I've Decided to Marry You

It has finally arrived! The soundtrack for A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder (GGLAM) was released this morning and it is just as fantastic as I remember it being! This show is so unique with it's Gilbert and Sullivan-esq style and the music just melt every musical bone in my body. 

GGLAM about Monique (Monty) Navarro who finds out, on the day of his mother's funeral, that is ninth in line for the Earldom of Highhurst. In order to to avenge his mother's name, he elects to murder all eight D'Ysquith in front of him in line. It is an upbeat, comedic take on a typical "rags to riches" story. After I saw the show, I left the theatre in total awe of the whole production. I felt that the talent was wonderful and that everyone in the cast was perfect, and my feelings are reaffirmed as I write this due to the fact that I am listening to the soundtrack. 

My favorite song from GGLAM is I've Decided to Marry You. I loved this song when I saw the production just as much as I love it right now. During this song, Monty finds himself in a bit or a bind because he has two women in his home, Sibella in his bedroom and Phoebe in the living room. At the beginning of the scene, Sibella and him are spending time together when Phoebe shows up at his door and proposes to him. He goes on to accept Phoebe's proposal while keeping the engagement from Sibella. Everything about this song is clever, from the writing of the score to the staging of the whole scene.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do! It is such a funny, clever song!

Keep it Classy,

Catherine

Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee

I have a tendency to listen to one musical on repeat for weeks on end. It doesn't matter how well I know the music, if I have been in the show, or if I have even seen the show, an endless number of musicals is constantly on repeat on my iPhone and my Spotify account.

Currently I have been listening to Grease. I absolutely love Grease, I think it is just a beautiful story with amazing music! I have seen the movie plenty of times and my sister and I love acting as the roles as we listen to the music and as we watch the movie. Grease is the classic story of almost star-crossed lovers Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski who fell in love over the summer and then departed back home only to find out that they attend the same school. It is a really cute story with a book and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey that opened on Broadway in 1971 and was adapted into a movie musical in 1978 starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. 

I love the movie, the talent and soundtrack (in my opinion) is flawless. Recently though, I have been listening to the 2007 revival cast recording of the show, which includes the vocal talents of Laura Osnes and Max Crumm. I really enjoy listening to Broadway recordings of movie musicals because they usually include songs that were omitted from the movie - including Those Magic Changes, Freddy, My Love, and Mooning - and I think it is important to know those songs as well in addition to those included in the movie. I am especially in love with Osnes' version of Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (reprise). I feel like Osnes really puts herself and her personality into the piece and it is just filled with emotion. Now, don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying that I don't love Newton-John's version of the song (which I do . . . I love it a lot) I am just choosing to focus on Osnes' version of the song since I have been listening to it on repeat for the past 3 days. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Keep it classy,

Catherine

"When they criticize and make fun of me, can't they see the tears in my smile. Don't they realize there's just one of me and it has to last me a while. Sandy you must start a new, don't you know what you must do? Hold your head high, take a deep breath and cry, 'Goodbye!' to Sandra Dee," Grease Laura Osnes, Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (reprise)

We are Revolting Children!

Every once in a while there comes a musical that you develop a personal connection with and for me that musical is Matilda. The past week Catherine and I traveled to "the late great state of New York" with a few members of our drama club!

 While we were in the city we had the great pleasure of seeing two amazing Broadway shows, A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder (GGLAM) and Matilda. Don't get me wrong GGLAM was an amazing show! However, Matilda had Catherine and I in tears throughout the show. There were many time where we looked at each other in awe of what we were seeing on stage. From the amazing jaw-dropping choreography to the very beautiful and elaborate set design (which I happened to sneak a picture of below), Matilda kept me on the edge of my seat. 

One of the most amazing things about this show is the cast, which is made up of a majority of 10 year-olds! They used adults to play the fifth graders to make the little kids appear smaller..which obviously worked. The music from the show is outstanding, as I write this I am enjoying the soundtrack. I am amazed that this show didn't win Best Musical at the Tonys..Kinky Boots must be phenomenal! In closing, I think it's apparent that I am completely in love with the show! I ended up buying a good amount of merchandise from this show, and even got autographs from some cast members (including Gabriel Ebert who played Mr.Wormwood who I am in love with he is perfect in every way)!

Well that's all for this post kids!

May the fierce be with you,

Ray

Fashion in the Theatre

I am an avid theatre goer and love everything about the performances that I see. One of my favorite parts of going to the theatre, though, is getting dressed up for the show. I just love entering a theatre in my heels and designer dress with my bold make-up and styled hair; it is the closest thing I have to a fancy Hollywood party. In addition to thoroughly enjoying the show, I absolutely love looking at what everybody else is wearing. I check out the outfits of the people around me, those next to me as I stand in line for my sparkling water, and those fixing their make-up in the bathroom mirror. Everyone always looks fabulous when they go to the theatre and, how can they not? The theatre itself is so beautifully decorated that it never fails to make you feel under-dressed.

I feel like fashion in the Broadway setting is so different from fashion anywhere else. If you go to the movie theatre, you wear a simple pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. When you see an opera at the Met or go to a ballet, everyone is dressed in floor-length gowns, the tallest heels they own and are decked out in the most beautiful, but tragically expensive jewels. But fashion in the Broadway theatre is so unique in it's own form. It isn't as casual as going to see a movie but also isn't as fancy as attending an opera at the Met or going to see the ballet. Broadway fashion is right in the middle; most of the women are wearing nice cocktail dresses and heels while the men have on their most stylish, semi-formal outfits. I just adore the style that you see in the Broadway theatre and how wonderfully unique it is to Broadway itself!

Keep it classy,
Catherine