"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!

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.