Moe, Julia and I went bike riding last saturday (January 16). It was fun. I have not been on a bike in a while. The seat was way too hard...I got a bruise. Very uncomfortable. We were riding bikes/visitng with Dallin and Giff Giff when Chris came home. At 2am, we all decided that we were just going to go to San Diego for fun. Why not? It is warm there right? At 3, after getting a bag each, ice and some scrambled-together-food, we were on the road. Road trips are very fun I think. On the way, we listened to some Louis Black. Have you ever heard him? He is HYSTERICAL, though I would advise those opposed to swearing to stay away, but man, his candy corn skit is hysterical. We we were getting close to oceanside, we started blast R&B/Rap. Wicked sweet.
Oceanside was fun. We went to the beach, watched some surfers do some nice cool tricks and then went with Chris's friend Ryan to some cafe in the area. It was really nice. The hamburgers were good, and not to expensive.
We then drove down to SD (first stopping at the temple). We took a "family" portrait in front of the temple. It was nice to actually see it for real, instead of in pictures. With the grey sky, the temple was very starkly contrasted. It was cool. Moe made fun of me though because I found a nice fuzzy caterpillar. Everyone knows about me and caterpillars...
Then we went over to Aldo's house (one of Chris's friends from high school). It was a sweet pad with a BEAUTIFUL kitten. Also, when Aldo got the lease to the house, he had to sign a waiver that he wouldn't add or mess up the landlord's beer collection. It was actually a pretty impressive collection. I mean, there is no beer inside, but it was just cool to see SO many beer cans and bottles. I didn't know that people collected them like they would baseball cards.We went shopping at a mall in SD. It is the nicest mall I have ever been to. It kinda was like being on 5th ave in NY in an outdoor Simon mall. Interesting huh??
That night, we all got dressed up and had Thai food. YUM! I love that genre of pallet. So good. We also went and saw some two pianists battle it out, kinda like karaoke, but they would take requests and see if they could play it on the piano. It was fun.
The next day we left at noon. We were in So Cal for about 24 hours. On the way back, it was raining SO hard. SO SO SO SO hard that it was hard to see ten feet in front of you. It took something like 15-16 hours to get home because the first hour took maybe three hours. Something like that. I am just glad that it did not snow like it said it was going to. That would have been worse.
During the rain, we came across a car that was in the right two lanes perpendicular to traffic. It caused a traffic jam, but as we got close we noticed that this woman had fish tailed and spun. Luckily she did not crash into anything and that the drivers were cautious enough/not going so fast that they could notice she had spun out. I was rather sad though because she was crying. How scary would that be...traumatizing probs.
Oh! I got a hair cut. European mullet.
Auditions are coming up soon, and it just seems that so much happens all the time. I have no time to practice for now CCM...learning new pieces for that on tops of practicing for SFCM and Mannes... PLUS seating auditions on Mahler 5, which I haven't even really looked at. AND we are playing Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream...joy! That scherzo is going to be the death of me, and I have to perfect it because I am principle. Not that I am complaining though.
I went and saw Tartuffe. Dallin Alred was in it. It was SO good. I liked the costumes and what they added. It was very Tim Burtony, and quite hysterical. I like how they added music. A very good production. Up there with Hamlet. The violin playing/singing could have been a bit better, but it was not a musical so I guess that is alright. Also, sometimes the projection was not good, especially with the woman (minus Norine and Dorine, the maids. They were superb). I think the best part was the costume/makeup design--oh, and the whole picture frame/silohuette idea was bretty nifty.
Earlier this month, I went and saw a project of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Now that was one moving piece of art. Not a play, a piece of art. Man. I don't think I have been effected by a play before like that. I couldn't talk. It took everything I had to actually go up to my friends and tell them good job. The sad thing is that many of the audience members were stoic and did not really know what was going on. I loved how the people in the marathon dance represented the people in Robert's life. I also like how it differentiates from the book. Very good. So, I do have one question though--did Robert shoot his mother as well? That is what I got from it. What does someone have to feel like to ask someone to shoot them, and what kind of person actually does it?? Oh wait....I have experienced this....I don't deal well with suicide/death....not at all. This was some of the best acting I have ever seen, and definitely the best "production" at BYU, though BYU could never do it because of content and because of swearing. Luckily I saw this. Oh, I loved how the dance marthoners wore masks and then when they were part of Robert's life, they took off the mask. I also liked how the judge/announcer was almost like Big Brother, how he would always be lurking around, but never do anything or interfere....creepy. Tartuffe was the same as Robert. It was interesting to see him play a dramatic role and a comic role and do both pretty darn well. Way to go Andrew Veenstra.
This brings me to the topic of Angels in America...but that discussion could go on for novels and sequels. That is such an amazing two plays...and the HBO movie is BREATHTAKING!!
"Respect the delicate ecology of your delusions."
Auditions are coming up soon, and it just seems that so much happens all the time. I have no time to practice for now CCM...learning new pieces for that on tops of practicing for SFCM and Mannes... PLUS seating auditions on Mahler 5, which I haven't even really looked at. AND we are playing Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream...joy! That scherzo is going to be the death of me, and I have to perfect it because I am principle. Not that I am complaining though.
I went and saw Tartuffe. Dallin Alred was in it. It was SO good. I liked the costumes and what they added. It was very Tim Burtony, and quite hysterical. I like how they added music. A very good production. Up there with Hamlet. The violin playing/singing could have been a bit better, but it was not a musical so I guess that is alright. Also, sometimes the projection was not good, especially with the woman (minus Norine and Dorine, the maids. They were superb). I think the best part was the costume/makeup design--oh, and the whole picture frame/silohuette idea was bretty nifty.
Earlier this month, I went and saw a project of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Now that was one moving piece of art. Not a play, a piece of art. Man. I don't think I have been effected by a play before like that. I couldn't talk. It took everything I had to actually go up to my friends and tell them good job. The sad thing is that many of the audience members were stoic and did not really know what was going on. I loved how the people in the marathon dance represented the people in Robert's life. I also like how it differentiates from the book. Very good. So, I do have one question though--did Robert shoot his mother as well? That is what I got from it. What does someone have to feel like to ask someone to shoot them, and what kind of person actually does it?? Oh wait....I have experienced this....I don't deal well with suicide/death....not at all. This was some of the best acting I have ever seen, and definitely the best "production" at BYU, though BYU could never do it because of content and because of swearing. Luckily I saw this. Oh, I loved how the dance marthoners wore masks and then when they were part of Robert's life, they took off the mask. I also liked how the judge/announcer was almost like Big Brother, how he would always be lurking around, but never do anything or interfere....creepy. Tartuffe was the same as Robert. It was interesting to see him play a dramatic role and a comic role and do both pretty darn well. Way to go Andrew Veenstra.
This brings me to the topic of Angels in America...but that discussion could go on for novels and sequels. That is such an amazing two plays...and the HBO movie is BREATHTAKING!!
"Respect the delicate ecology of your delusions."
First of all, the College Light Opera Company was one of the best and worst experiences of my life. I will start off with the worst--the humidity was a big problem, and the fact that each of the cottages that we lived in did not have air conditioning was a huge problem, as was the mold that grew from the lack of dry air. It rained so much at the beginning of the summer that there was an enormously large number of biting bugs. Being related to my mother, I was attacked, all the time. The only other problem was that I missed people too much. Because it was a high stress situation, nerves were always tight and emotions always rampant. Then again, when is that not the case with many Musical Theatre nerds?? However, CLOC was a great experience. I met some wonderful people, made some amazing connections (woot on that factor) and had a great time doing 9 shows. We performed Brigadoon, Yeomen of the Guard, Lady, Be Good!, Me and My Girl, Titanic, The Most Happy Fella, Carousel, H.M.S. Pinafore and Jekyll and Hyde. Some shows were definitely better than others...but overall I loved it and am SO glad I did it (even if I had dish duty three times).
The really impresive thing about CLOC is that everything is done in a week. We rehearse for the following show during the day (includes vocalists rehearsing, orchestra rehearsing, sets being designed, painted, cut, etc and costumes being made, fitted etc). We, the orchestra, only rehearsed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (Thursday was Matinee Day), Friday and then it is stiz probe on Sat with Dres Rehearsal Monday night. It is pretty daunting. Got tiring after a while with no air conditioning in the theatre during rehearsals (sorry for the women in FUR coats during Tech rehearsal of Tianic in the middle of July. They were supposed to be freezing in Winter 1912, but sadly, they were dying of heat exhaustion instead). 
My father was able to come see Me and My Girl and H.M.S. Pinafore. Those were good shows, wish he could have seen Most Happy Fella, Titanic or Jekyll, but Me and My Girl is hysterical.
I lived on the beach basically. Cape Cod, for a whole summer. Free room and board and I got paid. Sweet gig right there. Shout out to all my friends, I miss you!
School last semester was bad! Although it started off with Moe, Chris and me going to SF to celebrate Chris's birthday (in a way I guess), but I hated most of my classes. I had graduate school pre-screens which didn't turn out so well. I was stressed all the time. I was annoyed very easily and basically, I just did not have a nice semester. 
We did Tales of Hoffman as the Opera. Mom and Dad came to see it. Love the score! The story...not so much. 
For Thanksgiving, I went with Krista and some of her friends to seem some of the fam in El Paso. It was so nice to see my brother, his wife and my nephew/neice, my cousins, aunt and uncle and my grandparents. We had a grand ole' time. I also hung out with MaryCatherine which WAS AMAZING! I haven't seen her in two years...about time. It is always nice to see that we have a connection still even if we do not talk regular...about that...that needs to change!
My parents moved to CT, which I liked much more than El Paso. It is beautiful, clean and the house is great. I got to hang with Dustin, Austyn and Brody before they went to Portland. I am glad that all the airports were closed (even though it cost them a lot of money).
Oh! Over the summer, I saw Next to Normal. Great score. That one! Great acting too. When Alice Ripley signed in bubble letters, I was like...makes sense why she acted so well. Jennifer Damiano should have won the Tony. Nugh said. I liked how the costumes matched who Gage was controlling. As he began to fade, so did his purple shirt. Is that what is supposed to happen or am I adding things? Who knows. The set was cool. Intriguing I guess. I am so glad that I saw this production with the replacement Kyle Dean Massey. I like his voice better than the Aaron Tivet. This is one of the "loudest" shows I have seen, and with such a small orchestra...reminiscent of Idina blowing the speakers no? I did not like J. Robert Spencer much...my own opinion. However, I do love the song Everything Else--kinda pertains to me know? I bet everyone and their dog loves it though. Also, the Dream Dancing/There's a World was so touching, heart wrenching and miserable to watch. However, I don't think I agree with what people are saying--is Next to Normal the most overrated musical of the year? I certainly enjoyed it a lot, but I could see what they are saying. The whole psychopharmicologist thing. Now, Spring Awakening...I could agree on that being overrated.
