010
It's boy meets world as 'Billy Elliot' musical takes flight :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Hedy Weiss
It's boy meets world as 'Billy Elliot' musical takes flight :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Hedy Weiss
Oh my gosh, Billy Elliot. I loved the movie and I saw the show in NYC 2 Decembers ago (a breather between Gypsy's). This show is not just about a kid wanting to dance - there is a bit of an edge to it, using the coal strikes and Margaret Thatcherism as a gritty backdrop for the story of a boy trying to find his way in the world. I laughed and I cried when I saw it originally. Sometimes I was the only one laughing (it helps to have a great love of British comedies here, although it is not essential) - the show has great dancing, memorable music (I like "Solidarity Forever" "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher" and "Electricity") and a lot of heart.
Go and see it.
Oh my gosh, Billy Elliot. I loved the movie and I saw the show in NYC 2 Decembers ago (a breather between Gypsy's). This show is not just about a kid wanting to dance - there is a bit of an edge to it, using the coal strikes and Margaret Thatcherism as a gritty backdrop for the story of a boy trying to find his way in the world. I laughed and I cried when I saw it originally. Sometimes I was the only one laughing (it helps to have a great love of British comedies here, although it is not essential) - the show has great dancing, memorable music (I like "Solidarity Forever" "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher" and "Electricity") and a lot of heart.
Go and see it.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
spring fashion in chicago...
Awesome photos in Time Out Chicago's Spring Fashion issue... Here the Art Institute's guardian lions decide to check out the Modern Wing... (Styled by Kevin Aeh and Jessica Herman. Photographs by Todd Baxter. Animal photographs by Steve Grubman.)
Read more: http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/shopping/84390/wild-about-style-spring-fashion-2010#ixzz0kY3JRAmQ
Read more: http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/shopping/84390/wild-about-style-spring-fashion-2010#ixzz0kY3JRAmQ
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
dark hope...
So. This is the cover for Renée Fleming's new cd, Dark Hope, which I am personally very excited about. The music is all covers of some pretty unexpected groups:1. Endlessly (Muse)
2. No One's Gonna Love You (Band of Horses)
3. Oxygen (Willy Mason)
4. Today (Jefferson Airplane)
5. Intervention (Arcade Fire)
6. With Twilight As My Guide (The Mars Volta)
7. Mad World (Tears for Fears)
8. In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel)
9. Stepping Stone (Duffy)
10. Soul Meets Body (Death Cab For Cutie)
11. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
Cool, yes? I love when she sings jazz, and I love that she keeps pushing herself as an artist, and doing projects that she feels strongly connected to.
I am not particularly wild about this cover photo though, although I think I understand it, from a marketing perspective. It's fine. It's pretty, even, because Renée is absolutely stunning. But it's very different from her other cd covers (I mean, what's up w/the hair?? I'm sorry, I love you, Renée, but ????). But yeah, I think I get it. There are some opera fans (the purists/snobs/haters/whatever) who probably don't care for this kind of music, don't think she should be singing it and would not be likely to pick up the cd. The question then becomes who is the audience for this album? People like me, Renée's fans, who will listen to her sing the phone book, because we love her voice?
What about an adult contemporary crowd? A group that knows nothing about Renée's career as an opera singer, and would not, in fact, be caught dead going to see an opera? This cover is the farthest you can possibly get from an album of opera arias. For the uninitiated, opera is scary. There are certain perceptions out there - that it is long, it must be horribly, mind numbingly boring, and opera singers are those big ladies with horns and braids. I am not saying those are correct perceptions, mind you, but they exist. It costs too much, people are snobby, I won't know when to clap, I am intimidated are other things that keep your average joe audience member away from the opera house. And those aren't really true, either. Still. People are creatures of habit. They like what they know and the unknown is an awfully big jump. Especially opera. If my first had been, say, Frau ohne Schatten (or however the hell you spell it. I don't know and I don't care. It SUCKED.) - the only one I ever walked out of, by the way, I don't think I would ever have gone back.
But say that Joe or Joanne audience member is strolling his or her local Borders store (or somewhere that they still sell music). They see this cd, go, hey she's totally cute, and I like these songs, and voila! A new fan is born, one who might eventually pick up her other music and one who might end up in the opera house one day, or heck, even their local movie theater, to watch Renée on stage (an experience not to be missed!) and decide to try some others. It's like a lovely circle of life and death and dried fruit (I hope that line is still in the Addams Family musical!!) I love the way a singer can lead you on an unexpected journey, just by following him or her through her choice of repertoire. Renée has introduced me to lots of different styles and genres, just by my listening to a cd.
Anyway. It will be interesting to see the response to this album...
beatlemania... idol style
Even though I was born many years after the heyday of the Fab Four, I am still a pretty big Beatles fan (I usually always ask people who their favorite Beatle is. John is my fave.)
So I was intrigued/terrified to hear what Idol's top 9 would do with the Lennon/McCartney songbook, and they did a fairly decent job. There are a few of them where I would have picked different songs - like something sweet for young Aaron, my thought was "I saw her standing there" or "Michelle" for instance. I had a feeling we'd get "Come Together" from Crystal (but I think she could also have rocked "Oh Darlin'" or "Helter Skelter" (arrangements from the film "Across the Universe"). Or how about "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (also the film arrangement) for Katie? She has not been one of my faves, but she did well last night with "Let it Be". I would really love her to sing "How do I live" by LeeAnn Rimes, to prove Simon's country theory, or "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones... I think those would work for her voice...
What else? I liked Lee's random bagpipe guy, but was not a big fan of his "Hey Jude." Most of them picked pretty popular songs - only Casey picked one that was maybe not as well known to the Idol stage - John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." Which was reallyreallyreally slow. I would love for Casey to sing "I'll Be" or a song like that. He seems to have that chill Edwin McCain or Will Hoge kind of vibe to me.
Bottom three is tough to call this week, for me anyway. I will say Andrew, because I didn't feel him at all, Tim, because he has no range or voice or anything, even though he is super cute and... ????
++ Update: Well, how wrong can a person be?? The Bottom 3 was Andrew, Aaron and Big Mike (!!!) who had to sing for his survival. Dude can sing, I will give you that, and it is a HUGE example of the American public getting it wrong (AGAIN). The judges thought so too, and opted to use their save on him. I am happy with that outcome, since Big Mike is a likeable guy, he can sing and he did not deserve to go last night. I didn't hear what next week's theme will be, but I heard a rumor that Glambert will be the mentor. So maybe the theme will include guyliner? More bagpipes? Who knows!
So I was intrigued/terrified to hear what Idol's top 9 would do with the Lennon/McCartney songbook, and they did a fairly decent job. There are a few of them where I would have picked different songs - like something sweet for young Aaron, my thought was "I saw her standing there" or "Michelle" for instance. I had a feeling we'd get "Come Together" from Crystal (but I think she could also have rocked "Oh Darlin'" or "Helter Skelter" (arrangements from the film "Across the Universe"). Or how about "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (also the film arrangement) for Katie? She has not been one of my faves, but she did well last night with "Let it Be". I would really love her to sing "How do I live" by LeeAnn Rimes, to prove Simon's country theory, or "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones... I think those would work for her voice...
What else? I liked Lee's random bagpipe guy, but was not a big fan of his "Hey Jude." Most of them picked pretty popular songs - only Casey picked one that was maybe not as well known to the Idol stage - John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." Which was reallyreallyreally slow. I would love for Casey to sing "I'll Be" or a song like that. He seems to have that chill Edwin McCain or Will Hoge kind of vibe to me.
Bottom three is tough to call this week, for me anyway. I will say Andrew, because I didn't feel him at all, Tim, because he has no range or voice or anything, even though he is super cute and... ????
++ Update: Well, how wrong can a person be?? The Bottom 3 was Andrew, Aaron and Big Mike (!!!) who had to sing for his survival. Dude can sing, I will give you that, and it is a HUGE example of the American public getting it wrong (AGAIN). The judges thought so too, and opted to use their save on him. I am happy with that outcome, since Big Mike is a likeable guy, he can sing and he did not deserve to go last night. I didn't hear what next week's theme will be, but I heard a rumor that Glambert will be the mentor. So maybe the theme will include guyliner? More bagpipes? Who knows!
Monday, April 05, 2010
hope they brought their sunglasses of fierceness...
Joffrey dancers on tour in Miami. Video by one of those very talented dancing fellas. I love the people in the background watching them on the moving walkway, like "Huh??" Hilarious.
why does it always rain on me??
(Is it because I lied when I was 17??? Anybody?? Nobody.)
This weekend - saw Jane, Heidi and Brian. We're going to make wedding invitations and I am sooooo excited. I still need to figure out what is going on with my bridesmaid's dress. I have to call David's Bridal and see if it's come in yet. It's pretty much a black dress, nothing too crazy, so no troubs, right?? Maybe??
(Can you tell I'm having my earl grey vanilla creme this morning? The overuse of punctuation should give you the clue.)
Also Heidi got me hooked on Farmville. BAD HEIDI. Now I have a farm and a mini-me, and crops, and an egg basket and a pigeon coop and I was gifted my very first tree today. More exciting than I should probably admit to.
Yesterday, did the workout, tried to replace the iron but nothing was open. And I was all like "Why are all the stores closed?" and then I was all like "Oooh, right. It's EASTER, you heathen." Don't tell Loyola, okay?
I read two books yesterday afternoon - The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith (which I finished) and Slam by Nick Hornby (which I should finish today).
Mostly a good weekend. Have to get back to learning my choreography - the Thing including this dance is happening this week! Stay tuned!!
This weekend - saw Jane, Heidi and Brian. We're going to make wedding invitations and I am sooooo excited. I still need to figure out what is going on with my bridesmaid's dress. I have to call David's Bridal and see if it's come in yet. It's pretty much a black dress, nothing too crazy, so no troubs, right?? Maybe??
(Can you tell I'm having my earl grey vanilla creme this morning? The overuse of punctuation should give you the clue.)
Also Heidi got me hooked on Farmville. BAD HEIDI. Now I have a farm and a mini-me, and crops, and an egg basket and a pigeon coop and I was gifted my very first tree today. More exciting than I should probably admit to.
Yesterday, did the workout, tried to replace the iron but nothing was open. And I was all like "Why are all the stores closed?" and then I was all like "Oooh, right. It's EASTER, you heathen." Don't tell Loyola, okay?
I read two books yesterday afternoon - The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith (which I finished) and Slam by Nick Hornby (which I should finish today).
Mostly a good weekend. Have to get back to learning my choreography - the Thing including this dance is happening this week! Stay tuned!!
Friday, April 02, 2010
peeps show...
The Washington Post has done their Peeps diorama contest again - and the winners are truly awesome. Go check out the whole slideshow if you have a chance. People are really creative (or have way too much free time, haven't really decided which... but really, what else do you do with these things??)
totally not andrew lloyd webber
Happy Friday and Happy Easter everyone! I've been taking a bit of a spring break this week, took some days off to enjoy the lovely weather (80! In Chicago! In March/April!), get my oil changed, shop, and recharge my batteries (in every possible sense). But Diva Lessons know no holidays, and the show must go on, etc.
The below is from the Rosie show - the picture doesn't match the sound really well, weirdly, so don't pay too much attention to that. It is a really lovely song and one of my favorites. I actually sang it back when I was taking voice lessons, and when I finished, one of my classmates looked at me and said excitedly, "What a great song! Is it Andrew Lloyd Webber?"
No! Nononono! It's not. It's Lennon/McCartney (and note to all you American Idols in advance of next week - watch and learn, people. This is how you handle a song from the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Okay, Tim?)
In other Diva news, Ms. Patti chose a winning title of the many submitted for her new book. Go here, because you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. And no, I don't know why she needed a contest, only to pick that. Yes, I submitted some titles. No, obviously they weren't selected. But the one chosen never even crossed my mind. Like, ever. I was trying to be all creative and outside the box and so on. But c'est la vie. (Go on, say it!)
But mine is not to Question the Diva. Mine is only to read the book and soak in the potentially dishy gossip. As Randy might say, Yo, Patti! I have mad love for you, baby. I think she will totally go places and do stuff.
Okay, I'm done.
Happy Friday!
The below is from the Rosie show - the picture doesn't match the sound really well, weirdly, so don't pay too much attention to that. It is a really lovely song and one of my favorites. I actually sang it back when I was taking voice lessons, and when I finished, one of my classmates looked at me and said excitedly, "What a great song! Is it Andrew Lloyd Webber?"
No! Nononono! It's not. It's Lennon/McCartney (and note to all you American Idols in advance of next week - watch and learn, people. This is how you handle a song from the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Okay, Tim?)
In other Diva news, Ms. Patti chose a winning title of the many submitted for her new book. Go here, because you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. And no, I don't know why she needed a contest, only to pick that. Yes, I submitted some titles. No, obviously they weren't selected. But the one chosen never even crossed my mind. Like, ever. I was trying to be all creative and outside the box and so on. But c'est la vie. (Go on, say it!)
But mine is not to Question the Diva. Mine is only to read the book and soak in the potentially dishy gossip. As Randy might say, Yo, Patti! I have mad love for you, baby. I think she will totally go places and do stuff.
Okay, I'm done.
Happy Friday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)