I love love love this song. I can't wait to see Waitress when it arrives on Broadway!

Happy Birthday to me.

Here's a video from my second Counting Crows show of the season, at the PNC Bank Arts Center. My friend Sandi and I had lawn tickets but paid $10 to upgrade, so we ended up paying a total of $30 each for what turned out to be pretty great seats (though not front row like we're used to). Anyway, obviously the video quality is crap, and you can hear me singing along, but I filmed this for myself. I love this song. Scroll down for much better video from show #1 (front row). More to come after Atlantic City next weekend!

This has been an awesome summer for concerts. I saw U2 three times, saw Dave Matthews Band once, and am seeing Counting Crows three times. The first of those three shows was absolutely fantastic. I filmed my favorite songs; watch them above. I can't stop watching.

I'm back, and so soon! Don't worry, this isn't about Fun Home; this time I'm here to further your musical theatre education with this lovely new article about Hamilton, which is an absolutely brilliant show (I've written about it before). This article from Vogue is definitely worth reading, and the photos (by Annie Leibovitz) are gorgeous.

Here's the White House video that the article references (I've posted it before, but it's handy to share it again here because it's mentioned in the article, and it does give me chills):
Here I am with the show's brilliant creator/Hamilton:

And with Jonathan Groff (King George III):

I can't wait to see this show again, this time on Broadway (though I worry that it will lose a bit of its charm in a huge Broadway house that holds 1,319 people). I'm so glad I saw the show at the Newman Theater, with a seating capacity of 232 people; it was so intimate, and I loved being able to see the tears on the actors' faces. I'm still excited to see it on Broadway, though; I have tickets for November, but I'd like to see it before then as well.

Okay, this'll be my last Fun Home post for awhile. It's just in my mind right now; since seeing the show again, I haven't been able to stop listening to it. The show won five Tony Awards: Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori won Tonys for Best Book and Best Score, Michael Cerveris won for Best Actor in a musical, Sam Gold won for Best Director of a Musical, and the show won Best Musical. Sydney Lucas gave a beautiful performance of "Ring of Keys" at the ceremony. Have I mentioned I love this song? (Yeah, I have. I raved here and here and here.) I'll stop after this. Just watch. 


Here I am with the lovely Ms. Lucas: 

 And Tony winner Mr. Cerveris, who is also brilliant in the show (plus my view of the stage from my seat, which was basically on the stage): 

Finally, I'll end with a fun video of a song from the show that is guaranteed to make you smile. I promise. Aren't these kids fantastic?!

I'm seeing this again today (hooray for winning the lottery!) and hope it cleans up at the Tonys. I love it so much. Sydney Lucas singing "Ring of Keys" is one of the most amazing things I've seen (and she's singing it at the Tonys tomorrow!).

Thanks John Oliver. I think I need a sign that says "Don't f**k me on this!"

I can't say enough good things about this show. It blew me away; it's definitely one of the best things I've ever seen. This man, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is an absolute genius.

Jonathan Groff plays King George and he's hilarious. He was also super nice.

Here's a throwback to Lin-Manuel's Tony acceptance speech for In the Heights. He's wonderful.


Okay, one more video:

Last one, I promise. This one's good:

The Stella sisters are one of the main reasons I watch Nashville (along with Hayden Panettiere). Here's a new cover of theirs:



I have to do a massive theater post soon, because I have a lot of shows to write about.

One thing that really makes me fall in love with TV shows is the music. If I love the music on a show, I'm immediately hooked. This was on the latest episode of House of Lies, which is having a great season so far. Just the fact that the show stars Kristen Bell and Don Cheadle is enough for me, so songs like this are just a bonus. This same show was also used on Scorpion, another TV show I watch. (I watch way too many shows.)

This is really old, and it's very possible that I posted it here a couple years ago, but I can't remember so I'm posting it now because I love it. Probably my favorite Key & Peele sketch. Happy Friday!

Here are my quick Golden Globe reflections, before I go to bed because I have to work tomorrow. (Why are awards shows on Sunday? Ugh.)

Really happy that The Affair won Best TV Show (Drama) and Ruth Wilson won for Best Actress in a  TV Show Drama for The Affair. I love the show, and I can't wait for next season.

The Grand Budapest Hotel won for Best Picture (Musical/Comedy). Hooray! Birdman was definitely the frontrunner, but I'm not sure that should even be considered a comedy, and although I enjoyed it, I didn't love it as much as most people seemed to. I did enjoy Michael Keaton's performance very much, so I wasn't disappointed to see him win, but I'm glad the film didn't win Best Picture.

I'm thrilled that Fargo won Best Miniseries. I love love love Fargo. I just wish Allison Tolman had won for her performance.

Yay for Julianne Moore! Her performance in Still Alice is heartbreaking and beautiful, so I'm glad she won Best Actress in a Drama (Film). Amy Adams won Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy (Film), and although I loved her in Big Eyes, is that movie really a comedy? I don't know, sometimes these categories confuse me. On the TV side, I'm still not convinced Shameless and Orange is the New Black are comedies, either.

Anyway, I enjoyed the evening, even though I wish Tina and Amy had been more prominent. I'll miss them as hosts next year.

I absolutely love this combo of songs (which is made even better by the "I am feathered" alts from "A Murder of One" in "A Long December"), and this is a fitting video to share today as we begin a new year (which will hopefully be better than the last). Happy New Year!

I love love love this movie, and I can't wait to see it again!

Claire’s Favorite Books of 2014

These are my ten favorite books I read that were published in 2014. There’s a long list of books from this year that I own but have not gotten around to reading, and it’s likely they will influence this list, but I probably won’t get to many of them before the year ends. They are listed at the end. 

1. Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

This is a gorgeous dystopian novel that takes place after the Georgian flu has killed 99% of humanity. The story alternates between a few different characters and time periods, but it mostly follows the Traveling Symphony, a group that travels around performing Shakespearean plays and music. This was my favorite book of the year; it’s hopeful and lovely and I didn’t want it to end but could not put it down. 

2. Fourth of July Creek - Smith Henderson 

This novel focuses on Pete Snow, a social worker in Montana in the early 1980’s. The story focuses on one particular case he’s working (a young boy who lives in the wilderness with his radical father). The prose is gorgeous. This book broke my heart; I absolutely loved it. It comes in at a close second on my list. 

 3. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty

I love Liane Moriarty. I loved The Husband’s Secret soooo much, and I didn’t think it was possible, but this novel might be even better. It’s just so entertaining. It’s a mystery, and it’s also hilarious. The characters feel so compellingly real. You will not be able to put it down. 

4. The Paying Guests - Sarah Waters

You might not expect a historical fiction novel that takes place after World War I to be such a page turner, but oh, how this one is! It may start off slow, but it escalates into a wonderful thriller. 

5. We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

This book is pretty divisive, but I love it. I  love the use of fairy tales. It’s tragic and intriguing and suspenseful and heartbreaking. It’s a YA novel, but I think it’s a wonderful book for all ages. I became a fan of E. Lockhart with The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and she didn’t disappoint with this novel. (I also met her and she’s absolutely lovely.)

6. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce #6) - Alan Bradley

Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce novel’s are my favorite series. Flavia is one of my absolute favorite literary characters; she’s a young, brilliant chemist/detective who is way too smart for her own good. In this particular novel, she investigates the death of a mysterious stranger. More information about Flavia’s mother is revealed, and Flavia is just as marvelous as usual. The next book in the series comes out very, very, soon, and I have been waiting for it!

7. Sleep Donation - Karen Russell

Karen Russell’s Swamplandia! completely bowled me over a few years ago, so I was anxious to read Russell’s new novella, Sleep Donation. It’s not as good as Swamplandia!, but it’s haunting. It takes place in the near future, when America is facing a plague of insomnia. Trish works for a corporation that collects sleep donations from healthy sleepers to give to insomniacs. It’s an interesting premise with a deep, philosophical question underlying the story. 

8. I’ll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson

This is another YA novel that I think everyone should read. Jude and Noah, twins, alternately tell the story. Noah narrates when they are thirteen and Jude when they are sixteen. I love the way the story is told; alternating between the two time periods/narrators reveals bits of information that you have to put together, eventually leading to a clear picture of what has happened to the twins. The writing is lovely, and it will fill your heart with feels. 

9. The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) - Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

I’m enjoying J.K. Rowling’s mystery series very much. Cormoran and Robin make an entertaining pair of investigators, and in this book, the mystery is compelling and unpredictable. I can’t wait for the next one.

10. The Vacationers - Emma Straub

This was an entertaining summer read about a family on vacation in Mallorca. 

2014 Books That Are Currently in my Library Waiting to Be Read

Ugly Girls - Lindsay Hunter

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng

We Are Not Ourselves - Matthew Thomas

Nobody Is Ever Missing - Catherine Lacey

Young God - Katherine Faw Morris

How to Build a Girl - Caitlin Moran

Missing Reels - Farran Smith Nehme

Are you watching Peter Pan Live? It's a fun show. Allison Williams is a great Peter Pan (she can sing and act!); I'm a fan of hers from Girls, and I was excited to see her in this role. Christopher Walken is absolutely hilarious as Captain Hook, just because he's Christopher Walken and he basically speaks all the songs and it's bizarre and ridiculous. Who knew he was such a good tap dancer?! Kelli O'Hara is wonderful. Anyway, I'm enjoying the show, despite a few complaints (it's not as good as it could be; I'm not crazy about the sets and the costumes and some wacky shots/camera angles/sloppy filming). I'll probably add videos later once they start popping up online, but for now I'll just post this video from July 30th's Nightly News because I thought it was sweet to see Brian Williams as a proud papa. I also think it's sweet that he missed tonight's Nightly News to watch the broadcast live.

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend the U2 Minus One concert in Times Square. It was a surprise show as part of World AIDS Day. Bono was the minus one due to his recent Central Park biking accident, but Chris Martin of Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen were kind enough to fill in for Bono and perform with U2. Carrie Underwood and Kanye West also performed. Despite the rain, the concert was a blast. Chris Martin sang "Beautiful Day" and "With or Without You" with U2 to open the show, and Bruce Springsteen sang with them on "Where the Streets Have no Name" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" to close the show. All of U2's songs were magical. I loved hearing Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin sing with the band. I don't care whether or not you're a fan of U2, I don't see how anyone could not be moved by those anthems that they performed last night.
There's a nice review of the concert here.
And the whole show is online. You should at least watch the first two songs (U2 with Chris Martin) and the last two (U2 with Springsteen, starting around the 37-minute mark in the video). Seriously, magical. I'm so glad I was able to be there. I posted four videos on my instagram so you can see a glimpse of my view (and a few of my photos are below).

I saw an advance screening of Into the Woods, and I signed a nondisclosure agreement so I can't give any specific details about the film, but I will say that I loved it. If you're a fan of the musical, I recommend putting aside your expectations. Some changes have been made, but I don't think any of the changes majorly detract from the story. It's a beautiful movie. Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt's performances were my favorite, and I was also really impressed with Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen (oh my goodness, "Agony" killed!). I didn't like the performances of Lilla Crawford or Johnny Depp. I'll probably write more after the movie is released. For now, watch this snippet of "Stay With Me." I wasn't crazy about the casting of Meryl Streep as the Witch, but she won me over, mostly with this song.