31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi

It's Official - BTMRR Closes For Refurbishement Jan. 7

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The rumor has been out there since last summer but Disney finally officially announced the closing of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad January 7 for an extended refurbishment. The iconic ride is not scheduled to reopen until next fall with the reported re-opening being around October 30. What does a 10 month closure of the gigantic ride get you? Officially from Disney (according to Disney Parks Blog) you get a new track (though the ride itself doesn't change). You get new ride vehicles (though it will still be a railroad train - let's hope the same people who designed and built the new Matterhorn vehicles stay as far away as possible). And you get a new paint job on the mountain (though after all these years, I still thought it looked pretty good).
Not quite official, we hear that the passenger loading platform will be rebuilt, the so-called NextGen queue elements will be added for some measure of entertainment for those waiting in line. And most controversial of all is the possibility of the removal of the town of Rainbow Ridge which overlooks the ride and is a remnant of the former mine train attraction that occupied the area decades back.
I don't think I've been on Thunder Mountain Railroad in 3 or 4 years. I tried a couple of times but it seems like every time I was by there and tried, the ride had somehow broken down and not taking on riders. So another 10 months isn't going to kill me. Look forward to the new and (hopefully) improved Thunder Mountain Railroad sometime late next year though....

Reversing The Tide Between Disneyland And DCA

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It just dawned on me - I'm a little slow sometimes admittedly - but for the first time in maybe years, there is absolutely no construction projects going on in Disney California Adventure park. The new and improved version of the park sucks up guests like there's no tomorrow and treats them to a theme park experience unencumbered by unsightly walls, scaffolding, heavy equipment, and workers in hard hats. Not that improvements couldn't be made but for now, Disney is quite pleased with the park that they have sunk over a billion dollars into over the last couple of years.
But Disney, at least for now, is not resting on its laurels. The attention has turned to the grand old lady herself - Disneyland. Let's look what's going on now and what is about to transpire:

  • Construction of the new Princessess Fantasy Faire Village
  • Rebuilding of the old Fantasyland Theater for new live shows
  • Large Scale Refurbishment of Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Final refurbishment of the Alice in Wonderland exterior.
  • Transformation of the Market House into a Starbucks
  • And coming soon (hopefully), the announcement of Disneyland's Iron Man attraction


Walt said Disneyland would never be finished and he was right on. Disney charges a premium price for their theme park experience. To sit back and collect high priced admission receipts while doing nothing would be the height of corporate laziness (which sometimes could be seen in past Disney corporate regimes). Disney wants as much of their fans discretionary spending dollars as they can get and to get it, they need to continue to deliver the goods and flat out be better than everyone else in doing it.

Future of Disneyland's ToonTown - Disney Dose

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The Disneyland Traveler (that's me) has been asked to contribute some writing to the Disneyland side of  The Disney Dose fan sight. Sure. Happy to do it. Read my first contribution at the link below (well, actually it was my third piece of writing but the other two had some software comparability issues and will be posted in a few days). Hope you enjoy it and all the Disney information the Disney Dose has to offer.
Disney Dose - Future of Disneyland's ToonTown

Disneyland's Christmas Candy Cane Tradition

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Candy Cane Making at Disneyland
A Disney Photo

The making of hand made candy canes at Disneyland's Main St. candy store is a time honored tradition at Christmas time. It is only done on select days and people stand in long lines to get one. They are also probably the most expensive candy canes you will ever buy. The candy canes generally sell out on the days that they are made. The crafting of hand made candy canes is so popular that DCA is making candy canes over in their new Buena Vista St. candy store. Christmas traditions at Disneyland are wonderful.
Here's my deal. I don't like candy canes  :-(

Disneyland 2012 Review - A Crown Jewel & Some Stubbed Toes

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Cars Land at Night - Photo By Disney

It's been quite a year for the Disneyland Resort, a record breaking year in fact. And it all began with the Disneyland California Adventure relaunch back in June. The new and improved park now featured Cars Land, a place where Disney really did get it right. Cars Land isn't perfect but it is pretty darn close. Cars Land gave Disney imagineers the opportunity to build their best attraction probably in decades with Radiator Springs Racers and they came through in big way. So maybe it wasn't the best decision to try and build a fast pass distribution area next to the ride that already experiences wait times in the hours instead of minutes. That idea was eventually scrapped with the fast pass distribution now sitting just outside of the people packed "land". And maybe the slow moving and awkward Luigi's Flying Tires wasn't the best choice as a secondary ride but everything else in Cars Land seems to hit on all cylinders so to speak. Great job Disney.
Cars Land's Radiator Springs Racers - Photo by Disney

Remember the tacky Sunshine Plaza entrance for DCA? It's now just a bad memory as the absolutely lovely Buena Vista Street takes its rightful spot as a grand way to enter a premier Disney Park. Streetcars, entertainers, very nice retail establishments (including a Starbucks), a new Partners statue, and the iconic signature Carthay Circle restaurant all welcome guests into a full days worth of entertainment in Disney California Adventure park. Half day park? Not any more. Again, great job Disney with Buena Vista Street.


With the relaunch of Disney California Adventure, the people came, and came to the Disneyland Resort in 2012. The hotels filled the and problems with the economy, that still exist to a great extent, fell by the wayside. The new and improved Disneyland Resort left Disney executives smiling ear to ear as both parks seem to fairly equally split the large crowds coming to the resort, an occurrence that never happened in DCA's previous years of existence.
But as great a year as the Disneyland Resort had, let's not forget about a few missteps along the way.
People are still talking about One More Disney Day, an event that Disney promoted that turned Leap Day (February 29) into what was hoped to be an all night festive party. As One More Disney Day progressed from morning to nighttime seas of people swarmed Disneyland causing long lines, gridlocked areas, and increasingly unruly behavior by some of the guests. The understaffed cast members did their best to control the mobs but by many accounts OMDD was a decent into chaos. Now you will find people out there who say they had a great time at the event but Disney forums and discussion boards filled with comments of guests who had a completely different take on what transpired.


Disney California Adventure was a huge success and was hugely expensive at a price tag of over a billion dollars for the improvements. Disney needed to pay for the improvements and to capitalize on their new and improved park. So back in May, Disney announced its largest price increase ever in daily admission, park hopper multi-day tickets, and annual passes. Oh boy! Reaction and outcries  came swiftly causing a huge rift in the Disney community with those who could or would continue to pay the high prices versus those who felt they were being priced out of the park they loved so dearly. It's another gap between the haves and the have-nots, whether that gap is real or just a statement of principle. Nobody wants to pay higher prices of course and even with the high price tag to get in, there is no shortage of people who will pay for their Disney experience. It's just the way it is.
While the bulk of the attention was turned toward DCA in 2012 and its spectacular success, we can't forget about that 6 month refurbishment of the venerable Matterhorn in Disneyland. While the majestic mountain was getting a fresh coat of paint, fans were wondering about the changes going on inside. Turns out, there were none which many found disappointing. On top that, the beloved "cuddle seat" ride vehicles were replaced by a cramped space sled few find comfortable in any way. The mountain looks great, the ride took a turn for the worse.


Indiana Jones Adventure had 17 week refurbishment in the fall of 2012. Again, fans of the ride were wondering about changes when all that really happened was to fix existing scenes that weren't working as they should and the addition of some enhanced lighting features. Again, no big surprises from a lengthy closure of a popular attraction.
And I couldn't close off 2012 at Disneyland without some thoughts about the expanded Christmas Candlelight Processional. By all accounts, it was a fantastic event when all went well. But bad weather cancelling a few of the performances and the unsightliness of the staging area during the day in its prominent location of the Main St. train station kind of presented some issues for Disney. They want the expanded event to continue but need to have it set up in a location that that is more supporting of those who want to attend. The new (covered) Fantasyland Theater or the Hyperion Theater (indoors) at DCA have been rumored to be possible spots for a popular event. In either case, while it bucks with the tradition of the current event staging) both would solve a number of problems with the event as Disney tries to build on it.
2013 won't bring nearly the change that historic 2012 brought about. There's a 9 month refurbishment of Thunder Mountain Railroad coming very shortly. It is rumored that Innoventions will be demolished in the next few months to prepare space for the new Iron Man attraction. The D23 event in August 2013 should bring news of the next major building projects that will occur in Disneyland. But the one thing you can count on, like death and taxes, is sometime before summer, Disney will raise admission prices once again. They won't be raised to the jaw dropping levels of 2012, just enough to take a few more dollars out of your wallet and put it in Disney's bank account.












27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe

Future of Disneyland's ToonTown - Disney Dose

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The Disneyland Traveler (that's me) has been asked to contribute some writing to the Disneyland side of  The Disney Dose fan sight. Sure. Happy to do it. Read my first contribution at the link below (well, actually it was my third piece of writing but the other two had some software comparability issues and will be posted in a few days). Hope you enjoy it and all the Disney information the Disney Dose has to offer.
Disney Dose - Future of Disneyland's ToonTown

Animal Kingdom Envy

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I hear a lot of lamenting from the fans of Walt Disney World that goes something like this - "yeah, we got this impressive and badly needed expansion to Fantasyland and all it adds to the Magic Kingdom but man, we sure could of used something as spectacular as Cars Land." Call it Cars Land envy.
But as a west coast Disney fan, there is a bit of envy as well from my side of things toward WDW, and specifically in my case, towards Disney's Animal Kingdom. You see, the Disneyland Traveler is an animal guy. Within 15 feet of where I write this at home a dog and 3 cats are taking their morning naps. So what could be better than the marriage of Disney and a live animal theme park for an animal guy like me?
When Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I were planning our trip to WDW a few years ago (see:  My Aborted Trip to WDW) I kind of wanted to push Mrs. DLT on staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. I knew I wouldn't get too far with my plea since the DAK Lodge is pretty remote for a first time visitor to WDW so we looked at resorts with closer proximity to the other 3 parks. But the idea of a room overlooking the savanna with beautiful animals wandering near by - wow - what a scene that would be first thing in the morning.
The complaint of even supporters of Disney's Animal Kingdom is that it isn't a full day park (a similar complaint expressed of Disney California Adventure until this past summer). Maybe true but DAK has probably the two Disney attractions I would like to get the chance to experience - Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest (not to mention all the animal life scattered around the park). I don't know when or if I ever will ever get the chance to get there.
The rest of DAK I'm kind of so-so about.  Kali River Rapids? DCA has one of those - a very good one. DINOSAUR? Kind of the same ride aisneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure only different stuff to look at. Primeval Whirl? It's just a wild mouse coaster and DCA has one of those too. It's Tough To Be A Bug? Oh.... DAK for me is all about the animals and one very impressive roller coaster.
Something like DAK can never be duplicated in or around The Disneyland Resort. Just plain no room for it. Besides, a there are two world renowned zoos within close proximity to Disneyland. So Disney Animal Kingdom is a unique and original Disney park. I hope WDW fans really appreciate what they have. Yes, DAK needs more to become a top flight Disney park and Avatar Land is probably not going to be the answer, but it still has a lot to offer for animal lovers like me.
Envy for Disney Animal Kingdom? You bet. We'll save my jealousy for the World Showcase for another time.

Disneyland's Christmas Candy Cane Tradition

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Candy Cane Making at Disneyland
A Disney Photo

The making of hand made candy canes at Disneyland's Main St. candy store is a time honored tradition at Christmas time. It is only done on select days and people stand in long lines to get one. They are also probably the most expensive candy canes you will ever buy. The candy canes generally sell out on the days that they are made. The crafting of hand made candy canes is so popular that DCA is making candy canes over in their new Buena Vista St. candy store. Christmas traditions at Disneyland are wonderful.
Here's my deal. I don't like candy canes  :-(

Raiders of the Lost Christmas Spirit

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The Raiders of the Lost Ark Movie Truck
At the Indiana Jones Adventure - Disneyland

I think I did my due diligence. Yesterday on Christmas Eve I watched a good chunk of A Christmas Story that TBS shows for 24 hours straight. Last night the family and I watched Will Ferrell as Elf and I followed that up with a A Charlie Brown Christmas (mandatory Christmas season viewing). 
This morning I got up, turned on the Christmas tree lights, lit a fire in the fireplace, and flipped on the Yule Log on the TV as we got our Christmas Day off to its start. The Yule Log didn't last long as USA was showing Raiders of the Lost Ark (along with all the other Indiana Jones movies to follow). And now the Disney Christmas Parade has started with a bunch of people I really don't know since I don't watch the Disney Channel.
Christmas isn't what it used to be as the years go by. Youthful joy is replaced by adult burdens in the Christmas Spirit department but we do what we can to carry on. Hopefully next year, there is an actual trip to Disneyland during the Christmas season to step up the spirit.  
What happened to my Christmas spirit?   "We've got our top men on it.....top....men". 
Anyway Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.



Monsters Inc. and the 3D Experience

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Disney Pixar's Monsters Inc.

During this holiday season Disney / Pixar is returning Monsters Inc. to the big screen in a theater near you - now remastered in 3D. Disney has had good success re-releasing the classic Pixar films to theaters a few weeks ahead of their 3D home video release on Blu-Ray discs. 
Most Pixar fans already have Monsters Inc. in their home video collections so the decision is if they think they want the 3D experience in their homes with the new video release and have the equipment that supports 3D viewing at home. Given the choice, I'll see a 3D version of a film in a theater. At home? That's a different story. I just don't think I want 3D in my house. In a darkened theater with your attention focused on the screen, 3D enhances the movie experience in most cases. At home, where assorted distractions abound, 3D just doesn't seem to be something that's necessary.
As for Monsters Inc. the movie. I've mentioned this before in this blog but its always been a hit or miss movie for me. It's really strange. I can sit down and watch Monsters Inc. and enjoy it thoroughly. Other times I've put it on and can't remember why I liked it so much. 
Monsters University, which comes out next June, is a movie I am really looking forward to seeing though.

20 Aralık 2012 Perşembe

REVIEW: Bare: The Musical

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Review of the Saturday, December 15 performance at Stagee 4 of New World Stages in New York City.  Starring Jason Hite, Taylor Trensch, Elizabeth Judd, Gerard Canonico, Barrett Wilbert Weed, Missi Pyle, Jerold E. Soloman.  Music by Damon Intrabartolo.  Book and lyrics by Jon Hartmere, Jr.  Additional music by Lynne Shankel.  Choreography by Travis Wall.  Direction by Stafford Arima.  2 hours, 40 minutes, including intermission.  Adult language, sexually explicit content.

Grade: A-

I find the social media response to Bare: the Musical to be very telling and pretty ironic.  In some ways, the show is getting what it asks for by updating the piece to include texting, mass emailing, and digital photography as an important "character." It stands to reason, then, that those very outlets would be chock full of chatter about this latest incarnation of the show by Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere.  The audience the show hopes to attract is having its say on Twitter, Facebook, any number of blogs and even Instagram.  As you might guess, opinions are all over the virtual map.  The irony is that these reactions are often based on half the story, just as the half truths and the appearance versus reality of events as captured by the social media used by the characters in the show cause similarly impassioned reactions to events in the musical.  How many people could possibly have seen BOTH versions of the show at this point?  How fair is it to compare a full production to a concept recording?  I won't attempt to answer those questions in this review (you can probably guess my feelings about that), nor will I do a comprehensive comparison.  Instead, I am going to try to review this as a completely separate production (because it is), evaluating elements on their own, current merit, and then winding it up with a brief impression about how the revisions of this revival compare to the original.

"A Million Miles from Heaven"
The Cast of Bare: The Musical
You can't escape the immediacy of this production from the moment you sit down at New World Stages' Stage 4 space. The set, designed by Tony-winner Donyale Werle, is a beehive of open boxes, if you will, covered with thousands of images from Instagram - perfect squares, carefully pasted together, representing one second of life captured by a smart phone.  Each photo bares the exact, inescapable truth of a given second in a series surrounding seconds, without thought to how accurately that one second captures the larger truth about the lives of their subjects.  One second, a pair of best friends may be captured in a private moment of happiness.  But who knows what happened in the seconds before or the lifetime after that one second.  In short, the set and even how it is lit (by Howell Binkley) serve as a constant reminder that we are in an age of truth by the instant.  How that comes into play in the story of Bare is both enormous in implication, and, appropriately, a harsh reminder that these days all it takes is one tick of the clock, one flash of the camera, to change lives forever, and often, without regard for the consequences.  This set, lighting, and  William Cusick's projection design, serve multiple purposes.  We are literally all over St. Ceclia's boarding high school, often in multiple locations at once.  Figuratively, we see the teens and the faculty many times in separate windows/boxes, compartmentalized by each other or separated by their own private angst, and, more often than not, the specter of religion (and all that that implies) hangs over it all as headmaster Father Mike paces back and forth above it all, observing.  Is he judging?  Sometimes.  Is he there to help or hinder?  Both.  In the world of Bare, religion is always present and always judging, but more a problem than a solution.  Of course, this flies in the face of what these kids have been taught about God, only adding to their angst, not healing it.

Gerard Canonico and Elizabeth Judd (center)
and Company
Putting it all together is teen musical go-to-guy, Stafford Arima, who has taken great pains to allow the relationships between every character to define how the space is used.  His direction is both straight forward and symbolic.  His use of space and the "boxes" of the set allows for multiple locales to be viewed at once.  Arima often creates some beautiful stage pictures to convey themes; often, it is the wordless tableaux that are more powerful that the script and songs.  Travis Wall's energetic, athletic choreography serves the opening, "A Million Miles from Heaven," and the climactic party scene very wll.  But I have say, as moving as the choreography is in the final number, "One Voice," I can't help but notice how very similar these moves are to the moves in "Touch Me" in Spring Awakening.  Homage?  I don't think so.

And what about those kids?  Well, they are certainly cutting edge as a group.  Witness their dress and look (costumes by Tristan Raines, hair and make up by Leah J. Loukas) which is so of the moment, that one wonders if the cast will be dressed in completely new outfits every week of the run.  The only hint that these teens go to a Catholic boarding school is the occasional blazer and skinny tie, which are apparently only marginally required.  Here, they are allowed some measure of self-expression.  And as the adults in the audience will observe, the more each student tries to express their individuality, the more they really are alike.  Like all American high schools, this place has its outcasts (self-imposed), its easy girls, its jocks and its geeks; each student is compartmentalized, all while believing they are individuals.  It is the angst of these kids and the secrets each harbors that propel this story.  Add the presence of bullying, forbidden love and the conflicting need to both conform and be an individual, and you have a recipe for a relatively honest look at the American teenager circa 2012.  For the most part, this revised version of the show is very effective to that end.

What really makes this production hum is the superlative cast, from top to bottom, each a triple-threat.  An ensemble in every sense of the word, the cast easily moves back and forth from a unified community to cliques with attitude, to friends with a pack mentality to individuals trying to figure out who they are, and back again.  Sara Kapner and Megan Lewis (on for Ariana Groover) perfectly capture those self-involved bitchy girls, while Alice Lee and Alex Wyse bring a very welcome sense of humor to their scenes - she's the sweet but dim airhead who just wants to be liked, while he's a Jew in a Catholic school.  Both are quite funny and all four bring a lot to each scene where they are "in the background."  Much care has been given to make sure that even when these characters are not the focus of the scene, they provide nice subtext.  The same can be said for the bad boy jocks (and ultimately the bullies, naturally) - each self-absorbed swagger and hyper-sexualized moment is played to the testosterone-filled hilt by Michael Tacconi, Justin Gregory Lopez and Casey Garvin.  What is terrific about all three is that they make much more of what could easily be one dimensional stereotypes.

"I didn't know who else to turn to..."
Jerold E. Soloman and Jason Hite
As the Principal and spiritual guide of the school, Jerold E. Soloman is a somewhat menacing presence, and he manages to bring a great deal of unspoken story to the piece, emphasizing that there is as much going on under his collar and frock as there is going on with his students.  One of the best aspects of the whole show is what is unspoken and left to the audience when it comes to Father Mike.  What is he covering up?  Is there something about him that he fears will be exposed?  Do all priests lie in the name of the Lord?  As the super cool and deeply feeling nun/teacher, Sister Joan, Missi Pyle is nothing less than amazing.  She commands the stage whenever she's on it - purposely when she comes to Peter as the Virgin Mary, and even  when she's a part of the bigger picture.  She exudes a charisma that, like the best real life teachers, draws you to her, makes you listen to her and want to learn from her.  It is no wonder she gets such an enthusiastic hand at the curtain.

Barrett Wilbert Weed and Company
And while is all but certain that every single cast member will move on to huge careers in the future, right now what is a certainty is that the five young leads of Bare are among the hardest working and passionate a group as any on the New York stage today.  These "stars of tomorrow" include the complex and moody Barrett Wilbert Weed, whose soulful, troubled eyes tell us more about her character, Nadia, than any five pages of dialogue.  Her powerful belt combined with many smaller moments of quiet understatement do much to convey her character's deep troubles and contradictory nature; it is a thoroughly captivating performance.  Equally angst-ridden among the characters is Matt, described as an "emo puppy dog," played to perfection by Gerard Canonico with his heart on his sleeve - the ache of unrequited love, the pangs of jealousy, and the boyish, unthinking glee of revealing secrets without any thought to consequence.  This is a role that would easily lend itself to some serious scenery chewing, and, quite frankly, it is a relief to report that at last Mr. Canonico has resisted the urge to do just that.  The result? His most powerful, honest performance to date.  Oh, and his voice?  Emotionaly powerful - witness his "Portrait of a Girl" and "Are You There?"  Elizabeth Judd so sweet as Wendla in a tour of Spring Awakening, really comes into her own as a young musical theatre actress with her performance as Ivy.  Judd's task is not a simple one - she must be likable enough for us to believe that not one, but two nice guys would find her attractive, but be enough of a threat so as to make the girls jealous and want to take her down.  She really understands the complexities of a young woman who uses alcohol and drugs to mask the pain and uses her body as a weapon.  Like I said, hers is not an easy task.  Her voice is lovely - her powerful belt is on display in one hell of a duet with Miss Weed.  There is no song list, but I think it is called "You Don't Know Me" or at least that is the sentiment.

The star-crossed lovers before
opening night of Romeo and Juliet
The main couple here - the perfect, all-American jock, Jason, and his secret lover, the bookish geek, Peter - is crucial to the success of Bare in any version.  But here, they have really hit the jackpot.  The powerfully voiced, uber-masculine, and beguilingly vulnerable Jason Hite is making a star turn in his New York debut.  He is a mesmerizing presence - it is difficult not to watch him at all times.  And his rendition of "Role of a Lifetime" is performed with such intensity and nuance its really the equivalent of a soliloquy or aria.  It is easy to see why the ladies love him, whyhis teammates respect him, and why Peter has fallen head over heels for him.  Charisma fairly pours out of him, and you can't help but fall under his spell, too, as his vulnerabilities and fears take over his life and lead him toward his tragic end.  Equally compelling, and for mostly different reasons, is the magnetic performance of Taylor Trensch, who throws every bit of his essence into his complex, quirky performance.  You can see the pain in his eyes, and the cracks in his outwardly sure smile reveal his struggle to keep his own secrets.  His jittery, almost constant motion and nervous ticks and cracking voice reveal an underlying fear of exposure, and later, an explosive need to show the world who he really is.  Trensch is an actor-singer in the same way John Gallagher Jr. and even Alice Ripley are - he uses is voice, and all of its unique qualities to convey true character first, sterling vocal prowess second.  That is not to say he has a weak voice, to the contrary.  But rather than pretty it up, Trensch allows Peter's tears and raw emotions to be part of how he sings the songs.  Faced with giving a eulogy for his lover at one point, it is much more believable and extremely powerful that he struggles to get the words out, gulping and cracking and losing tone, but then regaining it.  Tears flowed down his cheeks, and tears were in ample supply in the audience as well, as together we reached the cathartic, if tragic, final moments of this wonderfully honest and real story of teenage love and loss.

Ultimately, I can understand the need to compare the two versions, but this new "musical" version is so different, I think it justly stands on its own.  Neither version is/was perfect - it is still just a tad too pat.  But most of the changes work in the show's favor.  The addition of book scenes do flesh out the characters and offer a nice break from the amplified angst that singing in a pop opera automatically creates.  Most of the new songs work (again, I don't have a song list to work with), especially the dramatic and catchy "Million Miles" the opens the show, the duet with Nadia and Ivy, and the clever pop song about best friends for Peter and Diane, providing much needed humor.  (You can bet that kind of silly pop princess tune plays in a constant loop in Dane's head.)  And I really loved the song that has replaced "911 Emergency."  Less successful is one of the first new songs after the opening that is new - a litany of platitudes in rhyming couplets whose rhymes you can guess before they are sung, and the second act song of reassurance between Peter and Sister Joan.  That song itself isn't bad - it fits the role of Sister Joan perfectly as cast, but I miss the power of the soulful "God Don't Make No Trash."  The reassignment of songs to different characters and the almost complete change in the character of Nadia work especially well across the board, as I mentioned above with reference to Mr. Hite and Mr. Canonico.

Jason Hite and Taylor Trensch
What really, really does not work is the almost consistently unneeded change to the lyrics in most of the existing songs.  I can live with lyric changes, but not when they don't add a thing to the show and are so verbally dense that often time the meaning gets lost in the need to match every single note with a complete word.  Further, if it weren't for Mr. Hite and Mr. Trensch's performances, both could seem very one note.  What is needed is very apparent; I am amazed no one on the creative team thought of them.  We need to see more of Jason and Peter's relationship - when it was good, and not just a romp under a blanket or in stolen kisses performed while we are supposed to be watching something else (this happens too frequently).  And how about allowing us to fall in love with Jason by seeing him with some humor and on a good day, not just in scene after scene of fear and cover-up?  The flashback scene that shows us how they first met is a great start, but Jason could use some beefing up so that we can feel for both of these star-crossed lovers.

I understand that Bare is still in flux - that further revisions might be forthcoming for future productions.  Whether that is the case or not, this version, while not problem free, makes Bare a viable piece of musical theatre.  The entire cast and the majority of the score makes this show a must-see for modern musical theatre enthusiasts.  And fans of the original, try to see this as a new show.  Open your minds - your heart will still be moved.

(Photos by Chad Batka.  Click to enlarge each.)

Jeff
4.108

REVIEW: Annie

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Review of the Saturday, December 15th evening performance at the Palace Theatre in New York City.  Starring Taylor Richardson, Katie Finneran, Anthony Warlow, Brynn O'Malley, Clarke Thorell, J. Elaine Marcos and Sunny.  Book by Thomas Meehan.  Music by Charles Strouse.  Lyrics by Martin Charnin.  Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler.  Direction by James Lapine.  2 hours, 30 minutes including intermission.

Grade: C

Over the years that I've been doing this blog, I've often mentioned that Annie is not one of my favorite musicals.  More often than not, it annoys the stuffing out of me.  And it is for three very specific reasons: 1. the song "Tomorrow" is like finger nails scraping a chalkboard to me - repetitive, sickeningly sweet and screechy; 2. those annoying orphans, bratty, repetitive, sickeningly sweet and screechy - I'm with Miss Hannigan, here.  They are so unlikable, it is no wonder they aren't being adopted; and 3.  Annie herself, depending on casting, of course, but the nasally voiced urchin who is too smart ass for her own good makes me want to snatch that curly wig right off her head and then just scream.  Don't get me wrong.  I can understand why it is so beloved - before Disney, there wasn't much out there for the family to see.  And truth be told, I like most of the Strouse - Charnin score.  I can even say that I love four of the songs: "It's a Hard Knock Life," "Little Girls," "We'd Like the Thank You, Herbert Hoover," and "A New Deal for Christmas."  Heck, I'll even go so far as to say that the reprise of "Tomorrow" in the White House is pretty near perfection as a book scene/song combo.  Why do we have to hear it three full times before we leave the theatre?  And for all my grousing and grumpiness regarding this beloved classic, I'll start off by saying this revival is not the worst Annie I've ever seen.  But it is far from the best.
Annie and the orphans

I still hate "Tomorrow."  This batch of orphans is particularly annoying.  BUT what really galls me about this production is the overall half-assed look, feel and energy of it.  It is almost as if all involved are saying, "People will come to Annie in droves, no matter how much we out into it, so why kill ourselves?  Hand me a stack of money to count..."

You may note that I did NOT mention the girl who plays Annie as something I didn't like about this show.  Taylor Richardson (on for an ailing Lilla Crawford) was a real pro up there - smooth and full of finesse, she does everything right, including not singing through her nose, plus she manages to walk that fine line between sweet and cloying, tough and obnoxious.  She's a nice mix of strength and vulnerability.  And she has amazing chemistry with all of her co-stars, especially her arch nemesis and her biggest hero.  But I have just one question: who is making her tawk like Snookie from Jersey Shore?  Leapin' Lizards is right, girl!

Was that person director James Lapine?  I'm thinking so, considering that his collection of orphans all have accents so thick that their scenes are like watching a foreign film without subtitles.  Mercifully, if not realistically, the accents largely disappear when they sing (or maybe I just know the words and my ears hear it OK).  And while it is kind of interesting that these little ladies aren't sappy girly girls, they are more butch than all of the Newsies combined, and not even half as entertaining.  I am shocked that such an acclaimed director would allow so much mugging in place of real acting, even in the littlest kids.  This is Broadway, Mr. Lapine.  The overall lack of attention to detail, any semblance of genuine emotion and a general malaise hangs over the whole production that a dark, wet cloud.  If anything new has been brought to this production, it certainly wasn't evident last Saturday evening.  The usual dancing pyrotechnics that choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler brings to his shows are surprisingly dull and half-hearted - there is no place in this show for his signature dancer-enters-walking-backwards-and-strikes-a-pose, and yet it happens time after time, and what follows time after time is uninspired and not all that inventive.  Think In the Heights Lite.

"Tomorrow" in the White House
Visually, the costumes, designed by Susan Hilferty,  are standard and nothing more; the lighting, by Donald Holder, isn't even close to exciting or even interesting; and only the somewhat neat way of showing all the rooms in the Warbucks mansion elevates the set design (by David Korins) beyond cheap looking and boring.  All three designers are among my favorites, but their combined efforts here are more amateurish than Broadway. At best their work is utilitarian; at worst, their work is ho-hum and uninspired.

And acting-wise the adults in the cast are all over the map.  Clarke Thorell barely registers, let alone exudes any sense of danger, even comic danger, and poor J. Elaine Marcos has been directed to do a hybrid accent of stereotypical gun moll/floozy and the racial stereotype of the Latina bimbo.  And both use volume to substitute for real characterization. "Easy Street" is as flat as warm ginger ale.  On the other end of the spectrum, every time Brynn O'Malley is onstage, the whole show elevates in energy level.  She's smart, full of subtext (I love her chemistry with Daddy Warbucks) and actually interesting.  Ironically, she is so good it makes the fact that her role of Grace Farrell is woefully underwritten a crying shame.

"Easy Street"

Anthony Warlow and Katie Finneran
As for the adult leads, the quality spectrum is very wide.  On the positive end, Anthony Warlow's Daddy Warbucks is formidable, gruff and tough as nails.  Watching him dissolve into a lovable teddy bear, who aches from loneliness and whose heart breaks when he nearly loses Annie, is the biggest delight of the show. He is excellent in every way.  Sadly, the same cannot be said for Katie Finneran's Miss Hannigan.  She's shrill, obnoxious, poorly sung and bizarrely - not to mention highly inappropriate - hyper-sexual.  Has drunk ever been less funny?  Her Hannigan offers zero challenge to the orphans who run all over her like a welcome mat.  Sorry, Katie, you won't need to clear space for a third Tony Award this time around.

Even a terrific third string Annie and a great Daddy Warbucks can't save this bland trip down memory lane.  Bland, I could take, actually, but this half-hearted, half-assed attempt at theatre is just insulting, even for a chestnut like Annie.

(Photos by Joan Marcus)

Jeff
4.109




I'm Not Really A Waitress

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I treated myself to a pedicure today, and went with one of my all-time favorite shades: I'm Not Really A Waitress by OPI.  It's the company's biggest selling polish, and for good reason: it's the perfect shade of red with a nice shimmer to it.  Even my husband noticed. Not too shabby!

It's back to school tomorrow for my high schooler and middle schooler, after a long Christmas break. They're less than thrilled, as you might imagine, but I'm looking forward to getting back into our usual routine.

Newsweek's Downward Spiral Continues

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There was a time when I used to enjoy reading Newsweek.  Then came the rise of 24-hour news channels and internet news sites, all providing stunning visuals and breaking news in real time. Weekly news magazines like Newsweek quickly became outdated dinosaurs   The only way for Newsweek to compete and try to stay relevant was to offer in-depth, thoughtful analysis. But, with the rise of political blogs, they lost even more ground.

Now, the folks at Newsweek are just plain desperate.

Their latest cover poses the question: "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?"  Since when did elitist name-calling become a substitute for well-researched journalism? The editors at Newsweek are not even trying to pretend that they're a legitimate source of news anymore. I can't decide if it's more sad than pathetic.

This cover story is just the latest in a long line of questionable choices made by the Newsweek editorial board.  They've taken heat in the past year for their gleefully unflattering covers of Tea Party favorites Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin, but those weren't the worst of it.
For me, the most egregious "jump the shark" moment for Newsweek came when they photoshopped a 14-years-dead-and-gone Princess Diana, digitally aged to appear 50 years old and walking alongside her son's soon-to-be wife, Kate Middleton. A new low that even the sleaziest tabloids have not attempted. Disgusting.

It was a blatant ploy to exploit the late Princess Diana's enduring popularity as a taken-too-soon icon. Almost a decade and a half after her death, Newsweek still couldn't resist going to the well one more time, disregarding the unseemly fact that it was the media's unhealthy obsession with capturing Diana's image that led to her tragic death.

Spotting a Fake PayPal Email -- Don't be fooled!

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I received an email today that was structured to look as though it came from PayPal.

Here's a screen shot (click on the photo to see it larger):


Fortunately, I've heard enough warnings about "phishing" emails to be on the lookout for messages like this one,  that try to trick recipients into clicking on bogus links that will harm your computer and/or attempt to trick you into giving a 3rd party website your PayPal password and account info.

A few tip offs that this one was a fake:

-- It wasn't sent just to me, but to "undisclosed recipients"

-- They did not address me by my first and last name anywhere in the email

-- The return address appears to be from "Service@PayPal.com", but if you click "Show More" for the Sender, the full email address is revealed as noreply@netlogmail.com

-- If you hover over the links embedded in the email, you'll see that they won't take you to a secure page on the PayPal website. Instead, they direct you to another website entirely--one that will likely harm your computer the minute you click the link.

What really annoys me about this email is that they have the nerve to include "helpful" information on how to avoid fraud--and the link they provide to show you their Security Tips takes you right to the same bogus website as all of the other links.

If you receive an email like this, and you aren't sure whether or not it is from the real PayPal site, follow these simple steps:

1.  DO NOT CLICK ON ANY OF THE LINKS IN THE EMAIL

2.  Forward the email to spoof@paypal.com   Don't send the email as an attachment, and don't change the Subject line....just forward it to PayPal and they will contact you as to whether or not the email is legit or a spoof/scam.

3. Delete the email

You can read more about how to avoid Phishing scams at the real PayPal site HERE

16 Aralık 2012 Pazar

Broadway Ladies: December 2012: Angelina Avallone

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Ms. December 2012Angelina Avallone
WHY SHE'S MS. BROADWAY: I'll bet that 99.9% of you who read the title of this blog said, "Who the heck is Angelina Avallone?  But I'll also bet that close to the same number of you who read this blog and others like it have seen her work either on Broadway or National Tour.  She has designed the make-up for an amazing 77 Broadway productions since 1996, including 7 this season so far!  And if you look at that full list HERE, you'll see that she has quite a range - plays and musicals, costume dramas and special effects, modern and period.  And like lighting technicians, if Ms. Avallone has done her job right, we either do not notice her design or we believe that her monsters, vampires and Grinch are real.  And I can't think of a better unsung hero of theater to honor this month than this Ms. December.

HER WORK IN PICTURES




Some of her current work: Chaplin, Rock of Ages, The Mystery of Edwin Drood



A Few Straight Plays: 33 Variations, Other Desert Cities, Gore Vidal's The Best Man

Not One, But Two: Gypsys





Modern Musicals and Classic Revivals:Memphis, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Grey Gardens,Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story



All THREE Vampire Musicals: Dracula, Dance of the Vampires, Lestat


A Little Broadway Mayhem: The Pirate Queen,The Times They Are A-Changin'




And a Few Monsters: The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Addams Family
(Click on each picture to enlarge them.)
Before you go... (Click the blue links!)Check out these reviews: 
  • The Mystery of Edwin Drood
  • A Christmas Story
Check out these Broadway Babies:
  • The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyle (Mr. December)
  • A Christmas Story's Erin Dilly (Ms. November)
  • The Mystery of Edwin Drood's Eric Sciotto - Chat Part 2! 
  • Spencer Plachy (Face of the Future)
VOTE IN THE THIS MONTH'S POLL - LEFT SIDE OF BLOG!

4.106Jeff