..

So this blog has been pretty inactive lately because of the holidays. Things will be starting to get busier for the show as the performances approach at the end of January. I am hoping to get some cast member commentary up on here depending on if I can get people willing to participate in that.


Looking so forward to working more backstage on this production!
Happy New Year

Janine

NH Theatre Awards Top 10 Nominations Announced

NH Theatre Awards Nominations for Community Theatre and Professional Theatre
Here is the link to the community theatre listing. You can view the Professional Theatre Listing on the same website. Can't wait for the Awards on Feb 5th!!
http://www.nhtheatreawards.com/index.php?categoryid=67&p2_articleid=111

Congrats to the cast and crew of Judy's Scary Little Christmas for multiple nominations. Also congrats to fellow SHS theatre colleague Ashley Hughes for her performance as Roxie Hart in Best Foward's Production's performance of Chicago. Annie Rieley for her best actress performances for The Boyfriend and My Fair Lady with Riverbend Youth Company and to Tim L'Eucryer for best director for Stage Coach Production's performance of Altar Boyz.

:)

2009 Moives- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

*- Theatre ** home viewing**

The Good

*Julie and Julia

Rating A-

Definitley one of my favorite movies of the year 2009. I have never laughed so hard or been made so hungry. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams were amazing in their respective roles.

*The Twilight Saga New Moon

Rating B-

Not as good as Twilight but still worth seeing.

**Every Little Step

Rating A

High reccommendable for any fan of Broadway musicals! This is a doucementary of the casting process of the national tour of A Chorus Line. I find it to very insightful into the casting process of a professional theatre production.

*My Sister's Keeper

Rating A-

While it may not hold completley true to the book version by Jodi Piccout it is still a very moving movie and it was the first movie in a very long time that made me cry.

*It's Complicated

Rating A

Best movie of the year! Tied with Julie and Julia for my favorite. Highly reccommendable! This one of Meryl Streep's best performances of the year aside from Julie and Julia.

In The Middle

* A Christmas Carol

Rating B

Not my favorite version of the classic Christmas tale but it is still funny and another gold star for Jim Carrey

** Angels and Demons

Rating A-

I found this movie to be really interesting and I am typically not a history buff. Tom Hanks has a very powerful performance.

**Anything Goes

Rating A-

** A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum

Rating B

He's Just Not That Into You

Rating B-

Didn't know really what to expect from this one since it's based on a self-help book. I actually ended up really enjoying this movie a lot. Very witty,lighthearted and cute. Very much enjoyed.

Side note: The also recently made The Secret into a movie. I think I'm Just Not Into You is easier to adapt into a film version than The Secert so it should be interesting to see how they adapted The Secret.

*The Proposal and All About Steve

Ratings A-/B+

Sandra Bullock has been one of my favorite actresses for a long time and she did not disappoint with her performances in both of these movies. I can't wait to see The Blind Side eventually.

The Bad

** Last Chance Harvey

Rating D

Bland and boring. Do not waste your money.

** Bride Wars and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Rating C-

These movies did not live up to the hype that the previews advertised them. I was actually quite disappointed with both of them. The plots of both films seemed quite predictable and I think Ghosts of Girlfriends Past takes the general plot of A Christmas Carol and modernizes it. I actually only rented both of these movies because my friend Lytle from the Barn Playhouse was in them.

*Dance Flick

Rating D-

Very lacking in plot. While I understood it was meant to be a parody of other dance movies such as Fame and Save The Last Dance I found the sense of humor in the jokes to be poor. Not mean spirited just poor.

Rest In Peace

Celeberity News!

I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Brittany Murphy died yesterday of cardiac arrest. What is up with all these young celeberties dying? Seriously. When Heath Ledger died last year I was not very familiar with him or any of his films until I rerented 10 Things I Hate About You and realized he was in that. His performance as The Joker in Batman was AMAZING! Brittney Murphy, like Heath Ledger was very talented and definitley had so much going for her. There is still speculation about what exactly caused her death but the coroner's office has said that she died of natural causes. She was in Uptown Girlss (which I loved her in) Sin City (which I hated and never realized she was in), Just Married and Clueless just to name a few. She will be sorely missed by her colleagues and fans may she rest in peace and smile down on us from heaven.

One a similar topic which celeberity death this year stood out the most to you and why?

Just to recap those who died

* Bea Arthur * Brittany Murphy *Billy Mays *Natasha Richardson *Jett Travolta *Patrick Swazye * Senator Edward M. Kennedy Eunice Kennndy Shriver * Michael Jackson * Farrah Fawcett * Ed Mchmahon *Walter Cronkrite

Broadway Musical Fan Fiction Ideas

To all my blog followers this is a call to arms!

I have recently started to write fan fiction about Broadway musicals and need some suggestions for ideas for stories I could write in addition to the ideas I have already come up with. I will list the musicals I plan on writing fan fictions about. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. If you have been in any of these shows character development suggestions would be most appreciated.

Little Shop of Horrors

• In the process of writing a play script that is based on what the charcters do after leaving Skid Row. (based on the ending of the movie not the ending of the play) Script is a couple of entries back. Feel free to comment on it.

Additional ideas welcome.

Grease

• Do the Greasers keep racing cars in college?


• Do Sandy and Danny continue to date in college?

You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

Have never seen this and don't know much about the play. Any and all suggestions welcome!

A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum

• Hero's relationship with Phillia

Carsouel

• something that mostly focusses on Louise not sure what angle to take yet

Cabaret

• Does Sally end up having an abortion?


• Fraulien Schidner and Herr's Shultz's relationship


• Do Cliff and Sally get married? ( guess this coiuld be combined with the does Sally end up having an abortion one)


• Parody of the song Two Ladies ( if i can think of a good way to paraody it)

Annie Get Your Gun

• Just finished writing one that's basically the play in Dolly Tate's POV . An excerpt is below

(this fan fiction is in diary format)

April 3rd Cleveland Ohio 9am We’ve been traveling for about 4 days but finally arrived in Cleveland about 45 minutes ago. Now things are gonna be crazy seeing up for the shooting match which is at 2:00pm. Apparently the hotel owner Mr. Wilson does not seem that pleased that we are here. Based on his attitude it doesn’t seem like he had that great of an experience when Pawnee Bill and his show company was here. I’m going to go now and try to see if I can lift his spirits a little. Bye!

Later that same day… around 6:00pm When I was out for a stroll earlier I came upon this girl and she shot the decorative bird clear off my hat. My favorite hat is ruined now and I am so upset and bitter toward this stranger. The shooting match was at 2:00 on the front lawn. Frank looked really handsome in his competition outfit. I found out not soon after I arrived that the girl who ruined my hat is his competitor.. Annie Oakley’s her name. Her little siblings Jessie,Nellie, Minnie and Little Jake are her assistants. What a family affair! The match went really well until the score was tied at 20. They had to shoot alternate shots until a winner was chosen and Annie outshot him. I think something’s fishy between them and honestly think she was just lucky. After the match I over heard Charlie Frank and Bill talking to Annie and the offered her a position in the show. Hopefully they’re not hiring her to purposely replace me. That would make me so mad!

4.4 early-mid-afternoon Ever since we got on this train Annie has made a real mess of things. She claims there was a fire in the Indian’s cabin so they were using my car in which to prepare their dinner in. Then those bratty siblings of hers unhooked the baggage car and it’s long gone by now. Annie is so clueless to notice anything wrong and Charlie is not any help at all… he’s just on her side. She doesn’t realize that Frank is just using her to make himself look good in the show she’s too head over heals for him to realize that. It is just so infuriating. I liked it better when I was the only person vying for Frank’s attention. I want Annie OUT OF THIS SHOW!

4/7 St Paul Well today was the show in St Paul. Annie is so obnoxious. She did some fancy motorcycle stunt in order to impress Frank. I think secretly he was impressed but he masked it with anger thinking she was trying to show him up. She keeps trying to convince him it wasn’t true but I don’t think he believes her. He’s pretty steamed about it. This is so great! Now Annie will probably be out of the show… oh I can only hope they will get rid of her. If they don’t, I am going to quit!

Later that same day Frank and I had a long talk about the show today. He is still really mad at Annie for that stunt she pulled on him earlier today. I suggested kicking her out of the show and he wouldn’t have anything to with that idea. I KNEW all along that he loves her. She makes me so mad. After a long silence I suggested that maybe we tour with Pawnee Bill for awhile so that way he can get his mind off Annie and focus more on his work. He agreed and left her a note in her tent. We’re leaving bright and early with Pawnee. YES! Now I have him all to myself.

• Frank and Annie in their married life


• What happens to Annie's siblings?

Additional ideas welcome

Annie

• What happens to the other orphans who live in the orphange?


• Annie's post orphanage life

Additional ideas welcome

Sound of Music

• Does Lisel find love after Rolf?

Additional ideas welcome

Bye Bye Biridie

• What becomes of the Conrad Birdie Fan club once Conrad leaves for the war?


• Rosie and Albert's marriage

Additional ideas welcome

Debating about doing one about HSM since there is already a movie conglomerate and all the movies are built off eachother.

Musicals I have written fan fictions about so far

*Little Shop of Horrors 1 play script. 1 story, 1 poem

*Phantom of The Opera one poem that I wrote a few years ago inspired by the song Music of The Night

* Sound of Music One poem that I wrote a few years ago inspired by the song 16 Going of 17

*The Music Man One poem I wrote in high school inspired by the song Til There Was You

* Kiss Me Kate

*The Apple Tree

All fan fictions can be found at http://fanfiction.net/~showtunediva

Thought for the day

Out of all the shows I have seen this year I hope at least 3 or four are nominated for NH Theatre Awards. The nominations come out the first week in January.



Month by Month Breakdown of shows I've seen this year





February

Godspell Peacock Players

March

No Sex Please We're Brittish Milford Area Players

April

Peter Pan Amherst PTA

May

The Boyfriend Riverbend Youth Company

* Nomination for best actress- Annie Rieley

July

Grease Summer Theatre In Meredith Village

August

Oaklahoma Summer Theatre In Meredith Village

Anything Goes New London Barn Playhouse

October

The Foreinger Milford Area Players
*Nomiation for Best Supporting Actor- Weston Kulvette

November
My Fair Lady Riverbend School of Theatre
Nomination for Best Actress- Annie Riely
Nomination for Best Costume Design Michelle Withers

December
Judy's Scary Little Christmas Music and Drama Company
This show pretty much made a clean sweep for nomination in both the acting and technical catergories! WOO HOO!

So You Think You Can Dance Finale Recap

So You Think You Can Dance Finale Recap

Dec 15/16

Top 6

Ashleigh

Ellenore

Jakob

Kathryn

Ryan

Russsell

Predicted Top 3

1. Jakob He has truly been FABULOUS all season long and has amazed and impressed with me with every dance he has done. Nigel suggested that he join a professional dance company once the season is over and any dance company he joins would be very blessed to have him.

2. Kathryn Channing was my favorite girl dancer for most of the season.. it was after she got voted off the week before Thanksgiving that I truly realized how talented and versatile Kathryn is. To me she has definitley grown as a performer this season and her performances have never once diasppointed me. The only performance that I didn't see as a particular stand out was her Broadway routine with Legacy.

3. Russell He has been one of my favorite male dancers this season and like Kathryn has truly grown into a versatile dancer. Let me just point out that it was incredibly hard to vote between him and Jakob.. I really wanted to vote for both of them because they are both amazing dancers. SUCH a hard decision if you consider how far both of them have come this season.

Peformance Show Summary

Jakob

Ratings: Routine 1: 10 Routine 2: 9 Routine 3: 10 Total 29

Jakob started off the evening dancing with Ellenore. Their genre was was Broadway. Seriously they had the best chemistry all season and I wish they had been paired up sooner. It was one of the best Broadway routines this season. Perfect ten. His second routine was with Ashleigh. They were together at the beginning of the season and it was great to see them dance together one final time. Once again they complimented eachother really well. For his final routine he was paired up with Kathryn and they pretty much stole the show with an amazing contemporary piece. Emotional. Powerful. Beautiful lines. This routine was the clincher for me in deciding who got my vote.

Ryan

Ratings Routine 1: 6.5 Routine 2 7 Routine 3 8 Total 21

Ryan began the evening being paired up with Kathryn dancing a Samba. The latin genre has some dances that stand out to me not this one however... I actually perfer tango. Three words can describe this dance Sassy Sexy and Sensual. Ryan looked a bit stiff during this routine. The second time around he was paired with Ellenore for a Jazz routine. Didn't really care for this routine at all to be honest. However they did compliment eachother really well. I will give them credit for that. To round at the night he danced with wife Ashleigh. They are truly gorgeous together when they dance.. my breath was taken away. One of the best contemporary routines I have seen this season.

Russell

Ratings: Routine 1: 8 Routine 2: 9 Routine 3: 7 Total: 24

Russell had a very good night tonight.. the best of the season actually and as I said earlier it was next to impossible to choose between him and Jakob when it came to voting. He began the evening dancing a Lyrical Jazz piece with Ashleigh. One of my favorite routines of the night. Very powerful and emotional. I could seriously almost feel their emotions penetrate through the tv screen.. that is how powerful that routine was for me. Next he was paired up with Ellenore for a Pase Doble... as I said in my commentary for Ryan's routines my favorite dance of the Latin genre is tango but out of all the Pase Dobles I have seen this seaosn this one was the best one. Ellenore was a powerful and emotional dancer in these piece and really shone brightly and almost outdanced Russsell but he was still good. He rounded out the evening dancing with Kathryn and what a great way to end the night. They danced a Nappy Tabs Hip Hop routine which was very fluid and NSYNC. Hip Hop is not my favorite dance style on this show but was definitley my favorite routine of the season in that style.

Results!!!

6th Place Ryan

5th Place Ashleigh

4th Place Elllenore

3rd Place Kathryn

2nd Place Jakob

WINNER Russell

The only thing shocking about these results was that Russell won over Jakob. Everything else was pretty obvious based on Tuesday's performances. As I said in my summary of the performance show it was incredibly hard for me to choose between Jakob and Russell when it came to picking my favorite guy. They both had their share of outstanding routines this season and each had at least one or two routines that particular routines that stood out to me (Russell-Afro Jazz with Noelle and Lyircal Jazz with Ashleigh. Jakob- Contemp with Kathryn and Broadway piece with Mollee) This has been an up and down season for me but tonight's results have definitley redeemed my faith in the show and I am definitley excited about next season. Bring it on Season 7! Can't wait for the summer!

Results show musical performances

Leona Lewis- I liked this performance. The song has a good message behind it. Avatar looks like an interesting movie but I really wouldn't put it in my top list of movies to see. Rating out of 10:9

Mary J Blige: Not typically a big fan of her music but I enjoyed her performance last night. Rating out of 10: 8.5

Adam Lambert: Something about him in general does not set well with me. It has nothing whatsoever to do with sexuality. It would think I would most likely have to do with the he was never my favorite on American Idol last year and that his performances seem to be a tad over theatrical. This one seemed a little bit more down to earth. Rating out of 10: 6

JLO- Usually I am a huge JLo fan. There was something about this performance that I wasn't to crazy about. Can't put my finger on exactly what it was though. I liked how she featured girls from this season and previous seasons in her routine. Rating out of 10:5.5

Happy Holidays

A few weeks ago I caught the tail end of a rehearsal for the song It's A Hard Knock Life. It looks great and I am so excited about how the rest of this show will come together.

This is going to be an amazing show to work on.

Thought of the day

I just read an article online about So You Think You Can Dance and how the judges pretty much rigged the voting system so Ashleigh and Ryan could make it into the finale.
Keep in mind that Ashleigh did not even dance last week because she was injured. Mollee who got sent home danced absolutley pheonominal and should have been in the finale instead of her. While Mollee wasn't my favorite all season she grew on me after awhile and really statrted to show maturity in her dancing once the partner switch ups occured a few weeks ago. Her broadway # with Jakob last week was truly the best one yet. Ashleigh on the other hand is a pretty average dancer in my books as is Ryan. Ryan only had about one or two routines that stood out to me all season long and his solos were boring and very repettivie. Ashleigh did not really have any memorable routines by my standards and her solos were mediocre.
Originally I thought this was all just talk and people were just saying it because they were mad that Mollee and Legacy did not make it into the finale. Now that it appears to be fact I am less than amused and just as angered and upset as others on the chatboard on fox.com are.

If this supposed to be a contest for America's Favorite Dancer where does America's vote even matter? I don't see how the voting public even matters if the judges and producers have such a high matter opinion of who should be in the top dancers. This show is nothing more but another realtiy show popularity contest. True talent apparently does not seem to matter anymore. If it did Channing and Victor would be in the finale and NOT Ashleigh and Ryan.

I am in total disgust over this. My faith in this show has gone way down. It seems to have lost any type of creditibilty it used to have.

Like many others on the fox.com chat board Season six may be the last season of So You Think You Can Dance that I watch. Shame on you Fox for letting creadibility slip away. You are losing many viewers because of this... not just me.

Character Development Question

I need a little character development help for a play I am writing. Anyone who can help me out I would graciously appreciate your suggestions.



For those familiar with the show Behind The Music of VH1 the idea behind my play is a similar concept to that only instead of pop music I decided to focus on Broadway Musicals. I am planning on doing a series of plays once I get this script done based on shows I've either been in or worked on over the course of the last 5 years of course this would include the plays I worked on at NLBP.

The first play in what I hope will be a seires is based on the characters from Little Shop of Horrors. The struggle I have been having is with incorporating the theree do-op girls Chiffon Ronnette and Crystal into my script. From my basic knowledge of the play they kind of represent a greek chorus type of thing so it is really hard to give them a back story other than the obvious fact that they live on Skid Row like the other characters in the play. If anyone has been in Little Shop of Horrors and played these three chracters and could help me out with character development that would be super.
I should also make a note that this play is based on the movie ending and not the play ending.

The rough draft of the script is below.

Beyond Skid Row

by Janine Leffler

Cast of Characters

(in order of appearance)

2 Newscasters (can be male or female)

Mrs Shiva- Wife of Mr. Shiva who owns a funeral home on Skid Row. Approximate Age 45-50 yrs; Jewish

Mrs. Scrivello Mother of Orin Scrivello DDS approximate age 45-50 yrs old

Seymour Krelborn approximate age 25-30 years old

Audrey Krelborn Seymour's Wife approximate 25-30 years old

Chiffon approximate 16-20 years old close friend of Audrey and Seymour

Ronnette approximate age 16-20 years old close friend of Audrey and Seymour

Crystal appoximate age 16-20 years old close friend of Audrey and Seymour

Newscaster 1: Welcome to Behind The Music Broadway where we focus on Broadway Show Characters. Today we are going to be featuring interviews with the characters from Little Shop of Horrors and see what they have done since departing from the wretchedness of Skid Row.
Newscaster 2: Our first interview is with Mrs. Shiva, a valued customer of Mr. Mushnik.’s Flower Shop formerly located at 1313 Skid Row She will talk about what it like to hear about the news of Mushnik’s sudden passing. Welcome Mrs. Shiva.
Mrs. Shiva: Thank You. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Newscaster 2: What was your reaction when you first heard about the Audrey 2?
Mrs. Shiva: I was very happy. Mushnik’s clientele was doing very poorly before Seymour Krelborn started taking care of the Audrey 2. Things started to get better for business after Audrey 2 was introduced to the general public of Skid Row.
Newscaster I: When you heard about Mushnik’s sudden disappearance were you surprised?Mrs. Shiva: Oh yes, it was very surprising when Mushink disappeared, rather unexpected as well.
Newscaster 2: Were you under suspiscion that Audrey 2 could have had something to do with his disappearance?
Mrs. Shiva: Not at first, but then I heard something in the news about Audrey 2 needing human blood to keep living. I wasn’t sure if that was just my imagination or if it was true.
Newscaster 1: Well, luckily we have Seymour Krelborn in the studio with us today in the studio because we plan to interview him and his wife Audrey later on in the broadcast, would you to like to ask him that question while we have here?
Mrs. Shiva: Yes, it would be great to have some clarification.(Seymour enters and sits down in a chair across from Mrs, Shiva)
Newscaster 2: Welcome Seymour and thank you for being willing to talk to Mrs. Shiva today.
Seymour: You’re quite welcome. Hello Mrs. Shiva.
Mrs. Shiva: Hello Seymour, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you on the news. Perhaps you can shed some light on Audrey 2 for me and the pain it has caused to the clientele of Mushnik‘s Skid Row Flower Shop.
Seymour: To be honest I didn’t really expect Audrey 2 to be a blood thirsty monster I assumed it would be just be a normal plant like any other plant in my plant identification books. I was wrong much to my misfortune.
Mrs. Shiva: Do you realize how much Mr. Mushnik cared about you?
Seymour: Yes, I do and I had a lot of respect for him. I didn’t want to feed him to Audrey 2 but it had a very controlling attitude unfortunately.
Mrs. Shiva: How much longer did the plant stay alive after Mushnik died?Seymour: Not very long. It tried to eat Audrey and I would have been extremely devastated if Audrey had to succumb to Audrey 2’s greedy ways. I had to put my foot down. So I took out my machete and tore it to shreds and I am happy to report that no one will hear anything more about that horrid plant Audrey 2.
Mrs Shiva (smiling) Well that is good and very comforting to know. Thank you for your comforting clarification.
Seymour: You’re quite welcome.
(Seymour and Mrs. Shiva stand up ,shake hands and exit)(Mrs. Scrivello enters and takes a seat in the chair that has been vacated by Mrs. Shiva)
Newscaster 1: We thank Mr. Krelborn for coming in. He will back later on in the show with his wife Audrey and they will talk about their life together since leaving Skid Row. Our next guest is Mrs. Edna Scrivello, mother of deceased dentist Orin Scrivello. Welcome Mrs. Scrivello.
Mrs. Scrivello: Hello and thank you very much for having me on your show today.
Newscaster 1: You’re welcome. We’re delighted to have you. How have been dealing with the death of your son?
Mrs. Scrivello: I try to take things day by day. My son was very misunderstood by so many people.Newscaster 1: How do you mean?
Mrs. Scrivello: I understand he may not have been the best match for Audrey romantically but I think others were far too judgmental of his love for dentistry.
Newscaster 1: In what way do you think they were too judgmental?
Mrs. Scrivello: Well people thought that he had too much of a fascination or almost an obsession with other people’s pain. I would classify it more as a fascination than an obsession though. He had a true love for dentistry and think a lot of people overlooked that about him because they thought he was too obsessed with other people’s pain.Newscaster 1: When you heard the news that Orin’s office had been ransacked did you have any suspicion that it might have had something to do with Audrey 2?Mrs. Scrivello: Well I did see a bag and a baseball cap that looked they belonged to Seymour Krelborn at the scene of the crime but from the previous segment with Mrs. Shiva he seems like a nice boy. I didn’t think that he had anything to do with Orin’s death and I still don’t think he had a lot to do with his death.Newscaster 1: What was the one thing that tipped you off to the idea that Seymour could have been innocent?Mrs. Scrivello: The fact that the gas masks were all over the place. Orin was always playing around with the buttons on those stupid gas masks playing with the air intake controls. He always said it something to do with feeling the ultimate pleasure while he was operating on his patients but I warned him that it could be deadly. He never listened.
Newscaster 1: Will anyone take over for Orin?
Mrs. Scrivello: Sadly ,no. Orin was the only dentist in the family. No one else had such a passion for dentistry as he did.. It’s honestly the biggest shame.
Newscaster 1: Thank you for taking the time to meet us today Mr. Scrivello.
Mrs. Scrivello: You’re quite welcome.
(Mrs. Scrivello exits. Seymour and Audrey enter and sit on the couch)
Newscaster 1: And now we welcome Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Krelborn to our set. Hello Audrey and Seymour.
Audrey: We’re very happy to be here today. Thank you for having us on your show this evening.
Newscaster 1: Seymour you spoke with Mrs Shiva earlier about your heroic destruction of Audrey 2. What have you and Audrey done since then?
Seymour: Well I got into quite a battle with the plant because it did not want to die it tried to eat me but I stood my ground. Mushnik’s Skid Row Flower Shop is no longer standing. Audrey and I have gotten married and we just returned from our honeymoon.
Newscaster 1: and where did you honeymoon?
Audrey: We went to Aruba on our honeymoon it was beautiful.
Newscaster 1: Where are you two currently living?
Audrey: Well if you recall the song “Somewhere That’s Green” from the musical I sang about living in a little development in a suburb far far from urban Skid Row. Seymour made that dream come true for me.
(Seymour and Audrey kiss)Newscaster 1: And what professions do you both have?Seymour: I opened a flower shop down the street from our house called Seymour’s House of Plants. Audrey works for me currently as a secretary but she is carrying our first child. We are very excited about becoming parents.


One this play is done being written I hope to direct in a local youth theatre and as I fine tune it I want to make sure it is age apporpriate for the age group I am going to direct. Obviously I have a long way to go with it which is why I need people's feedback.


Once this play is done I plan on adding more titles to the series. I am planning to base my scripts off the following musicals. If you have been in any of these shows please feel free to suggest ideas for future scripts I would very much appreciate them. Thanks. I know that Grease has had a sequel movie done to it (which I personally thought was horrible)

• RENT
• Grease
• Hairspray
• Wicked
• Oaklahoma
• Annie Get Your Gun
• Peter Pan
• Carosuel (maybe this one could be a one woman show that focusses on the chracter Louise IDK)
• Annie
• Sound of Music
• HAIR
• Cabaret

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas let your heart be light

What a pefect way to get into the spirit of the holidays! Last night Sonya gave me and Matt an early Christmas present and treated us to Judy's Scary Little Christmas presented by the Music and Drama Company which is based out of Londonderry.

I have never found myself laughing so hard as I was last night at this production. There was not one single dull moment. I also found myself wanting to sing along at certain parts. What a fun show!

This show is a spoof 0f 1950s radio shows and is set in 1956 in Holloywood. The star of the show Christine Frydenborg did amazing in her portaryal of Judy Garland. The opening number Back in Christmas Town made me want to get up and dance. As the guess start to arrive at Judy's party the characters come out in full musical force Bing Crosby, Liberace,Ethel Merman, Richard Nixon Lillian Hellman and Joan Crawford. Each character had their own story to tell which led to energetic songs and fun conversations. Favorite musical numbers included The Candy Cane Twist, Mauna Loa Hula Holiday and Make It Shine. My favorite character hands down was Liberace as portayed by Michael Coppola. An unexpected guest named Death (Dave Kjellander) drops in and rains on everyone's parade a litlte bit predicting how everyone will die but that does not deter the fun atmosphere of this holiday gatering even for a couple minutes.

Congrats to the cast and crew on an amazing performance and once againg Happy Holidays to all who follow my blog.


2010 Vieiwing Schedule (Subject to change due to budget)
March
11-14 Going to NY to go see eiither Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys or A Little Night Music as part of Rae's birthday gift.
27-29th SHS Musical Bye Bye Birdie
29-Apr 11 RENT Palace Theatre
May
21-23rd Sweet Charity Actorsingers
8th NEC Movement Concert

Blurbs

• Plans to go to NY in March are still very much up in the air. It wil largely depend on budget.
• I am already going through Glee withdrawls.. it's going to be horrendously horribe to wait for the next season to start in April.
• Saw New Moon last night. Didn't like it quite so much as Twilight.. thought it was avearage at best. It gets a C/B-
• Jay Johnson is amazing! I am now in possession of an autographed poster and playbill from the revival cast of HAIR! Best early Xmas gift ever!
• As previously stated I am STOKED for the NH Theatre Awards on Feb 5th. Pics will be posted!
• Saw Judy's Scary Little Christmas in Nashua yesterday. Hillarious! There willl a review when I get around to writing one.
• Applied for a job doing pr work for Summer Theatre In Meredith Village for The Summer. Still awaiting to hear back from Nancy on if she got my writing samples.

Happy Holidays everyone!

So You Think You Can Dance/ Glee Weekly Update

So You Think You Can Dance and Glee Weekly Update

Wednesday Dec 9th

I will talk about Glee first and then move effortlessly into talking about SYTYCD

I LOVED THE FINALE while a tad predictable because of build up from previous episodes it was AMAZING!

Mercedes's audition for the ballad was amazing. I felt bad for her when she was seeing the other group at sectionals singing it. She would of nailed it.
How diid the other Gleeks expect Rachel not to find out.. they were kind of dumb to think she would't figure it out and tell Finn. I felt REALLY bad for him but loved how he came through for everyone at the end despite how angry he was at Quinn and Puck.
Will and Emma!! YES!! I was dead on about them getting together.
Don't Rain on My Parade- BEST MUSICAL # of the whole show. I LOVE LEA MICHELE!
I love how Pricinpal Figgins totally bitched out Sue about leaking the set list. She definitley got what she had coming to her Glee Club is victorious and can't be brought down. I loved how Emma went up to the the teachers from the other two schools and told it like it was about how they cheated and how it doesn't reflect very good on them as teachers. That is so true! Way to go Emma!




and to add: Glee has been nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards!! 2 for best musical drama 1 for best Actor Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester) an 1 for Best Actress Jane Lynch ( Sue Sylvester)

Edit 1/1/10 Too lazy to make a seperate entry

Top 10 Songs from Season 1 of Glee

1. (tie) Don't Rain on My Parade and I'm Tellling You I'm Not Going ( so hard to choose between these two)

2. Sweet Caroline

3. Young Girl/ Don't Stand So Close To Me

4. (tie) Proud Mary and True Colors

5. Don't Stop Beleving

6. Maybe This Time
7. My Life Would Suck Without You

8 Defying Gravity

9. Bust A Move

10. Dancing With Myself

Imagine is not too far behind nor is Lean On Me

Top 5 Least Favorite Songs from Season 1 of Glee

1. Hair and Crazy in Love Mashup I think this song did a total injustice to the title song from HAIR which is a really good showtune. It was a bas idea on the part of the producers of the show to combine it with Crazy In Love. Beyonce and Broadway showtunes do not mix. I was glad that song was not on the CD. I would have instantly skipped over it if it was.

2. Don't Make Me Over

3. (You're) Having MY Baby This song was just horrendous to listen to, I just skip over it on the cd.

4. Crush

5. Gold Digger
NOW for SYTYCD!!


Top 6 Pairings and Genres




Couples:Jakob & Mollee – Broadway (Joey Dowling), Viennese Waltz (Jason Gilkison)
The Viennese Waltz is not one of my favorite styles of dance but you have to admit it is beautiful. Jakob and Mollee had beautiful chemistry in this dance and wonderful lines. For the Broadway routine they danced to one of my favorite songs Easy Street from Annie. They did fabulous with capturing the emotions of the chracters.




Legacy & Ellenore – Contemporary (Travis Wall), Hip Hop (Nappy Tabs)
Very interesting concept behind the contemporary. Quite an intense number. Not sure it was one of my favorite performances of the season but still worth watching. The hip hop # was average at best and I didn't understand the story behind it. They had amazing chemistry. :) I love Nappy Tabs.




Ryan & Kathryn - Disco, Cha-Cha
The disco was fun and entertaining to watch. It doesn't seem like Ryan really danced a lot and was very stiff. That could bring down the partnership. On a scale of 1-10 the ChaCha rates a 5.5 overall in terms of sexiness and sasiness. It was good otherwise. Hopefully both of these performances will keep Kathryn OUT of the bottom 2.




Russell & Ashleigh – Hip Hop (Shane Sparks),Bollywood




Ashleigh was out due to an injured shoulder so Russell had to dance with the chreographer. This is not the first time Russell has been in this situation this season. This could bring him down this week which is a concern. Russell was good in the hiphop routine .







Ratings



Mollee VW 6 BWay 9 Solo 7 Total 22



Jakob VW 9 BWay 8 Solo 9 Total 26



Ellenore Contemp 9 Hip Hop 8 Solo 9 Total 26



Legacy Contemp 5 Hip Hop 8 Solo 8 Total 21



Ryan D 4 Chacha 6 Solo 4 Total 14



Kathryn D 8 Chacha 6 Solo 9 Total 23



Russell Hiphop 9 Bwood 7 Solo 9 Total 25

RESULTS

Top 4: Ashleigh Jakob Kathryn Russell

Bottom 4: (bolded- went home) Ellenore Legacy Mollee Ryan

Why do I have a feeling the fox.com message boards are going to be full with a lot of upset postings about tonight's results show? I am right along with them,I'm afraid. The voting on this show is most certainly rigged. Legacy was SO much better than Ryan last night and it is definitely not fair that Ashleigh got in to the finale when she didn't even DANCE last night... she got in purely because of SYMPATHY votes. She had very few routines that stood out to me this season and her solos were mediocre. In comparison, Mollee who was never my favorite from the beginning of the season has grown on me and has grown into an incredibly versatile dancer. She will be missed in finale.

This season has been full of shortcomings and I am left unsure if I will continue to watch next season.

Negative things about this season

• Mia Michaels not being a choreographer or judge
• Adam Shankman being a permanent judge- I have lots of love for Adam but I also liked hearing differnt view points from other people each week and it gets boring having commentary by the same people each week.
• I found that there were very few dances that were memorable this season. Out of all the dances I would only say about 5 or 6 were memorable as opposed to last season where there tons more routines that stood out. Those listed in my favorite dances list below are the ones that truly stood out and were the ones that I'll look back on and remember
• The fact that this season was so soon after the summer season.
• The fact that Nigel was so incredibly rude and degrading to Nathan. See my post from November 27th.

Favorite Dance Routines of Season 5 and Season 6 by Genre

Contemporary


S 5 Melissa and Ade Romeo and Juliet


S5 Melisssa and Ade Breast Cancer


S6 Ellenore and Legacy





Jazz


S6 Channing and Victor Birdcage

S6 Noelle and Russell AfroJazz dance

Lyrical Jazz

S5 Caitlin and Jason

S6 Jakob and Ashleigh

Broadway


S6 Ellenore and Ryan Razzle Dazzle Chicago

S6 Nathan and Kathryn Chreography from White Christmas

S5 Kayla and Kupono Dance at The Gym West Side Story

S5 Evan and Randi Get Me To The Church of Time My Fair Lady
S5 Brandon and Kayla Aquarius HAIR

Latin

S5 Brandon And Janette Argentinan Tango

S6 Kathryn and Legacy Pase Doble

All the waltzes I have seen on this show have been absolutely gorgeous so it's really hard to comapre one dance to the other. A lot of hip hop performances have really stood out to me too a majority of them being from last season though there have been a few of them that have stood out to me this season.

Latest Milford Cabinet Article

Holiday classic A Christmas Story to be performed at the Amato Center
By Janine Leffler





Stop for a moment and think of three words that come to mind whenever you think of the holiday season. Perhaps they are, laughter, joy and togetherness as families gather around their tables sharing memories. Laughter and joy will not be in short supply at the upcoming performances of the popular holiday comedy classic A Christmas Story. This play is a perfect way to bring families together in the spirit of the holidays.

A Christmas Story, which is a holiday comedy that tells the story of young boy’s proof to his family, friends an Santa that the Red Ryder BB Gun the gift that he really wants for Christmas is a combined effort of the companies of the Riverbend School of Theatre and The Milford Area Players. The show is directed by Robin Lacroix and stars Gary Locke, Mike Wood, Jennifer Erdody, Matt Campbell, Cameron Mackie, Anthony Lopez, Doulgas Pedroza, Tom Partridge, Paige Craven, Kayla Bullwinkel, John Sheridan, Karen Hammes, Kent Maggelet, Ben Lopez, Alex Taylor, Andi Burnett, Helaine Hall, Rachel Taylor and Olivia Mackie.

The biggest challenge that director Robin Lacroix has faced in directing this play is “There are many locations in this play from inside the house to the school room to the playground to the inside of the department store and more so thinking through how it should all flow together.” Lacoix continued by saying that while she has some nerves about the upcoming performances she looks forward the most to portraying a faithful representation of a classic holiday movie.”

To get into character Paige Craven, a 15 year old sophomore at Souhegan High School has paid close attention to her younger siblings who are eleven and eight. Craven’s character Esther Jane is nine years old and the love interest of the main character Ralphie. Eleven year old Cameron Mackie of Brookline finds it a challenge to play a character that is younger than him. He is eleven and he plays Ralphie’s little brother Randy who is five. Mackie says the thing he enjoys the best about working on this show is getting to act in a play that is based on his favorite non-animated holiday film.

The cast has been rehearsing for weeks. Cast members in this production had various methods when it came to memorizing their lines. Mike Wood, of Nashua who plays the Old Man, used index cards in which he wrote his cue on one side and his lines on the other. Theatre runs in Karen Hammes’s family as all of her children have been in shows at the Amato Center so when she rehearsed at home, she got help and advice from them. Kayla Bullwinkel used a very unique method to memorizing her lines. “If you do not go to bed too late and your script is the last thing you read before you go to bed, the lines are fresh in your head the next day.”


When asked if this play captures the true meaning of Christmas cast members gave various responses. Jen Erdody said that this play is a great representation of Christmas nostalgia and shared family memories which are important especially in these economic times. Director Robin Lacroix shared a similar sentiment “We chose this particular play because it’s a family show. In this hurried world, at the most hurried season of all, it’s such a joy to be able to provide an activity the whole family can enjoy together. And time with our families is the greatest gift we could give.”
The cast is looking forward to the upcoming performances and to performing such a timeless holiday classic. Cast member, Kent Maggelet elaborated that his family enjoys the movie and can’t wait to see how the movie is brought to the stage.


A Christmas Story runs Dec 11-13 at the Amato Center for The Performing Arts at The Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club. Shows are at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Come out and enjoy the show!

So You Can Dance/ Glee Weekly Update

So close to the finale for both shows we can almost taste it.

Top 10 Pairings and Genres

Couple 1: Ellenore and Jakob

Totals Ellenore 26 Jakob 27

Solo: Ellenore 9 Jakob 10

Genre 1: Contemp Very sensual and sexual but still good. Rating out of 10" 8

Genre 2 QuickStep Usually this genre is deadly but they nailed it. Score out of 10:9

Couple 2: Nathan and Kathryn

Solos Nathan 8 Kathryn 9

Genre 1: Broadway Song: Choreography from White Christmas Nathan shone much brighter than he has in other routines. I think Kathryn brought out the best in him for certain. They had much better chemistry then him and Molly did. Rating out of 10: 8

Genre 2: Rumba This seemed to me to be more of jazz then a rumba but regardless it seemed good. Kathryn has wonderful technique and is now my new favorite girl this season. Rating out of 10: 7

Totals Nathan 17 Kathryn 17

Couple 3: Russell and Mollee

Solo Ratings Mollee 6 Russell 8

Genre 1: Jazz ( Mandy Moore) Very powerful and great lines. This is a great pair with beautiful chemistry. Rating out of 10 8

Genre 2: Jive Very energetic and fun to watch. Rating out of 10"8

Russell 16 Mollee 14

Couple 4: Legacy and Ashleigh

Solos Legacy 10 Ashleigh 8

Genre 1: Contemp umm what? this looked like hip hop not contemporary. Not my favorite dance of the season. Rating 0ut of 10: 4

Genre 2 Hip Hop Too much walking and not really dancing.. they had better chemistry in the contemp #. Rating out of 10: 4

Totals Legacy 18 Ashleigh 16

Couple 5: Ryan and Noelle

Solos Ryan 6 Noelle 7

Genre 1: Waltz Very beautiful choreography and nice lines. Ryan's skill in ballroom was clearly evident. Rating out of 10: 8

Genre 2: Hip Hop (Nappy Tabs) One of the best perfromances of the night! Nappy Tabs are my favorite choreographers. Very Sensual and sexy. Rating out of 10: 9

Totals Ryan 14 Noelle 16

RESULTS!!

Bottom 4 Dancers: Kathryn Noelle Nathan Ryan

Dancers who went home: Noelle and Nathan

While I was hoping Nathan would go home tonight I don't think he left with very much confidence and that was mostly Nigel's fault for putting him down EVERY single time after he danced. He would have been a lot more confident in himself and taken more pride in his work if Nigel had not been so over critical of him. I haven't been a huge Nathan fan all season but I've been seeing a lot of negative posts about him on the message boards on fox.com and I would just like to say something positive about him for once. Sure, he's only 17 and a lot of the other more dancers are more seasoned then him but everyone has their own talents. He is very talented in his own respect and his solos were amazing. I thought he did better in all of his solos as opposed to how he did in a majority of his couple numbers. I think with all the knowledge he has gained from the show he will take that to only broaden his career.. SYTYCD is only a starting point for all of these dancers. I'm sure he will do amazing things. Not so sure either of the girls who were in the bottom two deserved to be there. Both Noelle and Kathryn were very versatile dancers. Ashleigh on the other hand is a very mediocre dancer and should have gone home.. her solo did absolutley nothing at all for me last night. Not sure I'm such a huge SYTYCD fan as I have been in previous seasons. Refer to my entry from Friday. Reasons why are outlined there.

As for Glee... This week's episode was intense

*Yearbook Photos: Will thought that the Glee Club was getting gypped by not getting their photos in the yearbook so he nominated Rachel to be captain of the Glee Club. She has a bit of an issue getting people to agree to be her co-captain but Finn agree but she ends up having to fly solo.

Commercial Quality: Rachel lands the Gleeks in a tv commercial for a local mattress store with the help of the yearbook photographer. That musical number was the best one I have seen all season long. However once Sue Sylvester gets wind of it she uses it as another way to bring Glee Club down.

*Relationship Shakeup: Will finds out about the fake pregnancy and flips his lid leaving Terri in the dust. I wonder if they will get back together or if he will end up with Emma.

*Brownie Points For Quinn: My least favorite character all season long has been Quinn. One reason why I don't like her is because she is using Finn and stringing him along thinking the baby is his when it is really Puck's. She did something admirable tonight standing up to Sue who kicked off the Cheerios because she was pregnant and because of her pregnancy wouldn't let her be in the yearbook picture because she didn't think she was a good role model for the rest of the cheerleaders. Shall we say,open mouth insert foot? Quinn pretty much told it like it is that Glee Club is a place where she belongs and Cheerios isn't because the Gleeks are more accepting of her and her pregnancy then Sue is. Way to Go Quinn!

Waiting so anxiously for next week's finale.

Something I've known about for awhile but forgot to mention til now

I am going to the NH Theatre Awards at the Palace Theatre in Mancheter on February 5th. I am so excited because this is my first time attending. I am looking so foward to this and counting the days down. I hope a lot of the shows I have seen through out this year get nominated for awards. I have no idea when the list of shows that are nominated comes out.

Latest Milford Cabinet Article

Where kids who dream of being on Broadway get their start
By Janine Leffler



Where can young thespians learn tools of the trade close to home? There is no better place than the Riverbend School of Theatre Arts at the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club in Milford.

The school was started in 2006 by Toby Tarnow and has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception. Tarnow was a TV and film actress from the 50s to the 90s and wanted to share her talents and passion for the arts with local youth. Shows she starred in included Amerika, Til Death Do Us Part and King of Kensington. Due to her professional background all of the shows that have been done so far have been teaching experiences. The school’s mission statement is: To provide a safe theater environment for children, ages 10-18, to learn the values of cooperation and collaboration, build group communication skills, and develop presence and confidence, all the while discovering and experiencing their own creative process.

The school of theatre offers classes for high school students in which to earn credit which are called Educational Learning Opportunities Credits. These classes are competency based. Currently there are two ELO classes, Iradio Theatre and an Audition Class. Tarnow is hoping to add more ELO classes next fall some of which include Sound Design and Set Design and Construction. One current ELO class that is being offered is Iradio. Instructor Bill Griggs says that this type of theatre is used as a forum for those students studying communications to express themselves through scripting production and distribution of an house radio show. Griggs said the following about what he teaches in the iradio class is as follows “I work on script continuity, and how to enhance the characters through the audio stream. Vocal reads, foley props, what music should be performed and what music should be from needle drop. We have a great contributor, Andrew Cass. He is performing about three or four different characters while sitting at the keyboard and playing our live music cues and stings we need. Radio shows are all about multitasking and overlapping. All of the actors in the show perform various duties as well as performing characters. It is this collaborative decision making and creativity that I try to inspire the students to develop.”
Other classes the School of Theatre offers include Beginner Tap, Beginner Musical Theatre, Costume Design and Construction, a play writing workshop and festival, Sing Broadway and Musical Theatre Dance. Tuition for classes ranges from $50-$300.

Tarnow said that the School of Theatre rises interest amongst youngsters to get involved in theatre and hopes that the prime location of the Amato Center will attract new membership to the Boys and Girls Club. Currently classes are only open to students but Tanrow hopes to have classes for adults in the future.


While there was an initial delay of getting the word out about the fall semester’s classes the fall production of My Fair Lady has a cast of thirty four and two junior apprentices assisting with backstage tasks Tarnow said in a recent interview “The parent volunteers of My Fair Lady have also been a wonderful support to the school.”

Performances through out the year include a winter Jr. Musical, a Fall Musical, A Christmas show, Playwriting Festival, Student Cabaret, Summer Touring Shows and Dinner Benefits.

Going downhill

Since I already did my weekly So You Think Dance review summary I figured I would just talk about the show in general for a minute and how somewhat diasppointing it has been this season.

Since the first season in 2003 I have been hooked and have watched every single season up to the current one. I have been reading a lot of threads on the fox.com message boards in which various people have said that the show has gone downhill this season and I completley concur with thier opinions. The show is becoming less and less interesting and sorry to say more and more predictable with each passing week. First off I think it was a huge mistake for them to do Season 6 so soon after season 5. That threw me off from the start of course my viewership of both So You Think You Can Dance and Glee have been rather sporadic due to academic reasons plus I typically avoid watching the audition episodes because they tend to drag out and all the drama gives me a headache. The show says it's supposed to be the search for America's favorite dancer.. I am beginning to disagree with this statement a lot because lately it seems like the judges opinions have a big part in who goes foward to the next round and America's votes are really put on the back burner. They cut the GOOD dancers like Victor and Channing and keep the not so good ones, Mollee and Nathan referred to by Mary Murphy as the Dream Team. I like a majority of the other couples who made it to the top 10 and am happy one of the couples I was originally rooting for from Day 1 is still in the contest, Russell and Noelle, Compared to the other dancers on the show Mollee and Nathan are a lot less mature and less seasoned then the other dancers and I personally think that they only reason they are getting so many votes is because the teenage girls think Nathan is so cute. Very few of thier numbers have stood or been memorable while Channing and Victor who have been voted off in the past two weeks gave amazing performances, sure their solos might have been weak but their partner performances were good. Mollle and Nathan on the other hand had the WEAKEST solos this week and Mollee's ankle injury was definitley a deficit to her performances in my opinion. Another mistake they have made is changing the stage. I liked the stage the way it was and do not at all understand why they had to change it.. the ligthing design is also bad from what i've been reading on the fox.com message board I haven't really noticed that very much though. Also one of the best chreographers Mia Michaels has left the show. This saddens me because her pieces were award winning and she one one of my favorite choreographers.

So is it the contest for America's favorite dancer or a contest for who the judge's favorites are?

I think it's moreso the second one than the first one and if Fox thinks that's going to get them more viewers they are DEAD wrong. The changes they are making are causing people to lose interest in the show.. including me. After this season I will probably not watch So You Think You Can Dance anymore...I may change my mind by when Season 6 starts in the summer but I somehow tend to doubt it. So You Think Can Dance is turning in to a popularity contest and that's really not what it should be at all. Like they say it's a contest for America's favorite dancer... that;s what it used to be but it seems now that they are making a lot of poor choices to improve their ratings and that won't serve them well in the long run because they willl end up losing viewers especially diehard viewers like me who have been watching since the beginning.


American Idol is pretty bad too... a lot of the stuff they do is more so based on the votes and on popularity. People are so farsighted that they true miss truly talent when they see it. If I had it my way Adam Lambert whould have come in 3rd of 4th last year instead of second and the person who was third would have been the runner up. I like Kris Allen because he is down to earth. Adam Lambert ... well he's a bit too flashy for me sorry to say.

Both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance will most likely lose my viewership next year. I just find both shows to be really over rated. If it wasn't for Glee there would be nothing good on Fox to watch.


I'd also like to add... that not EVERYTHING about this season has been totally and completley horrendous. The season has definitley had its good points such awesome dances choreographed by Sonya and NappyTaps and some amazing Broadway routines. As far as the top 10 dancers are concerned I think it may be a tough descion for the rest of the American Voting public and the judges but in my opinion her is who I think the top 3 dancers will be.
1. Jakob He has been absolutley amazing ALL SEASON long and he really deleivers every week. Even if he doesn't win he will definitley have a sucesssfull dance carreer after the show
2. Kathryn
3. Ellenore

Channing was my favorite female dancer for most of the season until she got voted off two weeks ago. Since she got voted off Ellenore and Kathryn have really started to shine through. Both girls have their own set of talents but all things considered they are both very versatile dancers and are great assests to their partnerships.

SYTYCD/Glee Weekly Uipdate

So You Think You Can Dance/Glee Weekly Update

Two genres per couple this week. After this week some of the most dynamic couples of this season willl be broken up. I was sad at this point last season when Randi and Evan and Ade and Melissa were going to be split from their partnerships. I feel the same way about Jakob and Ashleigh and Noelle and Russell this season.

Bolded= got my vote.

Top 6

Ryan and Ellenore

Genres Lindyhop/Broadway Overall Rating 16 Break Down Lindyhop 6 Bway 10

Both of these dances were energetic and fun to watch. They had fabulous chemistry in the Broadway routine. Perfect song choice for the Broadway routine because the routine certainly had a lot of Razzle Dazzle.

Kathryn and Legacy

Genres Jazz/Viennese Waltz Overall Rating 17 Breakdown Jazz 7 VWaltz 10

The jazz routine was not my favorite routine of theirs however the Viennese Waltz was beautiful and they had wonderful chemistry and truly emotional.

Karen and Victor

Genres: Tango/Hip Hop Overall Rating15 Breakdown Tango 9 Hip Hop 6

Complimented each other well in both pieces. Both pieces were very emotional and powerful

Mollee and Nathan

Genres: Hiphop/Can-Can Overall Rating 15 Both dances rated a 7,5

The went from being my least favorite couple to totally redeeming themselves. The hip hop piece was really creative. By far the best dance they have done. Can-Can was a new style introduced tomight and I feel they did quite well with it.

Noelle and Russell

Genres: Samba/ Comtemp Overall Rating 12 Breakdown Samba 5 Contemp 7.5

Noelle was very weak in the Samba but quickly bounced back in the contemp routine. The contemporary piece was on of my favorites this week. Tice Diorio is one of my favorite choreogrhers but I must admit I miss Mia Michaels's routines immensly.

Ashleigh and Jakob

Genres: Lyrical Jazz/ Cha Cha Overall 14 Breakdown L Jazz 9 Cha Cha 5

Cha Cha is my least favorite dance style on this show,. I don't think I have seen very many couples that have done it well and if they have been any they have certainly been few and far between. The lyrical jazz piece was purley emotional and very much enjoyed.

Bottom 6: Mollee Nathan Karen Victor Ryan Ellenore

Top 10: Ashleigh Ellenore Jakob Kathryn Legacy Mollee Nathan Noelle Russell Ryan

I was expecting that Karen would go home because I think she has done a lot better in previous weeks in opposition to this week. I was disappoted that Victor went home because he is definitley a stronger dancer than Nathan. I am starting to lose a lot of faith in this show all together. My overall liking of the show this season has gone down hill. Perhaps because this season was to quick to follow the summer season.

Now on to Glee... the drama still continues

* Kurt set Rachel up with Finn and sexed her up much like Frenchy did for Sandy at the end of Grease. To Rachel's diappointment Finn didn't have the same feelings for her as she originally thought causing Rachel to get mad at Kurt and Kurt Rachel the daunting truth that him nor Rachel will have him. Bluntness can hurt but I still think Finn and Rachel will end up together in the end.

*Sue leaks the set list for sectionals to the other schools so the Gleeks have to revise thier plan. Which involves a mash up of the title song from HAIR and Crazy in Love by Beyonce. Other musical numbers were Imagine by John Lennon and Bootylicious by Destiny's Child.

*Baby drama continues! This storyline is dragging on and I am getting sick of it. I think Terri is getting a little bit closer to confessing to Will which is good. Now Puck and Quinn just need to come clean that Puck is the father and everything well be FAB!

Happy Thanksgiving lovely blog followers!

3 Show Weekend

1 Weekend 3 Shows I've been super busy!

Friday I went to my high school to go see their fall show. They did three one act plays. Clot Girl,Accused of Comedy and Making Choices.

Clot Girl was written by my former drama teacher Steve Hodgman. While it wasn't my favorite show out of the three one acts it was definitley very emotionally riveting. The story is about a girl named Jess who is a high school teacher and track coach who suffers a blood clot. While the topic of this play was very serious it did have some lighthearted moments. Sophie Gagnon and Monroe Kingsley as Jess and Robert were the most powerful characters in the play. The second show was Accused of Comedy directed by Stan St Onge which finds two comedians Hooper (Andrew Amerein) and Dobbs (Jamie Wallisch) and their lone fan Willhamena (Emerald Smith) are awaiting their judgemet for being too funny in a place where everyone is supposed to be serious. Madam Magistrate (Abby Darin) hands down their sentences but in the end lets them go free once she realizes that it's hard to be serious all the time. The final play was Making Choice a social issue play directed by Joey Abis as part of his senior project. This show starred Alyssa Peterson as Denicese, John Constable as Shawn Kinsey,Sophie Gagnon as Jessie Simpson, Dan Gilligan as Michael Carp and Shawna Sousa as Claire Montoya. This was a very powerful social issue play about safe sex and practicing abstinence that definitley had its intense moments. Great job to all involved in the fall play on an amazing show! I look foward to seeing Bye Bye Birdie in March.
Last night Matt and I went to Henniker to go see the Mainstage production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. I read this play in my theatre class in high school and was quite excited to seeing it performed. Once again the members of the NEC Theatre Department never cease to impress me. They put an interesting twist on it with the genders playing opposite roles. I was finding it hard not to laugh through out the whole show. My favorite character was most definitley Cecicly Cardew played by Bill O'Donnell. I have never enjoyed myself so much at a play! Congrats to my lovely NEC theatre friends in the cast and crew!!
Today Matt and I went to the Amato Center to go see My Fair Lady put on by the Riverbend School of Theatre. I had sat in on a rehearsal a few weeks ago when I was doing my Cabinet Article interviews and the cast definitley came a long way in two weeks. I had never seen My Fair Lady before so I was looking forward to seeing it. Standout characters were Annie Rielly as Eliza Doolittle, Alec Paulson as Freddy Eysford Hill and Andrew Cass as Alfred P. Doolittle. The cast was full of a diverse amount of talented middle school and high school children from Amherst Milford and surrounding towns. I was quite impressed. Favorite musical numbers included Get Me To The Church On Time,I Could Have Danced All Night and On The Street Where You Live! Congrats to everyone in My Fair Lady on an amazing show!


One more show to see in 2009 Little Shop of Horrors @ Merrimack High School on Dec 11. 2010 has an awesome line up of shows to see ahead. Schedule of shows I plan on seeing is a few entries below this one.

Happy Thanksgiving lovely blog followers! Eat lots of turkey!

Yet Another Favorite from the NLBP video vault

Be prepared for a very indepth review of the three shows I'll be seeing this weekend on Sunday.



For now I ask you to enjoy the following video..another favorite from the NLBP video vault. I should mention that I am a huge Disney movie fanatic. Not really too ashamed to admit that at 24 years old. Disney movies have a knack for having awesome love songs in them and A Whole New World from Aladdin has always been one of my favorite songs. I sang that at my Uncle Jay's wedding when I was like 8 or 9. The following video is from the Just Desserts cabaret that I never saw because I had to go back to school. I must commend Maggie and Will because they did an awesome job with this song. I actually want this song sung at my wedding.. no idea if they will sing it but it would be cool if they could. I'm not getting married for like 3 years or something .. just a thought though.

So You Think You Can Dance/Glee Weekly Summary

So You Think You Can Dance/ Glee Weekly Summary Wednesday Nov 18th

So You Think You Can Dance

No couples ranked lower than a 6 this week and no one was in my bottom 3. We'll have to see how America voted though I predict that Mollee and Nathan will go home

Top Couples

Channing and Victor

Jazz

Rating Out of 10 8

Comments : Tice Diorio is one of my favorite chreographers on SYTYCD. He has always has fresh and creative routines. Channing and Victor are definitley contenders for a spot in the top 10.

Karen and Kevin

Broadway Rating 8

I credit Evan Kraprzek of last season for introducing this lovely genre to SYTCD. They danced to If My Friends Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity. As with most Broadway perfromances I've seen on the show so far with the exception of Kathryn and Legacy's pefromance of I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book last week this one was very energetinc and had its share of poweful emotions

Elinore and Ryan

Contemporary Rating 8.5

One of the 2 180% turn performance from last weeks bottom three couples. Very riveting and powerful. Like a mjority of this seasons couples they compliment eachother well.

Middle

Noelle and Russell

Foxtrot Rating 6

The first time they picked this genre Noelle was injured so the chreograpger Melanie had to replace her. The judges refer to this style as the second kiss of death genre the first one being the Quick Step. Three things strong about this performance Lines. Emotion . Chemistry.

Mollie and Nathan

Pop/Jazz Rating 7.5

The second of 2 180* turn bounce back couples from last week's bottom 2. Quite impressive. Very eneregetic and an enjoyable performance to watch

Kathryn and Legacy

Pase Doble Rating 9

Three words can sum up this performance easily. Sensual. Emotional. Powerful

Bottom

Ashleigh and Jason

Hip Hop Rating 6

Very emotional and well chreographed.

Results

Bottom 6 (those who went home will be in red.)

Channing

Karen

Kevin

Mollie

Nathan

Victor

I am clearly disappointed tonight with results show. Clearly America does not see true talent and what a breath of fresh air Channing is. Her and Victor were truly a dynamic couple and I am sad to see the two of them being broken up. I will have to regroup and find a new couple to vote for because Victor and Channing were my top... who to choose who to choose?

On to Glee...

Once again another intense episodes. In tonght's episode Mr. Scheuster broke up the Glee Club members up into pairs to work on ballads. Because of a person being absest Scheuster is paired with Rachel who develops a crush on him. There was a brief moment of tension between Scheuster and his wife as she got jealous because thought Will and Rachel were going to have an affair. A touching moment was when Finn sang his ballad to Quinn.. however he picks a very bad time to sing as singing the song drops the bombshell on Quinn's parents that she is pregnant leading to her getting thrown out of the house and her moving in with Finn.. who by the way isn't the father of the baby. Don't remember if I mentioned that in the last entry or not. A second touching moment was when all the Glee kids sang Lean on Me to Quinn and Finn at the very end. A song that to me is the true definition of what being a true friend means.

Upcoming Performances

• Nov 20th SHS Fall Play 3 One Acts
• Nov 21st NEC Main Stage The Importance of Being Earnest
• Nov 22nd Riverbend Youth Company My Fair Lady
• December 11th Merrimack High School Theatre Department Little Shop of Horrors

OH!! and my high school's musical this year is Bye Bye Birdie!! So excited as this is one of my favorite musicals of all time. I saw this play at Peacock Players 8 years ago. Jared Nathan was Conrad Birdie and he was amazing. He will always be rememberd for how talented he was and is sorely missed by the greater theatre community of NH.

This weekend- 3 days 3 shows

Three shows back to back this weekend
Friday SHS Fall Play 3 One Acts
Saturday NEC Mainstage SHow The Importance of Being Earnest
Sunday Riverbend School of Theatre My Fair Lady

Reviews to follow!



Stay tuned later this evening for the weekly So You Think You Can Dance/Glee update

Theatre related new years resolutions

Okay so this year I am actually doing a lot better at keeping my new years resolutions. In the past I have not been very motivated to keep up with my resolutions. My non-theatre related resolutions include writing more poetry, working out more and find a good job that pays more than the two current jobs I have. They are very good jobs but I need to start paying back my loans from NEC soon. I feel a very big sense of accomplishment right now. 2009 has definitley been a year of improvement.
Updated on 11/16/09

Here are my theatre related resolutions for 2009. If bolded it means it has been accomplished.
1. See shows at theatres in New Hampshire I have never seen shows at before ( Andy's Summer Playhouse, Palace Theatre in Manchester) Save this for next year as I hope to go see shows at Andy's Summer Playhouse and Seacoast Repretory Theatre in Portsmouth
2. Get technical experience in areas other than just props. This is more of a long term goal. I am hoping to try to see if I can work at Summer Theatrei in Meredith Village this summer. I will have to where my currrent employment will lead me and if that will be able to fit comfortably into my situation.
3. Introduce myself to at least one new Broadway soundtrack. My itunes library needs some new blood in it.. i am getting kind of sick of listening to Annie Get Your Gun and Little Shop of Horrors all the time.
Soundtracks which I have purchased music from since June *Oaklahoma *South Pacific
Not much of huge dent but I don't have a huge amount of money in my itunes account right now.
4. See at least one show @ the Barn Playhouse and one show @ Interlakes Region Theatre this summer. Saw not one but two amazing shows @ Interlakes Theatre!! Grease and Oaklahoma both which were fabulous. and I got to see my loves Matt Densky Maggie and Marco again! YAY! Reviews of both these shows are furthur back in my entries. I also saw Anything Goes at the Barn Playhouse which was equally as amazing.
5. Go to see a broadway show in New York... perferably West Side Story or Billy Elliot but that will depend on what's still around due to all the recent closings. I saw HAIR on April 25th and it was phenominal. Next up I am hoping to see A Little Night Music in March!
6. Go see the Spring Awakening Tour in Boston in the spring. I really wanted to see this show for awhile but then I kind of lost interest in seeing it. In The Heights is coming to Boston in January so hopefully my budget will allow me to see that.

A poetic interlude

So I have a bit of a break from writing Milford Cabinet Articles and show reviews ( i am seeing two shows this weekend On Friday the SHS Fall Play and Saturday The Imporatance of Being Earnest NEC's Fall Mainstage Production)
I wrote this poem a year ago. It actually still fits me now as I still my find my life in a quite transitionary process. The song Skid Row (Downtown) from Little Shop of Horrors inspired it and I tried to use the song as a metaphor but am not sure if I was successful at doing that or if I failed. You be the judge.

Escape from Skid Row (with skid row being a metaphor)

by Janine Leffler

Skid Row isn't glitz and glamour
but there's more to it than meets the eye
for there's a certain allure to it if you will
I'm from a common town
that there's not much to do
but it depends on your point of view
guys aren't drips here
it's scenic most of they year
I'm like Seymour in a lot of ways
with a dream that he's trying to achieve
all though I guess our dreams are different
though ultimatey both of our goals
are to get away from small town life
In our own ways we want
to break free from mediocrity for a change"
Show me how and I will I'll get out of here"I'm still in transiton
on my wayjust taking things day by day
(i wouldd make reference to Godspell here but let's just stick to one musical :) )
My destination goal is Portsmouth
the town by the ocean
I'll get there!

Getting excited to start working on the show

So the cast list was posted at the end of last week.. lots of familiar faces in the cast from previous years in the PTA Play and other shows I have seen in shows at the Amato Center.

Congrats to all who were cast. I am looking foward to working with you all.


Janine

So You Think You Can Dance Week 8 Summary

Week 3 So You Think You Can Dance Summary

style="font-weight:bold;">Top Couples
1.Channing and Victor
Their captivating contempoary dance got stole my heart and won my vote. They were both truly in their element tonight and have amazing chemistry. I easily see them making it into the top 10. Rating out of 10: 9
2. Kevin and Karen
Another couple with great chemistry. Their hustle was very energetic.. so energetic I was tempted to get up and dance along.
Rating out of 10:8
3. Noelle and Russell
A new style was introduced and they truly brought out the best of their talents. African Jazz has never been on the show before. This will definitely be a style I will grow to like.
Rating out of 10:9
Middle Couples
1. Katherine and Legacy
Broadway was definitely out of both of their comfort zones and they pushed it to the limit as much as they could. Katherine was not very good in this style at all and I think that is going to hurt her this week.
Rating out of 10: 6
2. Mollie and Nathan
A very sassy Salsa! They stumbled in certain parts. The lifts were pretty good
Rating out of 10:6
Bottom Couples
1. Ashley and Jakob
This jazz routine would have been so much better without the use of the cane. Other than that the dance was really fierce.
Rating out of 10:4.5
2. Ellenore and Ryan
Hip Hop is by far not one of my favorite genres and this was probably one of the worst hip hop performances I have seen on the show. Ryan was way too stiff with his arm movements and the choreography seemed off for most of the dance. They didn't have very good chemistry. I think they are going to go home this week.
Rating out of 10: 3
3, Pauline and Peter
The quick step can be a blessing or a curse on this show but most of the time it is referred to as the KISS OF DEATH. I guess we will have to see what the results show will hold for them and how the votes will pan out. The dance itself was very energetic. Lots of good lifts.
Rating out of 10: 4


Looking forward to tomorrow's results show and getting my Glee fix after it not being on for two weeks because of the World Series.
Results:
Bottom 3 Couples Couple who went home is bolded
1. Kevin and Karen
2 Pauline and Peter
3. Elenore and Ryan

I would have chosen either Mollie or Nathan or Elenior and Ryan to go home. While Pauline and Peter may have not danced their best they should gone on one more week, Mollie and Nathan were by far the weakest and I think Nathan got the votes because all the teenage girls think he is cute.

Now to talk about Glee... I thought for some reason that tonight's episode was the season finale and I don't know why. Clearly it wasn't but it was the best and most intense episode of the season. Tension really heated up between Finn and Puck as they vy to be the best father for Quinn's baby. This was a very heartwarming episode as the members of Glee raised money by having a bake sale so Artie the character who is in a wheelchair can go to nationals with them by a bus purchased by the club. Artie ended up deciding to have his dad drive him but the moeny ended up going toward getting a wheelchair ramp for the theatre. The sex of Quinn's baby was also found out.. It's a girl!! The other tense moment in this episode was between Rachel and Kurt as they had to compete against each other in a DIVA off for the solo in Defying Gravity from Wicked. Rachel ended up getting the solo but Kurt came out on top proving to his dad that he doesn't let being gay stand his way way of doing what he loves despite how much disprect he gets from outer people at school because of his sexuality. Can't wait for next week's episode!


I have actually kind of lost track of what week of So You Think You Can Dance we are in. The last entry I did was Week one but I actually think it was technically week 5 or week 6 since I didn't watch during the weeks of auditions.


Upcoming Performances
Nov 21st- NEC Mainstage Show The Importance of Being Earnest




Upcoming Milford Cabinet Articles
December

1. Riverbend School of Theatre
2. A Christmas Story

January

Annie Jr

New York is beckoning again

So I live in a very unexciting town in Southern NH. Sometimes I wish I lived in a bigger city where there was more to do. This is why I really want to move to Portsmouth in the next couple years. I love the area and there is so much to do there in terms of the arts and other things. I really do miss working in a theatr.e Right now I am doing backstage work for Annie Jr in Milford.. props! So excited. I have created a seperate blog to document my work on the show.

NYC always seems to beckon to me. I really wanted to go down over Christmas to see all the decorations in Lincoln Center and see the Radio City Rockettes but that will have to wait til next year. Matt and I are hoping to go to New York in March to visit my friend Rae in NJ. She lives an hour from the city and we plan on making a day trip into the city to see a show as part of her 21st birthday present. There are so many good shows to see on Broadway.. way too many options to choose from. Since it is her birthday we are letting her pick the show. Her three choices are Billy Elliot,Jersey Boys and A Little Night Music. I have heard good things about Billy Elliot (umm hello, it practically swept the Tony's in June) and my parents saw Jersey Boys when they went to Chicago in July but I know very little about A Little Night Music as far as plot and music is concerned. If we end up going to see that show it will excite me greatly because my friend Ramona Mallory from the Barn Playhouse is in it and it will be so awesome to see her in a show again..or just to see her again in general since I haven't seen her since I left New London.

I find it to be an awesome perk that I know people in Broadway shows! HORRAY!! Wish I sort of knew more about what my other friends from the Barn Playhouse have been up other then the ones I already know. I know my friend Louie is part of the national touring cast of Cabaret... that's exciting and such a fun show. We worked on that togethter at NLBP. :) Other than that I have no idea what my other friends have been doing. I hope life beyond the Barn has shown them marvelous paths. I wouldn't expect anything less from such a talented group of people such as them. <3 NLBP 2007 4eva!

time for bed.
Love Janine


Recent movies I have seen and how they rate
*- theatre **-rental
*A Christmas Carol C
Disney's spin on a timeless holiday classic was interesting.. especcially in 3D. Jim Carrey never ceasess to amaze me.
*Couples Retreat B
The funniest movie I have seen in awhile. Haven't laughed so hard in such a long time.
**Ghost of Girlfriends Past C-
I refer to this as a modern day version of A Christmas Carol. Another movie that I feel the previews hyped up and didn't end up being as good when I saw it.
My friend Lytle from the Barn Playhouse was in this movie but I did not know what scene she was in. :(
** The Soloist A-
This movie has got to be one of the most heartwrenching and powerful movies I have seen to date. It's right up there with My Sister's Keeper on the tearjerker factor. A must see.

Movies I want to see
New Moon
Harry Potter
Fame (anxiously awaiting for this to come out on DVD since I missed it in theatres)
Amelia
New York I Love You

Latest Milford Cabinet Article

Riverbend School of Theatre presents
My Fair Lady
By Janine Leffler



Come enjoy the timeless classic My Fair Lady performed by the Riverbend School of Theatre. The cast and production staff looks forward to entertaining you with a fabulous and most enjoyable show.

The Riverbend School of Theatre is a new troupe which differs from the Riverbend Youth Company. In the School of Theatre, run by Tody Tarnow, professional actors help to train the young actors and teach them to withhold to professional standards. The ages of the actors in the Riverbend School of Theatre is 12-18 with very few students cast who are under age 13. The age level of Riverbend Youth Company typically ranges from age 8 and up depending on the production.

Producer Toby Tarnow says that she is excited about putting on the show My Fair Lady. It is a multilayered show full of quick and complex scene changes. Even though the show is challenging, Tanrow feels blessed to be working with such a talented production staff and cast and looks forward for the upcoming performances.

The show has been cast and rehearsals have been underway for several months. When performing this musical, actors face many more responsibilities than simply memorizing their lines. They also have to remember music and choreography, British accents, familiarize themselves with the plot, as well as dealing with the length of the show. Anastasia Feraco elaborated on the fact that it is sometimes difficult to switch back and forth between the dialects of the upper and lower class British accents. When it comes to character portrayal Emily Getchell Lacey says her biggest challenge has been acting snobby and stuck up because it is not something that describes her real personality. For Alec Paulson, who plays Freddy, Eliza Doolittle’s love interest, the difficulty is acting ‘love struck’ because he has never been in that situation in real life. He said that another challenge has been hitting the high notes in his song On the Street Where You Live.

Actors in this production have various methods when it comes to getting into character and memorizing their lines. Kristin Withers likes to read books about the time period so she can learn more about the history. This also helps her from a technical standpoint when it comes to designing the costumes. Alec Paulson uses the simple method of going over his lines numerous times until he is comfortable with saying them. When it comes to line memorization, Andrew Cass of Milford tape records his lines and the preceding lines so he can figure out the proper time for him to say his lines. People in the ensemble, who do not have a speaking role, have creative ways to get into character. Adele Patnaude and Brittney Gentilhommme like to picture themselves in certain scenes and imagine what they would say to bring out the emotion of the character.

One thing that stands out to Emily Getchell Lacey is how close the cast has become over the period of rehearsing. “We’re all really close, almost like a family.” Getchell-Lacey stated. From both an acting and technical standpoint Kristin Withers enjoys seeing how everything has come together. Both the cast and producer Toby Tanrow look forward to performing My Fair Lady, at The Amato Center for The Performing Arts in Milford from November 13-November 22nd. Friday and Saturday performances will be at 7:30pm and there will be a Sunday matinee at 2:00pm.

Auditions

Last night was the first night of audutions and it was pretty hectic. My task was to check the auditioners in and assign them numbers. Pretty self-explanitory. There's still another night of auditions but from what I saw last night there are lots of talented kids trying out. I look very forward for the cast list to be posted on Friday to see who gets casted.

Good luck to everyone who is auditioning. I look forward to working with this cast and production team.

Janine