my so-called life

2012-02-12T19:13:00.003-05:00

"And all of your ways and all your thunder got me in a haze running for cover, where we gonna go from here? Where we gonna go from here?" ~mat kearney

It's time for recent show reviews!

Merrily We Roll Along
Stephen Sondheim is a genius. The star of this show is the score, because nobody can write a score like Sondheim. Yes, the book is problematic, but I still found the story affecting and tragic. Although I had never seen this show before, I was already familiar with some of the music, and hearing "Not a Day Goes By" sung live (a beautiful rendition by Betsy Wolfe) was a definite highlight for me. Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Lin-Manuel Miranda play the three leads. I've seen them all in shows before and I enjoy their work very much, and none of them disappointed in this show. Celia was definitely my favorite. Lin-Manuel nailed his book scenes even though his voice was weak, and Colin Donnell did his best playing a difficult, unlikeable character. The supporting cast (particularly Elizabeth Stanley and Betsy Wolfe) was stellar. This is a tricky, divisive, show, but I loved seeing this production of it.

Richard III
Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey makes just as marvelous a Richard as you could imagine. This is his show. I don't know how he puts so much energy into his portrayal for every performance; he's in almost every scene, the running time is three hours and twenty minutes, and I saw the show on a two-show day. I can't imagine spending nearly seven hours a day throwing yourself wholeheartedly into that character like he does. Mr. Brantley discusses Mr. Spacey's "all-conquering audacity" in his New York Times review. It's interesting. Anyway, the time flew by, and I loved seeing an acting genius playing this classic character. Along with Mr. Spacey's performance, I particularly enjoyed seeing Haydn Gwynne as Queen Elizabeth (I loved her in Billy Elliot).

How I Learned to Drive
This is a chilling, brilliant play (it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998), and I loved this production of it. Oh my freakin' goodness, it really is wonderfully haunting. Elizabeth Reaser (Grey's Anatomy, the Twilight movies, and most recently Young Adult) plays Li'l Bit, the main character, and I was very impressed with her ability to play the character at different ages so realistically. She captures all the nuances of the complex character. Norbert Leo Butz co-stars, and he's always a treat to see on-stage. He's a two-time Tony winner and I've seen him in a bunch of stuff, and he always impresses me with his versatility. He's absolutely perfect as Uncle Peck. The New York Times review calls him "sensational" and I agree. It's a good review to read. I absolutely love, love, love this play.

2012-01-31T07:01:00.004-05:00

"Holland’s papa wouldn’t stay in the ground, dead and buried and he walked into town. Lord God, what is Ma to do? Mama’s so mad cause he muddied up his suit, caught in a thorn bush, blowin' on a flute. Lord God, what is Ma to do?" ~the felice brothers

I've been listening to my recording of the last Felice Brothers concert I went to, and I fall even more in love with them every time I listen to it. I wasn't crazy about their newest album (Celebration Florida) at first, but now I'm obsessed. Hearing those songs live definitely had something to do with it. At first "Fire at the Pageant" (posted above) did NOT make me happy, but now I absolutely LOVE it. It's one of my favorite songs; I could listen to it over and over. And I do. Try it; you might love it, too.

This is one of the best things I've ever seen. I can't stop watching it. Have I mentioned that I love Kristen Bell? Lately I've been getting into her new show, House of Lies. It's funny. I'm not sure if I'd watch it if she weren't in it, but I am enjoying it. Anyway, this is amazing:
video platform video management video solutions video player

I'm still recovering from the end of Chuck. My friend Leah and I are going to see The Head and the Heart at Terminal 5 in March. She wrote to me, "I'm hoping between now and then, I'll be able to listen to 'Rivers and Roads' without sobbing" (that's the song that played during the last few minutes of Chuck's finale; it's in my last blog post). I feel the same way, but I think I should be okay in a couple of months.

What else? I'm sure there's a bunch of stuff I need to write about (movies, a few shows), but I don't have time. I bought an apartment, which is crazy, and I'm in the process of packing, which is not fun. I have a LOT of stuff.

I filmed the Felice Brothers show in September, so here's the playlist if you want to revel in their awesomeness like I've been doing (you can click on the rectangle-shaped button on the bottom to scroll through the songs).

2012-01-27T22:20:00.006-05:00

"A year from now we'll all be gone, all our friends will move away. And they're going to better places, but our friends will be gone away. Nothing is as it has been, and I miss your face like hell. And I guess it's just as well, but I miss your face like hell. Been talking 'bout the way things change, and my family lives in a different state. And if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate. So if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate. Rivers and roads, rivers and roads, rivers 'til I reach you." ~the head and the heart

Thank you for the last five years, Chuck. There really are no words to express what you mean to me.

2012-01-08T19:51:00.004-05:00

"I think I heard you singing, 'Oh poor sky, don't cry on me. Did somebody break your heart again? Oh poor sky, don't cry on me. Are you gonna fall apart again?' My head plays it over and over. All dolled-up in straps, all colored in. Now, love, where have you been? Dolled-up in straps, all colored in. Now, love, where have you been? Where have you been?" ~the national

My 15 favorite Movies of 2011

It's that time again, time to reflect on the previous year, and for this blog that means looking at what the entertainment industry had to offer. Today I'm focusing on movies. It's too difficult for me to rank them, so I'm simply listing my fifteen favorites in alphabetical order. Though if I were forced to choose my favorite film of the year, right now I'd probably go with a tie between The Descendants and Win Win (if you ask me tomorrow I'll probably have a different answer). Anyway, here are my favorites:

Bridesmaids - pure hilarity.
The Descendants - it just seemed so real. Incredibly affecting but also very funny. Beautifully acted and directed.
Drive - stylistically gorgeous, incredibly intense, captivating.
50/50 - a lovely blend of comedy and drama, and a realistic look at a tricky subject.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - fabulously acted, thrilling.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - a wonderful close to the series.
The Help - amazing acting, a solid adaptation of the novel.
Hugo - a loving tribute to the art of film, a faithful adaptation of the book.
The Ides of March - well-adapted from the play (Farragut North) and also very well-acted.
Martha Marcy May Marlene - clever, haunting, and featuring a brilliant debut from Elizabeth Olsen.
Midnight in Paris - absolutely lovely.
Moneyball - a beautifully made intelligent film about so much more than baseball.
My Week With Marilyn - an interesting portrait of an icon with a brilliant performance by Michelle Williams.
Win Win - I love everything about this movie.
Young Adult - sharp, hilarious, and uncomfortably realistic.

And an honorable mention goes to Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. So there you have it. There are a handful of movies I still need to see (The Artist, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Iron Lady, Shame, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Albert Nobbs, and more), so obviously my picks are based on what I've seen.

2012-01-07T18:23:00.005-05:00

"Now there’s no leaving New York. Now there’s no leaving New York. You’re so far around the bend. You’re so far around the bend." ~the national

I live in New York. It is January. It was over 60 degrees (F) today. Seriously. I walked around the city wearing this:
No jacket. 3/4 sleeves. No socks under my favorite TOMS. Rips in my jeans (letting the air in). And I was hot. Seriously. It was lovely. 60 degrees! In January!

Here is how I'm spending my evening:
Yes, I'm home alone on a Saturday night. Watching Downton Abbey (I've just fallen in love with it), eating pizza, and drinking Four Loko. And you know what? I couldn't be happier.

2011-12-17T18:34:00.017-05:00

"You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights, arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under. Oh, you wouldn't want an angel watching over. Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't want to watch another un-innocent, elegant fall into the un-magnificent lives of adults." ~the national
Oh my freakin' goodness. I'm on such a high right now from a week of absolutely brilliant music.
It's been a crazy week. Five concerts in six days (while having to work during the days and get up super early for work) is exhausting. The experience was completely worth the exhaustion, though. I would do this every week if I could; it was one of the best weeks ever. Like I said before, I'm obsessed with The National, so a full week of them was heavenly. They usually don't vary their setlists all that much, but this week they did, and I couldn't have been happier with what they played. Each night I heard at least one new song that I hadn't heard them play live before but was one that I had always wanted to hear. Honestly, I never in a million years could have imagined hearing so many of my favorite songs played live in one single week. It's really unbelievable to me.

Saturday's setlist was seriously amazing. They played so many rarities that I was in constant disbelief and giddiness. It was their last show (out of six in a row) at the Beacon, it was the last show of their High Violet tour (which has been going on for more than a year and a half), and it was streamed live. All those factors meant it would be special, but I didn't realize just how special it would be. There were also some great special guests. Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire played with them on a few songs. There were a lot of other great musicians onstage at various points (Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Sharon Von Etten) but my mind is too tired to think of more of them now. I saw Will Arnett, John Krasinski, and Emily Blunt in the audience (they walked right past me).

I recorded all the shows I attended, so a few highlights (for me) are interspersed throughout the rest of this post. Download links for all the shows (full versions) are posted at the end.
I'm trying a new file hosting site, so let me know if these songs actually play. Some of the songs from Saturday are from the live stream, so the quality is better than my audience recording.

"Lucky You" is tied for my favorite song of theirs, and I had never heard it in concert before. I didn't want to let myself hope to hear it this week. They played it on Monday, though (the first night, so I didn't have to keep waiting for it!). I can't tell you how excited I was. I liked hearing them talk about it, too. An audience member kept yelling "Sexy" at Matt, and then Aaron said that the song they were about to play was a sexy song. Matt disagreed and said it was probably one of their least sexy songs, and he suggested that Aaron learn the lyrics. Matt's right. "Lucky You" is not sexy. It's totally creepy; it's basically about a stalker. But the melody is so beautiful that if you don't listen to the lyrics, you might be deceived. Anyway, it's one my absolute favorites. And they played it. And it was even more beautiful than the album version because of the horn section onstage. It was a few minutes of heaven.

On Tuesday "the song" was "Wasp Nest." Oh my freakin' goodness, I love "Wasp Nest." Again, I couldn't believe I was hearing them play it live.

On Thursday I was thrilled to hear "Driver, Surprise Me." That's another gorgeous song. It's one that took a while to grow on me but that really grabbed a hold of me once I listened to it enough times and let it sink in (I love that kind of song).

And now we get to Saturday. Oh, Saturday. I'd like to post at least half the set here because everything was so wonderful. But I'll stick to the rarities.

"SANTA CLARA." Yeah. "Santa Clara." I couldn't believe it. I LOVE this song. It wasn't even released on an album, so it's rare. They don't play it much. By Saturday I had heard so many songs that I was hoping for that I told myself if I heard "Santa Clara" the week would be complete. And when they launched into it, my heart leaped.

"90 Mile Water Wall!" Gahhh! Another rarity that is beautiful but doesn't get played all that often.

I've heard them play "Karen" before, but it's unusual and it's an awesome song. Tonight Matt said they only play it once a year (so I guess I've gotten lucky).

I've also heard "The Geese of Beverly Road" before, but again, it's a wonderful surprise when it gets thrown into the mix. It's one of my favorites.

"About Today" is my favorite closer. It's one of my favorite songs of theirs (tied for first with "Lucky You" and "Apartment Story").

Okay, those were Saturday's highlights. Here are some random highlights from the rest of the week:

They played some new songs which I've heard recordings of but which I was glad to hear in person. "Think You Can Wait" was a highlight. It was featured in the movie Win Win (which you need to see if you haven't already, by the way).

They closed the show every night with an unplugged sing-along version of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" (with no mics). It's no "About Today" (that will always be my favorite closer), but it's kind of a cool way to end the show. If you want to listen to it, you have to endure my singing (remember no amplification; my mic picked up my own voice because it was closest).

Here are some other songs I loved hearing:
"Slow Show" (always a favorite, no matter how often they play it)

"Start A War" (a great opener for Tuesday's show)

"Son"

"Available" with the end of "Cardinal Song" (which I LOVE)

"I Need My Girl" (new song). Particularly gorgeous with the violin. This is from Saturday's show, and the audio is from the stream, so it's good quality.

Here are more photos.
Here's my recording of Monday (12/12)'s show.
Here's my recording of Tuesday (12/13)'s show.
Here's my recording of Thursday (12/15)'s show.
Here's my recording of Saturday (12/17)'s show.

I recorded a few videos and will try to share those later.

2011-12-11T22:05:00.004-05:00

"Everybody got nowhere to go, everybody wants to be amazing. Rylan you should try to get some sun, you remind me of everyone." ~the national

"Rylan" is a new song that they debuted on Q (a Canadian radio show) last week. I love how Matt spells out 'Rylan' at the beginning of the song. I'm sure he's trying to avoid confusion, because the first time they played "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks," everyone was certain he was singing "geese" instead of "geeks." I liked "geese" better; it was like the geese of Beverly Road had returned! He has a tendency to mumble.

This will be a busy week for me. Here's my concert schedule:

Monday - The National at the Beacon Theatre (w/ The War on Drugs)
Tuesday - The National at the Beacon Theatre
Wednesday - My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses at Madison Square Garden
Thursday - The National at the Beacon Theatre (w/ Wye Oak)
Saturday - The National at the Beacon Theatre (w/ This Is the Kit)

Yes, I am seeing The National FOUR times this week, and I'm still looking for tickets to see them on Friday (they're playing six shows at the Beacon). I made the mistake of looking at recent setlists. They've played some rare songs that I really want to hear (Santa Clara!!!), and I can't bear the thought of missing a rarity that I love. I know, I've already seen them over a dozen times, and I'm aware that I'm obsessed. Luckily my brother got me a ticketmaster gift card for my birthday, so that paid for a good chunk of the ticket costs. And I'm not paying to see My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses; my amazing friend Bill is taking me (he won tickets). Anyway, I will be exhausted by next weekend. It'll be worth it, though. Expect a massive review/sharing post after I've recovered (I'll be recording audio and video at all the shows).

2011-12-07T18:12:00.006-05:00

"All of these questions, such a mournful sound. Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground. So I like to keep my issues strong, but it's always darkest before the dawn. Shake it up, shake it out, shake it up, shake it out...." ~florence + the machine

I love that entire album, and that song ("Shake It Out") was used beautifully in the last few minutes of last night's season finale of Covert Affairs. The end of the episode was lovely; Auggie, who's usually so perceptive, was blind in more ways than one. Hearing him say "I can literally hear you smiling" as we saw Annie sitting there with heartbreak written all over her face (Piper Perabo played the moment very nicely) and then hearing "Shake It Out" starting to play definitely moved me.

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted. I guess I've been busy. I never even wrote about Thanksgiving, which was wonderful. The night before Thanksgiving I went to see the inflation of the balloons, which was fun. Here's a familiar face:
Thanksgiving Day was full of family and food. As usual, it was a full house and I loved seeing so many family members gathered together. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. 30+ people always gather in my aunt and uncle's Manhattan apartment, and I look forward to it all year. Here I am with some of my cousins (notice the one whose face has been photoshopped in):

I've seen a few Broadway shows lately. The one I most enjoyed was Bonnie and Clyde, which is unfortunately closing at the end of the month. I'm so glad I was able to see it, though. The music is gorgeous; it's definitely my favorite Frank Wildhorn score. The cast is strong (Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes have great chemistry as the two leads), and I think all the design elements are done well (I'm usually not a fan of projections, but in this show I was impressed at how they enhanced the story). It's really a shame that the show is closing, so if you're in/around NYC, I recommend trying to see it.
Here are two snippets of my two favorite songs from the show:

Okay, I'm out of time. Next post will feature my reviews of the Broadway shows The Mountaintop (starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett) and Lysistrata Jones.

2011-11-20T13:43:00.003-05:00

"And if the perfect spring is waiting somewhere, just take me there, just take me there, just take me there..." ~bright eyes

Today I'm sharing some thoughts on a movie and a Broadway play.

The Descendants
This is such a lovely film. I love Alexander Payne, and this movie is a perfect example of what a talented director he is. One second your gut will be wrenched with laughter and the next with pain. You're not slammed in the face with sentiment, though; it's beautifully understated. George Clooney will surely receive an Oscar nomination for his nuanced performance of a clueless husband and father. The whole ensemble is strong, actually. I was really impressed with Shailene Woodley, who plays Clooney's oldest daughter with a nice mix of bitterness and vulnerability. Judy Greer is also wonderful (as usual). Go see this movie. I'm sure it'll be a big Oscar contender, and it really is lovely.

Seminar
I saw the Broadway production of Seminar yesterday, and I'm very glad I did. It's a good play (not fabulous, but good) featuring a very strong ensemble cast. I love Alan Rickman. Seriously. I could listen to him read the phone book for hours. That voice just kills me. His portrayal of Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies is perfection. He's giving a great performance in this show; he has such good inflection and timing. Lily Rabe further demonstrates how wonderful she is (I loved her in last year's Merchant of Venice opposite Al Pacino, for which she received a Tony nomination). Jerry O'Connell is an old favorite of mine, and it was fun to see him onstage. I'm used to seeing Hamish Linklater do Shakespeare (I've seen him in Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, and The Winter's Tale), so it was weird to see him in a contemporary play, but he shone. Hettienne Park rounded out the ensemble with a solid performance. The play was an interesting look at the life of a writer, and the cast made it worthwhile.

2011-11-14T17:34:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness, I'm obsessed. I cannot wait. This gives me chills. Is it March yet?

By the way, on a completely unrelated note, how freakin' AWESOME is Homeland? It's the best show on television. Seriously. It just keeps getting better. Sunday's episode? Brilliant. It took the season in a completely unexpected direction, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Maybe later this week I'll be able to gather a collection of coherent thoughts. Maybe not, though, because it's a busy week for me. I was able to enjoy the weekend and spend a lot of time with two good friends, so that was nice. Now it's full steam ahead.

2011-11-08T16:44:00.007-05:00

"In the rain, the pavement shines like silver. All the lights are misty in the river. In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight, and all I see is him and me forever and forever." ~les miserables (claude-michel Schönberg & alain boublil)

Fun video time: I'm a huge Sarah Silverman fan, so when I discovered that she loves musical theatre, I got really excited. She's not the best technical singer, but she's so enthusiastic and charismatic that it doesn't seem to matter here. She starts off by singing "On My Own" from Les Miz, the most overdone musical theatre song ever, the song that every girl who knows anything about musicals has memorized (yes, of course I am one of the many who can sing the whole song by heart), but she makes it sound...fresh. It's lovely. I wish she did more of "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company (I love that song), because it seems perfect for her (both personality-wise and vocally). Anyway, I like this video.

In more Broadway related talk, Venus in Fur opened tonight, and I was glad to see that Isherwood gave it a rave in his New York Times review. Check out this great pull quote from his review about Nina Arianda, whom I also raved about:

"The flickering of those stage lights barely registers beside the incandescent Nina Arianda, the sensational young actress recreating the role that made her a name to watch when she first starred in the play Off Broadway. Portraying an actress giving the audition of a lifetime, Ms. Arianda is giving the first must-see performance of the Broadway season, a bravura turn that burns so brightly you can almost feel the heat on your face...."

I completely agree that she's giving the must-see performance of the Broadway season. It's one of the best performances I've ever seen. All the reviews are raving about her, and it makes me so happy. I don't want to get my hopes up so far away from the Tonys, but I'm feeling good right now about Ms. Arianda's chances.

2011-10-29T22:45:00.005-04:00

"Tell me everything that happened, tell me everything you saw. They had lights inside their eyes, they had lights inside their eyes." ~stars

I first heard that song on Chuck, and I was reminded of it today because I saw the movie Like Crazy (which I enjoyed, by the way) and this song played during the credits.

I had a busy a Broadway week. I saw a show on Thursday, two on Saturday, and one Sunday. So I've been busy. Here are my reviews.

Venus in Fur
WOW, Nina Arianda is spectacular. Can I just talk about her for a minute? She made her Broadway debut last season in Born Yesterday and stole the show (from some pretty talented veteran actors onstage with her). She was nominated for a Tony and lost to Frances McDormand, but I thought she deserved to win. In her second Broadway performance, she is a complete tour-de-force. Venus in Fur is about two hours long with no intermission and features only two actors (Ms. Arianda and Hugh Dancy, whom I'll get to in a minute), who are both onstage the entire time, and I couldn't take my eyes off her for those two hours. She is currently giving one of the best performances I've ever seen (and I've seen a LOT). Seriously, this is one of those performances that are impossible to forget. She plays an actress, and she switches between her role and the role her character is playing so effortlessly and beautifully that it's a revelation to watch. The play flies by because she just grabs you from her first entrance and doesn't let you go. If she doesn't win the Tony this year I will be disappointed. She carries the show. Hugh Dancy (Mr. Claire Danes) is also giving a strong performace (even though Ms. Arianda overshadows him). He's a talented actor, and he doesn't disappoint here. The two have great chemistry together. The play is interesting and ambiguous, and it has it's imperfections, but it works because of the acting (I can't imagine anyone else playing Vonda). I can't wait to see what Nina Arianda does next, because based on her first two Broadway appearances, she's a true star.

Other Desert Cities
Nicole got me tickets for this show for my birthday, and I was really excited to see it, largely because I'm a big Rachel Griffiths fan (from Six Feet Under, Brothers & Sisters, and Muriel's Wedding). The play was written by Jon Robin Baitz (creator of Brothers & Sisters) and features features a stellar cast made up of Rachel Griffiths, Stockard Channing, Judith Light, Stacy Keach, and Thomas Sadoski. Our seats were in the front row, and because the stage is so low it was the absolute perfect place to sit. This is the best play I've seen this season. It premiered last season off-Broadway (with a highly praised sold-out run) and transferred to Broadway this month (with Ms. Griffiths and Ms. Light joining the cast). Here's the New York Times review of the original production (it's a rave). I'm so glad I was able to see this play. It's a complex, beautifully written portrait of a family. The actors pour their hearts into it; everyone onstage is crying by the end (real crying). Rachel Griffiths has a devestating meltdown onstage and you can see, hear, and feel her pain (and somehow, five minutes later, she's grinning like crazy during the curtain call). This is a lovely play.

Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway
This show is the new hot ticket of the season, and I definitely understand why. It's Hugh Jackman's solo show. There aren't very many multi-talented leading men left, but Hugh Jackman is one of them. He can sing, he can dance, he can charm the pants off of an audience. He's so charismatic that it's a joy to sit and let him entertain you for two hours. The show includes a wide variety of songs, including numbers from the musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Music Man (he sings all eight parts of "Rock Island" at once, even rapping part of it, and it's amazing), Guys and Dolls, Singing in the Rain, and Easter Parade, as well as songs like "Mack the Knife" and my personal favorite, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." There's a New York medley as well. He interacts with the audience and is just wonderful. I hope they film this one (I suspect they might). It's two hours of escapist fun.

We Live Here
Nicole and I saw this because we were interested to see Zoe Kazan's writing skills (she's an actress whom we've seen act in many plays). The play isn't bad. I had a hard time liking the characters, though, which meant I didn't care enough about them to really be invested in what happened to them. The dialogue is realistic and a couple scenes resonated with me, but overall it needs more work. Kazan has promise, though.

Overall it was a fabulous week of theatre.
I should probably write a Duran Duran review as well. Later this week.

2011-10-24T18:18:00.007-04:00

"Darken the city, night is a wire. Steam in the subway, earth is a afire." ~duran duran

I love fall. I love feeling perfectly comfortable while walking around the city in jeans and a hoodie or a light jacket. I love seeing the leaves in Central Park start to change. But most of all, I love everything pumpkin. I love Dunkin Donuts' pumpkin muffins. And Jamba Juice's Pumpkin Smash (oh my goodness, it's pure deliciousness through a straw). Now that I've just about used up all the money on my Dunkin Donuts' gift card on pumpkin muffins, I made my own. They're almost as good (but not quite). I also made pumpkin pie shooters (basically pumpkin pie in a shotglass; no crust, no baking, super easy to make and super yummy). So yeah, I'm definitely enjoying fall.

And now for a quick picspam.

I don't think you've seen my babies in awhile. They're just as lovey as ever. Here they are cuddling and cleaning:

Jasper has a new funny habit; he climbs on my back and shoulders whenever he can. He has fallen off me, and he still keeps doing it. It's bizarre.

Finally, this is another one of the reasons I love living New York. I looked at my outfit this evening and realized that before I moved to New York, I would probably never have gone out in public wearing what I'm wearing now. Pink cropped sweatpants? Gold glitter TOMS? I probably would have felt ridiculous. But now, I didn't think twice about it. First of all, when walking anywhere in New York, even just down the block, you're sure to run into someone who's wearing a crazier outfit than you are. Second of all, no one cares. It's a wonderful feeling.

Tomorrow my awesome friend Bill is taking me to see Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden. Pretty freakin' amazing, right? I think I'll wear my gold glitter TOMS.

2011-10-22T14:04:00.004-04:00

"Eyes wide open, naked as we came. One will spread our ashes round the yard." ~iron & wine

Just a quick movie review and another random comment today, as well as some quality Iron & Wine above (I've been listening to them since their concert last week). Scroll down for yesterday's Broadway/TV post.

Martha Marcy May Marlene
This is my kind of movie. It's quiet, authentic, thrilling, ambiguous, complex, and captivating. It reminds me of Winter's Bone (and not just because John Hawkes is in it), and I hope it receives the attention that Winter's Bone received come awards season (you know how I loved Winter's Bone). Elizabeth Olsen at least deserves an Oscar nomination (and based on the other female performances I've seen so far this year, I'd love to see her win). While her older sisters spent their childhoods building an empire, Elizabeth was apparently laying low and just waiting to unleash that talent. She's absolutely fantastic in this movie. She masters her character's transformation from naive and vulnerable to terrified and broken. Sean Durkin (writer/director) does a great job of transitioning seamlessly from the past to the present. This movie will grab you and won't let you go, even after you've left the theater.

Finally, I just have to comment on this piece of TV news. Apparently HBO is adapting the novel Swamplandia! into a half-hour comedy TV show. I discovered this piece of information from a link on the AOL homepage, which read, "Children's Book Gets Its Own TV Show." Really?! Really?! Obviously the person writing the article (or the person writing the title of the link, because I don't know if they're the same person) didn't read the book, because it is most definitely NOT a children's book. It's actually quite disturbing (at least it was to me). The idea of it being turned into a half-hour comedy irks me. I could see it as a movie, but I don't like this comedy TV show idea. I get very protective of books that I love being adapted to the screen, so maybe I'm just being close-minded, but I'm very wary of this idea. I guess we'll see what happens.

2011-10-20T20:20:00.006-04:00

"I'm just a little bit caught in the middle, life is a maze and love is a riddle. I don't know where to go, can't do it alone, I've tried and I don't know why." ~lenka

Today I've got some entertainment updates; first Broadway, then TV.

I've seen a few plays recently, but I'm just going to mention one for now. Broadway fans have been going crazy arguing over the new revival of Godspell, and I had to see what all the fuss was about. Going into it, I was familiar with some of the music but I had never seen a production of the show before (and I've never seen the movie). I wish I had some previous version to which I can compare this production, because I'm not sure what to think.

First of all, the show is being performed at Circle in the Square, which is theatre in the round. They do a good job of using the space (theatre in the round is not easy; I've seen other shows at that theatre that were not nearly as successful at adapting to the space). I won a lotto seat, which meant I was sitting on a cushion right next to the stage. The lotto winners work for their seats; we were part of the show. We had to hold up our cushions to help create background scenery at one point. Hunter Parrish gave us high fives (I'm a fan of Weeds and I adore him, so that was exciting). Cast members whispered to us. It was fun to be a part of the action.

As for the show, there are some interesting choices being made. "Day By Day" is sung as they're dancing the Electric Slide, and the chicken dance and the macarena both pop up, as well as jokes about facebook, Steve Jobs, Charlie Sheen, and Occupy Wall Street. I think they're still working out the improv bits and the contemporary references. There are mini-trampolines and a pool of water. It does get a bit ridiculous (veering into "so bad it's good" territory), but I also thought some parts were well done. I think it helped that my lotto section was full of some very enthusiastic people, which I think can really make a difference. I actually enjoyed myself very much. I love Hunter Parrish, and although I think he's still feeling out the role of Jesus, I was impressed with his performance (that may be partly because I'm a huge fan of his). Anyway, I don't think this show is nearly as bad as some people are saying.

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We're about a month into the new TV season, so I thought I'd post an update on what I'm watching. These are the new shows I'm sticking with:

Homeland
If there was ever any doubt in anyone's mind that Claire Danes is a brilliant actress (maybe you haven't seen My So-Called Life or Temple Grandin), Homeland should clear up those doubts. Claire Danes is amazing. She basically won every award she was eligible for last year (the Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG Award) for Temple Grandin (go see it now if you haven't already), and I hope she wins a bunch more for Homeland. Her character (Carrie) is obsessive and not exactly likeable, but Danes throws herself into the role so completely (both physically and emotionally) that I feel like I've known Carrie forever, and I sympathize with her. Damian Lewis is also giving a wonderful performance. Even though the two main characters, Carrie and Brody, have interacted only once in a very short meeting, I feel the connections between the two, and I think that's because of the performances. They're both very physical performances (a lot is conveyed in silence), and both Danes and Lewis manage to make the audience connect to their characters, even though they're both mysterious and untrustworthy and flawed. The writing in this show is very strong so far. The main storyline is slowly building as the audience is kept guessing, and subplots (that may be related) are deftly being weaved into the story. I'm not entirely sure what the truth is, and I want to know more. So, three episodes in, I'm loving this show.

Revenge
Yes, it's dramatic and soapy and juicy and I love it. Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe are giving great performances, making me love their characters despite their awful actions. I actually really like both Daniel (Joshua Bowman) and Jack (Nick Wechsler), so I'm torn as to whom I want to see Emily in a relationship with (although the first five minutes of the pilot pretty much made my preference moot). I like that triangle. I'm interested to see what happens when the action catches up to the flashback that opened the show. Ooh, and I love Gabriel Mann (Nolan)! He's a perfect (nuisance) sidekick for Emily.

Pan Am
I think this show has really been improving since the pilot. We've learned more about the girls; getting a glimpse at Colette's tragic past (and how it's still haunting her), seeing Maggie's passion for politics, and learning more about Kate and Laura's family history has made it easier to connect to the characters. I've liked seeing Kate's spy career develop, and I'm curious to see where her relationship with Laura goes next (the last scene of this week's episode was heartbreaking). I hope the ratings for this show pick up, because I do want to see it continue.

Okay, that's all for now.

2011-10-13T19:25:00.004-04:00

"I was walking far from home, where the names were not burned along the wall. Saw a building high as heaven, but the door was so small, door was so small. I saw rainclouds, little babies, and a bridge that had tumbled to the ground. I saw sinners making music, I've dreamt of that sound, dreamt of that sound." ~iron & wine

Oh, Sam Beam. I love you and your awesome beard. Time for a concert review. Iron & Wine were full of surprises last night, and overall I had a lot of fun. We got a spot in the front row, which was perfect (as you can see from my photo above). Sam is hilarious; he's very good at stage banter and interacting with the crowd. Iron & Wine vary their setlists like crazy, so there's no way to predict what you'll hear when you go to one of their concerts. I was hoping for a few songs but I didn't get my hopes up. Sam played my two favorite songs from Kiss Each Other Clean, his newest album, but he didn't play any of my older favorites. I was okay with that because I got to hear "Walking Far From Home," and that was enough for me.

Iron & Wine is another band whose sound has changed with their newest album (just like The Felice Brothers, whom I wrote about recently). I'm honestly not sure I like the new direction (in fact, I think I don't). There were twelve people onstage at the concert, and if you know Iron & Wine from it's earliest state, you know that's a big change. A few new songs, though, like "Walking Far From Home," remind me of the simplicity and beauty of Sam's earlier music.

I was thrilled to see one of those extra people onstage; Marketa Irglova lent her voice! Marketa is in the band The Swell Season, and she's also the star of one of my absolute favorite movies, Once. She won an Oscar for the song "Falling Slowly" from that film (I loved when Jon Stewart brought her back onstage to give her acceptance speech after she was cut off). Even cooler than hearing Marketa sing last night was the fact that she gave me a setlist after the show! Being handed a setlist by an artist you greatly admire is pretty freakin' awesome. So that definitely made my night.

Here are two videos I took, of my two favorite songs from Kiss Each Other Clean. Watch them. Seriously, you'll enjoy them. Marketa is on the right side of the screen. I recorded audio of the whole show and video of a good portion of it, so I might share more later.

Walking Far From Home:

Half Moon:

2011-10-11T21:33:00.008-04:00

There are times that walk from you, like some passing afternoon. Summer warmed the open window of her honeymoon. And she chose a yard to burn, but the ground remembers her. Wooden spoons, her children stir her Bougainvillea blooms. There are things that drift away, like our endless numbered days. Autumn blew the quilt right off the perfect bed she made. And she's chosen to believe in the hymns her mother sings. Sunday pulls its children from their piles of fallen leaves." ~iron & wine

He kills me. Seriously, I think Sam Beam is one of the best lyricists alive. And I'm seeing him tomorrow! I'm going to an Iron & Wine concert at Terminal 5, and I'm really excited about it, even though it means I'll be exhausted at work on Thursday. I'm sure I'll have goodies from the show to post by this weekend.

By the way, listen for Iron & Wine on tonight's Parenthood; "Such Great Heights" plays during the birth scene.

I wanted to write an update about recent movies and plays I've seen, but I don't have much time, so I'll make it short and I'll just focus on a few movies for now.

Moneyball - go see this movie. I'm not a Brad Pitt fan, but I still loved it. This is not just a really good sports movie, it's a really, really good movie. See it even if you're not a huge baseball fan. I do happen to love the game of baseball, which made it even more interesting for me. The film is funny, touching, and beautiful. I love the score; it adds a lovely layer to the film. And it was fun to see Kerris Dorsey (Paige on Brothers & Sisters) as Brad Pitt's daughter. Her version of Lenka's "The Show?" It made me cry. Seriously. It's worth buying the soundtrack just for that.

The Ides of March - this movie is based on a play called Farragut North, which I saw off-Broadway three years ago. I enjoyed the play, which starred John Gallagher, Jr. and Chris Noth in the roles played by Ryan Gosling and George Clooney in the movie version. The movie is a solid adaptation of the play. Because I was already familiar with the plot, I could focus on the stylistic choices, and I think Mr. Clooney is a talented director. I'm a Ryan Gosling fan and I liked his performance very much; he really made this movie for me.

Drive - like I just said, I love Ryan Gosling. He does not disappoint in this movie. It's a stylish, beautifully made thriller. I realize it may sound weird that I'm using the word 'beautiful' to describe a film in which heads are stomped in and blown off, eyes are gouged with forks, and blood flows freely, but really, the cinematography is very impressive. You'll be on the edge of your seat the entire film, and it's a wonderful ride.

50/50 - My favorite actors are in so many movies this fall! In 50/50 it's Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen whom I get to enjoy. The two lead actors have great chemistry, and the film successfully balances comedy and drama to create a moving, realistic look at a difficult subject. I wanted Anna Kendrick to win the Oscar for Up in the Air, and in her supporting role in 50/50 she further demonstrates her talent.

2011-10-02T09:41:00.005-04:00

"Take this bread, if you need it friend, 'cause I'm alright if you're alright. I ain't got a lot, but all I got, you're welcome to it. 'Cause I'm alright if you're alright." ~the felice brothers

The Felice Brothers. What do I say about The Felice Brothers? First of all, I love them, and I'm so glad I got to see them live at Webster Hall. Nic and I got a spot dead center in the front row (I got there pretty early), so we had a perfect view. I'm a huge fan of the band, and I was excited to see what they would play. Their sound has changed a lot recently; their newest album, Celebration, Florida, sounds very different from their previous albums to me. I do like Celebration Florida (it grew on me), and I was happy with the songs from that album that they chose to play. Those songs definitely work well in concert; they're louder and faster and harder than most of the band's previous material ("Fire at the Pageant" was a particular highlight). I was happy that they still played a lot of earlier songs; they did a lot from their self-titled album. I wasn't thrilled with how a few of those earlier songs sounded, though. "The Big Surprise" has been reworked, and I much prefer the album version; that's one of my favorite songs, and the live version disappointed me. I wish they played more from Yonder is the Clock, my favorite album of theirs, but I wasn't expecting them to. Although it did disappoint me to know that they played "Boy From Lawrence County" earlier on this tour but not at the show I went to (I LOVE that song). Oh, well. They were definitely focusing on riling up the crowd and letting loose; in fact, the boys seemed pretty crazy. At one point Christmas actually walked off the stage and returned a couple of minutes later, they crashed into each other multiple times, and I think there were a few forgotten lyrics. But I didn't mind; it just added to the energy in the room.
I did film the show, so here are my favorite moments, and the entire playlist is posted at the bottom.

This was my favorite moment of the show. "Frankie's Gun" is one of my favorite songs. I know it like the back of my hand; I could sing it in my sleep (and who knows, maybe I even do). Being able to see them play it live and to sing along was amazing. The live version is a little more upbeat than the album version, and it works for this song. Yelling along with lines like, "Turn the goddamn radio down!" and "I hurt him so damn bad I had to hide in Jersey!" was cathartic. You can hear me in the video, and I don't care; I was having too much fun to restrain myself.

"Take This Bread" was another great singalong. This is the song that I haven't been able to get out of my head since the concert.

They gave Jersey a shout-out and covered Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" in the encore and it was beautiful.

"Saint Stephen's End" is a gorgeous song, and seeing Ian and Christmas play it alone onstage together was a wonderful respite from the high-energy chaos that pervaded the show. I'm so glad I got to hear it live.

From "Saint Stephen's End," they launched right into "River Jordan," my favorite track from Celebration Florida. It was a surprisingly smooth transition, and "River Jordan" was a perfect closer to the main set.

Overall it was a fun, rollicking show and I had a blast. Here's the entire playlist (you can watch all the songs in a row, scroll through to find what you want by clicking on that rectangle to the left of the 360p, or open it in youtube where you can play it in HD):

2011-09-29T11:14:00.018-04:00

"Let me know where my loved ones go, it's not fair to keep 'em hid. Tell me what I did, take me back to when the world was black before the sun was made, a picnic in the shade." ~the felice brothers

I'm seeing The Felice Brothers tonight! I'm really excited. I'll report back. I probably won't record video, but I might do audio. Oh, and I wanted to write about Ray LaMontagne. Maybe that'll go in my Felice Bros. post.

It's time for a new season of TV! I love the fall because I get to see my favorite shows return and have the chance to fall in love with a whole new crop of shows. I spent the summer looking forward to seeing where Chuck, Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives would pick up, and now I'm deciding what new shows will be added to my regular viewing list. Here are some of my thoughts regarding the new shows I've seen so far. They're kind of listed in preference order, starting with my favorite (Revenge).

Revenge
I love Emily VanCamp. I was disappointed when she left Brothers & Sisters, and having her back on my TV makes me so happy. Seeing her as the star of a show makes me even happier, because on B&S obviously it was easy for her to get lost in such a large ensemble cast. In Revenge, the story centers around her. The pilot grabbed me right away; I immediately knew this would be one of my favorite shows of the season. It's deliciously and unapologetically soapy. It's intriguing and mysterious and I love how the story is unfolding. Emily VanCamp really carries the show wonderfully; she makes Emily (yes, her character is named Emily as well, at least in the present time period) sympathetic, which isn't necessarily an easy task considering some of her actions. The show keeps getting better after the pilot, too; the second episode is fabulous. Trust me, go watch this show.

Pan Am
Of course this show is drawing the inevitable comparisons to Mad Men, but I don't watch Mad Men, so I can't comment on those comparisons. I can cautiously say that I like Pan Am. It definitely presents a romanticized view of the 1960's, which isn't necessarily a problem. It's visually beautiful; in fact, it seems to favor style over substance, at least based on the pilot. But I want more character development! I want to know more about Maggie; when you have a talented actress like Christina Ricci in your cast, you need to give her some meaty material to work with. They're bringing the Cold War and espionage into the story, which could be interesting depending on where they go with it. So basically I think this show has potential, and I'm going to keep watching it.

Two Broke Girls
Kat Dennings is awesomely sarcastic, and she and Beth Behrs have good chemistry. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a funny sitcom that makes me laugh and that's definitely not a bad thing. So it's on my watching list!

Suburgatory

Jeremy Sisto is another actor I'm thrilled to have back on my TV (but his character is nothing like Billy, his Six Feet Under character). I like Jane Levy (who cannot escape the Emma Stone comparisons) as Tessa, and the show has a great supporting cast (including Alan Tudyk and Cheryl Hines). The show is edgy and funny, and I'm excited to see more.

Terra Nova
I saw the pilot at Comic-Con, so it's been awhile, but I'll try to remember my thoughts and post them here. I think this is a really interesting concept, but I'm a bit disappointed with the execution. The dialogue doesn't work; it's way too cliche. The characters aren't developed enough. Stephen Lang is awesome, Jason Mara is awesome...please let their awesomeness shine. The CGI dinosaur stuff is cool (with Spielberg attached, that's not a surprise). I don't think I'll be watching this show unless the writers get their act together and I hear it's gotten fabulous.

The New Girl
I know people are falling in love with this show, and I love Zooey Deschanel so I thought I'd be a huge fan, but I'm just not feeling it right now. Jess (Zooey's character) is just too quirky for comfort. I just don't think she's likeable. And her male roommates aren't fleshed out enough; right now they just seem like cookie cutter characters. So I'm not watching The New Girl anymore. I don't feel like I'm missing anything. Sorry, Zooey. I'd rather watch my Almost Famous DVD to see you in action.

I'm excited for some other new shows to start, like Homeland (Claire Danes!), and I'll keep you updated on what I'm watching. If I'm missing something fabulous, let me know!

Oh, by the way, in my last post I wrote about going to an advance screening of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. They finally released a trailer (I can't believe I saw the film before a trailer was even out), so here it is (it's a good trailer; bonus points for the use of U2):

I'm in a surprisingly good mood today considering how frustrated I am that my baseball team suffered the largest collapse in NL Wild Card race history last night. I think it's the prospect of seeing the Felice Brothers tonight that's holding me together.

2011-09-25T15:18:00.011-04:00

"I am the one who knows you, I am the one who cares, I am the one who's always been there. I am the one who's helped you, and if you think that I just don't give a damn, then you just don't know who I am." ~brian kitt & tom yorkey (next to normal)

The reprise of "I Am the One" is my favorite song from my favorite musical, Next to Normal. I didn't post the reprise of the song because it would spoil things if you still haven't seen the show, so the regular song will have to do. Aaron Tveit and Bobby Spencer make me cry every time I hear the reprise. They were the original Gabe and Dan on Broadway, and for me, no one else could fill their shoes.
Brian Kitt and Tom Yorkey are workshopping a new musical right now called If with Idina Menzel. Can you imagine how excited I am?

Today was one of my favorite days of the year! The annual BC/EFA Broadway Flea Market is a theatre lover's Christmas. Here's my post from last year (which displays the swag I picked up). This year I was worried because the weather forecast in the days preceding the event predicted rain, but luckily the weather held out. Here's what I got this year:
And then I went back later (in the afternoon prices tend to drop) to pick up even more stuff:
I tried to restrain myself. I don't have more room in my apartment for window cards (see last year's post for evidence), but I just had to buy the large Motherf**ker with the Hat poster (it's hard to tell, but it's not a windowcard, it's a giant foamboard poster) for $5. I love that show. And I did find space for it. I'm really excited about Berger's name plate from Hair; I snapped that up the second they opened their table (I was waiting and knew exactly what I was going for). The Spider-Man bracelet is really cool.

The craziest thing I found is the Chuck season 4 DVD, which isn't released until October 11th. I have NO idea how someone got it already and was selling at the flea market (completely sealed and legit), and I didn't ask; I just snapped it up (and for $20, which is a steal!).

I'm pleased with everything I got. I did have to restrain myself; I wanted to buy a couple of these, but my sanity won out:
They're from the doors outside the theater (Next to Normal), and they're HUGE. I wanted to get half of Jennifer Damiano's face and half of Aaron Tveit's face; how cool would that be? Unfortunately I had no clue how I would even get them home, let alone what I would do with them once I managed to get them here. People did buy them, though. Probably people with cars and houses? I seriously wanted them.

I went to a movie screening today of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I had to sign confidentiality forms so I can't talk about it, but I was very glad for the opportunity to see the film. It doesn't come out until January, which is a very long time from now. I read the book (written by the incredibly talented Jonathan Safran Foer) a long time ago, but I remember it surprisingly well so I was able to compare the film with the book. All I'll say is that you should read the book NOW if you haven't already and then go see the movie when it comes out next year. I wish I could talk more about it because I have a lot to say, but I'm afraid they'll hunt me down. :D The movie stars Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Max von Sydow, Jeffrey Wright, John Goodman, and most importantly, a very talented young newcomer (this is his first movie) named Thomas Horn.

2011-09-10T22:12:00.004-04:00

"So where'd those planes come from, that burned my city up? All that smoke and ash, teaching us how to crash." ~the felice brothers

I love my city.

Image credit: ECP

2011-09-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

"I'm gonna stay eighteen forever, so we can stay like this forever. And we'll never miss a party, 'cause we keep them going constantly. And we'll never have to listen to anyone about anything. 'Cause it's all been done and it's all been said, we're the coolest kids and we take what we can get." ~brand new

For some reason I seem to post less often when I have more "free time." It's a weird mental state I've been in, trying to savor the lack of obligations I have at the moment. I'm sure I'll start posting a lot more once school starts.

Today is my birthday. After you get to a certain age (and I think I've gotten to that point), birthdays can be a bit depressing. They just make you think of where you "should" be by then. Luckily I have some pretty great friends who are working to make sure I feel special. Roseann and I went out for dinner, fro-yo, and a movie (Our Idiot Brother) last night. Pretty soon I'm meeting Lauren for brunch. Tonight I'm going over to Nic's; we'll watch True Blood and she's cooking and baking. I've gotten some lovely birthday messages, and I bought myself some birthday presents (a new American Apparel hoodie, a sweater, nail polish) because I got money for my birthday. Nic got me tickets to see Other Desert Cities in October, which I'm really excited about (as a huge Six Feet Under and Brothers & Sisters fan, seeing Rachel Griffiths onstage will be awesome). So yeah, I'm lucky. I'm not ready to go back to work this week, though.

2011-08-11T19:20:00.003-04:00

"What will you do when something stops you? What will you say to the world? What will you be when it all comes crashing down on you, little girl? What would you do if you lost your beauty? How would you deal with the light? How would you feel if nobody chased you? What if it happened tonight?" ~the naked and famous

I know, I haven't written in forever. And I have no excuse because it's summer so I'm not working and I have the time. I've just been really lazy lately. Really, really lazy. Gosh, I still have Comic-Con and vacation stuff to write about, right? Well, I'll save most of that for another day. This is going to be a video post. Here are some recent videos I've taken.

The day after I got back from my trip out west, I went to a concert in Central Park. The Summerstage venue is one of my favorite places in the world. What's better than being outside in NYC enjoying some amazing music? I was there to see The Naked and Famous. I've written about them before here. The last time I saw them live, I had audio issues when I recorded my videos, so I was glad that these turned out better. These are my two favorite songs of theirs (unfortunately I did run out of battery during "Young Blood," but I got most of it):

"Girls Like You:"

"Young Blood:"

And I don't think I posted Comic-Con videos before, but I did film two panels, Chuck and Covert Affairs, so here are those:

Chuck (I love everything about this. Vic is freakin' hilarious. Zac tears up at the end. It was of many times I saw him cry that week):

Covert Affairs (Another amazing cast. One of my favorite moments comes around the 6-minute mark when Peter Gallagher says he's very proud "they decided to use one of my eyebrows on the Comic-Con poster."):

And just because:

More to come.

2011-07-22T00:23:00.009-04:00

"I'd like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California stars. I'd like to lay my weary bones tonight on a bed of California stars." ~wilco

Oh my goodness, Comic-Con is insane. 130,000 people (including me) have descended on San Diego for this nerd's paradise, and even for a New Yorker, it's overwhelming. But it's also amazing. I had been warned that I would spend much of my time waiting in lines, but it was still a bit of a surprise to discover the extent to which that is true. I waited over two hours on Wednesday night just to pick up my badge. Over two hours, just to get a badge! I went to the badge pick-up with a friend and we were in line outside and she said, "this isn't so bad." We assumed that when we got inside the building, we'd be able to get our badges right away. I joked, "Watch when we get inside there are more lines snaking through the whole thing." I was totally kidding, but it turns out I was right. This is what it looked like:
It was ridiculous. But I got my badge so I was ready for Thursday morning.
On Thursday morning I got in line early for Ballroom 20. The first panel was Burn Notice, which I don't watch, but I sat through it because Covert Affairs was next (it's one of my favorite shows). I got a good spot, and the Burn Notice panel was actually really entertaining. Bruce Campbell is hilarious.

Covert Affairs was awesome. Piper Perabo is adorable, Peter Gallagher is, well, Peter Gallagher (I LOVE him), Chris Gorham is gorgeous and charming...I love that entire cast, and it was so much fun to see them interact in person. I filmed the panel so I didn't focus on taking photos. I'll upload my videos later.

Next I went to Napoleon Dynamite. If you're wondering why the cast of a movie that came out seven years ago was there, it's because they've turned the movie into an animated series that'll begin airing midseason on Fox. It was fun to see the cast reunited. I mostly went because of Tina Majorino (I'm a huge Veronica Mars fan), but I liked seeing Jon Heder (who is incredibly hilarious) and the rest of the cast as well. That panel was in a small room and I was right up front, so it was a nice change from Ballroom 20.

Next I headed to NerdHQ, where I was working and got to see the Felicia Day panel. She's pretty amazing. Here she is with Zac Levi:

At night I went to see Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike on Chuck) do his stand-up act, which was fun. I'll post a photo later.

I'm not sure when I'll post again. I know I won't be back to my hotel room for a couple of days because I'll be working at NerdHQ until late and then camping out for panels. Another defining feature of Comic-Con seems to be the fact that no one sleeps. Eventually I'll put a bunch of pictures online, but that might not be for awhile.

This is just my day one report, so stay tuned for more!

2011-07-19T15:53:00.003-04:00

"On the stereo, listen as we go. Nothing's gonna stop me now. California, here we come, right back where we started from." ~phantom planet

Covered by Mates of State:

Tomorrow I'm heading out to California! I'll be in San Diego attending Comic-Con and working at NerdHQ. After five days in San Diego, I'll head to L.A. to meet up with a couple of friends. My parents will then join me and we'll take a road trip across the west, stopping at Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Grand Canyon on our way back to their house. I'm excited. I'll have internet access along the way so I may post updates, although I don't think I'll have much free time. Stay tuned for tons of pictures at the end of my journey!

2011-07-17T21:46:00.005-04:00

"And if you listen, I can’t call. And if you jump, you just might fall. And if you shout, I’ll only hear you. If I could stay, then the night would give you up. Stay, then the day would keep it’s trust. Stay, with the demons you drown, stay, with the spirit I found, stay, and the night would be enough." ~u2

I have more to write about, but the most pressing thing is U2. If you know me at all, you know I'm obsessed with U2. Meeting Bono last year was one of my most memorable experiences. I'm absolutely crazy about the band; there's so much that I love about them, I could go on forever. Instead, however, I'll focus on my most recent U2 experience. I went to see them in Philadelphia. I did GA (general admission), which meant I didn't have a seat but had a spot on the field (the concert was in the football stadium where the Eagles play). GA is the best way to experience a big band like U2 in a stadium. There is nothing like it in the world. The stadium holds 80,000 people and 16,000 people are on the field in GA. On the field, the energy is like nothing else you've ever experienced. You're surrounded by thousands of people just as excited as you are to be there. In the stands you never know what the people around you will be like, but if you've waited over 12 hours for a good spot, you know you'll only have other crazy hardcore fans around you, and that makes a huge difference.
I took the bus to Philly early in the morning (6:30am) to line up and was #439 in line. U2 didn't go on until after 9pm so I spent a whole lotta time in line, but I wanted a good spot. I had fabulous people around me in line who welcomed me into their group (and filled me up with lots of food throughout the day!). When we were finally let into the stadium, I ended up just where I wanted to be, on the railing along the outer circle (it's difficult to describe the stage, so the best way is just to show you a visual):
The Claw is pretty cool, huh? No wonder this is the most expensive tour ever.
I've been in the center pit before and it's a lot of fun, but it's difficult to see the main stage because it's so high. Where I was standing, I had an unobstructed view (no heads!) and had great close-up views when the band members came out on the walkway (which was fairly often; there were moving bridges that brought them out).

Interpol opened the show, and I was really excited about that because I'm a big fan of theirs. They did a great job (although I was disappointed that they didn't play "No Exit").

One thing I don't love about U2 is that they don't vary their setlists much. I guess they cater towards the casual fans/people who don't see them in concert multiple times, and I understand that. If you're only going to see U2 in concert once, you probably want to hear the hits. And they have a lot of hits. So each concert ends up being like a "greatest hits" show with a few wildcard songs thrown in there. I go for the wildcards. I've heard "Pride," "Where the Streets Have No Name," "One," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and "Beautiful Day" so many times live that I would be thrilled if they were replaced, but they're setlist standards and unfortunately they're not going anywhere. I would kill to hear "Numb" live. That's the one song that I would seriously go absolutely crazy if they played. Someone would literally have to pick me up off the floor (and I really mean it). They haven't played it since 1993, though, and if they haven't played a song in nearly 20 years, of course I'm not expecting to hear it. I suspect Edge has forgotten the lyrics. I'm realistic about my expectations. Each new show I go to, I hope to hear one song I LOVE that I haven't heard them play live before. The last time I got "Ultraviolet," which made the whole show worth it. This time that song was "Stay." "Stay" made me so freakin' happy that I didn't care about what they didn't play.
"Stay (live in Philly, 7/14/11):"
I was also glad to hear "Scarlet," "Zooropa," "Until the End of the World," and "Even Better than the Real Thing." One standard song I always enjoy is "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Part of it is always the crowd singing, and I'm a sucker for letting the crowd sing. 80,000 people belting out a song together is an experience like no other. It's cathartic and unifying and simply lovely. Plus, this time it was accompanied by some really old video footage of the band, which was funny.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (live in Philly, 7/14/11):"
Another song I've heard live before but that I liked hearing again was "Miss Sarajevo." I love Bono's opera voice.
"Miss Sarajevo (live in Philly, 7/14/11):"
Overall I had a blast. I recommend everyone go to one U2 show and do the GA experience. It gives you a tremendous sense of community with the fans around you and with the band. It physically takes a huge toll on you and you'll spend days recovering, but when they're playing you're just filled with pure adrenaline. And now I have a crazy-dark tan, which is awesome (who knows how long it will last, but I'm happy for now).

I took a bunch of photos, none of which came out great, so I'll share just a couple here and then direct you to my photo page for more.

2011-07-02T23:04:00.003-04:00

"It's hotter than the islands are tonight, and Mr. Softee's trying to shut me down. But I keep scraping by the fading light. Mi 'pana, this is my town. Piragua, piragua, keep scraping by, piragua." ~in the heights (lin-manuel miranda)

This song usually pops into my head whenever I pass a piragua guy on the street (which happened every time I left school for the last two months, because he waits right outside the school for the kids to come out). It's definitely piragua season. I might like the reprise even better. In the Heights is a great cast recording to listen to in the summer; the music is light and playful and upbeat. Lin-Manuel's Tony acceptance speech for Best Score was quite awesome. I especially love the Sondheim reference. He's quite awesome. During this year's Tonys, he spent the show backstage writing a rap based on the night's happenings for Neil Patrick Harris to perform in closing the show. I knew right away that Mr. Miranda must have created it, and of course I was right. Anyway, here's his Tony acceptance speech from a few years ago:

I met a famous Broadway performer yesterday. He's one of the best musical theater actors of his generation (if not the best), he's a Tony winner whom the New York Times called "The Last Leading Man," I'm constantly in awe of how talented he is, and one of my friends introduced me to him. Of course I made a fool out of myself, but he was so incredibly kind and we actually had a real conversation. I'm still in awe.

Another cool Broadway experience: I went to the fan performance of The Book of Mormon. I've seen the show already, but I was very grateful for this opportunity to see it again. The show scheduled an extra performance that was completely free for all the audience members. They held a lottery for everyone who has ever entered the daily lottery, and I happened to win. It was a stroke of luck (some people entered dozens of times and didn't win tickets to the fan performance, but I only entered once and won). I got seats in the second row of the orchestra on the aisle so I had an absolutely perfect view, and I loved seeing the show again. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic, and the performance was filmed for the Lincoln Center archives, so it was a cool show to attend. I think it was very generous of them to give back to their fans through this free performance. They certainly don't need the publicity (they're sold out for months), and this was a very nice gesture. The show was just as funny the second time. Just in case you can't get tickets, you can catch a glimpse of the show in their Tony performance:

Another show I've seen recently is The Illusion at Signature Theater Company. It's the last in Signature's Tony Kushner series, to which I subscribed this season (so I was able to see all four shows in the series). This play incredibly different from the other three Kushner plays that were performed (both parts of Angels in America and The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures), but I enjoyed it very much. It was directed by the talented Michael Mayer, whose careful attention to all the production elements (from the set design to the lighting) created a beautiful production. It was illuminating to participate in a talk-back with the cast members after the show; this is the kind of play you should see more than once in order to understand it more completely (because of a reveal at the end that I won't spoil), and I liked hearing the cast discuss it. Ben Brantley wrote an interesting review for the New York Times. I was glad I was able to see all the plays in Signature's Kushner season, because he's such a talented playwright who has a lot to say.

2011-06-30T15:59:00.003-04:00

"She says, 'If I leave before you, darling, don't you waste me in the ground.'" ~iron & wine

I realize I haven't written in a long time. But now that I have more free time (because school is out!!!), I'll be able to post more. I have a bunch of show reviews to do, and I'll start with one today.

The House of Blue Leaves
This show just closed on Sunday, and I knew I needed to see it before it closed, so Nic and I got rush tickets one day last week. First of all, can I just explain where our seats were? We were in the front row, and we were in literally the only two seats in that row. Seriously. Because of the wacky stage construction for this show, there are two lonely seats directly in front of the stage. They're not on any seating charts, but they're there. Despite the high stage we had a perfect view, and I thought it was pretty awesome. It was especially cool because in this play they break the fourth wall quite a bit and address the audience. During the play Ben Stiller (in character) knelt down in front of me and showed me a picture of his son. Alison Pill made eye contact with me. It felt like we were actually in the family's apartment. I loved that.

There's been some criticism of this production (and an interesting New York Times review), but maybe because I went in with low expectations, I enjoyed it very much. Is Ben Stiller the perfect Artie? Maybe not, but I didn't mind the fact that he didn't deliver the comedy most people were expecting. I felt sorry for Artie, seeing him as pretty pathetic and knowing right from the start that there was no way his dreams of Hollywood grandeur would ever be realized. Edie Falco was really the star of this production. I thought she deserved the Tony over Ellen Barkin. Her portrayal of Bananas was absolutely brilliant; she was captivating. I couldn't take my eyes off her when she was onstage. I thought Jennifer Jason Leigh as Bunny provided a good foil to Falco's Bananas. Alison Pill was as fabulous as always (I've seen her onstage a bunch of times and she never disappoints), and the rest of the supporting cast was strong as well. I've never seen a production of this play before so I have nothing to compare it to, but I enjoyed David Cromer's production that focused more on the tragedy than the comedy in the play. Seeing so many talented actors who's work I've admired for a long time on the same stage (and from so close a distance) was wonderful.

2011-06-13T16:30:00.005-04:00

"There's no business like show business like no business I know. Everything about it is appealing, everything that traffic will allow. Nowhere could you get that happy feeling when you are stealing that extra bow." ~irving berlin

It's my post-Tony Awards post!

Last night was what I considered to be probably the best Tony Awards telecast I've seen. Although there weren't too many surprises (I was 22/24 in my predictions), there were some fabulous performances, some heartfelt speeches, and a lot of laughs. The Tonys are my favorite awards show because so much of the evening is made up of live performances. It's always an entertaining night. I tweeted during the telecast so some of my comments are there, but I'll give you a recap here:

I knew Frances McDormand wound win Best Actress in a Play for her performance in Good People, and I felt she was deserving of the award (although part of me hoped Nina Arianda would win because she's a Broadway newcomer who completely steals the show in Born Yesterday). Anyway, I was looking forward to Ms. McDormand's speech. She's an interesting person. She avoids the red carpet and the press room, she doesn't sign autographs, and she focuses on the work. Here she is after her win:
Yes, that is what she wore to accept her Tony award. A jean jacket. I admire the fact that she's so uninhibited. And I liked her speech, especially what I interpreted as a fist pump as she hustled off the stage.

I had hoped the telecast would open with "Hello" from The Book of Mormon, so I was disappointed when that was vetoed (it would have been the perfect opening). The Book of Mormon instead performed "I Believe," which was a surprising choice to me; I would have expected them to choose a song that highlighted both leading men. Andrew Rannells is wonderful in "I Believe," though, and in the end I guess it was a good decision. I love this performance, and I think it captures the show well:

Anything Goes did their title number, which isn't surprising. It definitely is the best number to highlight the choreography (for which Kathleen Marshall won!). Joel Grey introduces the number (I think he means "title song" instead of "final song").

Sutton won! Not a surprise, but it made me happy. I also adore her and Bobby Cannavale as a couple (he's one of my favorite actors), and it was sweet to see her acknowledge him. He was nominated for Best Actor in a Play for The Motherf**ker with the Hat, in which he is brilliant.

I was disappointed that The Scottsboro Boys didn't win anything, despite being nominated for twelve awards. It's a great musical that closed way too soon. Luckily it'll be going on tour soon! It was really nice to see the cast reunite at the Tony Awards for a performance.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying gave Daniel Radcliffe the opportunity to show the nominating committee how crazy they were for not nominating him:

Catch Me If You Can was fun. Norbert Leo Butz, who won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, got to show off his stuff.

Let's see, what else? I wasn't surprised Mark Rylance won Best Actor in a Play for Jerusalem, and although some people are outraged that he beat Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart), I don't mind that Rylance won; I loved him in Jerusalem. He gave a crazy speech when he won a few years ago for Boeing-Boeing, and his speech this year was in the same vein; once again he recited a poem by Louis Jenkins.

The Normal Heart did receive two acting awards in the supporting categories, for Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey. I wanted Elizabeth Rodriguez (The Motherf**ker with the Hat) to win supporting actress, but again, I wasn't surprised that Barkin won. The Normal Heart also won Best Revival of a Play, and I was happy for the show.

I guess that's all for now. I may add more thoughts later. For a list of the winners, go here.

2011-06-09T19:01:00.005-04:00

"In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but now, God knows, anything goes. Good authors, too, who once knew better words, now only use four letter words, writing prose, anything goes." ~cole porter

Today's a day for show reviews! I'm seeing another one tomorrow, so there'll be more to come soon.

Anything Goes
This show is pure joy. I had a smile on my face the entire time. Where do I start? I guess with the unparalleled Sutton Foster. Is there anything this woman can't do? I think she's superhuman. She's been nominated for five Tony Awards in nine years (five in nine years!). She's a true triple threat; she's an incredibly talented actor, singer, and dancer. Brantley's New York Times review is a complete love letter to Ms. Foster, and it's all true. I believe she's the best musical theater actor of her generation. I can't get over how amazing she is. She's the heart and soul of this production of Anything Goes. This show has a lot going for it, though. First of all, it features some of Cole Porter's best songs (including "You're the Top," "It's de-Lovely," and "I Get a Kick Out of You"). Second of all, Sutton Foster, Joel Grey, John McMartin, Adam Godley, and Jessica Stone are singing those songs. Third of all, Kathleen Marshall is the director/choreographer. I really hope she wins the Tony for best choreography, because the dance numbers really bring this show to life. I was transported me back to the 1920's for a few hours, and I didn't want to leave (actually, that reminds me of Woody Allen's charming new movie Midnight in Paris; review to come, but for now I'll just say it's wonderful). Go see this if you're able to; trust me, it's de-lovely (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist). Take a peek:

Measure for Measure
I went to this summer's first performance of Shakespeare in the Park. The show was Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare's "problem plays." I definitely see why it's categorized as a "problem play," and I wish Shakespeare were alive so I could question him about his intentions. A few aspects of the ending confuse me; am I really supposed to be happy that two men are basically tricked into marrying women against their (the men's) will? Why does the Duke seem like he's putting on a show at the end; why can't he just reveal himself and what he knows instead of letting Isabella suffer in believing her brother is dead? (I understand the deception up to a certain point, but I think it goes on for too long.) Does Isabella really want to marry the Duke, and what about her commitment to the convent? Anyway, I have lots of questions for Mr. Shakespeare. Putting aside my hesitations regarding the play, I enjoyed this production very much. It's strength is in the comedy. Reg Rogers is particularly hilarious. Lorenzo Pisoni is a charming Duke, and I really liked him in disguise as the Friar (the glasses and a slight awkwardness made him a bit Harry Potter-esque to me). It's obvious that director David Esbjornson is trying to highlight the ambiguity and darkness of the play as well, but I don't know that that worked as well as the comedy (I didn't really understand the creepy demons wandering around). The curtain call music also seemed like a very odd choice (The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil 1"). Tonya Pinkins and John Cullum, two incredibly talented actors, are severely underused and I hope they have much more stage time in this season's other show, All's Well That Ends Well. Overall, though, I thought this was a strong production of the play. I was thrilled to be back in the Delacorte. It's one of my favorite places in the world.

2011-06-01T23:22:00.003-04:00

"It’s early, the birds won’t stop screaming. Don’t tell a soul it’s my birthday. I can’t make my heart stop beating. I had a happy, happy birthday this year." ~the everybodyfields

Look whose first birthday it is! They don't seem to realize that it's a special day. But they are enjoying their new toys.

This heat is killing me. My classroom feels like an oven. I've been going home drenched in sweat and depleted of energy every day. It's supposed to cool down, though. This school year needs to end soon. We've all reached our breaking point.

2011-05-30T16:42:00.005-04:00

"In the middle of the night I was sleeping sitting up, when a doctor came to tell me, 'Enough is enough.' He brought me out into the hall (I could have sworn it was haunted), and told me something that I didn't know that I wanted to hear: That there was nothing that I could do to save you. The choir's gonna sing, and this thing is gonna kill you. Something in my throat made my next words shake, and something in the wires made the lightbulbs break." ~the antlers

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. I meant to write a concert post for The Antlers at Bowery Ballroom, but I just haven't gotten around to it. I've been feeling lazy. It's been really hot lately (it got up to 90 degrees today), and I think that's contributing to my laziness. Anyway, it was a great concert. We got there really early and were dead center in the front row, as usual. The Antlers played their entire new album except for the instrumental song "Tiptoe." They also played a few favorites from Hospice. It's the same setlist they've been doing, and I was hoping they'd throw in something crazy like "Epilogue" or "Sylvia," but I wasn't surprised that they didn't. My favorite song from the new album was "Putting the Dog to Sleep," and I also loved hearing "No Widows." I got a setlist afterwards and overall I loved the concert.

The arrangements for some songs from Hospice are different from the studio versions, and in some cases that's a good thing, but in some cases I actually like the studio version better. For example, "Two" is my absolute favorite song by the band (and one of my overall favorite songs by anyone). But the live version felt a little bit too upbeat. Of course I still loved it, and it was the one song that I couldn't refrain myself from singing along with, but it just didn't pack the same punch as the album version. On the other hand, "Bear" and "Wake" were absolutely gorgeous live (and so was "Kettering"); the band managed to amplify the heartache in those songs.

I filmed the whole show, so here it is. You can watch the songs individually from my youtube playlist page or just click through them here using the arrows. You can also download great audio from nyctaper.com.

2011-05-18T18:24:00.004-04:00

"You wanna climb up the stairs, I wanna push you back down. But I let you inside, so you can push me around." ~the antlers

I'm seeing The Antlers in concert on Friday, and I'm really excited. I've seen them before (in two very different venues) and they always put on a great show. I saw them at the High Violet Annex last year (a very tiny space about the size of my apartment, able to hold no more than 100 people, that The National used to celebrate their album release), which was amazing. I also saw them open for The National at Radio City Music Hall. This Friday's concert will be at Bowery Ballroom, and I'm sure it will be a fabulous concert.

The Antlers' album Hospice is one of my absolute favorite albums. It's beautifully devastating and brilliant. It can usually make me cry (in fact, choose just one random song from the album and that song will likely bring me to tears if I'm in the right mood). It's a concept album, which is rare these days, and it's even more rare to find a concept album done well. It's certainly done well here. It's difficult to listen to straight through because of what it's about. It hurts. It's even difficult to read all the lyrics straight through. I mean, it's called Hospice, so it's not like the depressing nature of it is surprising. I love it, though. It's cathartic. The music is absolutely gorgeous. And I love the progression.

It would be nearly impossible for The Antlers' next album to live up to Hospice in my mind. Indeed, in my mind Burst Apart doesn't quite cut it compared to Hospice. But it's probably an unfair comparison to make. Burst Apart is less gut-wrenching, but it's still depressing; just look at the song titles (they include "Putting the Dog to Sleep," "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out," and "I Don't Want Love"). The tone is different, though; it's less emotionally raw. The band seems to focus even more on the orchestrations, and there are some beautiful melodies here. I'm sure my opinions will continue to evolve upon further listening.

Be ready for goodies from Friday's concert.

Contest: A prize goes to anyone who can name another band that uses the word "femur" in two different songs. I'm guessing The Antlers are alone in that distinction.

I should write a review of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark 2.0, but I'm not really in the mood. For now I'll say that it's better than the original production, but it's still not any good. A few guitar riffs from The Edge and Jenn Damiano's voice are still the best things about it (Jenn Damiano's role, Mary Jane, is slightly expanded, but not enough). We had seats in the front row of the flying circle, which is the absolute perfect spot from which to see the show, and the finale is pretty impressive (the last time I saw the show, they couldn't do the finale flying sequence, which at that time was the act 1 finale).

2011-05-13T15:34:00.005-04:00

"Birds flying high, you know how I feel. Sun in the sky, you know how I feel. Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good." ~nina simone

Somehow this post disappeared. I wrote it on Wednesday and it somehow got lost. So I have to write it again. Which pisses me off, but it's okay because what I'm writing about makes me so freakin' happy. Chuck has been renewed for a fifth season. Which is huge news. This show just keeps defying the odds; seriously, it's death-defying. And it deserves to continue, because it's a brilliant, creative, entertaining show. I'm so incredibly excited about this. This post sounded more excited on Wednesday, when I found out and was dancing and jumping around my apartment, so please believe how thrilled I am (I'm just not thrilled about typing it up again).

The song posted above is perfect for this post, obviously because of the lyrics and the mood but also because it's the song that Chuck decided would be Sarah's favorite song in one of my favorite scenes from the show.

To celebrate the renewal and the season finale (airing on Monday), here's an interview from the set of the finale with Zac and Yvonne:

And an interview from the set of the finale with Zac, Yvonne, and Josh. Zac and Josh are hilarious together. This is quite entertaining. I love hearing them discuss Bonita (General Beckman) and her Inception-like presence:

On a sad note for me, Brothers and Sisters was cancelled. I loved the finale so I'm at least satisfied with where the show ended, but I'll miss it.

2011-05-07T19:41:00.005-04:00

"We get up early just to start cranking the generator. Our limbs have been asleep, we need to get the blood back in 'em. We're finding every day several ways that we could be friends. We keep on churning and the lights inside the house turned on, and in our native language we are chanting ancient songs, and when we quiet down the house chants on without us." ~freelance whales

Freelance Whales opened their set on Wednesday with that song. It was lovely. Scroll down if you missed my concert post.

Today it's time for show reviews.

Arcadia
Apparently this is a very polarizing play and a polarizing production. Ben Brantley calls the play "entirely terrific" and the production "half-terrific." I completely agree that the play is entirely terrific. I absolutely love the play. It's intriguing and intense and intelligent and yet it does have heart. It's three hours long and you have to be thinking the entire time, but the time went by quickly and I thought it was a great production. Billy Crudup completely deserves his Tony nomination for his performance; he's wonderful (as always; I love him). Tom Riley and Bel Powley are the other strongest cast members in my mind; I loved seeing their story unfold.

I agree with most of Mr. Brantley's review, especially these points:

"Though this play finds Mr. Stoppard at his most luxuriantly wordy, it is not hot air of which I speak. Watching David Leveaux’s production I realized more than ever that “Arcadia,” a tale of two centuries in pseudopastoral England, is propelled by genuine, panting passion....

Mr. Leveaux’s interpretation brings out the irresistible force of “wanting to know” better than any version in my experience....

Yet if this “Arcadia” lacks the uniform surface sparkle it had when I saw it (with a different cast) in London in 2009, it has acquired something more important: an emotional depth, viscerally rooted, to support its intellectual shimmer....

But see it you should, in part to experience the ingenuity and seamlessness of Mr. Stoppard’s time-traveling craftsmanship, but also to feel the empathic imagination brought to characters you may wind up realizing you never fully grasped before...."

The Normal Heart
Again, I'm going to rely on Ben Brantley to give you the gist, because he does it so well:

More than a quarter of a century after it first scorched New York, “The Normal Heart” is breathing fire again. The passionately acted new Broadway production of Larry Kramer's watershed drama from 1985 — an indictment of a world unwilling to confront the epidemic that would come to be known as AIDS — blasts you like an open, overstoked furnace. Your eyes are pretty much guaranteed to start stinging before the first act is over, and by the play’s end even people who think they have no patience for polemical theater may find their resistance has melted into tears. No, make that sobs.

Trust me, there were plenty of sobs. I cried like a baby. It's difficult not to. I think this production (directed by Joel Grey) very successfully clarifies what each character is experiencing and makes you experience their emotions right along with the character. That's not an easy feat. The incredibly strong cast certainly plays a large role in allowing that. Joe Montello is superb. This year's Tony race for best actor is ridiculously competitive, and Mr. Montello is a strong contender (I've seen all the nominees and I can't decide whom I think is most deserving; I'm torn between Mr. Montello and Mark Rylance). Back on topic: along with Mr. Montello, the cast of The Normal Heart consists of Ellen Barkin, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons, John Benjamin Hickey, Richard Topel, Patrick Breen, Mark Harelik, and Wayne Alan Wilcox. There are some pretty big names in that bunch, and they're all at the top of their game here, pouring out their hearts with intensity that you have to wonder how they maintain during eight performances a week. This is an emotional, important show about a topic that is still sadly very relevant today.

Wonderland
Oh, Wonderland. How do I talk about this show when I just discussed two very serious plays? Wonderland was just as awful as I expected it to be. It's full of cliches and bland music (I expected more from Frank Wildhorn) and awful costumes and sets, and the book is a huge disappointment. Poor Lewis Carroll would be so disappointed to see what his wonderful work has become in this musical. I mean, really. You can see for yourself in this sneak peek:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is a fantastic year for plays. Musicals? Not so much. Thank goodness for The Book of Mormon.

Just because he's in my mind after seeing Arcadia today, here I am with the charming Mr. Crudup (taken a long time ago). I think I'll go watch Almost Famous for the zillionth time now just to see him some more.

2011-05-06T23:24:00.003-04:00

"We beg rebirth to take us up, parade our souls out by the back gate. Some claw the ground, some cut the air, some warm the seas; but what will you be and when?" ~freelance whales

I know I haven't written in forever. I didn't have my computer for a few days because it was being repaired (luckily the friendly folks at my local Apple store were able to fix it for free). I've been busy, too. But I'll start posting more again. This is a concert post. I have two concerts to write about, so here goes. I'll start with the most recent because it's in my head.

The Naked & Famous/Freelance Whales/Foals
I was literally swept off my feet at this concert. Unfortunately it wasn't exactly Prince Charming doing the sweeping; it was a kind security guard helping me out. Foals fans are crazy. Seriously. I should probably start at the beginning, though. I went to this concert with my lovely friend Leah. We went because of the first two bands (The Naked & Famous and Freelance Whales). We love both of them. We didn't care too much about Foals. We were the first people there (well, Leah was) and we got a spot dead center in the front row on the rail. The Naked & Famous were great. They only played five songs, but I loved every single song. They have a lot of energy and they're just a really fun band. They played "Young Blood" last, which really made us happy. We're Chuck fans, and that's the song that's playing at the end of "Chuck vs. the Push Mix" as Chuck is proposing. It was really cool to hear it live. I also particularly enjoyed hearing them play "Girls Like You." Fun fact: they're from New Zealand.
Freelance Whales were next, and they were also fabulous. Their set was close to an hour. They also played a song featured on Chuck, "Generator First Floor" and one from Covert Affairs, "The Great Estates" (I connect a lot of my music to TV). They had a lot of interesting instruments and they put on a great show.
Foals was next. Leah left to catch a train, but I decided to stay. I know some of Foals' music but I'm definitely no expert, but I figured I might as well stay and listen. First of all, remember that we were front row, dead center. There was a barricade between us and the stage. Foals fans are insane. People started pushing and those of us up front were being pushed into the barricade, but obviously we couldn't go any further forward so we were being crushed. It just got really annoying and uncomfortable. There were four security guards spread out across the barricade (in the passageway between the crowd and the stage) who occasionally tried to lean over and calm the crowd down, but they couldn't do much from their side. Finally I got so frustrated that I decided to leave (after dealing with this for about five songs). I couldn't make my way back out of the crowd, though, because everyone was packed so tightly. So one of the security guards literally scooped me up and lifted me over the barricade. He was tiny, but he was obviously very strong because he had no trouble just picking me up in his arms and lifting me over the railing. This was during the concert and I was lifted into the passageway directly in front of the stage, so of course I'm sure the band saw and I'm also sure I kicked a few people on my way over. Oh well. I just didn't want to deal with the craziness anymore. I couldn't enjoy the music because of it.

I took videos during the show, but I was just using my digital camera and it did an awful job with the sound because we were so close to the stage. Luckily someone else took this great video of The Naked & Famous performing "Young Blood." Watch it. It's wonderful.

And "Girls Like You:"

I really wish someone had taken a video of Freelance Whales performing "Generator First Floor," but I can't find one. So "Generator Second Floor" will have to do.

Cake
My friend Bill won tickets to this concert through a radio station, and he was kind enough to take me (he's taken me to see a LOT of concerts, and I'm very grateful for that). I like Cake. It's difficult to describe their music; they use elements from a whole bunch of different genres. They're very talented, though. They've been around since 1991 and they're still churning out solid albums (their most recent one debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart). We got a good spot in the front row on the side. Their was no opening band, so Cake played a long set. I filmed "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" (the theme song from Chuck).

They give away a tree at every show. At this show they gave it to the girl standing right next to me. To win it, she had to identify what kind of tree it was (it was a plum tree). It's kind of a cool tradition.

Next up: Broadway show reviews. I have to write about The Normal Heart, Arcadia, and Wonderland.

ETA: Okay, check out photo #13 to see how thrilled I was during Foals.

2011-04-22T15:25:00.003-04:00

"Sweet silver angels over the sea, please come down flyin' low for me. One time I trusted a stranger, 'cause I heard his sweet song. And it was gently enticin' me, though there was somethin' wrong, but when I turned he was gone. Blindin' me, his song remains remindin' me, he's a bandit and a heart breaker. Oh, but Jesus was a cross maker." ~judee sill

The version posted above is a cover by The Hollies.

This is another Broadway post. I've been lucky enough to see quite a few shows recently. This is the busiest time of year for theater. It's Tony season, which means all the best shows are opening now, and I'm trying to see as many as possible. It's a really strong season for theater in my opinion (at least for plays).

I went to a Cake concert last night and I'll blog about that later, but I'm just focusing on theater in this post.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Daniel Radcliffe is just charming enough to pull this off. The production isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's fun. I loved seeing John Larroquette onstage (although all I could think of was Roan Montgomery, his character on Chuck). I really admire Daniel Radcliffe's work ethic. You can tell he's putting all of his energy into his character. He dances well, he's not a bad singer, and he's taking his job seriously. I enjoyed the show.

The Motherf**cker With the Hat
Based on it's title and the fact that Chris Rock is one of the stars, you might be skeptical of this play, but it would probably surprise you. I was mostly interested in it because of Bobby Cannavale. I love him. I've seen him onstage a number of times and he's always fabulous. He's also done some great movies, most recently Win Win (I posted about that one recently) and most notably The Station Agent (such a great film). I'll see anything he's in. This play is very good, and not just because of Bobby Cannavale (though of course his performance is amazing). The whole ensemble, including Chris Rock, is strong, and the play is deep and thoughtful and sad and funny.

I'm going to share with you the words of someone more well-spoken than I: Ben Brantley gave it a rave in the New York Times, and it's even one of his two recommended shows, alongside Jerusalem. Snippets of his review:

"The play that dare not speak its name turns out to have a lot to say. Stephen Adly Guirgis’s vibrant and surprisingly serious new comedy opened on Monday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater under a title that cannot be printed in most daily newspapers or mentioned on network television....

The characters portrayed by a marvelous, intensely focused five-member ensemble — including the stand-up comic Chris Rock, in a solid Broadway debut, and a blazingly good Bobby Cannavale — are always striving for a mot juste to explain their less than clear-cut feelings....

You could even say that “Hat,” directed with fire and tenderness by Anna D. Shapiro (“August: Osage County”), is about both the inadequacy and necessity of language, which here includes assaultive bombardments of insults, the zippy slogans of television commercials and the orotund pronouncements of self-help manuals....

But the broken, jagged heart of this production belongs to Ms. Rodriguez and Mr. Cannavale, who turn their characters’ relationship into a bruising, tragicomic apache dance of love, betrayal and indecision."

I saw John Lithgow and Peter Dinklage in the audience; I was really happy to see Peter Dinklage supporting his costar from The Station Agent. Go see that movie if you haven't, by the way.

Jerusalem
I wrote about Jerusalem already, but now that it's officially opened I feel like I ought to share snippets from Brantley's review of that show as well. Again, it's one of his two recommended picks. This is an all-out rave if I've ever seen one, and I believe it's well-deserved.

"A thundery whisper, like a premonition of earthquakes, fills the air every time someone looks deep, but really deep, into the eyes of Johnny Byron. And since Johnny Byron is portrayed by Mark Rylance, in a seismic performance that threatens to level the old Music Box Theater, this registers as utterly natural cause and effect.....

“Jerusalem” could have been written in almost any year from the 1920s onward. Yet this work takes you places — distant, out-of-time places — that well-made plays seldom do. And it thinks big — transcendently big — in ways contemporary drama seldom dares....

Mr. Rylance also captures — to a degree I can imagine no other contemporary actor doing — Johnny’s vast, vital, Falstaffian appetite for pleasure, for independence, for life itself. Mr. Rylance has already dazzled Broadway this season with his portrayal of the inexhaustibly obnoxious title character of “La Bête.” But his Johnny Byron is truly a performance for the ages.

We theatergoers too are starved for a sense of the mythic, for performances we can talk about with glassy-eyed rapture in the years to come. Mr. Butterworth, Mr. Rickson and Mr. Rylance have provided us with that opportunity. Except in this case the mythic is no mere myth."

2011-04-18T18:24:00.005-04:00

"Wouldn't it be nice if we were older? Then we wouldn't have to wait so long. And wouldn't it be nice to live together in the kind of world where we belong." ~the beach boys

The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced today. Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad won the prize for fiction. I've read the book and I enjoyed it very much (I'm crazy about Jennifer Egan's work), but I am surprised it won. It's an absolutely beautiful book, it just never occurred to me that it would win the Pulitzer. Anyway, I'm thrilled that it did. Ms. Egan is one of my favorite writers. I heard her speak a few years ago and loved just listening to her. Actually, it was four years ago (it doesn't seem that long ago); here's my blog post. So if you haven't read A Visit From the Goon Squad, go do so. And read The Keep while you're at it. That's another one of hers that I love.

The prize for drama went to Bruce Norris’s Clybourne Park, which is not surprising.

My mom sent me this video of my cousin soloing in his acapella group. I'm so proud of my kin. :D

2011-04-16T10:25:00.007-04:00

"Baby, it's been a long day, baby. Things ain't been going my way. And now i need you here to clear my mind all the time." ~ray lamontagne

Time for new show reviews! I've seen these Broadway shows in the past week, and they're all really good productions.

Jerusalem
Mark Rylance is amazing. He won a Tony in 2008 for his stellar performance in Boeing Boeing, and he has a good shot at another one this year (although I have a feeling Al Pacino will edge him out). His performance in Jerusalem is a tour de force. It's a long show (three hours), and he's onstage almost the entire time. His intensity is incredible. I enjoyed the play very much, but Rylance's performance really made it special. This play is a transfer from London and I've heard people question whether it works in America, but I entirely think it does. It's a human story that anyone can relate to. I loved the play a lot more than I expected to.

Born Yesterday
Nina Arianda is definitely the best thing about this production; it's worth seeing just for her performance. Jim Belushi and Robert Sean Leonard also star, and those are some pretty big names. Their performances are fine, but Nina Arianda steals the show in her Broadway debut. I liked the play (a 1940's comedy); it's a fun, refreshing change from the dramas I've been seeing lately.

The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures
Yes, that's the full title. It's a mouthful, and it's length also reflects the length of the play (four hours long). I saw this because Nicole and I bought subscriptions to Signature Theater's Tony Kushner series this year (mostly for Angels in America). It's a good play, and it doesn't feel as long as it is (although I think it could use a teeny bit of trimming). It's a dark and heavy family drama about a man who wants to kill himself and gathers his family together to reach a consensus. It features a very strong ensemble cast Michael Cristofer, Linda Edmond, Michael Esper, Steven Pasquale, Stephen Spinella, and more). I think Tony Kushner is a brilliant guy and I'm glad to spend this season exploring some of his plays.

And, on a completely unrelated note, here's a fun giveaway contest online; Leslie Sarna (the dainty vegetarian) is giving away some popcorn, so check it out.

2011-04-09T18:18:00.002-04:00

"Sunday morning, I'm waking up. Can't even focus on a coffee cup. Don't even know who's bed I'm in. Where do I start? Where do I begin?" ~the chemical brothers

Although it's spring and not generally the best time for new movies, there are some new ones out now that are quite good. Here are five that I've seen in the past few months that I've enjoyed:

Hanna
Saoirse Ronan is amazing in this visually beautiful thriller. In fact, all the performances are strong; Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett are also great as usual. The score (by The Chemical Brothers) is gorgeous, the cinematography is very impressive, and I enjoyed this modern fairy tale very, very much.

Win Win
I can't say enough good things about this film. Oh, Thomas McCarthy, how I love you. This charming movie won me over with some great performances (Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Alex Shaffer, and Melanie Lynskey make up the talented cast) and a perfect mix of humor and heart. Just go see this movie.

Source Code
Jake Gyllenhaal makes this worth seeing. It's like Groundhog Day turned into a thriller. It's well-paced and entertaining. The ending didn't make sense to me, and that took away from my enjoyment. Other than that, it's a well-made film.

The Lincoln Lawyer
I love Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei, so I was excited about this one. It didn't disappoint. It was a good, solid thriller with a strong screenplay and a talented cast. It was nice to see McConaughey in a serious role again; it made me want to go home and watch A Time to Kill to see more of that side of him.

Jane Eyre
This is a solid adaptation of the classic novel. Mia Wasikowska is one of my favorite young actresses, and she makes a great Jane. It's a beautiful movie.

I'll be back soon with new Broadway show reviews.

2011-04-03T16:34:00.003-04:00

"New York, you're perfect, don't please don't change a thing. Your mild billionaire mayor's now convinced he's a king. So the boring collect - I mean all disrespect - in the neighborhood bars I'd once dreamt I would drink." ~lcd soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem played what is supposed to be their last concert ever last night. I'm hoping they come back. The show was at MSG, and I really wanted to go, but I couldn't get tickets. The lead singer of LCD Soundsystem tried for tickets when they went on sale out of curiosity, and he couldn't even get them. He was pretty pissed. So was I, because it would have been amazing to be there. I couldn't even get tickets to one of the added Terminal 5 shows. I've loved the band for awhile. "All My Friends" is one of my absolute favorite songs. They played it last night. It killed me to read about the show this morning. They unsurprisingly ended the show with "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" (posted above). Yeah, it kills me to think about it.

Wow, I haven't written in awhile. Now I don't even know where to start. I think show reviews is as good a place as any, so here goes. I've seen a few Broadway shows recently, so I'll talk about those.

The first was Catch Me If You Can. It was a fun night of theater. I think the show was a bit long and could use some trimming. Some cuts might help add some excitement to it; for a show all about a chase, I didn't really feel the sense of thrill that I was expecting. The score is fine but nothing all that special. The sets and costumes are atrocious. What stood out to me was the acting. As Frank Abagnale, Jr. (the Leo DiCaprio role), Aaron Tveit is wonderful. He's incredibly charming and he's perfectly cast. I've loved him since Next to Normal (he was the original Gabe on Broadway), and I'm so glad to see he's moved on to something else that showcases his talent. I won't be surprised if he wins the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical this year. Norbert Leo Butz plays Carl Hanratty (the Tom Hanks role), and he does a great job, too. He sounds like Tom Hanks. He has one big number and it sounds a whole lot like "Great Big Stuff" (one of his songs in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, for which he won a Tony). Kerry Butler doesn't have much to do, which is too bad because I love her. She's one of my favorite musical theater actresses. She knocks the park out of "Fly, Fly Away," her big number.

(Sidebar: I'm very glad that the original siblings from Broadway's Next to Normal are currently working on Broadway. Seeing Aaron in Catch Me If You Can and seeing his N2N sister, Jenn Damiano, in Spider-Man recently made me really miss N2N. It also made me feel bad that Jenn Damiano ended up in the criminally underused role of Mary Jane in a disaster of a musical. I'm sure it will be difficult for both of them to find shows as good as N2N, but I'm glad that Aaron has at least found this great role.)

Next up was The Book of Mormon. Where do I even start? This is the show of the season. It will clean house at the Tonys this year. It's gotten fabulous reviews all over the place, from The New York Times (Ben Brantley loved it) to Josh Schwartz (who tweeted: "Book of Mormon may be the best thing I've seen on Broadway... not to overhype..."). I respect Josh Schwartz's opinion immensely, so it was cool to see that. Anyway, this show is brilliant. First of all, it's from the creators of South Park, and it's hilarious. It's not as crude as I expected it to be, though. It's actually full of heart. It's smart and moving and I can't say enough good things about it. It's just wonderful. Go see it. I did standing room, and it was totally worth the two-hour wait (and the view from standing room is great).

Finally, I saw the play High, starring Kathleen Turner. I wasn't crazy about the play. It was too formulaic and yet also inconsistent in terms of character. I enjoyed seeing Kathleen Turner onstage, and Evan Jonigkeit is an incredibly talented young actor giving a fantastic performance, but I wouldn't recommend this one.

2011-03-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

"Honest words are like August thirds; they just both come maybe once in a year." ~david garza

This song played at the end of the Veronica Mars pilot, and it's one of the reasons I fell in love with the show in that first episode.

Thank goodness it's Friday. My Fridays at school are awful and long and incredibly trying, but once I get home, I'm thrilled. I only have random musings tonight. I'm too exhausted to put together any truly coherent thoughts.

I recently reread The Hunger Games trilogy. I could read it over and over and over again (and I can easily read the whole trilogy in less than a week). I'm in love. So of course I've been intently following rumors and news about the making of the films. I knew that whoever was cast as Katniss would become an instant star, just as Daniel Radcliffe and Kristen Stewart experienced (with Harry Potter and Twilight, respectively). My vote was for Chloe Grace Moretz. Go see Let Me In to see why (go see that movie just because it's brilliant, actually). They went with Jennifer Lawrence, who was recently nominated for an Oscar for her amazing performance in Winter's Bone. I love her, I think she's a fabulous actress, and I'm excited to see her as Katniss. I do wonder if she's not too old for the role, though. I know she's no old maid, but how old will she be when they're shooting the last film in the trilogy? She'll be 21 when they start shooting the first film, in which Katniss is sixteen. The other two most-rumored contenders for the role were Hailee Steinfeld (also with a new Oscar nom, for True Grit) and Abigail Breslin, both of whom are fourteen. Going with someone so much older was an interesting choice. It might be because it'll be easier to cast the main male roles by casting Katniss older. I do know Jennifer Lawrence will nail the acting, and I'm not at all disappointed with her being cast. I can't wait to see the movie, although of course I'm nervous about it, as I am about any book I love being turned into a film.

Here's a random piece of a conversation I had today with two of my female students:

J: Do you live alone?
Me: Yes.
C: Do you have a cat?
Me: Yes.
J: You're just like in the American movies!
C: I knew you have a cat because you always have white hairs on your clothes.
J: Do you ever get lonely living alone?

This is just a tiny snippet of a conversation with thirteen-year-old girls in my school. I'm not sure why, but I suppose that, based on American movies, my students think all white girls in their twenties live alone and own cats. It's weird for them to think of someone living alone, though. From what I've learned, they tend to live with a lot of people. Very few of them live with what we think of as the traditional family unit (mother, father, children); many of them live with grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins.

If you live near a Rita's, go on Sunday! Free ices for the first day of spring! I love Rita's.

I'm tired. That's all for now.

2011-03-13T12:27:00.004-04:00

"I’d be myself if I knew who I’d become. You fly too high and get too close to the sun." ~bono & the edge

This is a Broadway post. I've seen two Broadway shows in the past few days, and I'm here to report back.

First was Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. I was really excited about this musical when I heard about it for the first time years ago. Bono and The Edge, two of my favorite musicians in the world, were writing the music. That made it pretty intriguing to me. I followed the show's creation with excitement, anxiety, and finally frustration as it descended into the trainwreck that it is now. The opening has been postponed numerous times, people have been seriously hurt, and it's turned into a joke, which I don't think is good for Broadway. It's a bad show and it's still getting tons of attention, which bothers me. The script doesn't make any sense. When I saw it, they stopped the show during the Act 1 finale. After awhile they announced that they couldn't complete the flying sequence in that scene so they were skipping it. At one point a prop went flying off the stage and landed in the lap of an audience member in the front row. An empty harness, which was supposed to be holding an actor, flew across the stage. Why are they still having these problems when the show has been playing for four months?? I think that's unacceptable. Now Julie Taymor has been fired and they're trying to rework the show, but I don't know if that's possible or even worthwhile. I refused to pay to see it (Nic got us comps so I went for free) and I can't believe how many people are paying a lot of money to see such a disaster. Maybe someone new can fix it. I don't know. It all just seems like such a waste to me. A huge waste of money, a waste of talent, a waste of time. Read Ben Brantley's New York Times review for a laugh. It's more entertaining than the actual show. Here are some highlights:

"Spider-Man is so grievously broken in every respect that it is beyond repair....

The sheer ineptitude of this show, inspired by the Spider-Man comic books, loses its shock value early. After 15 or 20 minutes, the central question you keep asking yourself is likely to change from How can $65 million look so cheap? to How long before I’m out of here?....

Spider-Man is not only the most expensive musical ever to hit Broadway; it may also rank among the worst....

There are lots of flat, cardboardish sets, which could easily be recycled for high school productions of Grease and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying....

Some wear grotesque masks that bring to mind hucksters on sidewalks handing out promotional material for fantasy-theme restaurants....

I get the impression that Arachne, as the ultimate all-controlling artist, is the only character who much interests Ms. Taymor, but that doesn’t mean that she makes sense....

Anyway, the whole thing disappoints me. Oh, I have to post this, though. It's funny. I love Kristen Wiig.

On a much brighter note, last night I saw a wonderful new Broadway play, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. It was written by Rajiv Joseph, a young playwright who's been getting a lot of attention lately (his play Gruesome Playground Injuries played off-Broadway this winter, and it was good, though not as good as Bengal Tiger). Robin Williams stars in it, and he gives a fabulous performance as the tiger. He's best known for comedy, but he handles drama really, really well. The play (obviously set in Baghdad) takes an interesting look at the relationship between Iraqis and Americans. It's a drama, but it does have comic moments. It makes you think. It haunts you. I'm so glad I got to see it. I was in the front row, which was awesome. I love seeing dramas from the front row.

2011-03-11T21:08:00.007-05:00

"Wait, dear, a white horse is walking down my street here. Your words are creeping at my feet, I fear sunrise will come too soon and you'll disappear into the haze of this city and go south." ~augustana

I know I haven't posted for awhile, but I'm making up for it today. Sorry if you have a slow connection and it takes forever to all the images to load.

I've been so busy this past week that I don't even know where to start. I have two concerts and a Broadway show to write about (from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). This post will be about the two concerts. I'll post about the Broadway show (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) later this weekend in a separate post.

On Tuesday I went to see The Low Anthem at the Bowery Ballroom. I've seen them as an opening band before, but it was great to see them headline a show. They were absolutely wonderful. They all play a bunch of different instruments, including some that I would never expect to make music (like a saw or a pair of cell phones). I admire musicians who are that versatile. Here are some photos so you can see:

I filmed the last song, "Oh My God Charlie Darwin." I was in the front row so I didn't have the best angle, but it was such a gorgeous performance that I have to share it.

There's a nice review of the concert here.

The next concert was Augustana. I've seen them live a few times before, but it was really cool to see them at this incredibly tiny venue. There were tables, and we were at a table directly against the stage. I was a foot away from Dan (the lead singer). It was surreal. I filmed the whole show. Again, the angle made it difficult, and I was watching the concert rather than looking at the screen of my recorder, so video-wise it's not perfect. It is, however, great for audio. They only played a couple old songs, and I was thrilled that one of them was "All the Stars and Boulevards." The rest of the songs were from their new album coming out in April. I can't wait to hear it, because I loved the songs they played last night. My favorite was "Hurricane."
Here are my videos (you should really check them out and listen to these gorgeous songs, especially "Hurricane"):

2011-02-27T19:58:00.006-05:00

"When we're together, gray skies clear up. And I cheer up to where I'm less depressed. And sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, I just can't take it when we're apart. We belong together, we belong together, yes we do, you'll be mine forever." ~randy newman

The song "We Belong Together" is a Randy Newman song from Toy Story 3 that will probably win the Oscar for Best Original Song tonight. The version I'm sharing with you is a great cover by Yo La Tengo. This comes courtesy of nyctaper.

I love Oscar night. It's just so much fun. I love movies, and this is the biggest night of the year for movies. I love seeing my favorites get recognized, I love the glamour, I love the upsets, I love the crazy speeches...it's all just wonderful. I'm really hoping for some big upsets this year. We'll see what happens. I'll share my final predictions and my own preferences with you toward the end of this post. First, though, I want to show you the Oscar dessert I made this year. I'm by no means an expert baker, but I like experimenting. These look a bit messy, but they taste really good:

There are ten different designs. Each Best Picture nominee fits with a design. Can you match them up? The most difficult part is probably figuring out what the different pictures are actually supposed to be (I'm not an expert artist or baker). Head to the comments section and post your guesses. The nominees are: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, and Winter's Bone.

Finally, my predictions:

Picture: The King's Speech
Actor: Colin Firth
Actress: Natalie Portman
(I would love to see Annette Bening take this, and she's the only person who has a chance to beat Portman, but I don't think it will happen.)
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
(Geoffrey Rush might be able to sneak away with it, but I'm pulling for Bale.)
Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo
(Some people think Hailee Steinfeld can win, and I wish she would, but I just don't see it happening, despite Leo's bizarre campaigning and speeches. But if there is an upset in the acting categories tonight, it might be here, and I would be thrilled.)
Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
(All I can say is Fincher better win. If they give this to Tom Hooper, I will be so freakin' angry.)
Original Screenplay: David Seidler, The King's Speech
Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Foreign Language Film: In a Better World
Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Documentary: Inside Job
Cinematography: True Grit
(True Grit better win here.)
Editing: The Social Network
Art direction: The King's Speech
(Alice in Wonderland could walk away with it, but I don't think it will.)
Costumes: Alice in Wonderland
(They could give this to The King's Speech, but they usually go for more showiness.)
Makeup: The Wolfman
(Because 'Best Makeup' usually means 'Most Makeup.')
Music (Original Score): The King's Speech
(I really, really wish The Social Network would win this. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it won't.)
Music (Original Song): Randy Newman, "We Belong Together," Toy Story 3
(This is always a wonky category, so who knows. Country Strong could take it.)
Visual Effects: Inception
(Duh.)
Sound Editing: Inception
Sound Mixing: Inception
Documentary Short: Killing in the Name
Short animated: Day and Night
Short live: Na Wewe

2011-02-26T10:10:00.005-05:00

"Tiny curtains open and we heard the tiny clap of little hands. A tiny man would tell a little joke and get a tiny laugh from all the folks. Sitting, drifting around in bubbles and thinking it was us that carried them. When we finally got it figured out that we had truly missed the boat." ~modest mouse

One of the craziest concert experiences ever? Being at the Jones Beach concert where lightning struck the stage as Modest Mouse was playing. Seriously. I was recording audio, so maybe I'll post it tomorrow. That night was absolutely crazy, but it was pretty amazing, too. R.E.M. played "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" when they had previously said they wouldn't play it live again. It was appropriate for the evening.

This week has flown by; I can't believe I have to go back to work so soon. The fact that I was sick made it less enjoyable than it could have been, but I still loved being able to just stay at home and relax.

I forgot to post the Jimmy Fallon video. Here's a link to the whole show. If you just want to watch Destroyer's performance, it's below. I loved them. I'm on the right-hand side, kind of in that back right corner. It was a fun taping to attend. Jeremy Irons was hilarious.

Yesterday I went to see the new Broadway play Good People, and I am so, so glad I did. I thought it was fantastic. It's written by David Lindsay-Abaire (the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of Rabbit Hole) and stars Frances McDormand and Tate Donovan, with Estelle Parsons, Becky Ann Baker, Patrick Carroll, and Renee Elise Goldsberry rounding out the ensemble. First of all, the play is incredibly sharp. Much like Rabbit Hole, it's hilarious and devastating at the same time. It addresses the issue of class without being overly simplistic. It doesn't preach or present any solutions, it just shows you the lives of these incredibly real characters. The actors give wonderful performances. Frances McDormand is always amazing, but in this play I thought she was especially convincing. I hope she gets a Tony nom (I predict she will). I love Tate Donovan and I was thrilled to see him onstage; he held his own opposite Ms. McDormand. It was also great to see Estelle Parsons onstage, and she was very funny. I love Becky Ann Baker because she's in one of my favorite shows, Freaks & Geeks (she's the mother). Her character in Good People (described as a "Southie with a mouthie") is the polar opposite of her Freaks & Geeks character, which was fun to watch. It's a very strong cast and a very good play. If you're able to see it before it closes, I highly recommend doing so.

2011-02-23T23:45:00.002-05:00

"The room's still now when I'm lying, 'cause the well of the night has gone dry. When they ask to behave, I pay them no mind. Now I doubt if I'd have been so kind." ~yeasayer

I went to an advance screening of the movie Bridesmaids tonight. It doesn't come out until May, so it wasn't a final cut. It's kind of like The Hangover with girls. It's very funny (and sometimes gross). Kristen Wiig is absolutely hilarious, and it was fun to see her as a leading lady. Chris O'Dowd was a charming fresh face (and his accent definitely didn't hurt); I really liked him. I came home and looked him up, and imdb informed me that he "has a collection of over a thousand chocolate bar wrappers." Now, that's a hobby I can get behind. Let me know if you need some help, Chris.

I was in the mood to watch Beautiful Girls tonight. I'm not sure why; maybe because I've got Oscars on the mind and the movie features a likely Oscar winner (Natalie Portman) at a young age. It's a movie that I don't mind seeing again and again. And seeing it tonight in the middle of this awful winter somehow made me less angry at winter. Weird, I know. Anyway, I got myself into a Natalie Portman mood and I quickly put together this very short video clip from Beautiful Girls and the Golden Globes, just because I found her Golden Globes laugh hilarious.

Finally, here's my favorite Natalie Portman video:

2011-02-22T12:10:00.008-05:00

"So you're wishing that you never did all the embarrassing things you've done. And you're wishing you could set it right, and you're wishing you could stay the night. But then I go again, wishing never solved a problem. If you wanna get it big time, go ahead and get it get it big time. So I think I can solve all my problems by myself. Nevermind, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind. And you think you can solve all your problems by yourself. Nevermind, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind." ~yeasayer

I love Yeasayer. I saw them open for The National a few years ago and they were just so much fun, even though at that point I wasn't familiar with their music (not many people were). I've liked seeing them gain popularity (even though a little bit of me wanted to keep them to myself). The above song is from the Dark was the Night compilation (created by the Dessner brothers of The National). Go buy that album if you don't already have it. It's raising money for a great cause, and it's a fabulous compilation of music by a bunch of great bands. Please don't download it illegally, though; the album is raising money for charity.

I don't have school this week (it's our winter break), and I decided to stay at home and relax. Last year Lauren and I went to Miami. I would have liked to go somewhere warm this year, but I didn't really have anyone to go with me (my best teacher friends aren't teachers anymore so they're working), and I'm saving money by staying at home. I'm trying to be productive, so I've done a LOT of work in my apartment. It doesn't look like a lot, but trust me, it is. I cleaned out my closet and donated a couple huge bags of clothes to goodwill, I bought a new cabinet to store clothes, I organized the cabinets under my bathroom and kitchen sinks, I organized my shoes (and threw out a bunch), I cleaned, and I child-proofed my cabinets. No, I do not have children. I do, however, have two kittens who love to wreak havoc. My kittens love small spaces. They love squeezing their tiny bodies into nooks and crannies. And Casey loves climbing into the cabinets under the sink. He can open the cabinets by himself. So I added child-proof latches, and now he's locked out. See the collage below for examples of my kitties in small spaces.

I'm also doing some fun stuff this week. Today I went to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Jeremy Irons was the main guest, and he's hilarious. Watch the whole show, and watch it for him. He's just so entertaining. The Farrelly Brothers were the second guest, and it was cool to see them. I was on the Band Bench, so I was onstage while the band (Destroyer) played. The last time I was on the Band Bench, The National were playing and I was quite visible (http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/8WS4EaVd4s8/). I didn't have as good a spot this time, but it was still fun. From the audience view I'm on the right-hand side of the stage, standing next to a girl with glasses in a red sweatshirt. I'll post the video tomorrow.

A couple of random musings before I go:

I never addressed the fact that The Arcade Fire won the Grammy for Album of the Year. I lost faith in the Grammys a long time ago (actually, I don't think I ever had faith in them), but this one award made me think a heck of a lot more highly of the Grammys. I was shocked and elated. They don't often reward the bands I listen to (in fact, they tend to simply group them in one category labeled "Alternative" and then ignore them in the rest of the categories), so this was a complete (and welcome) surprise. And the fact that they then performed "Ready to Start"? Oh my goodness. Be still, my heart.

Random musing #2: James Franco. Oh, James Franco. You're just such a mystery. I'd love to have a conversation with the guy, because he just seems so interesting. He goes to, like, four different colleges, he writes books, he sings, he acts, he's hosting the Oscars and he's also nominated...and now he posts photos on twitter. Photos that rival the twitter photos posted by The Edge. Seriously, those two guys need to get together and compare notes.

2011-02-09T20:20:00.004-05:00

"Oh, my sweet Carolina. What compels me to go? Oh, my sweet disposition. May you one day carry me home." ~ryan adams

Ryan Adams:

Adam Duritz (solo):

This song kills me. Is it because I'm a Carolina girl (I was born in South Carolina and it's one of my absolute favorite places in the world)? Is it because it's just a freakin' gorgeous song? I love the harmony of Ryan Adams' and Emmylou Harris' voices. And Adam Duritz's cover of this song is amazing. He covers a lot of Ryan Adams songs ("Winding Wheel" and "Come Pick Me Up" are two more highlights), and he nails them all. The two musicians are good buddies. Ryan Adams actually shares a songwriting credit for the Counting Crows song "Los Angeles" (it's about when AD and Ryan lived in L.A. together).

I've been making plans for this summer, and I'm so ready for summer to arrive. And we're only at the halfway point of the school year. And this winter is brutal and seems never-ending. Ugh.

2011-02-05T22:47:00.006-05:00

There's nothing we can say or do, the damage is in front of you. I'm sorry, but sometimes things fall apart. Take some time to understand, the situation's out of hand, but you didn't see it from the start." ~cassettes won't listen

So this was a show weekend for me. On Friday it was John Gabriel Borkman at BAM, starring the fabulous Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, and Lindsay Duncan. They've assembled one of the finest casts imaginable. Unfortunately I wasn't so crazy about the play (and I generally love Ibsen). It wasn't bad at all, it just had bits that didn't quite resonate with me. But I'm still glad I saw it.
Can I just talk about Alan Rickman for a minute? I think he has my absolute favorite voice ever. Seriously, can you think of anyone with a better speaking voice? I would pay good money to listen to him read the phone book. I absolutely love him. Seriously, I'm crazy about him. So even though I'm not sure he was perfect for the title role, I was just thrilled to see him onstage. Of course I had to stagedoor. There were a LOT of people there, so he didn't do photos (and he announced right away that he wouldn't sign anything related to Harry Potter). But I saw him. And got to listen to him some more (he was quite funny).
Confession: I kind of miss his Snape hair.

Tonight I saw Love, Loss, and What I Wore. I've seen it before, but I like it, and I was offered a free ticket. We were in the first row, which is pressed right up against the stage, so that was very cool. It has a good cast right now. It's fun seeing it with different people in it and listening to how they tell the stories differently.
Pauletta Washington is in it, and her husband (Denzel Washington) was there. I didn't get my camera out soon enough when they left, so I only got a photo of them walking away.
Nikki Blonsky (from the movie version of Hairspray) was in it, and she was very funny. She was also very sweet after the show.
And Alexis Bledel was also very sweet. First of all, she's incredibly gorgeous in person. Second of all, I know I have a huge head, but standing next to her makes it look like the size of a watermelon. Oh well. Now I've met the two stars of Gilmore Girls, which makes me happy.

2011-02-01T23:04:00.006-05:00

"Can't help myself but count the flaws, claw my way out through these walls. One temporary escape, feel it start to permeate." ~the naked and famous

Posted above is the fabulous song ("Young Blood") that was playing during the last five minutes of last night's epic Chuck. I can't stop listening to it. I know I sound like a broken record, but no TV showrunner does music better than Josh Schwartz.

I'm so ready for winter to end. I'm really, really sick of it.

On Sunday I went to the Fan Day performance of Chicago on Broadway. It was so much fun. It was general admission, so I got in line pretty early to get a good spot for my friend Christin and myself. While waiting in line, they kept bringing food to all of us (hot dogs, pizza, cupcakes), they gave prizes away...it was actually fun to wait in line. We got seats in the second row of the center orchestra, so we had a perfect view. It was a great performance. It currently has a very strong cast, and there was tons of energy coming from both the stage and the audience. Seth Rudetsky entertained us before the performance and Barry Weissler introduced the show (as well as some famous people in the audience, including Chita Rivera). I thought it was a very cool thing for the producers to do. Here's the photo they took of all of us (wearing our new Chicago swag that they gave us):

Tonight I went to a screening of The Adjustment Bureau. I'm interested to read the reviews (of course there aren't any out yet because the movie won't be released for more than a month), because I have mixed feelings about it. I was really excited about it because it's an interesting premise (it's about free will vs. destiny) and it has a great cast of actors that I love. While watching it, the premise actually seemed a bit ridiculous (a group of incompetent men control our lives? really?), and it was too easy to figure out where they were going with it. I didn't think the movie was anything special. I love all the actors in it. Matt Damon has been seriously overlooked this season for his performance in True Grit and I think he's a fabulous actor. I'm crazy about John Slattery (seriously, I love him). I'm also a big fan of Anthony Mackie's (and I always love seeing people in movies whom I've seen perform onstage). Emily Blunt is always lovely. But they just weren't enough to make me love this movie and overcome the weaknesses of the plot. Slattery had my favorite line, "I hate downtown" (it sounds better in the movie, when he's muttering it). Anyway, it's not an awful film, but it was still disappointing to me.

2011-01-30T09:32:00.002-05:00

"See how she moves through the door, how she loses her keys. How she loses her cool, watching blackbirds scatter through the trees. How she flips from the back to the front, reading magazines. Oh, my God, I miss those things. And it's a hard way to fall, and this ain't the easy way down. And it's a hard thing to love anyone, anyhow." ~ryan adams

Oh, Ryan Adams, you kill me. No one does heartbreak like Ryan Adams. This is one of my favorite songs of his (nothing can beat "Come Pick Me Up," though; maybe I'll share that one soon). The version posted above is from the Black Clouds session (live in Tilburg, 12/1/02). I like it better than the studio version; it's quieter and sadder.

I flip through magazines like that (from back to front). I think it's a left-handed thing; it's easier to turn the pages that way.

I dragged my family to see Ryan Adams of the 4th of July in 2003. He played the Battery Park concert that year.

This is a show weekend for me. Yesterday it was Gruesome Playground Injuries, which I really enjoyed. Pablo Schreiber and Jennifer Carpenter are in it, and I thought their performances were great. I always love seeing Pablo Schreiber on stage.

Today I'm seeing Chicago on Broadway. They're having a Fan Day, and the whole audience will be made up of people who are receiving free tickets from a facebook promotion thing. It's pretty cool.

Tonight is the SAG Awards, which I'm excited about. Maybe I'll post a reaction tomorrow.

2011-01-27T16:26:00.002-05:00

"When the winter winds grow colder, some drive down to Daytona, some jet off to L.A. It says a lot about one where you choose to spend the cold months; do you go, or do you stay?" ~the last town chorus

I saw her play this song live, which is rare (she doesn't play it in concert much). It was pretty great. I did record it, so I'll share that version as well, even though the background noise is a bit annoying.

Album version:

Live at South Street Seaport 8/24/07:

The city has had a total of about 55 inches of snow this winter, which is ridiculous. It snows approximately every five days. We had our first snow day today; it's about time. We got dumped with about 19 inches last night and this morning, and I finally got to stay home. I actually went out exploring, though. I went to Central Park and then I walked to Target to do some shopping. It took me close to an hour to walk there (and the same amount of time to walk back), but I loved being out in the city. I have photos here.

I feel like it's time for me to weigh in on the Oscar nominees (announced earlier this week). First of all, let me say that I think this is the strongest year for movies in a long, long time. All of the best picture nominees are amazing. There were some fabulous performances this year, and I can't wait to see what happens at the Oscars. I'm only posting thoughts on the major categories right now.

Best Picture

“Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

I'm proud to say I've seen all the nominees in this category and I love them all. This year's crop of Best Picture nominees makes me really glad they expanded the category to ten nominees. It allowed some smaller (but fabulous) films to be recognized, when in years past they wouldn't have been. Winter's Bone was incredibly well done, and I don't think a lot of people saw it, but it deserves to be recognized. The Kids Are All Right is another indie movie that I loved. An animated movie finally managed to sneak into this category, and Toy Story 3 completely deserved this nomination. I really did love all of these movies; there's not one I can say shouldn't be there. I still think The Social Network is the movie to beat.

Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

I wish Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine) and Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter) could have been nominated. I haven't seen Biutiful so in all fairness I can't really say I wish one of them had taken Bardem's spot, but I wish it anyway. I did love the other four nominated performances and wouldn't replace any of them. I think and hope Colin Firth will win.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

I am SO happy John Hawkes was nominated. His performance was wonderful, and I feel like that's a surprise nomination. I know people are saying Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) was snubbed, and I did love his performance, but I'm glad Hawkes was nominated instead. Anyway, Christian Bale is winning this without a doubt. This is the easiest race to call.

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

I'm really, really happy Jennifer Lawrence was nominated (can you tell I'm a big fan of Winter's Bone?). If I could change anything I would replace Nicole Kidman with Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right). Right now the race is between Annette Bening and Natalie Portman, and I loved both, but I'm pulling for Bening (although I give the edge to Portman).

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

I still don't see how Hailee Steinfeld can be considered in this category. Her role was a leading role without a doubt. Anyway, I'm glad she was nominated, even if it was in the wrong category. She's the heart of True Grit. I can't believe Mila Kunis (Black Swan) wasn't nominated. I think Melissa Leo will win, which is fine with me. I loved her in Frozen River (I was so glad when she was nominated for that), and I loved her this year in The Fighter.

Animated Feature Film

“How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

I don't see why Tangled and Despicable Me weren't nominated. Anyway, there's no doubt that Toy Story 3 is winning this (and rightfully so).

Documentary (Feature)

“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
“Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

I did a happy dance when I saw the nominees in this category. Seriously, this category made my day. Waiting for Superman was not nominated. Hallelujah! I can't tell you how glad I am about that. I don't care who wins, I only care that one of my least favorite movies ever will not win.

What will make the Oscars even more fun this year is the hosts. I mean, c'mon, how can you not be excited about seeing these two in charge?

2011-01-25T01:00:00.001-05:00

"Amazing life we've been given. I know that you had some troubles I have had some troubles. We've been wasted, we've been complacent. We've given in to getting through the days." ~matt pond pa

I started this post, like, months ago. It's another Chuck song. They keep using the best music on this show. Last night they used The National again ("Vanderlylle Crybaby Geeks"). Over the past four years they've used The National a lot (Josh Schwartz even named his production company after a song by The National, so it's not surprising). So prepare for more Chuck songs to be posted here.

I was lucky enough to attend a free Matt Pond PA concert in the cafe of my college about five years ago. I didn't get there early but still ended up dead center in the front row, leaning on the stage. Not many people knew who they were back then. I knew "Champagne Supernova" and "New Hampshire" and that was about it, but seeing them live (in such a small space) definitely made me want to hear more.

Speaking of Chuck, how good is it getting?? Next week is going to be awesome. I know, every week is awesome. But the final ten minutes are supposed to be "the best ten minutes ever" according to the creators. Which has me pretty hyped up. And by the way, I love what the Awesomes are naming their baby. Mostly because it's just about as close to my name as you can get without actually being my name.

I haven't written in awhile. What do I have to talk about? I think I've missed some plays and movies that I've seen recently. Did I write about the current Broadway production of The Importance of Being Earnest? Brilliant.

Or The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore (starring Olympia Dukakis)? Not so brilliant.

Did I write about my weekend with Kim visiting? Tiring but fun.

There's also movie stuff to write about, like The Golden Globes. Maybe I'll put that stuff into a pre-Oscars movie post.

The movie I saw most recently (well, aside from No Strings Attached, which I won't count because it's pretty bad and I don't know what Natalie Portman was thinking) is The Company Men. It's good. First of all, it stars four very talented Oscar-winning men (Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, and Chris Cooper). I'm also a big fan of the actresses (Maria Bello and Rosemarie DeWitt). It's relevant and thoughtful and I liked it.

Another random comment: I hate winter. Seriously. It's almost enough to make me move somewhere warm. It's been absolutely freezing here (like it hasn't gone above 20 degrees), we've had snow but haven't missed school, we had no heat in school today...it's ridiculous. I am making fabulous use of the Bogs I got for Christmas. I love them. I wear them nearly every day and they actually keep my feet warm (and my pants dry). But I really wish I didn't need them.

That's all I have time for now. There's a movie post to come, along with some play reviews for plays that I'm seeing soon (most notably one with one of my absolute favorite actors, Alan Rickman).

2011-01-04T22:00:00.001-05:00

"You know it's hard to tell you this. Oh, it's hard to tell you this. Here's looking at you, Kid." ~the gaslight anthem

Back to Chuck songs, because I still have some left.

They played this song at the Radio City Music Hall concert I went to in September and I was so, so excited I can't even tell you. I filmed it. And tried not to sing along too loudly. Hearing it live was wonderful.

Tonight I went to see Blue Valentine, which is lovely and heartbreaking. Ryan Gosling gives a fabulous performance (I really, really loved him in it), and I foresee Oscar nominations for both him and Michelle Williams (who is equally as amazing). I love the film's gritty realism. Go see it if you want to be sad. In a good way.

2011-01-01T17:11:00.005-05:00

"All is quiet on New Year's day. A world in white gets underway. I want to be with you, be with you, night and day. Nothing changes on New Year's day. On New Year's day." ~u2

Times Square was still raining confetti this morning. It was pretty cool.

I went to see Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown on Broadway today, and I'm so, so glad I did (it closes tomorrow, so I made it just in time). Is it flawed? Most definitely. But it's also a whole lot of fun. First of all, I couldn't have created a better dream cast myself. Patti LuPone? Brian Stokes Mitchell? Sherie Rene Scott? Laura Benanti? Danny Burstein? Really, how on earth did they get all those amazing actors on the same stage? I didn't even mind Justin Guarini. Laura Benanti is easily the stand-out. She's absolutely hilarious. Starting at 4:35 in the video preview below you'll see one of her best moments.

A few days ago I went to the movies to see Somewhere. I've been looking forward to it for awhile and I wasn't disappointed. Not a lot happens (I guess you could call it a slice-of-life movie), but I don't think that's always a bad thing. It gives you space to breathe and think. Elle Fanning is as charming as always (when did she get so tall?), as is Stephen Dorff (even though his character is far from perfect). I like Sofia Coppola, and this is classic Sofia Coppola. Which is fine by me.

By the way, the first time you see Elle (Cleo) in the trailer, she's wearing a shirt that I have. Which made me weirdly happy.

2010-12-31T18:52:00.003-05:00

"I said goodbye December, I'm leaving you behind." ~kid lightning

I was going to post Counting Crows' "A Long December," but it just seemed too obvious. And then AD shared this one, and it's a good one.

Check out this playlist for the new year. I contributed to it. Are you surprised by my submission? :D That'll be my song on tomorrow's blog post. I submitted more, but that's the one that got chosen.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-26T18:42:00.000-05:00

"How you are my hero, how you're never here, though. Remember times when you put me on your shoulders, how I wish it was forever you would hold us." ~glasvegas

We're back to a Chuck song tonight. I thought this Glasvegas song was used in such a beautiful way on the show.

I have a new list today. It's not as detailed as the last one, mostly because I've already posted reviews and trailers of these films.

Claire's Favorite Films of 2010

2010 was a really good year for new movies. I'm glad the Oscars now have 10 nominees for best picture, because there are just so many deserving films this year. These are my favorites.

I can only judge movies that I've seen. There may be some great movies I haven't seen yet that I obviously can't put on my list now (Toy Story 3, Rabbit Hole, Blue Valentine, and Somewhere all come to mind as ones that could potentially be added once I see them).

These are in order of my current preference. I change my mind a lot, so who knows what order I'd place them in tomorrow (or what I'm forgetting).

The link attached to each one will take you to the trailer (control click and select 'open in a new window'):

1. True Grit
2. The Kids Are All Right
3. 127 Hours
4. Black Swan
5. The King's Speech
6. The Social Network
7. The Fighter
8. Inception
9. The Town
10. Never Let Me Go

I know the nominees haven't been announced and it's months away, but right now I'm betting on The Social Network winning the Oscar for Best Picture. Of course that can easily change. Hollywood is fickle. We'll see. You can see it's not my first choice, but I did enjoy it. Seriously, it's a crazy-good year for movies.

2010-12-25T08:33:00.005-05:00

"Maybe this Christmas will mean something more. Maybe this year love will appear, deeper than ever before." ~ron sexsmith

"Like Christmas stays with you, walk through the darkened streets as we lay true, lights from your heart lead me to you." ~leona naess

I couldn't decide which song to use today, so I used both. They weren't on Chuck, but they were both on The O.C., another Josh Schwartz show. Merry Christmas, everyone! Watch this amazing video based on a poem by the brilliant Neil Gaiman:

39 Degrees North: Christmas Card 2010 from 39 Degrees North on Vimeo.

2010-12-21T22:58:00.000-05:00

"Heaven is whenever we can get together, sit down on your floor and listen to your records. Heaven is whenever we can get together, lock your bedroom door and listen to your records." ~the hold steady

2010 is just about over, which means it's time for my Favorite .... of 2010 lists. Today it's my favorite albums of 2010. Please note that this is NOT a "Best Of" list. I think it's impossible for anyone to decide what's "best." These are just my favorites. This year was nearly impossible. Usually I have a hard time coming up with 10 stellar albums, but this year I had way too many favorites from which to choose. Many of my favorite artists released new albums this year, and I was introduced to some new great bands. I have more to say about the ones I love most, and of course I have positive things to say about them all (which makes me afraid of sounding redundant by the end). This is a countdown leading up to my absolute favorite. Anyway, without further ado, here we go (click on the album artwork for a link to the album on amazon):

Claire's Favorite Albums of 2010

Honorable Mentions: Deerhunter (Halcyon Digest), Broken Social Scene (Forgiveness Rock Record), She & Him (Volume 2), LCD Soundsystem (This Is Happening), The Black Keys (Brothers)

10. Beach House - Teen Dream

You'll see this one on a LOT of "Year's Best" lists. It's great songwriting.

Song sample: Silver Soul

9. MGMT - Congratulations

They're just so much fun. I don't mind the lack of singles, and I think this album is even better than Oracular Spectacular. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Song sample: Congratulations

8. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

These two musicians (Danger Mouse and The Shins' James Mercer) are incredibly talented, so hearing them together is really special. I hope they continue to collaborate.

Song sample: The High Road

7. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks

Not as good as Midnight Organ Fight in my mind (not as unified or emotional), but it's still absolutely beautiful. Go listen to it; it'll have you hooked immediately.

Song sample: The Loneliness and the Scream

6. Bruce Springsteen - The Promise

Oh, Bruce. You're constantly making me so, so proud to be from New Jersey. Seriously. What a gorgeous album.

Song sample: The Promise

5. - Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

I love their album Cease to Begin so much that I figured it would be nearly impossible for them to top it in my mind. I'm still deciding which album of theirs I like best now (Cease to Begin might still have the edge), but this one certainly is wonderful and magical.

Song sample: Blue Beard

4. The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

What a rich celebration of rock. I'm echoing what I said about Band of Horses; I wasn't sure how this record could possibly top their previous record (Stay Positive). Again, I'm not sure that it does, but it comes pretty darn close. I love how the album celebrates music (the chorus of "We Can Get Together," in which Craig sings, "Heaven is whenever we can get together, sit down on your floor and listen to your records" is just perfect). There's quite a bit of variety. "Hurricane J" is one of my favorite songs and it's the band's classic guitar rock, but there are also some gorgeous, softer songs like "The Sweet Part of the City" and "Soft in the Center." Check out the whole album and see how fabulous it is.

Song sample: The Sweet Part of the City

3. - The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

This album is another fabulous example of range. It's got a classic rock feel, but it's infused with punk and soul and pop and I can't stop listening to it. It's one of the few albums that I always listen to straight through without skipping a single song. I love all of it. It starts with a bang with "American Slang," "Stay Lucky," and "Bring It On" and doesn't really slow down until the end. It makes me want to dance around. Seriously, it's so, so good.

Song sample: The Diamond Church Street Choir

2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This doesn't top Funeral, but it's definitely better than Neon Bible. What is there to say about it? What positive adjectives are left? Can I say it's majestic? It's complicated and emotional and a solid album. These songs are even better live.

Song sample: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

1. The National - High Violet

Was there ever any doubt in your mind that The National would have my favorite album of the year once again? I can't get enough of The National. I've seen them live nine times and I'm in love. Do I love this album more than Boxer? I don't know. I can't choose. It's like choosing a favorite child (I imagine). I do know that this album is absolutely brilliant. Matt's baritone somehow manages to reach deep inside me and wring my heart. Seriously, how does he do that? Thisis another album that I can listen to straight through without skipping any songs. I could start naming the ones I love and why, but I'd end up listing every song. I think the lyrics are revelatory. The melancholy of the music simultaneously haunts and comforts me. Folks, it doesn't get any better than this.

Song sample: Lemonworld

2010-12-19T19:09:00.002-05:00

"Out with a whimper, it's not a blaze of glory. You look down from your temple as people endeavor to make it a story and chisel a marble word. But all is lost if it's never heard." ~mgmt

This was a really busy weekend, but I'm completely finished with my Christmas shopping (I only had my brother left and I got him done today) and I feel like I don't have that much left to do before I leave for Colorado on Thursday.

Today, exactly as I was walking up the steps at the Washington Square subway station, the Counting Crows' song "Washington Square" came up on my iPod (I had it on shuffle). What are the odds that, out of the approximately 10,000 songs I have, that one would pop up at that moment? It was fate. And it was cool. It's fun to listen to that song in Washington Square. Washington Square looks beautiful, by the way. I love all the city's decorations around the holidays.

Check out my friend Roseann's Christmas gift to me:
She definitely knows me well. This is a dangerous one; I'll have to use my willpower ration it well.

So I have a couple movie reviews for you. Both of these are serious Oscar contenders and I loved them both.

Black Swan
This year's race for Best Actress is between Natalie Portman and Annette Bening (in The Kids Are All Right). Both have been nominated before but have never won (poor Annette Bening has lost twice to Hilary Swank). I'll be happy for either one. I feel like Ms. Bening is overdue, but Ms. Portman is just so, so good in Black Swan. She's absolutely devastating (in a good way). She broke my heart. Darren Aronofsky has directed a beautiful, emotionally intense thriller. Go see it. It's definitely not your feel-good holiday movie, but it's a great film.

The Fighter
Right now, my money's on Christian Bale to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He's that good. Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo (who will most likely get her second Oscar nom) are also wonderful. I didn't care much about the boxing part of it (although those scenes, particularly the final match, were very well shot), but I still loved the movie. It's the relationships that make it interesting. So it's another one to go see.

2010-12-18T16:21:00.001-05:00

"I used to see the night so anxious, but now I know the only thing it ever taught me was a grand illusion that comes and goes, the city blanketed of snow." ~band of horses

Now that the music player is actually working (thanks for letting me know it wasn't, Gege), you can go back and listen to the Chuck music posted this month. There are some great songs. So go listen to them.

Today I got to hang out with Kim during her annual Christmas visit. We went to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, exchanged gifts, went to lunch, shopped...it was fun. I can't believe Christmas is in a week.

Now go listen to music.

2010-12-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

"And we're sitting in the rain, and we're feeling like the weather. You could say that we're alone, but we're lonely together. We're all in it together now as we all fall apart. And we're swapping little pieces of our broken little hearts." ~dr. dog

Kim and I went ice skating on Saturday. I love ice skating and I'm not bad at it, but I'm certainly no expert. I tried skating backwards and looked like a baby bird trying to fly for the first time.

Kim certainly didn't fare any better.

We had fun.

I got to help Kim's family decorate their Christmas tree, which I enjoyed because it was my only opportunity to decorate a tree this year. This is how it looked after we put up one box of decorations; there were still two boxes left.

Some random, unrelated stuff:

The Golden Globe nominees. Oh, the Golden Globes. I had to laugh at the movie noms. Burlesque?!?! The Tourist?!?! Seriously?!?! Johnny Depp nominated twice (and undeserving both times, even though I love him)? Oh my goodness. There are a bunch of other crazy noms that I can't even believe. But the one thing that made me really, really happy was Piper Perabo. Seriously, I'm over the moon about her nomination for Best Actress in a TV Drama. I love Covert Affairs and I love her performance as Annie, and I am SO glad she was recognized.

Next random topic: tonight I went to a screening of True Grit. It was surprisingly hilarious, but it's also one that I probably won't watch again soon because it hit me pretty hard. That's not a bad thing, it's just not something I need to experience again right away. I cried. I love the Coen Brothers, I really do. And I love Jeff Bridges (who is incredibly entertaining in this). And Matt Damon (also entertaining). But the stand-out is Hailee Steinfeld. Please give this girl an Oscar. Really.

2010-12-12T17:45:00.004-05:00

"They're playing our song, they're playing our song. Can you see the lights? Can you hear the hum?" ~blind pilot

I'm back from a weekend spent in NJ for a lovely wedding. I've known the bride since we were six years old, so it's bizarre to think that she's now married. I was there when she got engaged (after a Christmas Eve church service), and I was so glad to be at her wedding. It was absolutely beautiful. It was intimate and Christmasy and joyful. Here are just a couple of photos (because my camera battery was dying and because none of the ones I got turned out all that great).
Cutting the cake (made by the bride's dad):

Bridesmaids' dance:
I might post more at some later date when I've found some better ones.

I spent the rest of the weekend at my friend Kim's house. I'll post some photos tomorrow. It was a good weekend. I'm happy to be home, though. I was worried about the kitties. They're fine, though. They're happy to see me and are being very clingy. People who say cats aren't affectionate couldn't be more wrong. Casey won't stop licking my face and Jasper won't leave my lap.

Highlight of my night tonight: THE AMAZING RACE finale! I've been on Team Brook & Claire the whole time (seriously, I want to be them, or at least be friends with them; I need a Brook in my life), but I'll be happy if Nat & Kat win. If it's an all-female team, I'm satisfied. I think it's about time (in all 16 seasons, no all-female team has ever won). I think Nat & Kat might win. Go girls!

2010-12-10T00:23:00.002-05:00

"When we are out in the market and out on the streets, I've got a pocket full of problems and a pocket full of seeds. Hoping something might grow out of this mistletoe, and I won't have to erase your memory." ~slow club

Back to Chuck songs today!

I saw Slow Club play at South Street Seaport, and a highlight of the concert was when they came out into the crowd to sing this song. I filmed it. It was lovely. Watch this video. Really. Gorgeous.

I'm heading out tomorrow morning to spend the weekend in NJ at a friend's wedding. I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll come back with some good photos!

2010-12-06T22:49:00.003-05:00

"I have no fear of heights, no fear of the deep blue sea, although it could drown me, I know it could drown me." ~kate melua

"Starlight, I will be chasing the starlight, until the end of my life. I don't know if it's worth it anymore." ~muse

I know I was on a Chuck music kick, and I have a bunch of files ready, but I'm putting that on hold for just one day to share some other music with you. Tonight I went to the world premiere of the movie The Tourist. It was at the Ziegfeld Theatre, which I always love visiting. Of course Brad and Angelina were there, as well as Johnny Depp, looking delightfully dapper (I was most excited about him). Before the movie, when I was heading to the bathroom, I ran into a woman and she smiled at me. I smiled back. After I had passed her (I'm ashamed of how long it took me to place her), I realized that it was Jennifer Connelly. She looked shorter than I expected, but of course she was gorgeous.

Now for the movie. First of all, the songs posted above are the two songs in the film with vocals (well, the Muse song is used in the credits, but that still counts). I thought they were very well-chosen. Johnny Depp is absolutely charming (isn't he always?). I could watch him read the phone book. Angelina Jolie is, well, Angelina Jolie. I'm generally not a huge fan of hers, but she was fine. I predicted the "twist" very early on in the film, but I still enjoyed seeing it play out. It was an entertaining movie with some great comic moments (mostly due to Depp), some action, and a story that was engaging enough to keep me interested.

2010-12-05T23:37:00.003-05:00

"I was lost in the nighttime. How am I a stranger to you when we're friends? I'm young and I made awful mistakes. You're older and you do the same." ~sam isaac

I woke up this morning lying on my back. Jasper was lying on my chest and Casey was lying on my stomach. I felt their weight sinking into me, but I felt so light.

Yesterday I saw The Break of Noon, an off-Broadway play. I wasn't crazy about the play; I was waiting to be surprised, and I just wasn't. The actors worked very well with what they were given, though. David Duchnovy did an admirable job of portraying the completely unlikable protagonist, Amanda Peet (I love her; I'm a huge Studio 60 fan) was good in her two roles, and Tracee Chimo was brilliant as always. I just wish they had better material.

Is it weird that I find David Duchnovy completely gorgeous?

Today I went to see The Great Game: Afghanistan. It was a marathon show; it was three plays all in one day, for a total of 7.5 hours. It's about Afghanistan's history from 1842 to the present. You might think 7.5 hours of Afghan history portrayed on stage would be boring, but you'd be wrong. It was fascinating. I loved every minute of it. Ben Brantley was there, so it was obviously a press day. I can't wait to read his review when it comes out Tuesday night. I want to post snippets of reviews from the London production (it's a transfer) just to convince you that I'm not alone in finding it brilliant:

“If anything drags, it’s the intervals. An inspirational highlight of the year so far.” Independent

“Mind blowing plays ride high. Something remarkable is happening at the Tricycle, where Afghan history and culture are being made manifest in a uniquely challenging, theatrically exciting way.” The Guardian

“Its scope is unparalleled. It’s a fine achievement.” The Times

“There is a deep thrill in hearing an audience fall silent, rapt in the drama….more impressive…the silence of an audience completely gripped by reality.” Financial Times

“High on my list of the best theatrical experiences of 2009. The quality of the writing and the painstaking nature of the research are palpable throughout…Directed with precision and clarity by Nicolas Kent and Indhu Rubasingham and superbly acted… this is a challenging theatrical marathon of notable intelligence, insight, ambition and achievement.” The Daily Telegraph

“For sheer scale and ambition alone it deserves the highest praise.” Sunday Times

“The cast of 15 is universally excellent. Sharp and entertaining and, as the best political theatre should, refuses to draw simplistic conclusions.” Sunday Telegraph

“No former undertaking has boasted anything like the scope or ambition of ‘The Great Game’….immense. The terrific acting ensemble never flags, directors Nicolas Kent and Indhu Rubasingham continue to imbue each piece with fierce, coherent life.” The Evening Standard

“The Great Game is the year’s most ambitious theatrical event.” Metro

“Nicolas Kent’s most ambitious project is a triumph.” Jewish Chronicle

“An utterly enthralling and informative experience with terrific new pieces… don’t miss.” Whatsonstage

Yeah. Before each performance, they handed out an essay about the history of Afghanistan during the time period of the show you were about to see. It's also available online, and I enjoyed reading it. I was woefully ignorant about Afghan history, and although I'm certainly no expert now, I'm glad I know a little bit more.

Tomorrow I'm experiencing a different kind of entertainment; I'm going to the premiere of The Tourist. That's right, I get to knock elbows with Johnny Depp and Brangelina (I don't care a bit about Brangelina, but Johnny Depp is pretty cool). Actually, I'm sure I'll be sequestered in a part of the theatre designated for "normal" people and won't be anywhere near the stars, but still, it'll be fun.

2010-12-03T21:17:00.009-05:00

"Finally, we have seen some things. But bells in your hallways don't move you in the right place. So we will sing, cast our hopes out to sea. Though our hearts break, through violent winds our ship will sail. And I don't understand how this world would work. 'Cause time will tell us nothing, I'll take a chance on something." ~the temper trap

I've decided I'm going to devote this month to songs from Chuck. Trust me, they're amazing songs that I'll be posting. I can't get over how good the music on this show is. So keep checking back to listen to the brilliance. I've already uploaded over ten songs and they're ready to post throughout the month. I figured this is a good one to start with. I love this song. I love the moment in which it was used in the show.

This is a crazy busy weekend for me. Tomorrow I'm going to try and see The Break of Noon, and at night I'm going to a movie screening. Then on Sunday I'm seeing The Great Game: Afghanistan. It's a three-show series, and I'm going to a marathon (all three in one day). It's an all-day event and I'm really excited about it. Just check out these review snippets to get an idea of how fabulous it's supposed to be. I'll report back. I also have to squeeze a lot of work somewhere into that schedule. We'll see how that goes.

2010-12-01T21:58:00.003-05:00

"Sometimes it fills you up, most times it lets you down. Right when we woke up, there was nothing much on around. Do you remember the sound?" ~miles benjamin anthony robinson

I should write a Perestroika review (part 2 of Angels in America). I saw it yesterday. The show was three hours and 45 minutes long (keep in mind that it was only part 2; I saw part 1 awhile ago), and it was followed by a really entertaining talk-back with the cast. I didn't get home until well after midnight and I had to get up at 6am this morning for a full day (10 hours including after-school) of teaching. So I'm exhausted. I'll try to write about it later this week. I'll say now that I love this show. It was a groundbreaking play when it was first introduced, and it's still relevant and important and brilliant and moving. Today is World AIDS Day, so it was a good time to see the show and reflect on the AIDS epidemic and the role it has played in our history as well as its role in our society today.

On a lighter note, here's my favorite recent video. Can I just talk about how cute they are? The grins, the dancing...yeah, I love them.

2010-11-28T18:22:00.011-05:00

"Well, I have been searching all of my days, all of my days. Many a road, you know, I've been walking on, all of my days. And I've been trying to find what's been in my mind as the days keep turning into night." ~alexi murdoch

I've been having audio problems, so hopefully it plays.

I promised movie reviews today, so here we go.

Tangled
This is my new favorite Disney movie. It's absolutely wonderful. It's an original, fresh take on an old classic, it's fun, the 3D animation is very well done, it's funny, it features the charming and expressive voices of Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore...it's just a really entertaining trip to the movies. It's seriously a lovely film that I highly recommend, no matter what age you are. I went to a sold-out screening and I'm pretty sure I was the oldest person there without a kid, but I still had a blast. It was fun listening to the reactions of the little girls sitting next to me.

The King's Speech
Here's another one that I highly recommend. Can we talk about Colin Firth for a minute? I love him. And I think he deserves an Oscar. He was nominated last year for his fabulous performance in A Single Man and he will undoubtedly be nominated again this year. I hope he wins (although I know I should wait until I see all the contenders' performances before I say that). Becoming George VI (Bertie) could not have been easy, but Mr. Firth manages to avoid caricature and gives a layered, realistic performance. Geoffrey Rush (who already has an Oscar) is also wonderful. I love him, too. Seeing these two actors work together is such a treat. This movie is a character piece and a historical piece, and it's a very good film.

Just because I love this photo, here I am with Geoffrey Rush. He really is a class act.

2010-11-27T16:31:00.011-05:00

"You made this world, you made this world, you made this world. Thank you, thank you. You gave me life, you gave me life, you gave me life. Thank you, thank you." ~glen phillips

I have a lot to write about, but I'll spread it out over a couple of days. Tomorrow I'll post movie reviews for Tangled and The King's Speech (all I'll say now is Tangled is so freakin' sweet and give Colin Firth an Oscar already), but today I'll do a Thanksgiving picspam.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Every year Thanksgiving dinner is held at my aunt and uncle's apartment and a whole bunch of us (like, dozens of us) cram into said apartment to enjoy the day together. This year's celebration was just as wonderful as ever.

I started the day with my lovely kitties, for whom I'm so thankful.

Every year we take a picture of the grandchildren on my mom's side of the family. There are seven of us. I am the oldest. I am also the shortest. I felt it was fair for me to commandeer a high spot this year.

It always takes us more than a few tries to get a good one.

Bess is a goofball.

I got to see my brother.

The game of Spoons always reminds my cousins of the time I lunged across the circle and wrestled a spoon out of my terrified youngest cousin's hand. I'm quite competitive. They won't let me forget the incident. But they're still always willing to play with me. I've gotten much calmer.

I think Sarah would be more justified in being scared of Bess now.

Like I said, Bess is a goofball.

On Friday we went to the Morgan Museum (they have a great Mark Twain exhibit right now) and had lunch there to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday together.

That day I took my immediate family to see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson on Broadway (it's one of my favorite shows) and they got to meet my kitties. It was a great couple of days spent with family. I'm still digesting everything that I ate, and I'm thankful for the company I had.

2010-11-23T19:07:00.004-05:00

"Wake wake up, get out o' your head. You gotta wake wake up, get out o' your head. You got a lot to live, you got a lot to live for. So bye bye bye misery. I'm gonna cut you into three and I'm gonna stay, I'm gonna stay." ~nico stai

Acoustic version:

Original version:

This is all I have in me right now. This song. It was used in last night's episode of Chuck, which is now my favorite episode of the show (in the three-and-a-half seasons it's had so far). I can't even tell you how brilliant Yvonne Strahovski was last night. She deserves an Emmy for this episode. If you're not watching Chuck, start now. Trust me. It's in it's fourth season right now and it's better than ever. I've been raving about it since the pilot aired (I was a fan from the beginning), and it's my favorite show ever. Yes, ever.

The acoustic version of this song is the one that was used in the episode, but the original version is also gorgeous. Seriously, Josh Schwartz is so unbelievably talented at using the best music in his TV shows. I watch/have watched all of his shows, and I still can't get over the use of music.

Now go and listen to this song over and over (both versions).

2010-11-17T18:47:00.003-05:00

"If this is redemption, why do I bother at all? There's nothing to mention, and nothing has changed. Still, I'd rather be working for something than praying for the rain. So I wander on, 'til someone else is saved." ~james vincent mcmorrow

Oh, Bruce. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. You make me so proud to be from New Jersey. You really, really do. And Jimmy Fallon? Pretty freakin' cool. I love this. I posted the video for "Whip My Hair" awhile ago (scroll down), and this is the best cover ever. Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young, joined by The Boss. Hopefully this video isn't deleted too quickly. I can't get over Bruce's "I whip my hairrr...." I will be watching this video over and over and over.

2010-11-15T19:48:00.004-05:00

"I can say it, but you won't you believe me. You say you do, but you don't deceive me. It's hard to know they're out there, it's hard to know that you still care. I can say it, but you won't you believe me. You say you do, but you don't deceive me. Dead hearts are everywhere. Dead hearts are everywhere." ~stars

I have a new favorite word: pfod. Thanks, Chuck.

I haven't posted kitten pictures lately, so here are two that I just uploaded. I can't tell you how much I love coming home to these little guys. They're just so wonderful. Click for larger versions.

That's all for now. They're just too cute for words.

2010-11-14T14:25:00.004-05:00

"Now the world can be an unfair place at times. But your lows will have their compliment of highs. And if anyone should cheat you, take advantage of or beat you, raise your head and wear your wounds with pride." ~yeasayer

I first saw Yeasayer perform live a few years ago, when they opened for The National in Central Park and not many people knew who they were. I could tell they were something special.

I'm quite behind on movie reviews. I don't think I've written about The Social Network (and that was ages ago), Unstoppable (I also saw that a long time ago, at a screening), Red, Conviction, Morning Glory, and now 127 Hours. Oh, and Love and Other Drugs, but I signed a waiver so I don't think I'm allowed to write about that one yet. These are going to be short reactions because I don't have a whole lot of time. I'm skipping The Social Network because all I need to say is that it's amazing and most people have already seen it, anyway.

Unstoppable: This is really good for what it is. It's an action movie and it's a suspenseful, well-paced one with some cool stunts and good acting from Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. This is classic Tony Scott.

Red: A whole lotta fun. It's hilarious, action-packed, and features a great ensemble (made up of Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Morgan Freeman).

Conviction: The performances made this for me. Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell are great as always, but it was the supporting cast that really stood out to me. Juliette Lewis is riveting in her very small amount of screen time. Clea DuVall, Mini Driver, Peter Gallagher, Melissa Leo, and Ari Graynor are also solid. The screenplay is really weak, but the performances really saved it for me. I need to say one more time that Juliette Lewis is brilliant. Seriously.

Morning Glory: Rachel McAdams is charming, and Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are also quite good, but this wasn't anything special.

127 Hours: I think this one will get an Oscar nod for best picture. Danny Boyle is on a roll. Seriously, he is one talented director. He manages to keep you interested, even though practically the whole movie takes place in one tiny space. It's really fascinating. It's beautifully shot; I love the way that light is used. I love the soundtrack. And I love, love, love James Franco. Go see this.
(Click the full screen button on the bottom right corner of the trailer so you can avoid the stuff covering it here.)

2010-11-11T11:19:00.004-05:00

"No longer, no longer what you ask. Strange steps, heels turned black. The cinders, the cinders, they light the path and these strange steps take us back, take us back." ~yeah yeah yeahs

Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal are currently promoting "Love and Other Drugs" (I love both of them but I've seen the movie and it's not very good), and I love this interview snippet. First of all, great song choice, Anne. I love that song, too. I'm making it the song of the day. From now on I'm going to try and post a song at the beginning of every post, and it'll be the song from the post's opening lyrics.
And Jake is too funny.

I have to admit that his song choice is kind of addicting. It makes you want to, well, whip your hair back and forth.

2010-11-10T11:16:00.011-05:00

"Pray to the simple machines that do not rely on belief, the softness of steam and of gears, their energy is surely pure. The kindness of engines is not in you. Claire, you do it perfectly." ~matt pond pa

I love that song. I love that it's called "Claire." I love songs with my name in the title. Another favorite is "The Thrilling of Claire" by The National. Neither of these songs paints a very positive picture of a girl named Claire, but that's okay. I kind of like that.

I'm trying something new to share music. If it works correctly, you should be able to listen to "I See the Light" sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi right now. Just press play.

It's from the upcoming animated movie Tangled. I'm so, so excited for this movie. First of all, I love the Rapunzel story, and a new take on it is really intriguing to me. Second of all, Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore are the main voices. If you're not already aware, I'm in love with Zac Levi. And I think Mandy Moore is great. One of the best things about the movie is hearing them sing together. Zac Levi has a really, really good voice (of course Mandy Moore does as well, but Zac's vocal ability is more surprising to people because it's not what he's known for). I really want him to do Broadway. For now, though, this is enough. I love this song, and I can't wait for the movie.

Here's the trailer:
And a nice interview with Mandy and Zac:

2010-11-06T23:21:00.003-04:00

"And I don't know whose baby you are. No, I don't know whose baby you are. No, I don't know whose baby you are. If we didn't have to worry about money we'd be all right. If we didn't have to worry about money we'd be all right. If we didn't have to worry about money we'd be all right." ~roadside graves

That's from a song released earlier this year called "Liv Tyler." I love it.

On Thursday Nic and I saw Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (part 1) at the Signature Theatre. We subscribed to the theatre's season just so we could ensure that we got tickets for this show, because it's just such a brilliant play. I have the HBO miniseries and I love it, but I was too young to catch the play when it originated on Broadway. It's a seven-hour play so it's split into two parts, and we're seeing part 2 (Perestroika) later this month, so these comments are just related to part 1. I really enjoyed this production. It's a very small space, so it feels intimate, but the production elements are still impressive. Even though I knew the angel was coming at the end, I was still taken aback by her appearance. Acting-wise, I thought Zachary Quinto gave the most impressive performance. Who knew the villain from the TV show Heroes (he was the villain, right?) could turn into such a complex, sensitive, heartbroken, angry gay man? Well, I actually wasn't surprised at how wonderful he was (I've been a fan for awhile), but some people might be. Christian Borle was fine, Zoe Kazan was fine, Billy Porter was fine, Frank Wood and Bill Heck were very good...it's just such a thrill to see this groundbreaking play performed onstage.

Angels In America - Signature Theatre Trailer from Signature Theatre Company on Vimeo.

Tomorrow Nic and I are seeing The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway, starring Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) himself. I've never actually seen any of his shows (at least not that I remember). It should be interesting, though.

2010-11-02T17:41:00.002-04:00

"You twist and whisper the wrong name, I don't care nor do my ears. Twist yourself around me, I need company I need human heat. I need human heat." ~frightened rabbit

I had a great weekend. On Saturday afternoon my brother arrived and we went out to dinner at Vynl, one of my favorite restaurants. Then we met up with my friend Leah for the Frightened Rabbit concert. I've seen them live before and I'm always impressed with what a good live show they put on. I just love their music so much, and seeing them play it live and singing along is just so much fun. We were in the center of the front row, so we had a perfect view. I filmed the whole show, and you can watch it here. I want to post a few songs here, but it's impossible to choose just a few. I'll give it a shot, anyway. I apologize for my singing. I couldn't help myself. Sometimes it's me you're hearing, and sometimes it's the girl next to me.

Good Arms vs. Bad Arms: What can I say? This song is heartbreaking and gorgeous.

The Twist: This one was really cool because Scott invited people wearing Halloween costumes to come dance on the stage during the song. It's also a fabulous song.

Don't Go Breaking my Heart feat. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady: Yeah, Craig Finn showed up. I was stoked. I love him (I just saw The Hold Steady in concert a few weeks ago). I love his dancing. What an amazing combination of talent in this performance.

Keep Yourself Warm: I love this song. I can't help but think of a certain Chuck episode when I hear it. What was cool, though, was that Scott sung a snippet of The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" at the end. You know how much I love The National.

Poke: And finally, a video that I didn't film but that I have to include. I told Leah and Brett before the concert that the only song I cared about hearing was "Poke." I've heard all my other favorites live before. I wanted "Poke." And Craig played it. By himself, with his acoustic guitar. And it was indescribably amazing to me. But for some reason that was the one song that I didn't film; I don't know what happened, my recorded screwed up. I was a bit devastated. Luckily someone else got it, though. My brother is the guy with the bald head, and I'm in front of him.

Really, though, go watch all the videos when you have time. It was such a good concert.

I extracted audio from my videos, so here it is:
Get Your Own Player!
I'm devoting this post to Frightened Rabbit, so I'll try to post about the play I saw on Sunday tomorrow.

2010-10-30T13:46:00.004-04:00

"I might never catch a mouse and present it in my mouth, and make you feel you're with someone who deserves to be with you. But there's one thing we've got going and it's the only thing worth knowing. It's got lots to do with magnets and the pull of the moon." ~frightened rabbit

This is kind of a family week. Which I love. On Thursday I celebrated Bess's birthday with some family members. It was good to spend time with them. Here I am with my cousins; Maureen and I are lamenting the fact that we are midgets compared to Bess (who is much younger than we are):

Today my brother is coming to visit. I'm excited because I don't see him much, even though he lives pretty nearby. For my birthday he got us tickets to see Frightened Rabbit together. I've seen them in concert twice before and they put on a good live show. The concert is at Terminal 5 and I love that venue. I know it'll be a good night. My friend Leah is joining us for the concert, which just adds to the coolness factor of the evening. If they play "Poke," it'll be even better. That's the one song I haven't heard them play live that I really want to hear. But I'll try not to get my hopes up.

Now I have to finish cleaning. My brother is allergic to cats. And I have two kittens. I'm worried.

2010-10-25T16:13:00.004-04:00

"My life, you electrify my life. Let's conspire to ignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive. But I'll never let you go, if you promised not to fade away. Never fade away. Our hopes and expectations, black holes and revelations. Our hopes and expectations, black holes and revelations." ~muse

I love weekends like the most recent one. I started out with no real plan and ended up having a great time. I hung out with my friend Bill, who has taken me to quite a few concerts (because he's just incredibly cool and generous like that). On Saturday we went to see Cheech & Chong perform. They're a pair of comedians I'm not really familiar with, and the humor wasn't really my style, but I didn't mind. I got to hang out with my friend and that made me happy. Sunday was the best day, though. We went to see Muse. We both saw Muse for the first time when they opened for U2. It's amazing that they even opened for U2 because they're an incredibly popular band who headlines their own stadium tours in Europe. They're HUGE in Europe, but America has taken awhile to catch on. After seeing them open for U2, I got all their albums (and Bill did the same). Last night we saw them at the Newark Prudential Center. Seeing them headline their own show was such a cool experience. They're one of those bands that you have to see live; they put on an amazing show. They're really talented musicians, they have crazy energy, the lighting and set design was so impressive, and their music is really meant to be blasted at a high volume with a ton of people singing along.

I didn't record the show, but I wish I did. I filmed a few songs. It's awful quality, but whatever. Here are my two favorites. They played "Starlight," which I absolutely love. It's my favorite song of theirs. They also played "Feeling Good," a Nina Simone cover (as a Chuck fan I was thrilled).

Starlight:

Feeling Good:

2010-10-21T18:35:00.003-04:00

"I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees. I never married, but Ohio don't remember me." ~the national

Okay, I just went back and watched the "Bloodbuzz Ohio" music video, and I think I love it just as much as "Terrible Love" video I posted yesterday. It's absolutely hilarious. I love how Matt loves making fun of himself. I could watch this over and over and over and still love it.

2010-10-20T23:20:00.002-04:00

"It's a terrible love and I'm walking with spiders. It's a terrible love and I'm walking in it's quiet company. It's quiet company." the national

I know I've already posted once tonight (scroll down for my Avett Brothers post), but I forgot that I needed to share this. Immediately. Best video ever. I love this even more than the music video for "Bloodbuzz Ohio." I love them so, so, so much.

2010-10-20T20:09:00.004-04:00

"From where I stand, I can see they've got the upper hand of me. Reminds me of this world at last, simply changes much too fast for me. And when they call out, will I hear them? And when they fall out, will I see them? This yellow light on the crowd and colors way too loud to see reveal their drive, we could change it, try to rearrange it. They call me a Tom Boy and I let them.'Cause only a Tom Boy could forget them and simply change it. They call me a Tom Boy and I love it.'Cause only a Tom Boy could stand above it by simply changing." ~bettie serveert

I love how AD is always introducing me to amazing new music. Of course that song's not new (it's from 1992), but it's new to me.

I know I'm late on my Avett Brothers post. I've just been too lazy to go through the tedious process of getting the music up here (trust me, it's a LONG process). I've finally got it ready, though. But I'm not posting videos now, partly because they're not very good and partly because it's too much work.

For me, the highlights of the show were "Murder in the City" sung by the two brothers (it's a song about being brothers, so it was fitting for the two of them to sing it alone, and it was touching) and "I and Love and You." I also loved hearing "January Wedding" and "Laundry Room." "Laundry Room" is screwed up on my audio because my battery died in the middle of the song. I didn't expect them to play for over two hours. I missed almost 45 seconds in the middle of the song while changing my battery, so when I worked on the audio, I spliced in part of the song from another live show. It was impossible to get right so it sounds awful, but it's such a gorgeous song that I still wanted to include it. I also loved Paleface's "New York, New York" (Paleface was one of a few guests who joined them), and "Kick Drum Heart" was great. The concert was a lot of fun, and it was a great birthday present.
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2010-10-16T16:11:00.005-04:00

"I wanna have friends that will let me be all alone when being alone is all that I need. I wanna fit in to the perfect space, feel natural and safe in a volatile place. And I wanna grow old without the pain, give my body back to the earth and not complain." ~the avett brothers

I don't have my concert post ready yet. They played for a LONG time (over 2 hours), and that's a lot of music to track and edit and upload. It'll be up by tomorrow, though.

For now, I'm sharing a commercial for The Scottsboro Boys, a new Broadway musical. It's based on a true story. I saw it last weekend and was very moved by it. The acting, choreography, and design are all very strong, and the story stays with you long after you leave the theater. It's Kander & Ebb's last musical, and it's a special one.

2010-10-14T19:50:00.002-04:00

"The big sky that you see when you travel way out west, I admit that can impress. I love the space, man, it's insane, and the sage at the roadside, how it smells after the rain. But even though there's lots to see, the mountains and deserts are free, I still cannot escape the fact that I'll always be looking back at New York, New York. Now that's something to see. Yeah, it's special to me. New York, New York. It's where I came to be, where I came to be. The Bronx is up, Brooklyn's down, Brooklyn's down. There ain't any other town like this town. Some will always put it down, but they don't see that it's a crown, and they should count themselves lucky enough to have a place to see like New York, New York. Remember that you're free as a statue in the sea. New York, New York. They say it never sleeps; you should check that just to see." ~paleface

Well said, sir. Well said. Last night I went to see The Avett Brothers at Radio City Music Hall. It was Nic's birthday present to me, and it was a great show. Paleface was there and sang with them for a few songs (he also sang the beautiful song posted above). I'll have a concert post up within the next couple of days.

2010-10-12T16:08:00.002-04:00

"In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. In 1493, he came home across the deep blue sea. In 1494, he did it with the girl next door. In 1495, he barely made it out alive. In 1964, these sailors left me the door. In 1970, some people got their hands on me." ~counting crows

I liked Adam's tweets yesterday. Here are just a few:

There's justifiable dissing of Columbus but, mistakes aside, I admire a guy who defied accepted wisdom & sailed off the end of the world

Sure, he "knew" that there was no "end of the world" but his sailors didn't. Surprising they didn't pitch him over the side after awhile.

Columbus was a weird mixture of scientist and adventurer. He was smart enough to see the truth & brave enough to take the risks to prove it.

That said, he totally fucked up once he got there. That was not so good. But it's almost never good, is it? Sad thing is it always happens.

History's mostly about people's ignorance/abuse of each other. I still admire the part that's brave enough to sail off the end of the world.

I should point out that, in writing "1492", I was talking about the total degradation of a human being. I took a jaded view of his adventure

I'm just saying we ALWAYS look at the world as black or white & get it wrong. People live in the grey.

It's just so popular these days to dish Columbus. But we are a nation built on both idealism and genocide. The world is a complicated place.

He's a smart guy.

I want to honor another smart guy today. Yesterday might have been Bobby Cox's last game managing the Braves. They made it to the postseason but lost their series against the Giants last night, ending their season. Bobby had announced that this would be his last season. He spent 25 years managing the Braves, leading them to a record 14 consecutive division titles. He's the best manager in the game and I love him. I'm crying now just writing about this. After last night's game, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and chanted his name. The Giants even stopped their celebration to acknowledge him. He tearfully addressed the crowd and was lost for words for what seemed like the first time in his life. I really, really hope he changes his mind and returns next season, because the Braves will not be the same without him. His importance cannot be overstated. I can't imagine anyone else filling those shoes.

2010-10-09T08:55:00.003-04:00

"I'm pretty sure I wasn't your first choice. I think I was the last one remaining. I wish we hadn't gone and destroyed it, 'cause I was thinking we could pull another weekender. You've still got a bit of clairvoyance." ~the hold steady

On Thursday I saw The Hold Steady in concert at the Beacon Theater. It was a great show. First of all, I love that venue; it's probably my favorite seated concert venue in the city. They're touring to promote their newest album, Heaven is Whenever, and they played all my favorite songs from that record ("Hurricane J," "We Can Get Together," "The Sweet Part of the City," "The Weekenders"). My favorite album of theirs, though, is Stay Positive, so I was hoping to hear a lot of songs from it, and I wasn't disappointed. They played "Sequestered in Memphis," "Magazines," and "Slapped Actress," which are three of my favorite songs from that album. The only thing I wanted to hear but didn't was "Lord, I'm Discouraged." It's omission wasn't surprising but was still disappointing.

Craig Finn is such an engaging entertainer. He uses his whole body to draw the crowd in; he never stops moving onstage, and he uses the whole stage. You can't help but move along with him. I filmed some songs, but I skipped some because I wanted to move around. I wanted to film "Hurricane J" and "Sequestered in Memphis" because I love those, but I just had to dance instead. And I should have filmed "We Can Get Together," but I'm not sure why I didn't think of it at the time. I guess I was just so excited to hear the song. I did catch some of my favorites, though. There are more on my youtube page, but these are the songs I love the most:

Slapped Actress (I was SO psyched when they launched into this; it was the song I wanted to hear most):

The Sweet Part of the City (my favorite song from Heaven is Whenever):

Magazines (oh, how I love this song):

The Weekenders (the girl has clairvoyance; is this song for me?):

I also taped the show, and it sounds pretty good.

Get Your Own Player!

2010-10-05T20:06:00.004-04:00

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test, and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life." ~green day

So I haven't written about Billie Joe yet. How do I even put into words how amazing he was? First of all, in case you don't know what I'm talking about, there's a fabulous musical on Broadway right now called American Idiot. It's based on Green Day's hugely popular and highly acclaimed concept album of the same title. Billie Joe Armstrong (the lead singer of Green Day) just appeared in the musical for one week as St. Jimmy. It was easy for him to just jump in for a week because A.) he created the character he was playing, and B.) he wrote all the music and performs it in Green Day's concerts on a regular basis. He knows it better than anyone. Even though we've seen the show more than once, Nic and I knew we had to see it with him, so we got student rush tickets to his last show. He made me see the character of St. Jimmy in a completely new way. He was absolutely brilliant. Of course just hearing him sing was incredibly cool, but his acting was really impressive as well. And the crowd was so excited, which always contributes to the overall vibe from the show. Billie Joe's energy was infectious. Before his first scene, we could hear him screaming backstage, and audience members started screaming as well. He got one standing ovation during the show (which is rare) and of course during curtain call as well. During curtain call he sang a short song that he wrote for us before launching into "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life"). Here it is (along with "Good Riddance"):

I have TONS of movies to write about as well. Maybe tomorrow? On Thursday I'm seeing The Hold Steady, so be prepared for a post about that concert.

2010-10-01T15:52:00.005-04:00

"And we sing with our heroes thirty-three rounds per minute. We're never going home until the sun says we're finished." ~the gaslight anthem

On Thursday I saw The Gaslight Anthem at Radio City Music Hall. It was a really great concert. They seemed so excited and grateful to be there, and you could sense the positive energy coming from the band. They're from New Brunswick, NJ (very near my hometown), and this was almost like they were playing at home; there were a lot of Jerseyans there.

It was a solid setlist. No huge surprises, but they did play my favorite song of theirs, "Here's Looking At You, Kid" (I was SO excited), as well as a bunch of other favorites ("Bring It On," "Boxer," "The Patient Ferris Wheel," "The Diamond Church Street Choir"). Along with those, "We Did It When We Were Young" was particularly gorgeous live.

I didn't get any great pictures (I always have trouble taking photos at concerts), but here are a couple:
Here's my video of "Here's Looking at You, Kid." Unfortunately the video quality isn't great.

Spinner has a good review of the show here: Gaslight Anthem Play Epic Set at Radio City Music Hall

I recorded it as well. Radio City Music Hall is not a great place to record; the acoustics aren't great. Anyway, here it is:

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