ETA: If you're reading this Thursday night (4/25), tune in to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The National is back on the show, and I'm back on the Band Bench! The video below (just click the link) shows my first appearance with The National.


Just because I'm in the mood, here's one of my favorite moments, and the best talk show I've ever been to (look for me wearing a light blue shirt, gray sweater, directly over Matt's shoulder during most of the video):


ETA: If the video doesn't work, try this link (I'm having trouble with embedding, have been playing with html code for what feels like forever and I'm sick if it). 

Mistaken for Strangers was the opening night film at the Tribeca Film Festival, and I'm going to try for a rush ticket to see it this weekend, so wish me luck. It looks awesome, and I've heard great things about it.

Have you ever felt nostalgic about a time or place you've never physically experienced? Reading Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool makes me conjure up an image (no, more than an image: a feeling) of myself sitting in a rocking chair on an old Southern porch, sipping lemonade and eating pecan pie, basking in the summer heat that wraps around me like a blanket. I can picture my surroundings perfectly, although it's not an exact place or time I've been to. I love, love, love the setting of a sleepy Southern town. I can't say why, but it's always fascinated me. I love reading books that take place in the South (Gone with the Wind is a particular favorite). I've got Southern blood (according to my family tree I've had family there since before the Revolutionary War), and I was born in the South (South Carolina), so it's a setting that's in my bones. I'm drawn to the region's past more than it's present. Moon Over Manifest is the perfect book for me. It takes place in the 1930's in the small town of Manifest, Kansas, which seems more Midwestern than Southern when you look at a U.S. map, but the town feels Southern. The novel won the 2011 Newbery Award, and I already love the protagonist, a brave, adventurous girl named Abilene Tucker who has always been a wanderer and wants to develop a deeper connection to her father, who has sent her to Manifest while he works on the railroad. I love YA Lit. There are so many good books aimed at young people that can be enjoyed by a much wider audience. Speaking of good YA Lit, go read John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. I cried a lot, just as I expected, but it was so, so good. I love that this novel has been included in most of the general "Best of 2012" lists; usually you don't find YA Lit on those lists. Time Magazine named it the Best Fiction Book of 2012, and it's awesome that that honor went to a YA book. Hopefully it will help inspire people to broaden their horizons and begin to cross genre lines when choosing books.

Oh my goodness, I have so much to write about and no time. I haven't written about China! It was absolutely fabulous. I cannot say enough good things about the trip. I am so, so glad I went. I was with a really cool group of people, and we saw some amazing sights. It was so strange to come home and not be surrounded by the people with whom I had spent the previous eleven days, to not gather around the table with them and share food and stories and to not constantly look around me while walking to make sure they were nearby. I was astounded by so much of what I saw. I think the highlight for me was the Great Wall. It was much more of a climb than any of us anticipated, but I managed it fine (I'm used to hiking). I reached the tower and the view just filled me with awe. The Terra Cotta Warriors were another favorite site. Pictures don't do it justice. You walk into the largest pit and can't help but be overwhelmed by the massive army of lifelike, unique soldiers. It's mind boggling to think of the work that went into the creation of the thousands and thousands of figures. I'm so glad I was able to see the site in person. We saw cities (like Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, and Suzhou) and the countryside, and there is such a marked difference between the areas we saw. It was such a learning experience to be able to travel around some of the country and see the way different people live in different places. We encountered beautiful scenery and beautiful artifacts. I am so grateful I was able to take this trip; it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a whirlwind tour (five flights in eleven days, not a lot of time to rest and no time to recover upon returning home), but I can't express how wonderful it was. I have LOTS of photos here, or here's a slideshow:

Click here to view these pictures larger

On to another random topic, here's one of the reasons I love Nashville (the TV show). My favorite thing about the show is Connie Britton (duh), but how amazing are these girls?

And finally, Broadway show reviews! I think I've seen three Broadway shows since my return from China.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
 I was happy to get a seat front row center for this. It's got a great cast, featuring Sigourney Weaver, David Hyde Pierce, and Kristine Nielsen, three very talented actors who play siblings all named after Chekhov characters. Mr. Hyde Pierce (Vanya) has a hilarious, sharp, and intense monologue in act two raging against today's youth that showcases his talent, and he is very, very funny in this play. Surprisingly, Ms. Weaver (Masha), playing an aging movie star, is the weakest link. Ms. Neilsen (Sonia) steals the show. She does a spot-on impression of Maggie Smith, and she's so versatile; she can make you split your sides laughing one minute and make you want to cry the next. Shalita Grant is absolutely hilarious as the siblings' housekeeper, Billy Magnussen is ridiculous (in a good way) as Spike, Masha's much younger boyfriend, and Genevieve Angelson is lovely as a young neighbor. Christopher Durang's play provided for a fun afternoon escape.

The Assembled Parties
I enjoyed this show very much, largely because of the performances of its two leading ladies, Judith Light and Jessica Hecht. I adore Jessica Hecht. She's so strong in every play I've seen her in. I guess non-theatre audiences might remember her best as Susan on Friends or as one of the other many supporting characters she's played in TV shows and movies, but I think she's really established herself as a talented stage actress. In this play, her character is vulnerable, optimistic, and very witty. Judith Light also gives a wonderful performance. Her monologue in act two is the highlight of the show; it brought tears to my eyes. To me, the bond between these two sisters-in-law is the heart of the show. There are some confusing plot points that need to be clarified (I'm not the only one confused; there's a thread on BWW full of people asking questions and speculating about certain characters' fates). There is a twenty-year gap between the two acts (act one takes place on Christmas in 1980 and act two takes place on Christmas twenty years later), and it's not clear what happened to many of the characters who didn't live to appear in act two. Overall, despite the need to tighten the plot, I enjoyed the show.

The Testament of Mary
I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy this one. It's a one-woman show (those are popular this season) featuring Fiona Shaw, who's a well-established, very talented stage actress (and I liked her as Marnie on True Blood). I guess it didn't help that I saw this show while I was still suffering from jet lag after my China trip. I didn't have high expectations going into it, but I was still disappointed. I couldn't keep my eyes open and kept nodding off, and I never fall asleep during shows. I just couldn't stay awake. The show is based on a book of the same title, and it's told from the point of view of Jesus' mother. Fiona Shaw is definitely a great performer and is completely committing herself to this role, but I really only felt for her character at the end when she delivered her last lines. For most of the play I felt like she was just yelling at the audience, and I couldn't connect with her. I didn't get the purpose of a lot of the set pieces. It wasn't a great night at the theatre.

"Since you've gone away, all the things that they all say, all the things they did for you, it's the reason you don't come through." ~the band (covered by cold war kids below)
I know I posted a song by Cold War Kids in my last post; I'm on a kick. This is a new song (well, the song's not new, it's a cover) that will be on their new album coming out soon.

I've seen a couple shows lately, so here are my thoughts.

The Last Five Years
It's difficult to express how much I love this musical. It was last onstage in New York eleven years ago, and unfortunately I didn't get to see it then. Since that production, the show has gained a cult following, and I guess you could say I'm part of the cult. I discovered the show in college (I think my friend Caroline was the one who introduced me to it), and I fell in love. I found a video bootleg, I got the cast recording, and I couldn't get enough. Jason Robert Brown is the brilliant composer, and he also directed this new production. The show has two actors, and it's about a five-year relationship. Jamie tells the story chronologically, whereas Cathy tells the story in reverse chronological order. They meet once in the middle when their stories intersect. There was a talkback after the show with Jason Robert Brown, and he said about half of the people who see the show don't get it, which I believe. I, however, think the structure is brilliant. It adds so much depth to the show. You're constantly rethinking your opinion of the relationship as you see more of the progression of each character's story and put the pieces together in your head. When seeing this production, I started crying during the first song ("Still Hurting," sung by Cathy at the end of the relationship, because she starts at the end and goes in reverse). Then Jamie launched into "Shiksa Goddess" (at the beginning of the relationship, because he starts at the beginning) and it put a huge grin on my face because it's such a fun song. This show is a roller coaster of emotions. Betsy Wolfe and Adam Cantor play Cathy and Jamie, and they're both incredible. Betsy Wolfe's Cathy is charming and endearing and insecure and hilarious; she really, really impressed me. And of course her voice is amazing (and this is an incredibly difficult score to sing). Her "Summer in Ohio" is particularly fabulous. Adam Cantor also has a great emotional range. I can't say enough good things about this show; I loved finally seeing it live onstage. They're making it into a movie starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, and I'm very cautiously optimistic because I adore both performers but I'm just not sure how this will work as a movie. Finally, here's Sherie Rene Scott singing "Still Hurting" from the original production:



Hands on a Hardbody
I saw this show with my good friend Kelly, whom I was so glad to see and spend some time with. I really enjoyed the show. It's based on a documentary about a contest in which ten people had to keep their hands on a truck, and the person who lasted the longest won the truck. The music was written by Trey Anastasio (of Phish fame) and Amanda Green, and I thought the music was great. It melded multiple genres. I do wish there had been more group numbers rather than solos. I can't stop singing "If I had a Truck," and "Joy of the Lord" was a joyful, energizing showstopper. All the actors are very talented. I was excited to see some of my favorites (Hunter Foster! Allison Case!), who were great, but I was especially impressed with newcomer Kealla Settle. I wasn't thrilled with the ending of the play, but I thought Sergio Trujillo did an inspired job with the choreography (especially because he had to deal with the limitation of having all the actors constantly touching the truck in the center of the stage) and I liked the plot. I think this show might have done better in a smaller, off-Broadway setting (I'm afraid it might not last too long on Broadway), but I hope it does well because it's very entertaining.


I'm leaving for China on Saturday and will be gone for eleven days, so I'll return in a couple of weeks with a huge travel post! I've got my Google Nexus tablet loaded with new books. In case you're curious what I'm reading, here are my choices for the trip:

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain: This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award; it's received tons of accolades and is on basically every list of the best books of 2012, so I figured it was time to check it out.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I've been putting off reading this because I know it's going to be one giant sobfest, but it keeps getting so much praise that I need to just suck it up and read it. The poor people on the plane with me will have to deal with the massive amounts of crying that I'm sure will occur. It was Time Magazine's Best Book of 2012, and it's another one that keeps getting heaped with so much praise that I can't ignore it.

The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg: This is another one I keep hearing about, and it sounds really interesting to me.

"All that happens now is not some glorious accident. All that matters now is you ignore and I pretend. This plane's flying upside down, the steering wheel is stuck. But I'm turning us around, we will see that sky above." ~cold war kids


First of all, I am So. Freakin'. EXCITED. About. THIS. Of course I've already donated. Veronica Mars might just be my favorite TV show ever created, and you know how much TV I watch. I cannot tell you how much I adore this show (and how much I rewatch my DVDs of it since it went off the air). The fact that it's actually going to get a movie? Mind blown. Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas have been talking about this forever, but it is actually happening and I cannot contain my excitement. I think this is such a creative idea (and I wonder if it will start a trend). 



I've seen a lot of shows lately that I haven't written about, so here goes.

 Ann
I never would have expected Holland Taylor to write and star in a solo show about Ann Richards (onetime governor of Texas), but she did, and it's on Broadway. I love Holland Taylor. She's an Emmy-winning actress with an IMDB resume a mile long (which includes roles in Two and a Half Men, Legally Blonde, One Fine Day, Baby Mama...). I very much enjoyed Ms. Taylor's portrayal of Ann; she nailed the political figure's spitfire personality and completely inhabited the character. Writing and starring in a 2-hour show (and being the only performer onstage the whole time) is quite a task, and I was impressed with Ms. Taylor's efforts, although I feel like she's stronger as a performer than as a writer. Fun tidbit: in the play, Ann has a series of phone conversations with Bill Clinton (obviously we only hear her end of the conversation). When I saw the play last night, Bill and Hillary Clinton were in the audience. They were there with Meryl Streep. It was funny to have Bill Clinton sitting in the theatre as the character of Ann Richards had conversations with him onstage. Gabby Giffords and her husband were also in the audience.

The Wild Bride
Oh my goodness, I can't say enough good things about this. This show is absolutely brilliant. It's an imaginative retelling of the folktale "The Handless Maiden" and features gorgeous music, choreography, set design, and performances. I'm so glad I listened when Vulture Magazine said, "Absolutely, positively sell your soul to see this. It's worth it," because it really was like nothing else I've ever seen before, and in the best way possible. Watch the trailer. I could gush about this forever.

Really, Really
This seems to be a polarizing play, but I enjoyed it. The play is filled with uncertainty and tension. It's about a possible attack on a girl at a college campus, but it's really about more than that; it's a chilling portrait of a generation of entitled young people who will do anything to get what they want. The play features some talented young actors best known for TV, like Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights! Parenthood!) and Zosia Mamet. Zosia is best known as Shoshanna on Girls, but her character in this play couldn't be more different from Shoshanna, and Zosia's performance is fabulous. She turns Leigh into a complicated, layered young woman about whom you don't know what to think

Some highlights from Ben Brantley's New York Times review (because he's better at expressing his thoughts than I am): 

"'Ow.' That monosyllable may not be your idea of great dialogue. But as uttered by Zosia Mamet in Really Really, Paul Downs Colaizzo’s pitiless state-of-a-generation play at the Lucille Lortel Theater, it has my bid for one of the best lines of the season. This 'ow' is the final word, and one of the few spoken, in the opening scene of Really Really, which opened on Tuesday night in an MCC production. It’s a terrific scene, which in itself justifies the advance buzz that this play has generated...."

"[Really, Really] is a take-no-prisoners indictment of the young men and women poised to inherit the earth. They are all, it would seem, motivated by a single question, which is, according to Grace in her speech, 'What can I do to get what I want?' Morality is not a talking point here. This is Lord of the Flies with smartphones." 

Talley's Folly
This is an absolutely lovely play; I walked out of the theatre and could not stop smiling. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1980, and this is a top-notch production. It's a two-character play that blends comedy, drama, and romance. Sarah Paulson and Danny Burstein are in it and they're both fabulous. I always love seeing Sarah Paulson onstage; she never disappoints. Seeing the play made me want to come home and watch my Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip DVDs (Ms. Paulson plays Harriet in the show, and she was most recently in American Horror Story). In Talley's Folly, Ms. Paulson does a great job of creating a character who is trying to maintain an emotional wall around herself while displaying miniscule cracks in that wall that grow ever so slowly. Mr. Burstein's portrayal is earnest and passionate, and the two make a perfect pair. I loved every minute of this show.

Clive
The less said about this, the better. I think it might just be the worst play I've ever seen, and I've seen 309 Broadway and off-Broadway plays (yes, I keep a running count). What on earth was Ethan Hawke thinking?

The Mnemonist of Dutchess County
This is a play about a young man with a perfect memory and synesthesia. Nic and I saw it because her friend is in it, and it was fine, but I wish it went a little deeper. It addresses a lot of issues but doesn't really explore them in depth.

 
Some Videos:

 Holland Taylor/Ann:

Zosia Mamet being awesome on Conan: