Dan and I finally went to see Wicked today in San Francisco! I’ve been wanting to see the musical since last year, and so when we found out that it is leaving this September, we had to make sure we caught at least one show before then. I had a wonderful time watching Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre — the story was magical, the cast was amazing, and the music was incredibly memorable. I loved it!!!
Dan and I went to see RENT: The Broadway Tour at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco on Thursday. It was the first time seeing a musical live for both of us (I was born in New York City but I’ve never been to Broadway!), so I’ve been anticipating this since I bought the tickets last month. The cast features cast members from various periods while RENT was on Broadway, including original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp! I’d fallen in love with RENT when I first heard the songs growing up and saw the 2005 movie, and was really sad when I’d learned I’d missed the show when RENT came to Virginia Tech back in fall of 2003. Anthony Rapp had also graced Tech with a speaking event for VTU and LGBTA back in October of 2006. I was thrilled that I could watch the performance with two of the original members who had made the musical so legendary.
The show was nothing short of amazing. Each number was perfectly executed and the cast members had amazing voices. I was surprised at how closely their voices matched those of the original cast. We had front seats in the mezzanine so we had a great view, although I’m sure it would have been even more exciting to be in the orchestra seats. RENT is touring in cities around the country, and they’ve been here for a little under two weeks. Definitely try to catch them while the tour is still going!
Here is an interview with Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp on the local show View from the Bay.
Since as early as I can remember, I’ve been head over heels in love with musicals. The first movie my mother bought for me (back in those VHS days when I was still a preschooler) was Mary Poppins, shortly followed by The Sound of Music. As a child, I sat mesmerized alongside my parents as they watched West Side Story, and they became my favorite musical (actually, make that movie) of all time — I watched the VHS over so many times over the years that it eventually wore the tape down. I was heartbroken when a family friend borrowed our copy of My Fair Lady and moved away without ever returning it. Of course, I watched the typical Disney movies that all the other kids were watching, but what really kept me fixated were the musicals. There are still so many musicals that I have yet to see, but my love for them has never faded, and I continue to discover newer ones in recent years, such as The Phantom of the Opera and RENT.
So when I saw the pilot episode of Glee a few months ago, I was blown away. It was like watching a Broadway musical in the form of a TV series. What a great idea! Why hadn’t anyone thought of this sooner?! Just from watching the pilot, I knew it would be my new favorite show. That episode was such a tease, and I waited all summer with bated breath for the series to actually start.
Since its series premiere on September 9th, the show is five episodes in and I’m already addicted. Despite critics’ reviews that the pilot was a “one hit wonder” and that the season does not live up to its initial promise, I think that it’s great so far. Each of the episodes feature at least a couple songs and it’s a pretty big feat when you can combine awesome musical performances with a plot that doesn’t suck. The storyline so far has been pretty engaging — of course, it’s not the gripping type that keeps you on the edge of your seat like LOST or 24, and although the sappy factor comes in once in a while, overall Glee is a good balance of drama, comedy and quirkiness. The musical aspect is definitely the driving factor that keeps me coming back for more, and I’m really impressed with the fact that they can put on such incredible performances of both singing and choreography every episode. It’s quickly joining the ranks of The Office (which has started again!) among my favorite television shows, and for the next few months, you’ll likely find me parked in front of the telly every Wednesday night for my musical fix.