Our most distinguished alumnus...

This was in the display case in the Arthur Miller Theatre Lobby last weekend...


I love my classmates.

Broadway for Everyone

I'm going to give everyone here a big tip right now, so listen up.

If you buy one musical soundtrack this year, make it SPRING AWAKENING.
If you find yourself in New York and can only see one show, see SPRING AWAKENING.
If you think you don't like musicals, watch the video I've posted below, or at least listen to only the music. I promise, this is an amazing show.
Music by Duncan Shiek....sure, his solo career hasn't been amazing, but this is some very well written music. Give it a try.



www.springawakening.com

Thursday Thirteen #14: Pet Peeves

Thirteen Pet Peeves that I have....

1. People who chew with their mouths open/chew loudly
When I'm sitting across from you, I don't want to see what's in your mouth. When I'm sitting next to you, I don't want to hear every sloppy gloppy piece of whatever you're chewing. (Loud foods like chips and nuts excluded, but if I can hear you chewing soup, STOP!

2. Bad Time Management
Am I seriously the only person who understands this concept?

3. Unreliable people who don't understand why you're frustrated with them
Also falling into this catagory: Unreliable people who want you to trust them with big jobs.

4. Actors who don't appreciate the technical people/aspects of a show they're in
I quote an actor walking into rehearsals for 24 Hour Theatre "I don't understand why they [The Lighting Designers/Techs] are always messing with the lights...it always looks the same..." Little did he know, but there were no lights in the studio less than 24 hours ago. The techs had to take all the lights down, re-hang, re-wire, and re-focus the entire plot in approximately 12 hours...or there wouldn't have been a 24 Hour Theatre.

5. Techs who don't respect actors.
There are a lot of really talented people out there, and we need to work together to produce good theatre. People will only sit through a few Light Shows in their lifetime.

6. People moving the thermostat
65 Degrees is the temperature we can afford...so stop moving it! $400 DTE bills are getting annoying!

7. Single-Issue voters
Around election time, I get pretty worked up about this. Don't base your entire voting on one issue, educate yourself!

8. Heelys in public places
I'm sure they're fun. I can bet that if I was 12 I'd want a pair, but letting your kid run rampant in a packed mall with them is unsafe. Around the holidays at the mall in Florida, I almost got hit 4 times!



9. People who listen to only show tunes
Now, I love some musicals, and I listen to them fairly often....but how anyone could listen to ONLY showtunes, is beyond me. There's so much good music that has been produced for hundreds of years, to ignore it is awful. I might even say that someone who pigeon-holes themself into only one genre of music, no matter what genre, is wrong!

10. Talking loudly in class
If you have to talk, whisper! I don't need to hear about how you were "soooooo wasted" last weekend, or about that rash you have and don't know who/what/where you got it.

11. PC users bashing Macs, when they've obviously never used one...
for an extended period of time. I'm sorry, but Macs make sense. Want to burn stuff onto a CD? put the CD in, drag the files onto the icon, and click burn. On a PC you have to have burning software. Once the software loads, you have to sort through menus to get to your files. Click the files, then after a few more hoops you're ready to burn. I'll pass. Macs aren't the devil. Sit with one for a few hours, and you'll figure that out.

12. People who pass gas loudly and don't apologize
I have someone I know who is notorious for this. He/She is actually known for it among my friends since he/she tends to pass gas very very loudly while only a few people around, and never even acknowledges it! At least apologize! We know you did it!

13. Creep-tastic Myspace!
I have a Myspace...and I'm not a huge fan. There are so many creep-tastic people on there (men and women) and I can't deny their requests enough. I have denied some of these guys/girls upwards of 5 times and they still keep requesting me. On top of that, I receive random messages a lot too. It's just gross sometimes. I'll stick with Facebook.

Life Lessons Learned in Wisconsin

My week in Wisconsin was eventful! The Michigan Theatre Dept. represented itself well, taking home an honorable meantion and the Gold in Stage Management, and honorable meantion in scenic design, and a spot as an alternate for Lighting Design.

Here's what I learned while in Wisconsin:

1. The Cheese Cake Factory makes INTENSE salads...


(My roommate, Stephen, with his intense-garnish-salad)

2. A Chicken can hook up a sound system in under 5 minutes...


(Taken during the Tech Olympics)

3. Wisconsin supposedly loves cows...but these were the only ones I could find!


(The cows behind Kopp's Ice Cream Parlor)

4. I know who the first mayor of Milwaukee was...Juneau?


(My friends standing with the mayor himself, Mr. Juneau.)

5. The old Pabst factory is the coolest looking complex of buildings ever...


(The Pabst factory!)

Going BLUE in Wisconsin!

I'm in the land of hopes and CHEESE all week for the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival for a friendly Stage Management competition.

First impressions:
1. There needs to be a tunnel connecting Michigan with Wisconsin. Seriously. A SIX hour drive? please.
2. There are a lot of annoying theatre people staying in our hotel. Hopefully they're not up late.
3. Free wireless internet in hotel rooms is awesome
4. People can't drive. This is just in general. Go back to class!
5. This is going to be an awesome weekend
6. University of Michigan Theatre RULES!

Thursday Thirteen: Musicals

My Thirteen Favorite Songs from a Broadway Musical

1. Rent-Finale B

2. Wicked-As Long As You're Mine
I know everyone loves Defying Gravity and Popular and What Is This Feeling (Loathing), but I LOVE this song. It's one of the best love songs I've heard in a while, because it's not a normal love song.

3. The Producers(Broadway cast)-Betrayed!
Nathan Lane is brilliant. This song not only captures Max Bialystock's betrayal, but also reinacts the entire musical in 2 minutes...and it's hilarious. I love it.

4. Les Miserables-One Day More

5. Tommy-Pinball Wizard
The broadway recording is almost as amazing as the original.

6. AltarBoyz-God Put the Rhythm In Me
Word to your mother, this song rocks!

7. Phantom of the Opera-Notes
Brilliantly written, one of the few things I truly love love love from Andrew Lloyd Webber anymore.

8. Sweeny Todd: The Daemon Barber of Fleet Street-A Little Priest
The original version, with Angela Lansbury is perfection!

9. The Producers(Broadway Cast)-Where Did We Go Right?

10. Chorus Line-I Hope I Get It
The show is not very good, but the music is amazing, and I love this song.


11. Into the Woods- You are Not Alone
This song makes me cry.

12. My Fair Lady-I've Become Accustomed to Her Face

13. Rent-Goodbye Love
This song is gorgeous, and I was really disappointed when it got left out of the movie, since Rosario Dawson performes beautifully.