Jamie, Flea Market, Bologna's last.

Jamie came to visit this weekend. On Friday we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and then wandered around downtown for awhile.
On Saturday we rushed Next to Normal for the matinee, went out for sushi after, and then went home and watched a movie. I think I was asleep by like 9. The Flea Market was on Sunday, and it unfortunately got moved from Shubert Alley to the Roseland Ballroom on 52nd because of the weather, which made for crappy traffic patterns inside. But it was amazing. I got to talk to Greg Jbara and Will Chase from Billy Elliot for awhile, which was super cool because I've never met them before. We commiserated about Kiril leaving. Alice Ripley from Next to Normal recognized me, and she and I also talked for awhile. I alos met a couple of people from American Idol, as well as Christopher Sieber, who was on "Two of a Kind." But most importantly...

I met John Stamos! He was super sweet, which was a good thing, because I kind of feel like I'd be trauamtized if Uncle Jesse turned out to be a douchebag. I was walking away and he grabbed my arm and was like "hey, thank you so much for doing this. It was great to meet you." Love him. He's my new hero. And...
I bought Kiril's dirty socks/ballet shoes that he wore onstage in Billy Elliot. The show means a lot to me, and Kiril is my favorite (and my first!) Billy, so I'm glad I have one of his costume pieces.

They also fit me.

And speaking of Kiril, here we are after David's last show. Apparently, it's impossible for me to get a good picture with him. He wasn't on that day, but he came out of the stage door and most people there recognized him so he signed and posed for pictures anyway. That was the highlight of my day, and I will miss him so much when he leaves.

Trent was on for Billy, and it was the best performance I have seen from him. I figured he was going to be on. I've always gotten the impression that he and David Bologna are very very close, and I figured David would want Trent to be Billy that day. And I could tell that Trent was struggling with David leaving. His last line, which is usually "see ya, Michael" was changed to "see ya, David," and he could hardly get it out. I felt bad. It made me cry.

And there's the little firecracker himself. I'll miss his Michael so much. He's the best one, and I have a hard time watching other people in that role. He was obviously on fire during his last performance, and I had tears in my eyes during "Expressing Yourself." Every single cast member was crying at the stage door, and that was tough to watch. I'm worried about how I'm going to get through Kiril's last performance, especially from the fourth row.

Wow.

Can't believe I'm saying this...

Thank you, Jon Stewart, for actually calling out everyone who went to the UN conference on the environment for going to the conference in massive motorcades of SUVs and private jets and helicopters.

This is my problem with the environmental movement right now. I care about the environment. A lot, actually. I live a relatively green lifestyle (although a lot of that is because of necessity, but what matters more, the motivation or the results?), and I do think that humans are perpetuating global warming, and I think it's relatively naive not to. But the blatant hypocrisy of some of the leaders of the movement drive me insane. Don't tell me I should cut back on driving my tiny Escort that is great on gas mileage as you go to your campaign events in jets and motorcades with three or four SUVs. I'm looking at you, Al Gore. I mean, practice what you preach.

Also, finally saw Kiril again. Someone tipped me off regarding his schedule for the upcoming week, and by some miraculous stroke of luck that I won't even begin to try to understand, I was able to get a cheap ticket at the last minute. And it was well worth it. As someone on Broadway World said "the role of Billy has seldom been performed better and has NEVER been danced better." This kid is a genius. He's obviously too old for the role now (hence the fact that he's leaving next weekend), and it shows. His voice has gotten deep and he towers over half of the cast. This means that he struggles with the score a little bit, because it was written for a boy who is prepubescent, not going through puberty. But his acting, particularly his scenes with his mother, is breathtaking, and his dancing moves me to tears. This kid is a splendid dancer who has been offered scholarships to ballet schools in New York, London, and Paris, as well as offers to tour with a number of ballet companies (personally, I'm pulling for ABT in New York). He told me last night he doesn't know what he's doing next yet, but I really hope it's something that is either here or stops here, because I would go and see him dance in anything. And I was about to ask him if he thought he'd ever do Broadway again, but some jackass totally interrupted me, which obviously pissed me off because I'm pretty shy at stage doors and it takes me a lot to actually talk to them, and Kiril is SUPER shy and not the easiest person to have a conversation with. He's always very happy and gracious and willing to sign anything and take pictures, but he's just very quiet. He mostly walks down the line with a huge grin on his face and says "hi...thank you...hi....thank you." And the funny thing is that David Alvarez, one of the other Billys, makes him look outgoing. Bologna is easy to talk to, Tommy Batchelor is easy to talk to, and Trent is a little shy but more outgoing than Kiril. So the fact that I was actually having a conversation with him was huge. Jackass.

My issue with Kiril is that I always look like shit in our pictures together. Tommy and I take good pictures, Trent and I take good pictures, Bologna and I take good pictures. Kiril and I...not so much. I think the problem is that he's just such a cutie that he makes everyone else look bad. That, and the angle on this is REALLY bad. At least I didn't cut off his eye, like I did with Trent. Oh well. I'll be at his last show, so hopefully the stage door won't be crazy (or I can run out quickly after curtain call and still get a good spot). I'm relatively optimistic. There will be a lot more fans there than on a typical weeknight since he's the first of the three original Billys to leave, but the Billy Elliot stage door is usually only crazy after matinees, when there are a lot of kids there. Unlike shows like Next to Normal and Spring Awakening, BE lacks big names and attractive men, haha. So yeah, we'll try this again then. I'm sad he's leaving. He'll be missed. Mostly by me.

Procrastination is my middle name.

Name something you dislike about the day you're having?
The fact that I had to wake up (I'm tired today). The fact that it's my night of two classes.

Who was the last person to smoke a cigarette in your presence?
CONSTANTINE MAROULIS. I'm dead serious. He used to be on American Idol, and I walked next to him down 8th for a few blocks last night after I left Starbucks, and he was smoking.

What are you sitting on right now?
My desk chair.

Does anyone regularly - other than family - tell you they love you?
Ms. MacFarlane

A random person yells to you "aybaybay" you say...
I look down at the sidewalk and keep walking.

Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night?
In person? Emily Westbrooks. Online? Keith.

Would you consider painting your bedroom purple?
My bedroom IS purple.

Are you a mean person?
No. Unless you're in my way on the sidewalk. Then I hate you.

Does anyone hate you?
Probably.

Do you think relationships are even worth it?
Ummm...yeah, I guess. It depends on how shitty the relationship is. I'd rather not be in a relationship than be in another bad relationship.

If someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?
Yes I would.

Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
Hahaha no. You should see my hair.

Do you usually tell people when you're mad at them?
No, I'm a suffer in silence kind of person.

Are you in a good mood right now?
Eh, I'd like to not be awake right now.

What do you hear right now?
E! News. My fan.

Do you have a person of the opposite sex you can tell everything to?
I do! And he knows who he is.

Is it possible to be single and happy?
I'm single and happy.

What's the last thing you put in your mouth?
My toothbrush.

Do you plan on sleeping in tomorrow?
Probably. Not that much though. I have work and an apartment to clean.

Who's the last person you hugged?
Matthew? I don't know. I haven't hugged anyone for awhile. I'm not really a huggy kind of person.

How often do you hold back from saying what you think?
In class, more than I should. With my friends, not really.

Would you pay someone to kill the person who hurt you a lot?
No. He's a piece of shit, but I wouldn't want that.

Will this weekend be a good one?
Of course! Jamie is coming to visit and it's the Broadway Flea Market and David Bologna's last show, which will be sad, but last shows are always amazing. I'm dreading it though, but not quite as much as the impending final performance next weekend.

Are you wearing something that belongs to someone else?
No.

Are you mad at someone right now?
I'm annoyed.

Did you deny or accept your last friend request?
Accept.

Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your own bed?
I don't know. Does my couch count? I don't really sleep anywhere that isn't my bed here.

What made you cry last?
"Once We Were Kings" at Billy Elliot last night. I was thinking about Kiril leaving.

What time did you go to sleep last night?
3. I couldn't sleep.

Are you trying to avoid liking somebody at the moment?
No.

Who was the last person you met?
Alison's friend Maury at Next to Normal on Sunday. He was amazing.

Where are your parents?
New Hampshire.

You secretly love the last person who texted you dont you?
Kayleigh? She sucks.

What you waiting on?
The weekend. Someone to come clean my apartment.

Do you have a hard time admitting you're wrong?
I do, actually.

Do you have any tattoos?
Not yet. I would like one or two.

Do you prefer to take showers at night or in the morning?
Morning. I'm always groggy and gross feeling until I shower.

Is there anybody you wish would just fall off the planet?
Not literally, but disappear from my life? Yes.

Were you single on your last birthday?
Yes. As always.

When you watch movies at home, do you like the lights on or off?
Depends.

Are you short?
I am 1/2 an inch below average. Compared to my family, I'm a midget.

How was your day overall?
Hasn't really started yet. Yesterday was great! I got a ton of work done and I got to see and talk to Kiril, and Constantine Maroulis looked at me.

Has anyone ever called cops on you?
No.

Do you think relationships are hard?
Yes.

Are you good at following directions?
Yes.

Do you swallow gum when your finished?
Haha, yes.

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
Keena's probably telling Jeff that I'm being crazy with Bruce Springsteen's birthday, but let me assure her that this is nothing compared to everyone else on his message board. People are like, making cakes tonight.

Are any of your friends taller than you?
Actually, most of my close friends are shorter. But yeah, I have taller friends.

Have you ever liked someone that you didn't expect to?
Not really.

When did you meet the last person you texted?
Freshman year. Orientation.

It's....someone's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE PERSON ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.



That's right. I'm celebrating in full force for this baby...next weekend. Giants Stadium. Can't wait. In the meantime, here's hoping Mr. Springsteen/The Boss has a "magic" 60th!

Oh yeah?

I see what you did there. The B Street Band? Freaking posers.

Kidding. I'm glad Bruce is popular enough to have tribute bands that play at well known venues like this.

Hmm. And a rant.

So at the Sunday matinee of Billy Elliot, I'm in the rear mezz (obviously), about four or five rows back. In the three or four rows in front of me where a bunch of high school girls who were clearly on a class trip or something and who obviously had no desire to be at the show. And we all know high school girls are obnoxious anyway, so couple obnoxious with bored, and it makes for a not so great audience. First of all, they were doing the standard things people do when they're bored. Talking, texting, etc. But that I can almost deal with, as long as I can't really hear you talking or you're not leaning in to your neighbor and obstructing my view. It was their other behavior that was much worse. First of all, eating. I don't care if you eat at a show. They wouldn't sell food at the bar if it was a problem. But loud crinking and chewing is just absolutely obnoxious. Eat at intermission or before the show starts. Or at least open your packages then. Instead of listening to "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher," I'm hearing "crinklecrinklecrumplechewchewchewchokechewcrinkle," and that's annoying. And that's still not the worst of it. At one point during Act I, I look down, and they have their feet on the ledge in front of them. REALLY? It's not a goddamn movie theater or your freaking living room. You're in expensive seats at one of the more upscale theaters in the Times Square area. Act like a damn adult. Oh, also, there's the issue that you're blocking the view of everyone sitting behind you. I was too far behind them to tell them to take their freaking feet down, but finally someone did. But my view was still obstructed. You know why? Because they had water bottles on the ledge. And it happened to be DIRECTLY in my line of vision at the end of Electricity, which is my absolute favorite part of Tommy's performance. So annoying. I'm shocked that the ushers didn't say anything to them. They're tough at that theater, to say the least. G-D tourists. I had to take a picture at intermission (subtly, of course) to document how annoying this was.



Also, this is the second cutest Matthew in the world...
Matthew Mindler of BE (obviously. It's not like I talk about anything else. Except Next to Normal and Bruce Springsteen). He plays "Small Boy," alternating with the cutest Mitchell in the entire world, but that's irrelevant right now. Anyway, Matthew is seven, and outside of the stage door on Sunday, he serenaded me with all of the songs from the show. He was hyper, to say the least, and the fact that I was laughing at him got him even more fired up. He's actually really good at Billy's songs! I nominate him for Billy in 2015. I love him.

I can't tell if I'm excited for next weekend or dreading next weekend.

On Friday night, I have a date. Me. Bruce. Giants Stadium. It will be awesome, and I'm excited. Especially since I don't have to dread the post-show depression that always hits me really hard after Bruce. I'm still feeling it from Hershey, although whether that's the show itself or my company from the concert is anyone's guess, and I'm leaning towards the latter. But anyway, I'm seeing him on 10/2, 10/9, and 11/7. So I have a lot of Bruce to look forward to in the coming month, and a ways to go until the withdrawal hits. I'm really excited for Friday night.

Saturday...eh. It's Kiril's last show in Billy Elliot, and I'm going. I think it will be a great performance. Last shows always are, and Kiril is the first Billy and the first Tony winner to leave, and it's a role he's been working on for three years. It will be emotional, and I love emotional theater, so I'm looking forward to it. But then that means Kiril is gone. And he's my favorite Billy, so I don't want him to be gone. And the even sadder thing is that this will promote Tommy Batchelor to the status of "Heather's favorite Billy," but he's leaving on December 11th. So then what? I have Trent, but only until the early Spring. This is why I hate getting attached to actors in their role, but those boys are so sweet, with such infectious performances and personalities, that it's hard not to.

So in short, Bruce=Good. Billy Elliot/Kiril=good. No Kiril=not good.

My "See Kiril Kulish one more time before he leaves Billy Elliot" mission failed this weekend. On Saturday night, Trent was on. I love Trent, so it was fine, and David Bologna was on, and we all know I'm the quintessential Bologna fangirl, so I was happy about that as well.

Here is a failed picture. So I cut off half of Trent's face, but I still like it.

I rushed N2N on Sunday with Alison and Emily. I had my nose in a textbook during most of rush, but I looked up at one point, and it was a gorgeous day and the juxtaposition of the marquis against the very blue sky look amazing.

There was a street fair on 8th on Sunday, which I love because it means that there's no traffic on 8th and I can walk down the middle of the road. It's much easier than navigating sidewalk traffic. But it does have this crazy ability to bring more people than I've ever seen in my entire life. You can't see it well from the picture (I tried), but there were people for as far as I could see.

I have to go finish reading. I'm reading portions of a book about an American socialist who migrated to the Soviet Union to realize that life wasn't actually so great in a socialist country, and it's amazing.

Good news.

My appendicitis seems to be gone :-)

And no, I didn't go the open house at the Al Hirschfield (Hair) Theater today. It ends at noon, and I woke up at ten, so I figured by the time I actually got into Manhattan, it would be too late. But the Broadway Cares flea market is next weekend! Super excited. Who has two thumbs and is meeting Bernadette Peters? This girl. That's right. It's not even that big of a deal for me. She's not like, a legend or anything.

In other news...actually, I guess that's it. My apartment was spotless two days ago and now it seems to be a disaster. And my kitchen is disgusting. So I'm going to go clean.

Can't Sleep.

Mostly because I have psychosomatic appendicitis right now.

1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Tea.

2.Where was your profile picture taken?
At the Zurenda Garden in Elmira.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?
Not too well, but yes. I kick ass at the easy level.

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?
Matthew. Let me recap our conversation...
MC: Hi!
Me: Hello. How are you?
MC: I don't know.
Me: Did you decorate your bike at Jason's?
MC: I don't know.
Me: What did you put on it?
MC: I don't know.
Me: Okay, well I'll talk to you later.
MC: WAIT!!!!!! I got a big rig in the mail.
Me: Oh yeah? Have you worked a lot this week?
MC: Yes I did.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
I went to bed at about 12:30, I think. I was watching Project Runway, then I did a little bit of homework.

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
I would like to move out of my neighborhood, but in terms of a different city? No. Never.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Not that I know of. Maybe.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
Sam Moch. He lives in Brooklyn.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Sure. That doesn't mean it won't be awkward though. I'm looking at you, Mr. Conroy. And Mr. Davis, for that matter.

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
I am pro-Dr. Pepper.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Kyle's last performance in Next to Normal. It was a rough night.

12. Who took your profile picture?
Ms. Jamie Pinkham.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Me with David Bologna!

14. Was yesterday better than today?
Not particularly. I had a good day in class yesterday. Today I slept and went to the grocery store and cooked somewhat blechy dinner. And ate dry cereal because my milk spoiled and I had no yogurt.

15. Can you live a day without TV?
Definitely.

16. Are you upset about anything?
Not really. I miss my family. I miss Kayleigh. I wish Keith wouldn't play the "I'm leading you on about visiting" game, as usual. But overall, I'm good.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
None of mine have been, but as a rule, yes.

18. Are you a bad influence?
I can be.

19. Night out or night in?
I actually love both. It's fun to go out and do stuff, but sometimes there's nothing I need more than sitting on my couch watching TV. Or reading. Or doing whatever.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
Bed. My computer. A toothbrush. Deodorant. All that jazz.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Keena and Luke.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
"Jeremy Gray wrote on your Facebook Wall..."

23. How do you feel about your life right now
Feeling pretty good.

24. Do you hate anyone?
Yes.

25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
A lot of stuff that I wouldn't want you to find. Namely, a lot of back and forth messages with a certain friend that say not so nice things about a lot of people.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Of course I would.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Nah. We all know I'm not. And I like it that way.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
Well, after that question, "Perfect For You" from Next to Normal.

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Well, given my neighborhood, I would prefer that that not be happening. Ever.

30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
Nope.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
I don't know. There's free tours of the Hair theater. If I can get into Manhattan in time, I might do that.

32. Do you think too much or too little?
I tend to be an overthinker, but I can turn it off if absolutely necessary.

33. Do you smile a lot?
Depends.

No.

Honestly, I was underwhelmed by Gavin. He's good, he's attractive, and he's a good person, but his performance underwhelmed me. If anyone was robbed this year, it was J. Robert Spencer. And seriously, Broadway community people, the Tony's were over three months ago. Can we get over this?

Granted, I'll never get over Miley Cyrus winning an award over Bruce Springsteen, but that's because I'm right on that one, and these people aren't. That award was never Gavin's.

Just sayin'

'Twas a good night for stage door pictures.

Saw Billy Elliot again tonight. Bologna was on (thank god. I would have been disappointed given that this is probably the last time I'll go before he leaves), and Tommy Batchelor was on for Billy. I was hoping to see Tommy. I've had really good luck with seeing the Billys I hope for. My thought process last time was "I hope Trent is on, and if not Trent, then Kiril." And Trent was on. And my thought process this time was "I hope Tommy is on. If not Tommy, then Kiril." I was ecstatic when I saw the board.

I chatted with the people sitting next to me for awhile before the show, and I mentioned that I had seen it a few times before, and they asked me all sorts of questions, and then did the obligatory "where are you from? what are you studying? what do you want to do with it? what do your parents think of you living here?" So Dad, they give you major props for being relatively okay with this, haha. They said they live in NJ and they always get nervous when their sons go in to the city for a few hours, and that they're not sure they'd let them live here. So they were nice and very interested to hear what I thought of Tommy Batchelor.

Tommy was brilliant. I can't quite decide if he's my favorite or not. I love Kiril, and I love Tommy, and it's hard to choose. Tommy looks the part more and has a better singing voice, but Kiril is the only one whose dancing can move me to tears, and I think for that reason, he'll always be my favorite. Tommy is a close second though. And Trent is great as well.

So there is Mr. Batchelor himself. Cute kid. Someone on Broadway Secrets said that he looks like Gollum. So not true. He's adorable. Also, he's a total pimp, in a completely awesome way. I saw him on the street once, and he had on these huge green sunglasses and had one of the ballet girls (the little girls in the show) on each arm. Too cute.

BOLOGNA. We talked Next to Normal, and then I accidentally followed him around Times Square. I was just trying to get to the subway.

Super happy with both of those pictures.

Also, Alex Ko, Kiril's replacement, was there tonight. Also a cute kid.

Irony.

I'm bored, so I'm reading through old blog posts, and I found this...

He was actually nominated for the Tony for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, but lost to the three kids who play Billy Elliot, which I'm bitter about (although not that bitter. Kiril Kulish is some lovely 14 year old jailbait, and I want to see Billy Elliot, but only if he's on for Billy that night. Otherwise, no desire).

And this...

Next to Normal was nominated for the Tony for Best New Musical. It didn't win (stupid Billy Elliot).

And also this...

Ugh, I have zero interest in Billy Elliot...

And this....

Will I run out for tickets again right now? Probably not (especially since there's no student rush, lottery, or TKTS discount). Would I go again if I wasn't 100% sure Kiril was on for Billy? Eh, probably not. Is it my new favorite show? No.

Yeah. Guess what my second favorite show on Broadway is right now. As you can tell, I originally went to see it because I knew when Kiril was going on, and I wanted to see him because he's a cute kid. I didn't think I'd actually like it. Well, that's not true. I thought I'd enjoy it, but I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. And in fact, it took a few days after I saw it to realize how much I liked it. I'm the kind of person that will see a show and think about it for a few days after, and relive certain scenes and moments and performances, and then make a final decision on it, at least if the jury is out when the curtain falls. Obviously with shows like Spring Awakening and Next to Normal, I'm obsessed about ten minutes into Act I. But anyway, I thought about Billy Elliot and realized I liked it. Then I happened to mention on TGO (the Spring Awakening message board) when it was posted that David Bologna was leaving on September 27th that I hadn't seen him, and my friend Rob said "I hope you do. That little firecracker is fierce." So I bought a ticket blindly, hoping he'd be on. And I think it took me seeing the show again to realize how much I love it, and how much I relate to Billy. Because I do. More so than I've related to a lot of musical theater characters, except maybe both Mark and Roger from RENT (I say both even though they're so different, because sometimes I'm lonely like Mark, and sometimes I'm dark, brooding, and angsty, like Roger. It depends on my mood.). I mean, at first glance, Billy is a twelve year old kid in a mining town during the 1980s miner's strike in England who really just wants to dance and has a lot of potential in ballet, but his father won't let him. And I'm a 22 year old graduate student from a small town trying to find myself in the big city. Not a lot of similarities there. But then you look at the heart of both of us. We both lost our mothers and were raised by our father, our much older sibling(s), and our grandmother. And we're both trying to pursue what we love, against the wishes of our families (don't lie, I know you're all still not comfortable with me being here, but I do appreciate that you're all willing to put that aside to let me do this, just like Billy's family). And at the end of the day, we both want to get out of our town and know that we need to in order to chase our dreams, but have a harder time leaving than we thought we would. And most importantly, we both swear like sailors.

Also, Kanye West, you need to go away. The real winner in all of this is Beyonce, who came off as a total class act and made me gain a ton of respect for her. Poor Taylor. First country artist to EVER win a VMA, and Kanye has to ruin it.

And lastly, I'm having an identity crisis. I'm really loving my comparative politics classes this semester. Soviet Russia yesterday was the best class I've sat through since I've been here. I only took a general European comparative politics class as an undergrad because that was all we had so I don't have much background. It's just interesting because I've always been an American government person. But I think I have enough time to double concentrate in both, which would probably help me in the long run anyway, especially since I think a lot of political scientists do that. The other thing though is I don't know if I want to teach. I mean, I do. But the problem is that I'd have to be willing to move, and right now, I don't think I am. I know it's only been six weeks, but honestly, I can see myself living here forever. I saw the skyline when I was flying in yesterday, and my first thought was "home." And for the first time since it happened, 9/11 footage made me cry. I love this city. I'm where I want to be, and I don't see that changing. But with a degree in comparative politics, I'd be well qualified for a UN job, which is right here. And I wouldn't be wasting my time, because I'd need at least a Master's, if not a PhD, for that. I might try to intern there this summer, and see how I like it. Hilary is there right now, and we have tentative plans in a few weeks (she has her GREs on the 10th, so we're hanging out after that so she can study), so I can talk to her about it. It'd be a trade off. She wants to get her Master's at Brooklyn. And in the meantime, I'll keep at this, because like I said, I'll still need my degree. What I want to do with it might change.

Each time you smile, it'll only last awhile...

Avenue Q is closing on Sunday, and since I won't be at my computer then, I wanted to say my goodbyes now, so to one of my Top 5 shows, I'll miss you. We had a short relationship, but a good, intense one, and I'll look back fondly on our memories.

I mean, it's a show I relate to, because the characters are at the same place in their lives that I am at. And I also relate to it because of where I live. I really think this show was based on my neighborhood. The set looks similar, the setting is an "outer borough," it's supposed to be kind of a sketchy area, and the streets around these parts are labeled by letters. And even if it isn't based on my neighborhood, there are a lot of similarities.

It's also given us some of the funniest songs in musical theater. "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist," "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today," "If You Were Gay," "My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada," and "The Internet is For Porn" all come to mind. The titles of those songs alone are enough to make me laugh, and the content is even more funny.

And let's talk about originality. The characters are puppets, for Christ's sake, and their super is Gary Coleman. Played by a woman. That shit is unparalleled. And this show beat WICKED at the Tony's, which no one saw coming. Five years later, Wicked is still the hottest ticket on Broadway. It's pretty damn impressive that this little show with a small cast and minimal running cost was enough to beat it.

So, in closing...
Nothing lasts, life goes on
Full of surprises
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes
You're going to have to make a few compromises
For now.
But only for now.
For now we're healthy
For now we're employed
For now we're happy
If not overjoyed
And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
For now.
But only for now.
...everything in life is only for now.

Just an idea.

Hey, Obama-

How about rather than dismissing your critics as partisans who are spreading misinformation and using fear tactics, you actually address their concerns? That might work better than empty rhetoric and divisive speeches.

Thanks,
Heather.

I have other interests, I swear...

It's not just theater. I like, um...Bruce Springsteen, and uh, music in general. And I like books. And that's about it.

But anyway, I was just thinking about the 2009-2010 theater season, and I came to an interesting realization. I've always been more of a musical person than a straight play person, but then I realized that I'm much more excited for the upcoming straight plays. Here's a preview of the season:

At the Schoenfeld, we have A Steady Rain, with Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman. That will be fantastic, and not just because I love the cast. The story sounds great. I mean, cops in Chicago. How can that go wrong? Previews begin today, and I can't wait for reviews.

At the Jacobs, we have God of Carnage, with Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, and James Gandolfini. I LOVE that cast. It won the Tony for Best Play, then went on hiatus for the summer and came back on Tuesday. I NEED to see this. It's about two sets of parents who get together after one son beats up the other family's son on the playground, and it is supposedly fantastic. And Marcia Gay Harden won the Tony for that role.

At the Golden (sad. I'll miss Avenue Q), is Oleanna, with Julia Stiles and BILL PULLMAN. Love him. Basically, Oleanna is about the relationship between a professor seeking tenure, and his female student who accuses him of sexual harrassment. Again, a compelling story with a cast that I love.

At the Music Box is Superior Donuts, which is literally about a donut shop. The cast is relatively unknown, but it was written by Tracy Letts, who is brilliant and wrote August: Osage County (I need to get to Boston in May to see that tour). She won the Tony for that, and I have a good feeling about this one.

And last but certainly not least, can we talk about what's happening at the Broadhurst? Three words. Hamlet. Jude Law. That's all I need to say about that one.

And the musicals for this season suck. I mean, Burn the Floor looks like shit, Fela! looks like shit, Memphis looks like shit, and I have zero interest in seeing these. And none of them will last. I think that the Spiderman musical has potential, given that Bono did the music and it's a Julie Taymor production, but that's had so many problems and has such a ridiculous production cost that I'll be surprised if it happens as planned. Plus, with Disney just buying out Marvel, something might change with the production. The one musical that I'm super excited for is Bye Bye Birdie. Matt Doyle, John Stamos, Gina Gershwin, Allie Trimm. It will be great. Previews start tonight. I'll be going soon. Maybe the weekend of the flea market. And who can complain about $20 tickets? I love hiptix. Best program ever.

So I guess I won't have to worry about buying cast recordings this year, haha.

loVe

So, over a year after attempt number one, and after four weeks of unsuccessful lotto attempts, I finally saw "Hair" tonight. I got a facebook message from my new friend Katie telling me that she and my other new friend Karlie were going to go, and would I like to go with them? So I said yes, and I'm glad I did. It was a fantastic production with a stellar cast and wonderful audience interaction. And I love Billy Elliot so much, but I have absolutely no idea how it beat out Hair for Best Lighting. The lighting in Hair is spectacular. Of course, Kevin Adams did it, and his lighting designs are always brilliant (SA, Passing Strange, Next to Normal, Hair, etc...he's amazing). I'm so glad this show won Best Revival. It's so incredibly deserving of it.

So this is Ms. Caissie Levy, who plays Sheila and is brilliant. Her "Good Morning, Starshine" is gorgeous.

This is Will Swenson, who plays Berger. My favorite part of the whole night was when he called out the latecomers at the beginning of the show, haha. "Hello, late people! She just sang the shit out of Aquarius, and you missed it!" Pet peeve: when people come late to shows, unless it's under extenuating circumstances . Anyway, Will was nominated for the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, but lost to Gregory JBara from Billy Elliot, who is great, although I was personally pulling for David Bologna.

This is Kacie Sheik, who may be the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen in my life. And she's super sweet. And fun fact, she's Duncan Sheik's little sister. I love Duncan Sheik. His music is great, plus he wrote the Spring Awakening score. It's nice to see that little sister is as talented as he is.

This is Andrew Kober. It's a terrible picture of him, but he's cute and great and his Twitter is the funniest thing I've ever read.

And last, but defnitely not least, this is Gavin Creel, one of my gay boyfriends. I first fell in love with Mr. Creel when he was in Eloise at the Plaza. Stellar movie. I was like 12 at the time. Little did I know that I'd be meeting him one day :) Anyway, he offered to take the picture himself. I'm not sure why, since I had two people with me, but hey, now I have a Gavin Creel original. It was funny because the camera wasn't going, and he goes "are we making a movie? Because if we are, it's going to be really boring." We weren't, but I'd love that movie. It would be a favorite of mine. Anyway, Gavin was a brilliant Claude, as I knew he would be. He was also nominated for a Tony (Lead Actor in a Musical), but lost to my Billys. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. I LOVE the Bilys, but I also love Gavin, and I also love J. Robert Spencer. Tough year.

So that was my night at Hair. No more shows for me for awhile, what with going to Maine this weekend and Keith and Rob coming down probably the weekend after. So that means my picspams will be ending. I know you all love them though.

Fangirling at the Booth Theater.

So I'm sitting in the back of the mezz at Next to Normal tonight for Aaron Tveit's first show back after his hiatus, minding my own business, when who should walk in and sit directly in front of me?

David Bologna, from Billy Elliot. You know, the one I just ranted and raved about in my last post.

He is seriously the cutest little boy ever. I wish he was my brother or something. I just want to hug him.

He's one of those kids that just has this innate ability to light up a room with his presence, and seeing him there put a massive smile on my face. For like all of Act I.

Of course, I was way too busy watching his reaction than watching the show. But honestly, how many chances am I going to have to sit behind Tony nominated actor at Next to Normal? Probably not a lot. Especially since I usually sit in the front row.

Also, at the stage door, Alice Ripley recognized me, which was awesome, but so did Adam Chanler-Berat. He goes "nice to see you again! Do you like my new necklace?" Love him. He needs to not be gay.

I love September.

This post is going to be really long. Sorry. I had a long, amazing weekend that provided a lot of pictures and stories.

So this was an awesome, epic weekend. Last week, when they announced that David Bologna was leaving Billy Elliot, I realized that I really I had to see him. First of all, he's a cute kid. Second of all, he was nominated against some crazy talent for the Tony Award. How could I miss him? I was planning on rushing overnight for Kyle Dean Massey's last show in Next to Normal on Sunday, so I thought I'd see the Saturday matinee. I couldn't find a rear mezz ticket though and didn't want to pay a lot of money, but I found one for the evening show. But for some reason I had it in my head that I was seeing the matinee, so I promised my friend Olivia I would help her with Avenue Q lotto for the matinee. Then I remembered I didn't have to be in Manhattan until 8 and Avenue Q lotto is at noon, but I didn't want to bail on her. So I went out, and we lost, which was sad since the show is closing next weekend (not that I was going to see it, but I felt bad for her). And I was too lazy to go back to Brooklyn, so I went over to TKTS to see if there was a discount for 9 to 5, which closed yesterday. I had heard that I needed to see it, and I LOVE Allsion Janney, who was in it. It was at 50% on TKTS, which is the best discount they have, so I got a center orchestra ticket for the matinee.
It was cute. I didn't love it, and I didn't love the music, but it was cute and fun. The three leads were all brilliant, and given that it was their third to last performance, their energy was insane. I'm glad I got to see Allison Janney in a Tony nominated role. Who knows when she'll do Broadway again?

So then I went to the stage door, since I love Allison Janney (the mom in Juno, in case no one knows who I'm talking about). Then I remembered that she understandably doesn't come out after matinees on two show days. But Stephanie J. Block, one of the other leads came out, and I'm glad she did. I've heard that she's a major bitch/diva at the stage door, but she was really sweet and came out right away and talked and took pictures with everyone.

I was on edge all day about who my Billy was going to be. I knew I wouldn't have Kiril, because he was on at the matinee. So I was wandering around the theater between shows to see if they had put up the "At This Performance" board yet, and they hadn't. So then I walked right past Trent Kowalik, one of the other Billys and the one I was hoping to see, so I thought "oh, maybe Trent is on tonight." But he had his backpack and was walking away from the theater on his cell phone, so that wasn't encouraging. Then I walked down a block, and stage door for Billy Elliot was still going on, and I saw Tommy Batchelor, another Billy, lingering with David Alvarez, the other Billy. So then I was just confused. And I almost got in a fight with this girl, because Kiril was walking away from the stage door, clearly with his mother or aunt or guardian or something, and I was just walking down the sidewalk minding my own business, when this girl yells at me to get out of her picture. And I realize she's taking a picture of Kiril as he walked away. First of all, you can't clear a sidewalk in Times Square on a summer weekend during the matinee/evening show break, because it's crowded, just to take a picture. Second of all, I don't support the picture you're taking. Take pictures of actors all you want at the stage door when they're signing autographs and you know, posing for pictures. Kiril at the end of the day is a normal kid, and he was clearly with a family member or something. Leave him the hell alone. Stage door ends where the barricades do. Once they move past there, you're done. And this is saying a lot coming from me, because I love Kiril Kulish and fangirl when I see him in public (we'll get to this later), and honestly, given our age difference, it might be a little creepy. So if I'm telling someone they're being too creepy, it's saying a lot. But I just rolled my eyes at her and kept walking.

After all of the "Who is my Billy?!" drama, Trent was on. I was so glad. He was number 2 on my list to see after Kiril (who I saw a few weeks ago), and he was splendid. I'm glad he was on. I think his acting was a little better than Kiril's, but Kiril's dancing literally makes me want to cry because he's so amazing. I really relate to Billy, and I relate just a little more to Kiril's Billy. He plays the role with a vulnerability and loneliness that I love. Trent was a little more cocky, in a way that works for Billy.
And my gamble paid off. David Bologna was on for Michael. I was so happy about that. I knew I wouldn't get a chance to go again before the 27th, his last day. What a cute kid. And he was SO nice at the stage door. I told him that I was very happy that I got to see him before he left because I was worried I wouldn't, and his reaction made my day. His face totally lit up, and he was like "oh, thank you so much!" I love him. Probably my favorite stage door encounter ever, minus J. Robert Spencer.

So, I went home, grabbed tea, a blanket, my yoga mat, and some homework, and changed my clothes. Then I went back to Manhattan, where I sat on the street all night for tickets to Kyle Dean Massey's last show in Next to Normal. I planned on sleeping, but "sleeping" turned into talking to Alison until 5:30 when she left (you can get two tickets per person, and we were planning on trading off, but she ended up staying for awhile), then watching the Billy Elliot movie on my iPod, then talking to the girl next to me until noon. So so much for sleep. I got the ticket, and went over and met up with my friend Michelle, who was in town with three of her friends from college (she goes to Villanova) to see a bunch of shows this weekend. I had seen her on the street the day before and talked to her for awhile, and I told her I'd help with West Side Story lottery. WSS has the most intense lottery policy, is one of the hot tickets right now, so lotto is crazy, and there's only 18 seats. Guess who won. That's right. I just won the hardest lotto (except maybe Wicked). Which means I'll never win lotto again. Ever. So that left them with two tickets, so I think they ended up getting two standing room tickets and switching at intermission.

Then I went back to Brooklyn, had some food, talked to Emily for awhile, showered, and went back to Manhattan to get dinner at the Film Center Cafe with Alison. And we're debating Billy Elliot actors, and guess who walks in. Alison was facing the door and she goes "speak of the devil." That's right. Kiril Kulish. And of course he's sitting directly in my line of vision, and I'm trying so hard not to be creepy. I hope it worked.

Then I saw Next to Normal for the fifty millionth time, but it was the first time I was at a place at the barricades where I could get good pictures with everyone.

So there's Alice Ripley. She won the Tony for her perfomance, and she's absolutely brilliant.

And there's Adam Chanler-Berat. If he wasn't gay, we'd probably get married soon.

And this is Louis Hobson, who has the coolest shirt I've ever seen.

And my hero, J. Robert Spencer. I think he remembered me from last week, and he was totally rubbing my back while he talked to Alison. I wish he was my uncle or something. He's amazing. And then my camera managed to turn itself off while Alison was trying to get the picture, and I was trying to fix it, and he looks at me goes "tick tock, tick tock," and I apologized and he was like "you know I'm just joking with you." I love him.

Sigh. I'll miss this boy so much.

I'm going to Next to Normal again tonight to see Aaron Tveit's first show back. I'll miss Kyle but Aaron won awards for that role, and I'm looking forward to seeing him. Rumor has it that the show that Aaron was working on in Seattle during his summer-long hiatus (Catch Me If You Can: The Musical) is transferring to Broadway soonish, so I'm hoping that when Aaron leaves to do that (he has an opt-out clause in his contract in the event that Catch Me If You Can Transfers), they'll bring Kyle back.

That is, if the show is still open.

I Love Musicials.

Name your top ten favorite musicals, then answer the following questions. Some are about musicals in general and others are specific to the numbers.

1. Spring Awakening
2. Rent
3. Next to Normal
4. Les Miserables
5. Avenue Q
6. Aida
7. Billy Elliot
8. Guys and Dolls
9. Hair
10. Hairspray

How did you hear about 7?
It was playing on the West End when I was in the UK.

Would 4 make a good movie?
I think it could work, sure.

What's your favorite song from 10?
"Without Love."

Who's your favorite actor from the original cast (Broadway, London) of number 3?
J. Robert Spencer. Nicest guy ever.

How many times have you seen 9?
I actually haven't yet. I will soon.

Who's your favorite character from 2?
Mark Cohen.

What sort of merchandise do you have from 5?
I have a playbill and the cast recording.

Is 8 by your favorite composer/lyricist?
No.

Do you have a recording of every musical written by 1's composer?
No. I need Whisper House.

Could you recite all of the lyrics and dialogue from 6 by memory?
Nah, but I know a lot of the lyrics.

The first musical you ever saw live (or that you at least remember)?
Regionally, I've been seeing musicals for so long that I can't remember. As actual Broadway/tours, Les Miserables in Boston.

The first musical you saw on Broadway?
Mamma Mia! Please don't judge me. It was a school trip.

The first musical you saw off-Broadway?
Again, no clue. It's been so long.

The musical got you into musical theatre?
Les Miserables

Your favorite composer?
Jonathan Larsen.

Your favorite musical from your favorite composer?
RENT

The musical with your favorite choreography?
Billy Elliot.

Ever left a musical at intermission?
No, I believe in getting my money's worth.

Your all-time favorite song?
What You Own-RENT

Your all-time favorite lyric?
"You're fucked if you just freeze up. Can't do that thing, that keeping still. And you're fucked if you speak your mind, and you know, uh huh, you will." Spring Awakening.

Your all-time favorite line of dialogue?
"Thank you, Dr. Valium is my favorite color. How did you know?" (Next to Normal).
Another favorite: "FOOOOOOOOOKING 'ELL." (Billy Elliot). Don't ask why. Something about the British accent and the little boy's voice saying it just kills me.

Are you one of those people who leave in the middle of a curtain call?
No. Stay and give the performers the applause they deserve.

You're given a chance to go back in time. The only catch is that all you can do is see a musical - any time, any where, any cast. As long as it actually happened.
Opening night on Broadway for RENT, or Evita with Patti LuPone and Mandi Patinkin.

How do you feel about the more recent trend of turning popular movies into musicals? (Ex: Shrek, Legally Blonde, Lion King, etc)
I'm not really a fan, although I love Billy Elliot.

Your opinion on jukebox musicals?
They're fun, but I enjoy original music and theatre that's a little more thought provoking. I liked Mamma Mia!, but I would never shell out a ton of money for it.

Your favorite performance from this year's Tonys?
Hair, Billy Elliot during the opening, Guys and Dolls (haha just kidding...let's just call it "Tries and Fails"), Next to Normal (Aaron Tveit. Come on). It was a good year.
Also, I'm going to call Alice Ripley's acceptance speech a performance. Let me reiterate. “There’s a quote in the Kennedy Center by John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and it says, ‘I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.’ And he’s talking about ART. HE'S TALKING ABOUT ART!!!!!"

Have you ever seen these shows live?
All but Hair.

What's your favorite song from show 2?
What You Own.

Who's your favorite character from show 4?
I'm partial to Enjolras.

What's your favorite scene from show 5?
Either "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" or "I Wish I Could Go Back to College." Or maybe "The Internet Is For Porn." It's hard. There's a lot of good ones.

What's your favorite lyric from show 8?
"You gamble on everything all except me."

From show 10, which character are you most like?
Tracy.

Can you quote every line from show 1?
Uh, pretty much. And by pretty much, I mean yes.

How many times have you seen show 3?
As of today, three. As of next Monday, five. As of next time Kayleigh comes, 6.

If you could be anyone from show 6, who would it be? Why?
I don't think I'd want to be anyone from that show. Their fates aren't so good. I mean, I'd love to be Aida because she gets to make out with Radames, who is always gorgeous, but they both die in the end, so that's not okay. So I guess I'll say Amneris, who survives and becomes a strong, powerful pharaoh, but she has to make the decision to execute her fiance. Not okay.

What's your favorite song from show 7?
Either Electricity or Solidarity. Electricity is a gorgeous, Elton John-esque song with some beautiful lyrics (it's like that there's music playing in your ear, and I'm listening, and I'm listening, and then I disappear, and I feel it move me...), but Solidarity is a lot of fun and has one of my favorite juxtapositions in pretty much all of theatre.

What's your favorite quote from show 9?
I have a bunch.

• In this dive we discover sensation.
• Down to the gutter, up to the glitter, into the city where the truth lies.
• Let the sunshine in.
  

Out of all these shows, which one is your absolute favorite?
Spring Awakening, although RENT and Next to Normal are trailing closely behind.

Who's the best Broadway actor?
Right now: Anthony Rapp, Aaron Tveit, J. Robert Spencer, Kiril Kulish, David Bologna, Trent Kowalik, Gregory Jbarra, Jonathan Groff.
Ever: Mandi Patinkin, Colm Wilkinson, etc.

Who's the best Broadway actress?
Right now: Haydn Gwynne, Alice Ripley, Sutton Foster, Karen Olivo, Marcia Gay Harden
Ever: Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, Idina Menzael, Kristin Chenoweth.

What's the best musical they turned into a movie?
I think the movie version of Chicago worked really well. I also love Guys and Dolls, but you really can't beat Brando and Sinatra. That one is in like a whole other league.

Is there a musical you DON'T like?
Yes.

If so, which one? Why?
Cats. I'm sorry, but fancy costumes and dancing do not compensate for lack of plot, minimal character development, and a relatively shitty score. I'm also not a fan of My Fair Lady, but that's because I really hate Henry Higgins.

Do you think the movie versions are better, or the original Broadway shows?
As a rule, the shows. Chicago did great, but I think that's an exception. I think these stories were written to be performed on stage, not to be watched from your living room, and as such, a lot gets lost in the translation. Let's look at the RENT movie, for example. I love it, but only because I love RENT. The problem with watching a movie like that is that you can never replicate the energy felt in the theater during scenes like "Rent" and "La Vie Boheme." Another problem with translating stage shows to the screen is that Broadway shows are well over two hours long. Movies shouldn't be. And as a result of this, cuts have to be made, but in a lot of these shows, every song is relevant and important, and the film suffers as a result of this.