Tea Stains on Parchment

Image via  https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195878/patti-lupone-joins-the-broadway-inspirational-voices-to-sing-from-les-miserables-more-at-new-york-philharmonic/ Anyone that has dipped their toes into the theatre world has probably heard of Broadway legend Patti LuPone. Having landed so many memorable roles, it is no surprise that she is incredibly talented. But I seemed to have forgotten this for the past 5 years, marking when I first spiraled into an Evita obsessed abyss. Luckily, my class on Stephen Sondheim reminded me of Miss LuPone's musical prowess. My class may have been about Sondheim's lyrics and composition, but I learned just as much about Patti's roles as Mrs. Lovett, Joanne, and Mama Rose, each of which carrying their own anecdotes and perfect belting that I am now no stranger to. As my semester progressed, I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into this obsession with a 70 year old woman, but I know I am not alone in this sentiment. I have, after all, con...

No one is perfect. Couples have ups and downs and little things that will never be fixed. But, there is one couple that breaks that rule. One couple that is absolutely perfect. A relationship based on love, understanding, and, most importantly, honesty. Obviously, I'm talking about Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd. Here are a few tips you can learn from Broadway's best power couple. First off, no one gets Sweeney like Mrs. Lovett does, and don't we all want someone who understands us when others would just run away? Well, Sweeney is one lucky man because when he makes the logical decision that all of mankind is evil and deserves to die, Mrs. Lovett is right by his side. If the love of your life wants to kill everyone under the front of a barbershop, then you should be right there supporting them! Don't just say, "that's great, honey." No, you need to give just as much to this relationship. You have to be complements. So, when your SO says, "I'm ...

This was my first year at college, and although I would say that it ended on the positive side, not every moment was wonderful or even just good. Going to Penn was a big change. I had never lived in a city before. I had never spent more than a week on the East coast. I had never spent more than two weeks away from my family. Though these things all meant that my life would be different, I knew I could overcome them. The hardest obstacle would be leaving my family, but this seemed all the more difficult given that I knew absolutely no one going to Penn. I try to be optimistic, and I was looking forward to this new, exciting moment in my life. But I always underestimate my introvertedness. I do not think that being introverted is something that is a deficit to one's personality, but it definitely can hinder my ability to feel comfortable connecting with strangers. My first days at Penn, alone, I chose to stay in my dorm room most of the time. I had no friends to invite anywhere. I ...

I started watching the Tony's about 3 years ago, so this year was my fourth Tony Awards, but I have never been as excited or invested in these awards as this year. As I have made very clear in my last post, I saw The Band's Visit, and I loved  it. I was so excited when I saw that they got 11 Tony nominations (though I think they should have had 12, and the other three new musicals had around 12 too many, but no shade here...). Anyways, I was invested. I wanted to watch the Tony's anyways, but now I needed to watch the Tony's. Leading up to this much awaited Sunday, I was actually beginning to get worried, as if I was nominated, which given my lack of talent, I am clearly not. I kept having this nagging fear that somehow, through some twisted joke, a musical about Spo ngebob would actually beat this well-reviewed, beautiful, essential musical about human connection triumphing over hate. About three days before, another fear set in. What if my hero, the man who autogra...

You may not know this, but I adore  musicals. I cannot act. I cannot sing. But I honestly think that I have the most important role as audience member. Without us theatre aficionados, actors would just be a bunch of crazy people pretending on stage (wait...). Anyways, that being said, I love to go to shows and I love to listen to soundtracks and I spend my fair share of time on broadway.com reading up on the new musicals on Broadway. This year, the new show that I was hearing so much about was The Band's Visit . Yes, I hear about show openings and all that jazz, but the real reason I knew about this show was perhaps strange for a teenage girl. To understand fully I think I need to go back to when I was maybe five and onward. My parents raised me to watch Monk, a crime show following an OCD detective named Adrian Monk. Monk was played by the brilliant Tony Shalhoub. Enter The Band's Visit . Tony Shalhoub plays the male lead (a general in the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orche...