How I've Changed This Year

You guys probably didn't know this (actually, my only followers are from school, so you probably did know this), but I've been writing this blog for a grade in my English class. Yeah, I know, that's so dorky and nerdy, but hey, isn't that the point of this blog? This may be my last post, depending on whether or not I get motivation to write this summer or if I somehow spontaneously get readers who would die if I never published again, but that's not gonna happen, so you're gonna have to depend on me getting motivation. Whatever.

I haven't had a prompt for any of my other posts, but for this one I'm supposed to write about how I've changed this year. At first this was pretty hard for me to figure out, and it still kind of is because I know how I’ve changed recently but I cant quite remember how much of that was actually this year. I do know, however, that this year I’ve tried to become more motivated to make myself change for the better and to help the world change for the better. This is more difficult than it sounds, since I’m smart but also incredibly lazy. I want to get things done but lots of times I simply can’t bring myself to do them. I still haven’t quite found a thing that motivates me completely, but I’m looking for something, and in the meantime I’m forcing myself to do the things I want to do. 

My teeth are straighter than at the beginning of this year! I’ve now had braces on for almost two years and I’ll hopefully be getting them off this summer. 

me with two ensemble girls from the Once tour
this is the most recent picture I could find where I showed my teeth, it was about a month ago

This is weird, but I somehow feel like I’ve become more confident in some ways and less confident in other ways. I’m better at talking to people I don’t know, I’m better at public speaking, and I can now order food on my own at a restaurant without having a panic attack (It hasn’t happened for at least 6 months now!). But I think I’m less confident in that I’m more self-conscious about the way I look and worried about what other people think of me. Last year, I was able to wear clothes that reflected my personality more, but now when I put on more bold and daring outfits that feel like me, I suddenly get scared that other people will judge me. That’s definitely something that I’m going to work on overcoming this summer. 

Something that’s been a gradual process for me over the past year and a half or so has been reclaiming my femininity and trying to stop judging other girls for what they like. I used to think it was shameful to do “feminine” things like liking makeup and taking selfies with filters and liking romance movies. I used to judge other girls for these things, and I still sometimes catch myself doing that. I also used to believe in the trope of the “fake geek girl” who pretended to like “geeky” things just so she could get boys to like her. I’ve now realized that girls can like whatever they want to like and they shouldn’t be questioned about it. 

If anyone’s out there, thank you so much for joining me on this journey. It’s been really great, and I’m still trying to better myself, but that’s what life is. Maybe I’ll talk to you soon and maybe I’ll continue this blog even after my class is over! Even if I don’t continue, and you find this page sometime in the future after I’ve been inactive for years, you’ll probably always be able to find me on my tumblr: moritz-is-bae. See ya!

So I Saw Newsies This Weekend....

And it was pretty much the best weekend of my life. Holy crap. I live near Salt Lake City, and I saw it in Dallas. Why, you may ask? Well, when Newsies first announced the tour, none of the cities that it had listed were anywhere near where I live, and I HAD to make sure that I was going to get the chance to go, right? The second phase of the tour, which it's coming to Salt Lake City on, wasn't announced until a few weeks ago, when the 2016 Broadway season was announced. Also, my step-niece (?) was at my house in January and we started talking about how much we both love Newsies, and we decided that we needed to go together. She lives in New Jersey, and it was in Dallas near her birthday, so we met in the middle to see an awesome show together.

Now that I've bored you with my ramblings, it's time to get into the meat of what went down on that trip. After going to that museum by where JFK was shot (which was pretty cool too), we headed over to the AT&T Performing Arts Center and it might have been the most beautiful theater I've ever been to, even considering the theaters I've been to on Broadway. It had like 5 floors and our seats were so close I could even see the newsies' faces.

I cannot even begin to describe the feeling in my stomach when the curtain came up and I saw Dan DeLuca and Zachary Sayle on that stage. Newsies has always had a special place in my heart because of all the symbolism of hope involved in it, and finally seeing these characters on a stage in front of me I suddenly felt like something in my world was right. It sounds totally stupid that my main source of inspiration is cheesy musicals about newsboys, but the way that the characters stand up for what they believe in and never give up makes me really hopeful that everything will always be okay (especially since Melissa Steadman Hart played a girlsie in the closing number !!! Thanks for giving me hope, Melissa).

Of course, the music was wonderful, the boys were cute, but what really amazed me was how phenomenal the dancing was. Ben Tyler Cook, who played Race, is only 16 and was, in my opinion, the best dancer up there. He’s already in the touring cast of a major musical and that totally makes me feel bad about what I’ve done so far with my life (I’m just kidding, I love you Ben Tyler Cook <3). Another great dancer was Julian DeGuzman, but that makes more sense since he’s like 25 and has a BFA in dance. 

After the show, we went to the stage door, obviously. I had to meet my baes. They all signed my playbill and I was able to get pictures with some of them: 

Josh Burrage <3

Ben Tyler Cook <33 

Jordan Samuels <3

Jeff Heimbrock <33

Vincent Crocilla (he was wearing an Adventure Time shirt !!)

DeMarius R Copes <33

Zachary Sayle <33

  

I’ve since returned from Dallas, but last night I saw Garett Hawe, who was in the original cast of Newsies, perform in a local production of The Music Man! I still don’t know what he’s doing here, but I got a picture with him, too: 

he was soooo sweet, I can't believe I had the chance to meet him!!

Jonathan Larson's "Rent" May Quite Possibly Be the Best Musical of All Time

My obsessions usually fade to casual liking within a few months, but not with Rent. I first watched the movie version over a year ago and I still listen to the soundtrack nonstop when I need to get pumped up, which is pretty much every day. "La Vie Boheme" always makes me smile, "I'll Cover You - Reprise" always makes me cry, and I don't even know what "Over the Moon" makes me feel, but I know it's a wonderful roller coaster of emotions.

Every single song in it is my favorite, except maybe "You'll See," but whatever. The music gives off a pretty '80s/'90s vibe (which makes sense since it begins December 24th, 1989) but also seems pretty Broadway at the same time. The lyrics have some real substance to them, and you'll probably notice something new every time you watch it. You'll be inspired by the story and think about the meaning for weeks after you first watch it. But the sad part is that the writer/creator, Jonathan Larson, died the day of the official opening production.

Not only are the book, music, and lyrics extremely well-written, but it also features the most diverse cast of characters that I've ever seen in any mainstream media (does Rent qualify as mainstream???). With seven main protagonists and an antagonist, they accurately represent the people under the poverty level in New York City and debunk the idea that media with a diverse cast doesn't get popular. Rent was one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway, closing under 12 years of productions. Who says diverse can't be amazing??

Roger Davis is a recovering drug addict and musician/songwriter, who can't seem to be able to write one last song. He lives with Mark Cohen, a Jewish filmmaker who wants to show the world what it's actually like to be homeless in New York. Their friend Tom Collins is a gay black man who teaches philosophy at MIT. He meets and falls in love with Angel Dumott-Schunard, a street drummer whose gender we are never told explicitly. We know that she goes by she/her pronouns, but we are left to are own interpretation of her gender. She could be a trans girl or genderfluid, but either way she's important representation for the transgender community. Angel is friends with Mimi Marquez, a lighthearted Latina stripper whom Roger tries to help get off drugs. Maureen Johnson is a bisexual activist who dumped Mark offscreen, but is now dating Joanne Jefferson. Joanne is a black lesbian lawyer who, in my opinion, doesn't get enough credit. She's soooo cute and always KILLS that first solo in "Seasons of Love." The antagonist is Benny. He used to be cool, but then he married a rich lady and now wants to evict the homeless from the area.

EVERYONE IS MY BAE!!! except benny. he sucks
image courtesy crafthubs

Four of the characters have AIDS, and the musical depicts their struggles and how they get through them. I just wish that everything was as awesome as Rent is. That would make life a whole lot better. The movie version is on Netflix and you can watch the pro-shot 2008 cast recording on YouTube. Go! Tell your friends! Make the world a better place by watching Rent!

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!!

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.