Life Lessons from Sondheim's Into the Woods

(Major Into the Woods spoiler alert for this post.) The second time I saw the Into the Woods movie I was with my friend Courtney and we went to her house after but her sister was there. After finding out what movie we'd seen, she replied by saying to us, "Oh, that movie was so stupid. There wasn't even any morals." I am here to PROVE HER WRONG!! There are too many life lessons to count from that musical. Here are just a few:

1. Be careful what you wish for. 
This musical is so well-written and it has so much symbolism. Stephen Sondheim is absolutely brilliant for the connections he makes between multiple parts of his musicals. At the end of Act I it seems like everyone's gotten their wish and that there's gonna be a happy ending, but then everything falls to pieces. Jack's mother got the riches that she wished for from the giants, but she ended up getting killed because of the giants going after who stole from them.

2. What you wish isn't always what you want.
Cinderella realized this after going to the festival. Her wish was to dance with the prince, but all she could say afterwards was that it "made a nice change." She wasn't sure if she'd enjoyed the time being there and she ended up having a bad relationship with the prince. She wished to go to the festival, but she didn't want the outcome that came with it.

the movie adaptation had a few flaws, but I have to say it was put together very beautifully
image courtesy Music Theatre International

3. "Nice is different than good."
Here's another lesson that Cinderella had to learn from getting to know the prince. He was a "very nice prince," but he was really just one of those "nice guys" who thinks that just because he was nice to a girl she's automatically obligated to go out with him. He was sensitive, clever, well-mannered, considerate, passionate, charming, kind and handsome, but he wasn't good. The character who actually says these words is Red after the wolf eats her. He too, was nice and polite to Red, but his intentions were never good.

4. Sometimes you have to get a new perspective in order to have new experiences. 
It's only when Jack sees his world from the perspective of a giant that he realizes how wonderful it already was. After gaining a new perspective, he was "back again, only different than before." This also applies to Red, because even though the wolf wasn't trying to do any good, he showed her things, "many beautiful things, that [she] hadn't thought to explore." By leading her away from it, the wolf showed Red things that she never would have experienced if she hadn't strayed off the path.

5. Children will listen.
The witch starts out by singing, "Children should listen," then progresses to, "Children won't listen," and finally, "Children will listen." At first she wants Rapunzel to do what she wants her to, then gets frustrated because Rapunzel never does what she wants her to do, then realizes that everything she's ever said and done has stuck in Rapunzel's mind and influenced her. This teaches us that we need to be careful about what we say around little kids because they will take note of everything we do.

6. There is hardly ever a compromise for big decisions.  
During "Moments in the Woods" after the baker's wife kisses the prince, she sings, "Is it always 'or,' is it never 'and?'" She wishes she could have both a life with the prince and a life with the baker, but she can't. This applies not only to her, but also to Cinderella and Jack. Cinderella attempted to not choose whether she stays and gets captured by the prince or if she runs away again. She let the prince choose for her, and we all know how that turned out. Jack also sings that he wished he could live in between a life with the giants and a life at home. When the two worlds collided, everything was chaos and his mother got killed.

I'm sure there are many more, but that's all I can think of right now. If you think of some, feel free to discuss in the comments!

How to Act When You're Watching Live Theatre

I love me a good musical. But when SOMEONE in the theatre is being RUDE it ruins the ENTIRE SHOW for the audience AND the performer. So please don't be that guy. Please. No one likes that guy. Here's how to not be a public nuisance:

1) Before the Show
Arrive early, but don't act like your life depends on being the first one to your seat. The doors open at the same time for everyone, you're no more special than they are. Also, be nice to the people at the door and the people selling merchandise. All they're doing is trying to make your experience better, so show a little gratitude and thank them. If you have to climb over a few people to get to your seat, try not to cause too much of a disturbance. I know, sometimes you can't help it, but at least alert the people you're climbing over when you're coming.

2) During the Show
As soon as the lights start to go out, TURN OFF YOUR FREAKING CELL PHONE!! I would say that it would also be okay to just put it on silent, but to be honest, it really just needs to be turned off and put away where no one can see it. You can't use it during the performance, so why not just turn it off?? Speaking of that, listen to the announcers and absolutely do not use your phone, especially for flash photography. Everyone can see the little light if you're scrolling through facebook in a dark theatre, and it distracts and disorients the performers if you're taking flash pictures all through their number. Patti Lupone even stopped Gypsy just to tell a guy off after he kept taking flash pictures and making her trip. You really don't want that to happen to you. And to be honest, why would you do that anyway? You just paid a crap ton of money on seats to see a live play, and you're wasting it just to be looking at a little screen you could be looking at any other time of the day? I really don't understand.

Don't talk while the show's going on.  A little "Oh, I love this song!" to your friend is fine, but please don't be having excessive conversations with the people around you. This might be a little hard, but you really shouldn't sing along to any musical numbers, either, unless you're specifically instructed to do so. If you really can't resist, lip sync, but people came to the show to listen to the performers, not you. Your time will come.

3) After the Show
Never. EVER. EVER LEAVE DURING BOWS!! I don't care one bit if you want to get to the stagedoor or your car fast, applaud the performers and show your appreciation until the curtain goes down. Even then, be polite just like you were when walking in. Don't trample anyone, just leave with the crowd. If you're going to stagedoor, don't worry. The performers still have to gather up their stuff to leave and even if they beat you out of the theatre they'll still probably be signing autographs when you get there.

Now it's time for a little stagedoor etiquette. Always remember to treat the performers like what they are: people. Be respectful and tell them what a good job they did. It's fine to ask for an autograph and a picture, just be polite about it. They're probably very grateful that you came to see them and they'll be happy to sign your playbill.

preach, carrie

Thanks. It's important for you to have fun, but you also have to make sure you don't ruin the experiences of others. Have a nice day!!

10 Useful Links for a Newbie Lolita

So you’ve just discovered Japanese Lolita Fashion, and now you totes want to start wearing it, but you might be a bit confused about how exactly to go about that. Most Lolitas agree that everyone who’s first starting out should research the fashion a lot before getting into it. If you’ve gotten this far, you probably already know the basic components of a Lolita outfit, where it originated, the fact that it’s not a fetish, etc., but I’ve put together a list of links to further your knowledge beyond the basics.

courtesy of Imai Kira

Lolita Handbook

This site is pretty old and a bit outdated, but it gives very detailed explanations of all the basics of Lolita Fashion. 

Hello Lace

Hello Lace is designed especially for beginners and is very easy to navigate, but the extent of the information on this site is a bit limited.

Lolita Fashion

This is also kind of an outdated site and isn’t used very much anymore, but the guides and explanations on it are useful for beginners.  

What is Lolita? by F Yeah Lolita

F Yeah Lolita is pretty much the most popular Lolita blog ever, and the author very sweetly compiled a list of links to her posts that she thinks would be most useful to beginners. 

Lolita Tips

The girl who runs this Tumblr blog answers every single one of her questions (if they’re not in the FAQ) so if you ever have a question concerning Lolita you can go to her for it! The “Useful Links” and “Guides for Beginners” sections are really good for beginners to do some poking around in. It can also be fun to read through answers to other people’s questions. 

Lolibrary

This website is super rad because it has nearly every piece that a Lolita brand has ever released so you can look for a specific piece for details on it or just browse through for inspiration. 

Lolita Tutorials by F Yeah Lolita

Here’s another list of links by the same blog that consists various sewing/crafting tutorials for Lolita from around the internet. If you like this kind of thing then you could use this to possibly make your own unique Lolita wardrobe! 

The EGL Community

This is a ginormous English-speaking livejournal community for everyone interested in Elegant Gothic and Lolita Fashion. You can scroll through here to read posts from more experienced Lolitas or you could even ask your own question on it!

Lovely Lor

Lor is the sweetest Lolita youtuber ever with a wonderful wardrobe and she’s super nice to everyone who asks her questions and sends her mail. She also has really useful instructional videos as well as comedy, PSAs, and vlogs. Basically the whole package. 

Parfait Doll

Parfait Doll is another popular Lolita blog, but while the author of F Yeah Lolita is mainly a gothic Lolita, the author of Parfait Doll is a sweet Lolita. Along with posts about Lolita fashion, she also posts a lot on the Lolita lifestyle. 

Let me know if any links stop working!

What to Wear to a Nerd Convention

As a nerd, sooner or later you'll probably want to go to some sort of convention. That’s awesome! Conventions are a fun way to find other people who are interested in the same things as you and to learn more about those things.

Once you’ve saved up money and bought your tickets to the convention, now it’s time to decide what to wear. Depending on the specific type of nerd convention (anime, fantasy, horror, or just a general Comic-Con), you may want to match your outfit to the theme, but to be honest it doesn’t really matter. Here’s a list of ideas if you’re not quite sure:

1) Easy-But-Recognisable Cosplay

This would be any character that has some sort of signature look made up of everyday clothes. Think Rose Tyler’s union jack shirt outfit or Dean Winchester’s signature plaid shirt, cargo jacket, and samulet. This could also be a hipster, modern, etc version or a more fantasy-like character, but make sure it’s recognizable. These types of costumes take no skill and (usually) very little money to put together, so this is a good choice if the convention is soon and you’re on a budget. 

a super cute fem!dean cosplay
courtesy Cosplay Island

2) Bought Cosplay

If you have a little extra money but you’re not very crafty, it’s perfectly acceptable to buy a cosplay from a website like fanplusfriend or one of many etsy shops that sell cosplay. Just don’t go around telling people you made it!

3)  Hardcore DIY Cosplay

You’ve got a decent amount of money to spare, time before the convention, and sewing skills? Nothing’s more impressive than making a costume from scratch! Check to see if the convention you’re going to has a cosplay contest that you want to enter. You could also dream up your own character or add your own twist to your favorite one.

4)  Decked Out in Fandom Merch

I’m guessing that you already have a ton, so if you don’t feel like dressing up, kyou could always just go wearing the nerdiest nerd gear you have in your closet. If you don’t have any, buy some the first day and wear it the next!

5)  Period Clothing/Other General Costumes

If you’ve got a passion for historical clothing, steampunk, or any other cool kinds of costumes, you can buy or make your own to wear to the convention! Since this type of thing isn’t really practical for everyday wear, a convention gives you another chance besides renaissance fairs to wear those rad things you love. 

6)  Alternative Fashion

You don’t have to wear a costume to stand out a nerd convention! If you’re into lolita, gothic, punk, fairy-kei, or any other alternative fashion, put together your best over-the-top outfits to wear. This is a great time to wear these things especially if you’re not quite confident enough to wear them on an everyday basis, since there will lots of other people dressed in clothes that are different from the norm. 

You could also wear a different one of these things on each day of the convention or try to mix two of them! Of course, you don’t have to dress like this. If you’d rather wear what you wear on a normal basis, go right ahead! I just find that these are the most fun things for me, and what’s important is that you have fun at the convention :)

Musical Theatre Actors with Twitter Accounts (Alphabetical)

Hey guys! I’m really sorry I haven’t been on in a long time, I just can’t seem to get motivation to write. But I’ve been on Twitter a bunch, so I decided to put together a super long list of all the musical theatre people that I know have a twitter. They’re in alphabetical order (mostly I think) so that if you have any particular favorites you can find them easily. Go follow every single one of them because they are my baes and deserve more followers. If you know of any that I haven’t included, or if one of the links is wrong/won't work, just let me know in the comments and I’ll add/fix them right away. Also, if you want a list of any other group of people with twitter accounts, comment about that too and I'll get working on it.

Image courtesy of Google
I need a picture on every post so here ya go

Here’s the list:

Aaron J Albano: @aaronjalbano

Mark Aldrich: @MarktheGinger

Michael Arden: @michaelarden

Colin Anderson: @colinmanderson

Annaleigh Ashford: @TheAAshford

Josh Assor: @joshassor

Skylar Astin: @SkylarAstin

Samantha Barks: @SamanthaBarks

Kristen Bell: @IMKristenBell

George Blagden: @gblagden

Tommy Bracco: @TommyBracco

Ethan Bradshaw: @ethan_bradshaw

Alistair Brammer: @alistairbrammer

Ryan Breslin: @Uncle_Bres

Melanie Bright: @melanie_bright

Josie Brightwell: @JosieBrightwell

James Brown III: @TheJBill

Sierra Boggess: @sierraboggess

Dyllon Burnside: @4merlyknownasD

Joshua Burrage: @JoshuaBurrage3

Dougie Carter: @Dougie_Carter

Pierce Cassedy: @piercecassedy

Darren Criss: @DarrenCriss

Michael Colbourne: @MikeColbourne

Ben Cook: @bentylercook

DeMarius R. Copes: @DeMariusR_Copes

Corey Cott: @NapOnACott

Gavin Creel: @gavincreel

Jade Davies: @Jadedavies_4

Julian DeGuzman: @julianOfGuzman

Nico DeJesus: @Nicodj3

Dan DeLuca: @DDeLuca15

Taye Diggs: @TayeDiggs

Lee Dillon-Stewart: @LeeDillonStu

Delius Doherty: @dellyd17

Killian Donnelly: @killiandonnelly

Samantha Dorsey: @_SamanthaDorsey

Matt Doyle: @MattfDoyle

Natalie Charle Ellis: @Natalieeinnyc

Jake Emmerling: @JakieJake88

Ben Fankhauser: @PlznFankU

Michael Fatica: @michaelfatica

Fra Fee: @frafee

Wendy Ferguson: @WendyMFerguson

JP Ferreri: @JPFerreri

Sky Flaherty: @sky_flaherty

Santino Fontana: @SantinoFontana

Sutton Foster: @sfosternyc

Hadley Fraser: @hadleyfraser

John Gallagher, Jr: @JohnGallagherJr

James Gant: @jamesgant

Eric Giancola: @MEATSQUAWKER

Jason Gotay: @jasongotay

John Arthur Greene: @JohnArthurG

David Guzman: @D_Guzz

Jacob Guzman: @J_Dawg86

Jarrad Biron Green: @BironGreen

MaryJoanna Grisso: @MJGrisso

Katy Hanna: @kadyshorten

Garett Hawe: @GHawe

F Michael Haynie: @fmichaelhaynie

Jeff Heimbrock: @jheimbrock

Samantha Hill: @samjeannehill

Dayle Hodge: @DayleJamesHodge

Chris Holland: @loonyholland

Rob Houchen: @robhouchen

Eric Huffman: @ehuffs

Corey Hummerston: @Rycors

Adam Jacobs: @AdamJacobsNYC

Evan James: @EvanJames

Nikki M James: @nikkimjames

Thayne Jasperson: @thaynejasperson

Tyson Jennette: @tysonjennette

NaYoung Jeon: @Jeon_NaYoung

Jeremy Jordan: @JeremyMJordan

Tyler Jones: @TylerMacJones

Ramin Karimloo: @raminkarimloo

Adam Kaplan: @AdamSKaplan

Andrew Keenan-Bolger: @KeenanBlogger

Celia Keenan-Bolger: @celiakb

Dominique Kelley: @DomKelley

Jacob Kemp: @mrjacobkemp

Andrew Kober: @andrewkober

Daniel Koek: @dankoek

Sarah Lark: @MissSarahLark

David Larsen: @dlarsen22

Nick Laughlin: @NickLaughs

Marty Lawson: @LawsonMarty1

Antyon LeMonte: @AntyonLeMonte

Jess LeProtto: @D8Jess

Zachary Levi: @ZacharyLevi

Iwan Lewis: @IwyLewis

Kara Lindsay: @KaraLindsay1

Peter Lockyer: @Peter_Lockyer

GinnaClaire Mason: @GinnaClaire

Kyle Dean Massey: @kyledeanmassey

Chris McCarrell: @ChrisMzCarrell

Idina Menzel: @idinamenzel

Lea Michele: @msleamichele

Michael Munday: @MichaelLMunday

Tam Mutu: @tammutu

Alexandra Ncube: @alexandralove12

Jenny O’Leary: @Jennyoleary90

Rory O’Malley: @RoryOMalley

Weston Wells Olson: @westowells

Laura Osnes: @LauraOsnes

Luca Padovan: @MoreOrLesLuca

Michael Park: @park24hrs

John Pinto Jr: @JohnPintoJr

Andrew Pirozzi: @AndrewPirozzi

Ben Platt: @BenSPLATT

Jonny Purchase: @jonnypurchase

Daniel Quadrino: @dannyquad91

Andrew Rannells: @AndrewRannells

Anthony Rapp: @albinokid

Chris Rice: @ChrisRiceNY

Andy Richardson: @AMRicharson3

Alice Ripley: @RIPLEYTHEBAND

Leo Roberts: @leoroberts1

Matt Rosell: @mattrosell

Nic Rouleau: @nicrouleau

Michael Ryan: @MichaelRyan90

Jordan Samuels: @JordanSamFTW

Alanna Saunders: @alannasaunders3

Oliver Saville: @oliversaville

Zachary Sayle: @ZSayle

Kyle Scatliffe: @KyleScatliffe

Jack Scott: @JackJackScott

Brian Sears: @BrahSears

Niall Sheehy: @niallsheehy

Simon Shorten: @SiShorten

Jack Sippel: @JackJSippel

Jason Michael Snow: @JMSPinafore

Melissa SteadmanHart: @melissasteadman

Ryan Steele: @RySteele

Brendon Stimson: @BrenStims

Cody Jamison Strand: @CodyCobbler

Stephanie Styles: @StefunnyStyles

Will Swenson: @thewillswenson

Nicky Swift: @nickyswifto

Clay Thomson: @ClayThomson

Aaron Tveit (not actually him, just an official news account): @aarontveitnet

Patrick Wilson: @patrickwilson73

Chaz Wolcott: @dancinchaz

Alex Wong: @AlexdWong

Anton Zetterholm: @antonzetterholm

A Short Review of Every Musical I've Seen Live

I really really really like Broadway musicals and I try to see them live every chance I get (but not necessarily on Broadway), so here's a review on each of the fourteen I've been to.

Image courtesy of Mashable

Into the Woods:
This was the first musical I ever saw live, so I was pretty little when I saw it and I don't really remember it that much. However, I do remember loving it and being starstruck when the actors came out into the lobby after the show (I saw it at Hale Centre Theatre--West Valley). I can't wait for the movie adaptation and I'm really excited to see Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine together!

A Christmas Carol:
Again, this was a long time ago, so I don't remember it very much. I remember liking it, but not loving it, and this one I saw at Hale, too.

Phantom of the Opera (2): 
I saw this one at Hale Centre Theatre quite a few years ago and, even though I don't remember much about it, I remember thinking it was pretty dang sweet. I saw it again on Broadway last April with Samantha Hill and Hugh Panaro who have some of the best voices ever and it was so incredibly powerful. Not quite as wonderful as the 25th anniversary cast, but still really rad.

She Loves Me:
She Loves Me is the most recent live musical I've seen. I saw this one at Hale as well and it was really cute, but somewhat dated and sexist. Fun, but not one of my favorites.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:
Ok now I thought this one really sucked. It could have just been that the performers weren't very good singers or actors (I saw it at local Centerpoint Theatre which had just barely opened so it didn't attract very many people), but I wasn't crazy about the music or the execution of the story, either, even though it's composed by the brilliant Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Man of La Mancha:
Don Quixote is a little bit cray cray, but the music from this musical is beautiful. "The Impossible Dream" is undoubtedly one of my favorite songs from a musical ever. I saw this one at Centerpoint Theatre too but by then it had become more well-known and the performers were much better. One point that I must make, however, is that in both of the musicals I've seen there, the costumes have looked like they came out of a dress-up box. In Joseph, you could clearly see t-shirts layered under badly-constructred dresses, and in Man of La Mancha, the corsets were ill-fitting and ugly.

Les Misérables (2):
I'm pretty sure Les Mis will always be my favorite musical. Seeing the movie adaptation was what really got me into musical theatre. I saw it at Pioneer Theatre last year and this made me realize how much the movie cast sucked. The performers at this one had great voices and played very convincing characters, while most of the main actors in the movie were just picked for their fame and can't really sing (Éponine and the Barricade Boys were really awesome though). After finding out that Carrie Hope Fletcher would be playing Éponine on the West End, I begged my mom and finally got the opportunity to go see her (along with the drool-worthy Rob Houchen) in April. The West End of 2013-2014 is the best ever cast of Les Mis and I will argue that to the death. The only things that could have made my experience better would have been: a) Enjolras being played by Anton Zetterholm instead of first cover Oliver Savile, b) my sister not complaining the entire time, and c) more actors than just Rob showing up at stagedoor for autographs.

West Side Story:
I've loved the movie with Natalie Wood for a long time, so I saw it on the national tour in SLC with my grandparents. It was just as good, if not better, than the movie and we had really awesome seats so it was a pretty fun time.

A Chorus Line: 
While I was watching this at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City this summer I just wanted to be dancing in the story with the characters. It was SO. FREAKING. GOOD. Paul is my bae, and no one else can have him. I expected it to be dated, considering it premiered in the 1970s, but it's just as relevant today as it was then and I understood almost every single reference.

Annie Get Your Gun:
The music was cute, the story was cute, the performers' voices at the Sundance Theatre were great, and I enjoyed it. It just wasn't, like, THAT spectacular.

The Lion King:
During "Circle of Life" when all the animals are walking through the audience and onto the stage is the best part of the whole thing. It's sO COOL and pretty much everyone would enjoy seeing it. The costumes and the music are amazing and I love the fact that Rafiki is played by a woman.

Wicked:
It deserves all the hype it's been getting for the past 10 years. 'Nuff said.