I want to sing and dance!
I saw two shows over the past two weeks: a production of Nunsense at Millsaps, and a Kessler traveling show of 42nd Street. Both shows made me want to sing and dance!
Nunsense was cast very well, with mostly underclassmen. I was very impressed. Robert Ann, Hubert, and Amnesia were all stand-outs. It's just such a fun show. I think a real nun was sitting behind us in the audience. She was laughing the whole way through!
Kessler's 42nd Street was a little over-acted, which I especially noticed in Act 1. Also, the actress they'd cast as Dorothy Brock was, I think, mis-directed. She was just so over-done that she didn't seem like a real character at all. I think that when performers over-act, they don't seem real. As a result, audience members don't care about them, because they are continually reminded that the whole show is one big act. It really works against the whole "suspension of disbelief." You can't give yourself over to a play if the actors are strutting around and emoting all over the place. The actress playing Peggy Sawyer was an amazing tapper, as were all of the girls in the chorus line. WOW. What a great, old-Broadway-style show. When the obligatory lighted steps rolled out, I almost got a little misty! If the company tours the show in your area, it's definitely worth checking out.
Needless to say, the whole thing has got me thinking about performing again. I'm pretty rusty, though. It would take some work.
I recently finished reading Midwives, which was another great pick. I reviewed it on Amazon.com, so you can check out what I thought if you're interested. Since then, I've been trying to get a handle on The Book of Ruth, without much success. If it doesn't grab me soon, back to the library it goes. The 50-page rule is a good one; if the story doesn't interest you after 50 pages, don't waste your time reading the rest. Remember - you have a finite amount of time in this world. Don't waste it trudging through books you aren't enjoying.
Easter brunch went great. My in-laws came over, and we had the quiche, the salad, the fruit platter, etc. We finished up with a great lemon cake. They stayed for a while after we finished eating, which I was really glad about. I like to think that they feel comfortable over at our place.
My little sister's 21st birthday is quickly approaching. Since this is a bigee, I've got to come up with something good . . .
Nunsense was cast very well, with mostly underclassmen. I was very impressed. Robert Ann, Hubert, and Amnesia were all stand-outs. It's just such a fun show. I think a real nun was sitting behind us in the audience. She was laughing the whole way through!
Kessler's 42nd Street was a little over-acted, which I especially noticed in Act 1. Also, the actress they'd cast as Dorothy Brock was, I think, mis-directed. She was just so over-done that she didn't seem like a real character at all. I think that when performers over-act, they don't seem real. As a result, audience members don't care about them, because they are continually reminded that the whole show is one big act. It really works against the whole "suspension of disbelief." You can't give yourself over to a play if the actors are strutting around and emoting all over the place. The actress playing Peggy Sawyer was an amazing tapper, as were all of the girls in the chorus line. WOW. What a great, old-Broadway-style show. When the obligatory lighted steps rolled out, I almost got a little misty! If the company tours the show in your area, it's definitely worth checking out.
Needless to say, the whole thing has got me thinking about performing again. I'm pretty rusty, though. It would take some work.
I recently finished reading Midwives, which was another great pick. I reviewed it on Amazon.com, so you can check out what I thought if you're interested. Since then, I've been trying to get a handle on The Book of Ruth, without much success. If it doesn't grab me soon, back to the library it goes. The 50-page rule is a good one; if the story doesn't interest you after 50 pages, don't waste your time reading the rest. Remember - you have a finite amount of time in this world. Don't waste it trudging through books you aren't enjoying.
Easter brunch went great. My in-laws came over, and we had the quiche, the salad, the fruit platter, etc. We finished up with a great lemon cake. They stayed for a while after we finished eating, which I was really glad about. I like to think that they feel comfortable over at our place.
My little sister's 21st birthday is quickly approaching. Since this is a bigee, I've got to come up with something good . . .
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