A WHOLE LOTTA SUNSHINE

I finally got around to watching the TV version of the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun, and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. When I heard that Diddy...Puff...er, Sean Combs was cast in what was to be the Broadway revival of the groundbreaking play by Lorraine Hansberry, I was skeptical and quite frankly surprised at the casting choice. After all, Combs was to play opposite thespians like Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan (who was nominated for a Tony for her portrayal of this role of Beneatha) and Phylicia Rashad. What business did Combs have starring in a play with actors like that? Combs is a rapper...not an actor, right? After watching this made for TV movie, I was impressed with Combs' abilities in this emotionally dramatic role and do see potential for him as an actor.

There is a scene in this play...the highly dramatic, emotional scene with Walter Lee Younger admits to his family that all of his late father's insurance money is gone. It was an intense moment...so much led up to that one scene and no sooner than it began, it was over...and as an audience member, you felt for each person in that family...and you wanted to take in that moment and then...frickin' ABC goes to commercial and cuts it off. Ok, I understand its TV and the advertisers must do their thing. But I felt cheated of that emotional moment. And cutting to commercial then cheapened the moment for me because it was such an intensely powerful moment. THIS my readers wouldn't have happened in a live performance (obviously) and I'm sure others would agree that a lack of interruption would have made the entire play more effective. But...alas.

Anyhow...the real point of this post was to praise the performance. It was one of the best specials I've seen on TV in a long time and definitely one of the best produced by the team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (I have not been big fans of anything else they put on the small screen...I think it would have been best if Annie, The Music Man and Cinderella were never brought to TV audiences...they were all really that bad).

Incidentally, I just found out that there was actually a musical adaptation of the play created by the ex-husband of Hansberry entitled Raisin. The musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won two including best musical and best actress in a musical in 1973.

PROGRESS IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Whenever I think about how much I like to write, I'm always reminded that I never seem to do it enough. I'm always thinking about things to write about, but I never seem to get around to my blog. What has inspired me to blog after a few weeks absence (and its not about the lack of showtunes in my life)? I can't believe what I'm going to say, but I am now obsessed with Heroes. Yes, I am. For reasons obvious to some of you, I'm not an advocate of most shows on a certain network, but now I can't say enough positive things about Heroes.

For sometime now, I've been the one chuckling about the "Save the cheerleader, save the world" nonsense and ignoring all the people around me who have been chatting non-stop about how great and innovative Heroes is. I never understood it. My dad recently Netflix-ed the first DVD of the show and couldn't stop praising it. He said he couldn't get enough of it and even upped the number of DVDs he received on Netflix each week just so he could get his Heroes fix. One evening while we were chatting on the phone (for the umpteenth time) he told me I really should give the show a chance..."its really not all that science-fiction-y" he said..."you'll really like it, just give it a shot." His sales pitch went on for another 10 or so minutes as he tried to sell the creative, comedic and even the Japanese American actors on the show to me. Finally, in an attempt to appease him (and be the good daughter that I am) I agreed to give the show a chance. I got a hold of the entire first season of the show from my peeps and after having had the discs for a few days finally sat down and settled into the show.

"If you watch one episode and aren't intrigued by the show, something has got to be wrong with you. I bet you'll be hooked," were the words my dad spoke to me of Heroes. I intended to watch one episode and then to study for class. Five episodes later, at 2:30 in the morning, I was still watching. I wanted to watch more, but I was beyond exhausted. It was the kind of fatigue where you can't think straight, your head hurts and your limbs start to feel numb...but it said "to be continued..." how could I stop?! (I finally did at like 3 a.m.-ish). Let me just say, other than caffeine I have definitely found my new addiction. What's good about Heroes? Let's take a brief look at the two key components:

Story: Its fresh, inventive & innovative. Pick a genre cos Heroes has it from action, adventure, science fiction, foreign, comedy, the show has it all. It doesn't shove any one specific genre down your throat that you feel exhausted from the sheer experience. I've watched Alias and Lost in its day...but I was never hooked. Neither of those shows had the kind of writers and hooks to keep me interested. After the first 5 episodes, I was done when it came to those shows. Heroes keeps you hooked...the story stays fresh and exciting through all 23 of the first season. Producers throw twists and turns into the storyline that makes you pay attention and tuned-in.

Acting: (Almost) every actor on this show is amazing. Of course there are levels of amazing but first of all, I love Masi Oka. No, this isn't a plug for my peeps (though it really should be). Masi plays a great fobby paper pusher from Japan named Hiro Nakamura who is sweet, funny, virtuous, determined and you can't help but to love him! Lets just say that the entire cast is incredible (especially Sendhil Ramamurthy -- love him too) and one of the best ensembles I've seen in years. Jack Coleman and Zachary Quinto play evil and creepy incredibly well! Hard to believe that Zachary is the same guy who played Tori Spelling's BFF on So NoTORIous. Thankfully I think the better job for him is this one (as Sylar).

Ok, even though there are story lines that I like less than others (Nikki/Jessica Sanders), I'm still impressed by it. Who knew Ali Larter was such a good actress? She's really good! And finally, I'm glad to see Greg Grunberg with a good meaty role. I loved him as Sean on Felicity and I thought he was underrated on Alias...but who else could play Matt Parkman other than Grunberg?

All around, what a great show. I generally don't have the patience to sit through a 1-hour drama, but Heroes is one of the few shows that I can't stop talking about and make Mondays not so bad too! I said my peace...now I'm tired...catching up on this show is hard work! Heh...

LIFE GOES ON

While writing a paper for my grad school class on mental retardation, I had to refer to a book I owned and saw something I hadn't seen for a long time:

To "Chizi" and "Mom", Make your miracles happen. ~Chris Burke

I stared quite awhile at that autograph in the autobiography Chris Burke signed for me. I'm not sure why I was so moved and inspired by just seeing it. Of course it could be because I've been knee-deep reading about mental retardation these days and watching countless episodes of Life Goes On (yes, TV is my assignment). As I thumbed through his memoirs, I was reminded yet again of how much I admired Chris Burke.

A long time ago, I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing Chris Burke for an article I wrote for a local newspaper. As a high school student, I was a staff writer for the OC Register's now defunct weekend feature called "Kid to Kid News." As a teenager looking into a career in journalism, this was right up my alley. My favorite television show during this time was Life Goes On starring Chris Burke and the incomparable Patti LuPone. Chris Burke starred as a young man living in working class Glen Brook, USA undergoing the struggles of everyday life with Down Syndrome. The show was inspiring, wholesome family entertainment (my parents even regularly watched the show too) that definitely brought newfound exposure to Downs and mental retardation.

I pitched many story ideas to the editors of "Kid to Kid News" and all had a purpose to educate. I found great motivation to write about topics that had some kind of substance and not just "fluff" pieces. My biggest aim was in educating society about those living with disabilities. Most pitches were accepted and I wrote several pieces about the misconceptions of the visually impaired. While I remain very proud of the work I did about the visually impaired, one of the most exciting articles I had an opportunity to work on was interviewing Chris Burke who played Charles "Corky" Thatcher on Life Goes On.

After receiving approval for this article from my editor, I got a phone call from the show's publicist (oh the irony, huh?) to arrange the interview on set (my first time on any set) with Chris Burke! Cut to: the drive to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. It was a rainy morning and the first time since I had my drivers license that I would schlepp all the way to "The Valley" (oh, the irony again...). I remember driving onto the Warner Bros. lot, meeting the publicist (I still have his business card) and walking to Chris' trailer for the interview. It was an amazing experience. He was sweet, funny, bright and upbeat. We had a lovely conversation and chatted some more with his father all the while the publicist couldn't look anymore bored and absolutely uninterested in everything being said (typical).

Before I had seen any episodes of Life Goes On, my only experience with anyone who was mentally retarded was in books, magazines and those wretched stereotypes on TV. I certainly didn't know anyone with Down Syndrome. Watching Chris' character live his normal life with some challenges taught me a lot about Downs. Though Chris is high functioning, there are many other people whose lives are far more difficult than his. Some people don't have families because they abandon or disown them, ultimately giving them up. Some people don't know what its like to have true love and support.

Walking away from the interview, I remember feeling really good about the entire experience, in particular though was Chris' attitude towards life. He called his disorder "Up Syndrome" because he was so happy and satisfied with his life. His attitude was admirable and not just because he was disabled, but because he was so determined and accomplished as a human being. I truly believe that Chris is grateful for the life he's been given. Not to say that he doesn't have his own struggles in life because we all do. Life with Downs is something that Chris has only known but its because of it and the support of his family and friends that he has become the success he is today. Sometimes life throws some curve balls at you, but its what you do with the life you're given that is the true gift.

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE...WTF

***WARNING, DUE TO THE SHOCKING NATURE OF THIS POST, ITALICS ARE USED FAR MORE THAN THEY ACTUALLY SHOULD. YOUNG CHILDREN AND SMALL ANIMALS... BEWARE!!!***

First of all, let me start with, WTF!? For all 9.217 of you who read or stumble upon my blog, yes, I love musical theatre, I think it's fantastic, it is my passion. But...an actual reality show incorporating the Great White Way? Confused? Slightly appalled? Yes, me too. It's not that I think a reality show about finding new leads for a Broadway show on national television is bringing down the value and reputation of Broadway (much less musical theatre), but the real question here is...really? and why?!

I know the U.K. has turned out some big hit shows (such as American Idol and The Office) and we Americans have ripped off the idea in hopes of finding success here on network television (and succeeded...great, we're lazy). Woo-hoo to us for finding and adapting those shows...we know a good idea when we decide to copy it!

Well, beginning this weekend, Sunday, August 12, the BBC will premiere a new reality show, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? They ask the question and indeed, we are perplexed. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has decided to jump on the reality-series bandwagon, seeking a new actress to perform the forthcoming West End revival of the classic Rogers & Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music as Maria von Trapp. How delightfully European.

Not to be outdone by our British friends, our crazy friends over at the Peacock network (whoever greenlit this idea...crazy...seriously) announced this week a brand-spanking-new reality show entitled, You're the One That We Want (lovely isn't it that both shows incorporate well known phases from their respective shows as the title of their reality show). Guess what this show is searching for? Leads (Sandy & Danny, naturally) in the upcoming revival (really, another revival?!) of Grease set to open on Broadway in 2007. Coincidence (though interestingly enough, David Ian, one of the "Maria Experts" in the U.K. version has been announced as the Executive Producer in this U.S. version...hmmm)? Not so much. Ok, so we didn't actually steal this idea, but still...sounds rather lame to me. How dreadfully American.

I find this to be a terrible idea of a television show...simply dreadful. This ranks in the list of bad reality shows like...Second Chance: America's Most Talented Senior (yes, there was one...and if you blinked you luckily missed it and yes, it again aired on the Peacock Network). I really don't see any redeeming quality in a show like You're the One That We Want (not a single one). Though I obviously had plenty to say, I am thoroughly speechless. How different will this show be than any of the other talent-type shows other than having a different ultimate goal. Still...not so interested. Hmmm, I wonder if this will be a show that doesn't actually make it to air and will be an "exclusive" broadband special series. I wouldn't be surprised, would you? Knowing my luck, it will end up as some big guilty pleasure that drunk college students and small children obsess over and love. **sigh**

SUDDENLY...CESAR

Cesar "The Dog Whisperer" Millan is on a whirlwind publicity tour! With the recent release of his newest book, Cesar's Way, the king of the dogs appeared today on both The Today Show & Martha presenting his dog behavioral techniques.

Millan makes the act of rehabilitating a "problem" dog look so easy. What is the secret? Any regular viewer of The Dog Whisperer knows the secret is to exhibit a calm, dominant behavior over the dog to get them in a calm but submissive state. When the owners are the leader of their pack, the dog will soon follow. Too many dog owners treat their pets like humans and end up using human psychology to train them when in actuality it is all about getting into the mindset of a dog.

Millan follows the belief that, "In the wild, a dog's very survival depends on a strong, stable and organized pack, where every member knows its place and follows the rules established by the pack leader. The pack instinct is perhaps the strongest natural motivator for a dog."

There really are no words to do Millan justice and no amount of trying to explain or describe how remarkable he is at what he does. It is abundantly clear that Millan has a special bond with dogs, one that he takes seriously and cherishes. Millan's holds a special place in his heart for the breed of dogs typically considered to be high-risk or misunderstood like Pitt Bulls, Rottweilers and German Shepherds. In mere moments, Millan can bring such a sense of peace and calm to canines once considered beyond help . Through his program, I learned that Pitt Bulls have been given a bad rap and aren't nearly as violent and frustrated as the media has made them out to be. Once Pitts (and more importantly their owners) are properly trained, they are just as beautiful and loving as any other dog.

Any regular reader of my blog knows that I certainly love theatre, but I love what Millan does for animals and his overwhelmingly strong belief that every "problem" dog can be trained and rehabilitated. Millan is the greatest advocate for dogs and I for one support a person who has brought much good to the world on behalf of canines.

As if all of this isn't great enough, Millan also has a blog folks (or so say the peeps over at National Geographic). So read up and lets hope Millan continues his publicity tour spreading the word on his show, books and most importantly his amazing Dog Psychology Center.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM...?

Though I mostly write about theater in this blog, I do have other interests, one of them being writing in an attempt to fulfill my overactive imagination.

Recently, I came upon a basket of old stories I knew I had but hadn't looked at since my youth. Back in those days, I had a pretty vivid imagination and loved to tell stories of the life I wish I lead. Mostly, I wrote about being friends with teen sitcom actors of the '80s, Bette Midler (back then, I was obsessed with Beaches and even hand-wrote 176 pages of what I thought the sequel should be) and a few script/story ideas for shows like Who's the Boss and somewhere there's one for Saved by the Bell. Ever since I pulled those old dot-matrix printed copies out from hiding, I keep thinking about how much I used to enjoy writing.

Don't get me wrong, I was a "cool" kid...but during my summer vacations, I found more pleasure in settling into my dad's home office and letting my imagination soar as I saved all of my ideas onto my own old school DOS floppy disk. I could sit for hours writing and often did. I hung out (or "played" as I guess we called it too) with my friends from time to time, but it was far more rewarding for me to create scenarios for myself interacting with Mark-Paul Gosselaar or Danica McKellar or being someone of influence. On some level, even at 10, 11 & 12 years old, I thought my writing was brilliant and that someday, when I became an "adult," I would achieve something amazing and that my writing would be equally recognized. Yes, I had quite the imagination and an even larger ego...particularly back then.

Back in the day, I was an avid reader too and would tear through the recent copies of The Baby-Stitter's Club or Sweet Valley High and wonder if one day I would be the next Ann M. Martin or Francine Pasqual. I loved to write because I loved the creativity and the idea of fulfilling my greatest fantasies. I found inspiration in Laura Ingalls Wilder's tales of life on the prairie and in the passion L.M. Montomery's Emily (from the Emily of New Moon Series) had for writing. It's funny...ever since I graduated from college, I don't read much of anything anymore -- it's even hard enough to get through a copy of InStyle these days. Since I stopped reading, I've also stopped writing almost altogether (except for those times when I get a burst of energy and I post something here). Back then, I always had something to say or a story to tell...I had an uninhibited imagination.

I think I realized back then that everybody has a story to tell and even though my thoughts and ideas might not appeal to everyone, the effects of my imagination might inspire somebody else and how great is that? I know it sounds perhaps a little presumptuous, but I think I always thought or maybe hoped, that on some level, I was destined for greatness and somehow each time I created these stories, I was one step closer to achieving it. As an adult, it's always a struggle to find your way back to the ideas and dreams you once held dearly...particularly when you are consciously aware that you temporarily abandoned it.

PASSION

One of my guilty TV pleasures is a little syndicated show by the creators & executive producers of The Real World called Starting Over. I admit, when the show first premiered, I thought (having not even seen it) that it was no better than The Real World but for "soccer moms." Who really wants to watch 6 women picked to live in a house, and not only have thier lives taped, but to struggle through each of their many "issues"?! As a woman, I acknowledge that I have plenty of my own problems thank you very much. What makes anyone want to watch women working through their issues on TV? There is enough crying and cat fighting and yelling and crazy stunts to make anyone want to run away...or so I thought.

One day, while at work, I had the TV on and for some reason decided to watch Starting Over. I watched these women in season 1 deal with issues of weight, self esteem, loss, death, family, mothers, fathers, independence, sense of self...wait a minute...these are not just issues I can relate to, but issues all women seem to deal with. Maybe, this show isn't so bad. Then, Amy came on the show. I could relate to among other things, her sense of independence and her bad temper and grew to respect how she worked through it all and came out of it a better person with a better sense of self. I realized I was experiencing a loose form of therapy by watching all of this on TV, taking only what I thought was relevant to my own life. Yes, needless to say, I was hooked. There were very specific things I learned from watching these women deal with their problems and somehow, I was able to translate this to my own life (and yes, I still think it's very odd to experience that through television).

Starting Over is not just a fluff hybrid reality show/soap-opera -- the show gained it's authority when it won Best Special Class Series at the Daytime Emmy Awards May, 2005 and this year received several additional nominations. Ok, so I had to mention this as I still somehow need to justify the "quality" of the show because I am discussing it in my blog.

Anyhow, I was just watching reruns of Starting Over recently and Rhonda Britton (one of the "life coaches") brought up the topic of "passion" to the ladies of Season 2. She asked them if they ever had a passion for something while growing up and if so, what kept them from pursuing it further and is it something they would still pursue if their excuses didn’t stand in the way today? Every woman in the room had an excuse as to why they didn’t push themselves to pursue their passion and in the process lost their passion for their passion.

How did Britton respond to them?

"The reason we do not express our passion is because we are afraid of our power ... Passion ignites power. So I practice owning my power as a woman. [And] I'm always pushing against my fears. Usually our fears win, our fears show up as comparing and competing. It boggles my mind how quickly so many things can stop us from our passion because we're afraid of our power..." ~Rhonda Britton from Season 2 of Starting Over.

Interesting says I.

I've always respected people who have a passion for something -- I don't really care what it is, but it's important (to me) to have one. I find it hard to relate to people who aren't passionate about anything and often times feel bad that they don't know what that feels like or have lost sight of what it means. It's easier to let your passion slip away when fear takes hold of you, (don't I know that), but never let it go and always remember what your passion means to you.

Who are you? Expressing your passion is expressing in part who you are. Loose your passion and you loose sight of yourself. Maybe that's why I was able to relate so fully to what has come to be one of my favorite songs. If I forget the meaning of this song and the way it made me feel the first time I heard Sutton Foster sing it, then I've surely lost my passion for my passion.


ASTONISHING
(sung by Sutton Foster)

There's a life that I am meant to lead,
Alive like nothing I have ever known.
I can feel it and it's far from here.
I've got to find it on my own.
Even now I feel its heat upon my skin:
A life of passion that
Pulls me from within.
A life that I am aching to begin.
There must be somewhere I can be
Astonishing...

I'll find my way
I'll find it far away
I'll find it in the unexpected and unknown
I'll find my life in my own way
Today

Here I go
And there's no turning back
My great adventure has begun
I may be small
But I've got giant plans
To shine as brightly as the sun

I will blaze until I find my time and place
I will be fearless,
Surrendering modesty and grace
I will not disapear without a trace
I'll shout and start a riot
Be anything but quiet
Christopher Columbus
I'll be Astonishing
Astonishing
Astonishing...At Last"

~ from "Little Women: The Musical"

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

After reading Mitch's Spotlight on Simi Valley, I began thinking about my favorite television series, Little House on the Prairie (it was filmed somewhere in Simi Valley). Being the huge "Little House" fan that I am, one would think that I would know where in Simi Valley the set once stood (sadly, the little house was destroyed by fires in 2003). It wasn't until I did some quick sleuthing online did I find out that Big Sky Ranch was where almost all of the exteriors for the show were filmed. While looking up this info, I was reminded of/came across some interesting tidbits (all of which are pretty damn interesting, particularly the few that put me within a direct 1-2 degrees of separation of those directly involved with the show):

• One of my newer co-workers made her way into my office a few weeks ago and commented on my two "Little House" photos hanging on the wall. She had no idea I was such a fan then told me, "My neighbor is Mrs. Oleson." "WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" was my response in a very shrill and excited voice. She told me she'd introduce me to the fabulous Katherine MacGregor -- I am so freaking excited!
  
  
• The opening and closing credits of "Little House" were filmed at the ranch by Michael Landon with cinematographer Ted Voightlander and production manager Kent McCray. Voightlander is related to another co-worker of mine through marriage (I can't remember if he's the father or uncle of her late husband).
  
  
• Melissa Francis (Cassandra Cooper Ingalls) is now a general assignment reporter for CNBC.
  
  
• Kyle Richards (who played Alicia Sanderson Edwards) and her sister Kim Richards (who played Olga Nordstrom in the episode, Town Party/Country Party as Laura's friend with the "lame" leg) are the sisters of Kathy (Richards) Hilton and aunts of Paris & Nicky Hilton.
  

I would go far as to say that both the "Little House" series and particularly the books made the biggest impression on my life (almost as much...if not more than musical theatre has) in terms of my interests growing up. These were the first books that I read over and over again. I begged my parents when I was 8-9 to buy me the box set and found myself unable to get enough of the adventures of Laura and the Ingalls family. I would list all of the Ingalls places I've been to in the mid-west (don't worry, I was 9 when this all happened, though I would gladly go back again) but I'll save that "great" tale for another day. Thanks to Alison Arngrim's Official Site (Nellie Oleson) for aiding in my research.