I'm back?

Once upon a 2008, I lived in New York City & started this here little blog called Always a Mermaid....

the title played on the idea that I had frequently found myself as a bridesmaid (no complaints!) 

& a random affinity I have for merpeople (no discrimination, either). 

This blog faded away in 2011, after my internship at Lookingglass ended 

& I found myself needing a theatrical outlet; 

thus born my was sister blog A.R.T. & Theatre:  

[Chicago-based theatre commentary & criticism]. 

While I still love that blog and intend to keep it going forever & always, 

an exciting trend has erupted since I peaced out on Always a Mermaid. 

This trend is called The Lifestyle Blog, 

which I define as a largely female-populated avenue to share one's life, 

art, accomplishments, children, hobbies, WHATEVER. 

This trend was not around when I first started the soap box that is/was Always a Mermaid,

but I really wish it had been. 

This here little blog existed to me as an alternate to the other social outlets... 

when MySpace ceased, FB annoyed, Twitter was a baby, & Pintrest was but a dream.

This post might only be the result of a boring Friday night, but who knows. 

I get bored, like to talk about cool stuff, & am clearly a fan of the interweb/blogosphere. 

So, WHATEVER & hello. 

goodbye glass house.

My time at Lookingglass has come to an end. Some highlights from my last days on the other side.


My friend who got cold.


The view from the archive room.


The view from the conference room.


How I do.


95th Floor


Sears


Empty restaurants have become pretty to me.


That time I saw UFO's descend upon Chicago.

HAIR

I finally got to see Hair. After watching it win the Best Revival Tony from my brother's couch in Colorado last June and failing to get a ticket on my birthday, this day has been a long time coming. The day arrived when it did because this cast is being sent to London and being replaced by a younger, unappealing group (Diana DiGarmo as Sheila says enough). So the performance I saw ended up being the original cast's last time on Broadway.


I don't know if it was that, the familiarity of the songs, or just being a popular show, but I have never been part of a more enthusiastic audience. The opening song, Aquarius, recieved a standing ovation. And that was one of four standing ovations given before the curtain call. After curtain call, they invited everyone onstage to dance. Obviously, this is not my style but it was pretty to see.


Also, Frank Langella was there.


I love Hair and I love Caissie Levy and want her to be a bridesmaid at my wedding and I love my mom for convincing me NYC is not as far as it feels.

frank mills & sunshine

opening squared

The Job


The Play

i dreamed that love would never die

The ultimate underdog singing from my dad's favorite musical.


And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

my, what an angry jury you have.

Tonight was the read-through for my second play in York. I was only planning to be here a month, but at least I have been given the opportunity to act in 2 plays. Before Anne of Avonlea, I hadn't auditioned in 5 years (thank you, Gordon College). This one is called 12 Angry Jurors and is at the York Little Theatre. I am Number 2 because first is the worst and second is the best. The theatre has good vibes, the show has a contemporary setting, the cast seems nice & talented, the space is in the round, and I am the closest thing to a child in the cast. All these things make me think it will be a good experience.

The downside: there is a performance on the night of the Lost Season 6 premiere.

Theatre v. Lost = the greatest battle for my heart ever.

:(

I am so sick of people getting diagnosed with cancer.

At least Andrew Lloyd Webber's isn't pancreatic and isn't stage 4.
:(

hallelujah, i adore it.

antoinette perry

My 2009 Tony Award opinions.

Best Play

Dividing the Estate
God of Carnage
Reasons to Be Pretty
33 Variations

* I vote Reasons to Be Pretty bc Neil LaBute is clever and Moises Kaufman has had his day. Kaufman has good ideas that I don't think translate quite as well, but LaBute's actual writing is so much sharper. I don't know too much about God of Carnage but it does seem kind of awesome [or boring].

Best Musical

Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical

* Obviously, it will be Billy Elliot & that is ok by me.

Best Revival of a Play

Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
New Version: Peter Oswald
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot

* I'm hoping for Mary Stuart since it's a Donmar import, but Waiting for Godot is more of an easy, name-casted production, so boo.

Best Revival of a Musical

Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story

* It's funny that G&D and WSS could have pretty easily had great, crowd-pleasing productions & both have gotten terrible reviews. Hair would have been my first choice anyway, but now I think it actually has a shot. But stupid Pal Joey will probably win since it's gross and people love gross revivals.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty

* Geoffrey Rush is in his own category here.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart

* What does it say about the quality of actresses in a season if they can only pull the nominees from 3 shows? Jane Fonda's a joke, Marcia Gay Harden is old news (but I think the front-runner), and the Mary Stuart ladies are gold.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish ‚ Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

* Brian d'Arcy James is so 1990s & Constantine is an American Idol gremlin, so no. Gavin Creel is hott, so that would be fine. But I like it when children win Tonys, so cheers to the little tripping billies.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

* Alice Ripley & Sutton Foster are pointless. I want Josefina the underdog.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical

* Karen Olivo is so pretty, but my heart belongs to Martha.

Best Choreography

Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

* I just think it says something that both West Side Story and Guys & Dolls were both left out of this category when they could have had such easy nominations.

carrots

Tonight was opening night of Anne of Avonlea. I was more nervous than I expected. My mom came, and it was sad for everyone that she had to come alone. Some of the storylines hit home because there are such creepy parallels to my real life situation, but I'm a tough little cookie. There is no happier feeling in this world than taking off a wig at the end of a night. Or receiving flowers in my favorite color scheme all the way from Colorado.


care of my sweet little Dora

ANNE @ dreamwrights

new @ the nederlander

On September 7, Rent closed at the Nederlander. My church was right next to the theatre and there were so many grievers & mourners. Every week, the lime green paint would have more and more little yearbook-entry type messages to the closed show. It annoyed me. I'm not a huge Guys & Dolls fan, but I do prefer classic musicals to those with an outdated cult following. So, the new Guys & Dolls revival gets my stamp of approval and I'm glad the Nederlander will be getting a paint job. And I like the looks of the cast, ESPECIALLY LAUREN GRAHAM. The casting of Miss Adelaide can easily go so good or no good, and I'm thinking so good.

after miss julie

I remember when I was in England the summer after I graduated college and Sienna Miller was playing Celia in As You Like It. It was then that I learned of the style and sass that is Sienna Miller. Now, seven years later, Miss Miller has shown herself to be even more stylish & sassy than anticipated, and even more talentless than her reviews would have predicted. So, why has she been confirmed to be the lead in Patrick Marber's After Miss Julie on Broadway. I'm not opposed to film actors being Broadway star carriages. As long as they are deserving and can hold thier own. But it's bad enough that actresses who don't even feign talent or training are getting good roles, but getting good roles a in Patrick Marber play just breaks my little heart.

anne

So...

it has taken me five years to work up the nerve to audition again after the personal tragedy that was the Gordon College theatre department...but I did and am going to be playing Anne in Anne of Avonlea at the end of Feb. The story is that Anne gives up her dreams of being a writer in the big city to come back to the country to help old Marilla take care of the farm. Art imitates life.

envy

i want to go to Chicago.

things are looking up.

on Broadway, not in my life.
There are shows opening next season that I am actually excited to see:

1. reasons to be pretty: Neil LaBute is always interesting and modern, even if not consistently my taste. It's about the American obsession with physical appearance, which is a pretty ordinary topic, but I think he could address it in a fresh way. The potential problem: Piper Perabo.

2. Mary Stuart: I had such England-envy when this was playing at the Donmar Warehouse. Everything pertaining to Elizabeth I is good by me, and this is supposed to a political thriller that is actually both politcal and thrilling. Plus, Janet McTeer can do no wrong.

3. West Side Story: This is exactly the type of musical that should be revived. It's a musical that warrants the degree of popularity it has accrued. It will probably never close and probably never should. I like that Maria (Karen Olivo) is accomplished but not already over-exposed. And I like her face.

4. Hair: Another good revival, it will be interesting to see which one wins the Tony (probably West Side though). I pretty much can't think of an old-school musical I would be more excited to see revived with the technology/avenues of artistry that they didn't have 40 years.

5. Waiting for Godot: I feel like I've lived this play. Nathan Lane can be annoying but he's good. And last year Bill Irwin was working at PTC, so that's fun.

6. You're Welcome. A Final Night With George Bush: Will Ferrell + Broadway is the new peanut butter and honey.

Maybe it's because we are in an election year, but things seem to be political and/or commenting specifically on American-ness. I likes.

i have my certainty

I can't wait for Doubt the movie. I can't think of three people who could have been better cast in the roles. I'm so glad Natalie Portman turned down the role of Sister James because Amy Adams is gonna be perfect with her sweet little voiced self.