entirely ruined her disposition with books

I'm at the airport waiting for my flight home, and I had a really lovely weekend! I'll write more about that later, but for now, thoughts on 1776 while it's relatively fresh in my mind.

Going into this post, you've got to understand: I know every word of this play. I've seen the movie probably 20 times, and I know it start to finish, and it turns out, when they made the film, they used the dialogue directly from the play. So yes, I literally know every word. So I obviously have a lot of feelings about the show. So prepare yourself for my minute opinions!

( blathering )

I had a lot of trepidation about this adaptation because a) film adaptations of musicals in general tend to be...not that great, and b) I really loved the original musical and knew all the words to the OBC recording. Combine those two things and I was worried.

But it was good! I have my complaints and, like, it's cheesy, but it has to be cheesy.

( spoilers, i guess, if you aren't familiar with the story )




Also they showed the trailer for the West Side Story remake and...idk. Visually it looks great. But I probably won't see it, mostly because I really dislike the guy they chose as Tony. And also because even though I like Steven Spielberg just fine, I don't think he's right for this particular film at all. Also, my God, talk about too old! I realize they were never going to cast actual teenagers, though I think that would make the story much more powerful. But did they have to fill the entire cast with people in their late 20s/early 30s? Couldn't they have found anyone who was like 22? I realize the original film had this problem too, but it's so much more aggravating now.

I am glad they seem to have kept the Jerome Robbins choreo though.

Oh, and I didn't know that they had adapted Dear Evan Hansen. Interesting.

so let's have a poll. a poll of random.

[Poll #1730118]

It's gorgeous and warm outside and I'm wearing a sundress and Lil Sis and I cleaned ALL the things and I'm going to the grocery and the pharmacy later and then going to do my taxes and make some phone calls, and I feel like an adult! So productive!

Also did I mention that I went to see In the Heights and it was flawless and I fell in love? And that I've been listening to the original cast recording nonstop ever since? And that I think that the tour cast is better than the original, especially the girl who plays Nina?

AND DOCTOR WHO SOON. AND GAME OF THRONES. AND BORGIAS. AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT. And soon Parks and Rec will be back and so will Vampire Diaries and I have heard things that make me think there will be some EXCELLENT BONNIE DEVELOPMENT, and have I mentioned that I love television?

In short, this is a good day, and I hope it's good for y'all, too!

Oh, haaaaaaiiiiii. It’s one of those posts where I talk about how much I fail at eljay. Which is a lot. So let’s skip that part and get right to me asking how y’all are. Everything okay? Anything awesome/important that I’ve missed? What is going on with you?

Here’s what is going on with me.

Top TenFifteen Things That Are Awesome at the Moment
1. Ramin Karimloo’s existence. Yes, this really does need to be number one.
2. My family continues to be amazing. I feel like I should not be this big of a fan of my own family, but I am. Whatever. We’re awesome.
3. Working on my book! Going to the library, not hooking up to the internet, actually working. And I have decided that I will KEEP ON WRITING even when (inevitably) I hit the point when I realize that the book is stupid and worthless and no one would ever, ever want to read it. I mean, this is just the beginning, and who knows how long I can keep this up, but hopefully I’ll develop some will power? Hopefully?
4. SPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING. THERE ARE FLOWERS. IT IS WARM. I AM SO HAPPY. It’s kind of sad how much influence the weather has on my mood. I was sitting in the library on the second floor looking out the big windows and the grass was so green I thought I was going to cry.
5. Grace/Rich OTP and their flawless, flawless scenes
6. Rereading A Song of Ice and Fire. I had forgotten how easy it is to fly through these books. SUPER READABLE.
7. DOCTOR WHO SOON SOON SOON
8. Parks and Rec continues to be flawless and the happiest show on television with beautiful OTP times and Ron Swanson being excellent and Amy Poehler being my hero and lots more people starting to watch it. If you aren’t watching this show, I have nothing to say to you. I feel towards you the way the entirety of Pawnee feels about people who don’t appreciate Lil Sebastian (speaking of which, I want a t-shirt. I don’t even wear t-shirts, but I would wear that one).
9. Freya Mavor’s face. How is she possible? I don’t understand. I still think that if they insist on casting a blonde girl for the new Buffy reboot (instead of going with my race!swap idea), they should cast her, regardless of the fact that she is British. I think she’s the only person at this point that I would forgive for not being SMG.
10. Persephone Magazine changing their layout so that I can ACTUALLY READ IT. This website is what Jezebel wishes it were. Except better.
11. Watching The X-Files for the first time and the mytharc actually showing up. I love worldbuilding!
12. I’m going to In the Heights this weekend! Yay! I don’t know any of the music, but I’m super excited, because I hear excellent things.
13. Riding in my truck with the windows down and singing Marina and the Diamonds songs on the top of my lungs
14. My family made beignets on Sunday. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
15. The Being Human finale. This would be higher up the list except that it was a couple of weeks ago now. But still. Well played, Toby Whithouse. Well played.


Top TenNine Things That Suck at the Moment
1. The world is actually a mess. I can’t even address it—I get too overwhelmed. But I keep hearing Yeats in my head: “For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”
2. Steve Moffat’s ridiculous sexism coming through in an actual episode. HAHAHA ELEVEN TELLING AMY TO PUT ON TROUSERS. Except that’s not funny at all, Moff. Don’t do this to me. Seriously—don’t.
3. My boss is ridiculous *eyeroll*
4. Allergies impending. I feel them coming on. The one downside of spring arriving.
5. I actually do fail at lj. I just get overwhelmed by thinking about catching up with my flist, and it’s easier to avoid. I apologize for being a very bad friend.
6. No idea what I’ll be writing for seasonal_spuffy. Haven’t been in a BtVS frame of mind for a while.
7. Community continues to fail at race so hard that it ruins episodes that HAVE MY FUTURE HUSBAND AS A GUEST STAR. Seriously, Dan Harmon. We need to have a word.
8. Gas is ridiculously expensive. *sigh*
9. I am not married to Ramin Karimloo.

Also, I need to tell you a story about how awesome my mama is. ( cut for length )

* I have been listening to the Dream Cast album nonstop since Sunday. I grew up on this thing, and I know every note of it and it still never fails to give me goosebumps. How can something so flawless exist?

* The anniversary tour is coming here in May, and you know I will be going. SO EXCITED. LIVE THEATER. SONGS I KNOW BY HEART. SOBBING LIKE A BABY. SO READY.

* We all know by now that there's going to be a movie, right? Initially I was very concerned about this, wringing my hands with terror that it would be awfulawfulawful and they would cast a whole bunch of people who can't sing just because they are famous (and I'll admit, I'm still to an extent nervous about that), but apparently Tom Hooper, he of The King's Speech Oscar-winning, may be directing it. I thought this was confirmed, Lexi, but apparently it's just a rumor. Still, this would please me greatly and make me breathe a little easier.

* Shockingly (or, you know, not) I have a few thoughts about the casting of the film. The other night's showing of the Anniversary show confirmed to me that, alas, Colm Wilkinson is probably a little too old to play Valjean--he was fragile and his voice wasn't as a strong as it was. They probably won't go with him, which makes me sadface because he will always be Valjean to me. BUT. There is no way in hell that Philip Quast is too old to play Javert, and I might weep if they don't cast him because. NO ONE in the history of the universe could be as awesome in that role as he is.

OH WAIT DID SOMEONE MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT WANTING TO HEAR HIM SING "STARS"? AND DO I JUST SO HAPPEN TO HAVE A VIDEO EMBEDDED SO THAT YOU CAN DO THAT? I MUST BE CLAIRVOYANT.



*dies of awesome*

THEY MUST CAST HIM. And not cast the guy who played Valjean in the 25th Anniversary show. His "Bring Him Home" was nice, but the rest of his performance was severely lacking in my mind.

* Lea Salonga is too old to play Eponine ALAS AND I WILL WEEP. This breaks my heart because she will always be Eponine to me. They will probably end up casting Lea Michele since she's huge now and has played the role, and I would not be displeased by this. Obviously, she's hugely talented and I want to see her do non-Glee things since we all know how I feel about that show.

* Now most important. The only other person I am absolutely ADAMANT that they must cast is Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras.


WATCH. THIS.



I WILL BE OVER HERE DYING OF OF AN OVERDOSE OF SEXINESS. Seriously, I had no idea who this man was a few days ago, and now I am convinced he is the most attractive man on the planet. BOOM. INSTANT OBSESSION.

Apparently he's in that really bad sequel to Phantom of the Opera, and even though I have zero feelings about Andrew Lloyd Webber, I will always be grateful to him from now on because he guarantees the existence of this:




I'm pretty sure he impregnated with me with his voice. Just sayin'.

I might even dump Enver Gjokaj for him. That is how massive my crush is at this point.

* In closing, feel free to watch the original cast be reunited (PLUS RAMIN AND HIS SEXINESS) and weep like a baby as they sing "One Day More."

The Les Mis anniversary concert is ON NEXT ON PBS. FLAILING AND FLAILING.

LEA SALONGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But apparently one of the Jonai is in it? DO NOT WANT.

But I can't work up the energy to be angry. Did I mention LEA SALONGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

Still job searching. Still half-frustrated, half-depressed. So, once again, let's talk of pleasanter things.

Like TV. I haven't done a TV post in a while, but I've been watching some stuff lately and have some new shiny toys.

( Let's talk Leverage - maybe spoilers? )



And then last night I finally got around to watching the pilot for Glee--also very shiny.  ( Glee - spoilers for the first episode )



For a much better (more nuanced and occasionally darker) view of high school life, I want to reccomend to everyone my latest obsession: Press Gang.  I finished it several months ago, but I've never gotten around to writing about it; I thought this would be a good time.

The show is a British "children's show" (really more young adult than anything--the characters are around 15-18 for most of the series) from the late 80s/early 90s, and every episode is written by Steve Moffet, he of Doctor Who fame.  SM wrote my favorite episode of that show--"Blink," of course--and has some other solid ones, but if you're hesitant on him, you should check out PG to see what he can do.  I absolutely adore this show.  ( Press Gang ramblings )

Wow, y'all.  That was like the most teal deer thing ever.  I apologize profusely.  I doubt any of you will read all of that.  Anyways!

I'm going to take care of a lot of replies I need to get to tonight.  And for those of you who might be waiting for the next chapter of "Love and Blackmail," my apologies.  I know exactly where I'm going with it, so it'll get finished and soon, but I'm having a hard time feeling motivated.  I'm tired all the time and never really want to leave the house, and I can't make myself do anything constructive.  Hopefully, I'll get over that soon.