Showtunes

Was that through Sh-K-Boom? They're usually pretty efficient - I got my High Fidelity Cast Recording from them like crazy fast just after I ordered it.

I would loooove to have seen Norbert and Sherie in The Last 5 Years live - they really had great chemistry in that show. Oh well, at least I got to see them together in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. They're like my Broadway OTP. Damn I'm creepy.

I'm not especially interested in seeing The Little Mermaid but what will most probably get my ass over there is Sherie as Ursula, plus Norm Lewis, who was AMAZING as Javert in the recent Les Mis revival.

No, it was through these guys who apparently had a hard time getting it out because they hadn't expected such large orders. I find that hard to believe, but whatever. (Not that they had large orders, but they hadn't expected it.) I'm surprised though that sh-k-boom didn't offer, or that the creators hadn't asked sh-k-boom.

Playbill.com is having a preview of the Little Mermaid soundtrack tomorrow at 9, if you want to check that out. Sherie rocks "Poor Unfortunate Souls", although I'll always think her best song was "Every Story is a Love Story." No one's been able to sing "This is the story of a love that . . . " like her.

True that. She even owned Idina Menzel.

And is Prince Eric at least hot? He was my disney crush growing up.

He was hot for a guy on Broadway, I guess. Not an Adam pascal or Cheyenne Jackson though.

Hee. I like how you have to clarify. I actually did that for a friend once.

"Well, hes hot for a Broadway dude."
"Wasnt Taye Diggs on Broadway"
"There are a bunch of superhot exceptions. Hes not one."

I still didn't get how hot Adam Pascal could be until I actually got to see him up close. I think he's better looking in person.

In other news, next Thursday at this time, I will be seeing Raul in the Homecoming. I am absolutely stagedooring afterwards, so my objective is to get a photo with him (happy birthday to ME!) without turning into my 12-year-old self at a New Kids on the Block concert.

Edited to add: I just got a(n otherwise awesome) bootleg of tick, tick...BOOM!. Molly Ringwald should never be allowed to sing. Ever. She sounds like a nervous teenager next to the others.

Whee, I'm seeing The Lion King on the 25th of this month, and then Sweeney Todd the 3rd of Feb.
So. Excited.

Aw, Rent is closing on June 1st y'all. Its the seventh longest running show in History, its still touring all over the country, and it'll probably end up revived within 5-10 years...but still. End of an era.

...I still wish Spike Lee had been allowed to direct the film version though, Miramax.

I mean Chris Colombus? WTF is that.

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...I still wish Spike Lee had been allowed to direct the film version though, Miramax.

Eh. I think he would have changed it too much. But I guess we shall never know. I will always maintain that the biggest mistake re: the Rent movie was leaving out Roger and Mark's argument at the end. They should have spoken it, at least.

But yes, I am vaguely sad. And trying to decide if it's worth it to go see it one last time. (I only saw it once, in '99, and the seats were all the way in the back.)

They have an article on the show's site from the NYtimes about it, and they said competition from shows like "Legally Blonde" and "Spring Awakening" impacted sales. To which I say yes, but only partly because of them. It's because of all the newer shows. Even if "Rent" was still the only pop musical around, it wouldn't be getting as much business. It's just simply been running for a long time.

I mean 12 years.

I dont know. I'd rather have seen Spike Lee change it, and come up with something interesting rather than what Chris Colombus did. Although I still own the movie due to the presence of the original actors.

I still love Rent and probably always will, but it had a good run and it got a lot of people back into theater. I'm so glad that I had the chance to see it closer to the beginning (1998) and again towards the end (last year). Seeing Adam and Anthony on stage was really electrifying.

Thats how I feel. Its a little bittersweet though.

I just bought my ticket for Sunday in the Park With George! I'm so excited!

Also, from Adam Pascal's blog on the closing of RENT:

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Hello everyone. I feel I should address the closing of Rent on Broadway. I know there are many people who are very upset, and I understand. This show has changed many lives, mine included. However that fact, is what is important. Going to see the show over and over again only allows one to remain longer in a fantasy world. What Jonathan would have wanted is for people come away from the show with a renewed spirit, and take that feeling into the real world! To live YOUR OWN LIFE the way the characters in the show, the words and the music have inspired you to. It means nothing to come and sit in a theater night after night and immerse yourself in fantasy, only then to walk out the door and be unchanged in reality. This show will live on in our hearts. But where it truly must survive is in our actions, our compassion and our generousity of spirit towards one another. It is time for the next chapter in this story. I'm excited to see how this story continues to change lives through regional productions, High school productions, small community theater productions and eventually when my kids are old enough, THE BROADWAY REVIVAL starring LENNON AND MONTE as Mark and Roger. That would be something....

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LENNON AND MONTE as Mark and Roger.

aaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Also, quite amusing is how Adam is oh-so-subtly telling some people to get a life, more or less.

Yeah thats awesome. Particularly since a lot of those Rentheads? Crazy.

I do hope Adam does another Broadway show again. I know he has kids so he likes the longevity (why he did Aida for so long) and hes done a lot Lincoln Centre work and the fill in Cabaret, but I want to see him in something new and awesome.