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So I'm in
So I'm in D.C. right now. Tomorrow at seven we'll see Follies. It's all very exciting, but I think mother somewhat exaggerated the stress inherent in being the Mature Responsible Person Who Pays For Everything and Plans Meals in travel situations. That, or (a) I really am extraordinarily lucky as I have suspected since the Epic New York Weekend, or (b) Mother worries too much. Either way, huzzah! for traveling alone/with Quinn.
Erm... Did I mention Follies? It's going to be so intense.
submitted by TNÖ, age 17, Deep Space
(June 13, 2011 - 12:59 pm)
(June 13, 2011 - 12:59 pm)
Sorry, I missed something at some point... what's Follies?
(June 13, 2011 - 2:25 pm)
A James Goldman/Stephen Sondheim play. This particular production has Bernadette Peters. And Elaine Paige.
(June 13, 2011 - 3:01 pm)
Omigosh...that's...spamazing. With a serving of quoopdalicious drizzled with awesomesauce. I seriously wish that I could go.
(June 13, 2011 - 7:32 pm)
Nnnnnnnnnnnghhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bernadette <3.
That's all.
...
...
...
And... Elaine Paige. And Jan Maxwell. Most. Epic. Performances. Of I'm Still Here and Could I Leave You? EVER.
And just... just... the whole thing was fantastic.
And I saw Bernadette again. Got a proper picture too, since it wasn't ABSOLUTELY FREEZING this time.
Basically, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
(June 14, 2011 - 11:43 pm)
Sounds amazing!! Once again, I am overcome with jealousy. :) Bernadette Peters and Elaine Paige... <3 <3 And you've met Bernadette twice now. /jealousy But anyway, I'd love to hear more about the show!
(June 15, 2011 - 10:13 pm)
To be a bit less overexcited/more detailed and in approximately chronological order:
1. 28. Piece. Orchestra. FTW. SO MUCH. That is how you do Sondheim. The End.
2. Bernadette. Just... just Bernadette. Slight disparity between the physical description of Sally Durant Plummer (long past her prime) and Bernadette (um... not.) aside, bestest, most adorable Sally ever y/y?
3. Rosalind Elias... Well, no one could ever beat Bernadette's Broadway Baby, but she came pretty darn close.
4. During the Who's That Woman? sequence, the entirety of the (aged mid-40s to 64) female cast tap danced. In 3-4 inch heels. I am going to learn how to do that someday.
5. Elaine Paige's I'm Still Here left every other performance of the song ever completely in the dust. Seriously. I had spine-tingles the whole way through, and then she completely nailed the last note. And, frankly, she put life into a song that usually comes off as the performer fretting about When Is This Going To Happen To Me? instead of staying in character, which was incredibly refreshing. It was Epic. And it deserves that capital letter.
6. Danny Burnstein is the best Buddy ever. (Scratch that. This was just the best cast ever.)
7. Jan Maxwell. Could I Leave You? ...That is all. My gosh. It was perfection itself. The mostly composed acerbic bit at the beginning was brilliant, and hilarious, which is just as it ought to be, and then she went straight into the pent-up rage and pain and hysteria and despair and started screaming and crying like she'd just had her heart ripped out of her chest... and it was terrifying. It was like the most believable emotional breakdown ever. It was amazing. It was perfect. Have you ever heard someone sobbing their heart out, that awful gasping noise they make when they breathe in? She was doing that. While singing. (On pitch, no less.) And, rather more importantly, not completely loosing control of herself and having an actual breakdown on stage, which would have rather ruined the scene.
8. Losing My Mind. I think there were about four lines before Bernadette started to lose it a little. And then about halfway through she just... completely... I can't even describe it properly. But she sort of doubled over and covered her face and... she cried through the rest of the song. I think it was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen.
9. And then, helloooo Mood Whiplash, because immediately afterwords there was The Story of Lucy and Jessie, which was epic beyond words. And the choreography was fantastic. There was a good deal of four-inch-heel tap dancing on Maxwell's part, in particular. And the note she hit on "fine" was spectacular.
10. Ron Raines at the end of Love, Laugh, Live, immediately after he rejects the lie inherent in the song and starts begging the increasingly sinister dancers to stop... and then screaming "Phyllis!" at the top of his lungs as he collapsed... it was incredible.
11. And the production is officially headed to Broadway. :D With any luck it will keep more or less the same cast, though mostly the main four + Elaine Paige. I want an official recording of their songs.
(June 16, 2011 - 8:24 pm)
*sigh* That sounds... amazing. With all that talent up on one stage, that must have been astounding. I wish I could have seen it (after reading your comment, I had to search to see if it was still going to be on, since I'll be in New York soon, but it ends in a few days and then starts up for a "limited time" in August, so probably not /sadness). Oh well, I definitely want a recording! They'd better come out with that at some point. Sounds like you had a blast! Again, wish I could have been there.
On another, slightly more random note, have fun at Cornell! I'm staying at my grandma's house nearby, and when I saw the sign on the freeway for it, I thought of you. (And yes, I'm talking about the one in Iowa.) I can't believe you're going there in the fall. That's crazy, huh?
(June 16, 2011 - 10:37 pm)
Oops, just realized that it was in D.C., not New York, so that wouldn't have worked out anyway. :(
(June 16, 2011 - 10:39 pm)
The August limited engagement is New York/Broadway, though. And who knows, maybe they'll extend the run. They did for D.C. (it was originally supposed to close on the ninth, I think). If you do get a chance, it is definitely worth seeing.
(June 17, 2011 - 11:20 am)