Musical Theatre Confessions

For the last couple of years, I’ve been really happy to add “Musical Theatre Fan” to my list of titles I use to describe myself. You know, Teacher, Christian, Writer... etc. Theatre has joined the list of my interests and hobbies, and that’s resulted in some great friendships and conversations.

But I have noticed that along with being a theatre fan, that comes with other connotations. For example, if you don’t like a show, especially one that’s deemed a “classic”, it’s a real big deal. I’m not really sure why, because no one is expected to be a fan of all books, or all movies, or all musicians. So why are musicals any different?

So, I’m putting it out there, and here are my Musical Theatre Confessions:

1.   I don’t like CATS. I know, it’s one of those shows that has so much hype, and is so well known... well, I think mostly that’s “Memories”.  I just don’t get why it’s a big deal. I’ve heard “Memories” and I don’t think it’s an especially amazing song, but I couldn’t tell you what the show is about or any other of the songs. I have seen the show (kinda), my grandmother gave me the DVD for Christmas a few years ago, knowing I like musicals. I watched the first fifteen minutes and was really bored.
2. Whilst on the subject of CATS, which of course was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber...  ALW is a composer who is such a big name in the Musical Theatre world, but none of his shows (that I’ve seen) are amongst my favourite musicals. And honestly, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of ALW... ok, it’s Phantom of the Opera. But the second thing? The Nanny. Because even when I knew nothing about musical theatre, I knew from watching The Nanny who Andrew Lloyd Webber was because of his rivalry with Mr Sheffield.
3.   I don’t really like musicals that are mostly singing. I like my singing/speaking ratio to be more balanced. I have seen Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, the Broadway version of RENT and of course, the Les Mis film. And in three of those cases (save for RENT, which will be elaborated upon in my next point), I enjoyed the story, but really felt they could have done with less singing. Especially because in every case, few songs really grabbed me because there were just so many.  I remember watching Phantom of the Opera and in cases such when they’re reading the note from the Phantom? There’s a voice in my head going, “Why can’t you just speak this?”
4.     I like the RENT movie. Love it. Over the stage show. Now, maybe it’s because I saw the movie before I saw the stage show. But you know what? The movie works. They cut out a bunch of songs and proved that they weren’t needed. The film, the story, the characters work without those songs. I know there’s a lot of theatre fans who say film versions who cut a lot of songs out destroy the original show, and maybe that’s true. I’ve only seen shows where they’ve added songs (e.g. Mary Poppins. And yeah, the changes from the movie threw me at first and I didn’t think the original songs they added to the show were that great, but I still enjoyed the show), so I can’t comment.
5.  Also still on RENT... I only like about half the songs. I don’t even own the whole soundtrack, I just bought the songs I do like from iTunes (there’s 10).  And those 10 songs were accumulated over about 3 viewings of the movie. Only 1 of those songs permanently lives on my iPod (Finale B).
6.   Les Mis is really depressing, which OK, I don't really think is that shocking. And I do love a lot of depressing things. I saw the movie (haven’t seen the stage show) and before I did, I knew some of the songs (3, I think) and I had a faint idea of the story. And yeah, I wished there’d been a bit more dialogue. And no, Russell Crowe can’t really sing. And I know everyone is super excited that they’re doing it again... but unless someone I really like is in the cast... I probably won’t see it. Maybe once, because my Dad wants to see it, and I like doing stuff with my parents and sharing experiences with them- and if my Dad wants to see a musical, you take that opportunity.  But it’s another one of those shows that is such a big deal. And again, I know there was a lot of discussion from fans of the show protesting against well... Russell Crowe, and the changes that were made.  But did any of the changes really hurt or work against the story? Having not seen the stage show, I can’t comment on the differences. But whatever changes were made didn’t stop me from crying at the end, or from enjoying the film, or from recommending it and praising it to others, or from deciding that I will be buying the DVD (I haven’t had the chance to do it yet though. And I haven’t bought the soundtrack).
7. A lot of these big shows, CATS, POTO, Les Mis, etc, if it’s revealed that someone doesn’t like the show, it’s often met (in my experience) with a lot of exclamation like “What?! How can you NOT like this show?!” Which seems weird to me, although I can readily admit that when I hear of people not liking Wicked, I have that same reaction. Because well... it’s Wicked (to be fair, I also have that reaction when people don't like Harry Potter. Or something else I love). And yeah, my Wicked is someone else’s... CATS, or whatever.  I guess this one isn’t so much a confession... or it is, but just that I can be a bit hypocritical even though it annoys me when I get this reaction from people about other shows.  Come talk to me once they’ve made the Wicked movie (eventually. I’ll probably be 50 by the time they get around to that -_-) and I’m sure I’ll be one of those people complaining about any changes they’ve made (honestly, my main concern is casting- but that’s another issue).

For me, whether or not I go see a show depends mostly on the story. Addams Family is in Sydney at the moment and there’s a lot of hype and friends who know me and know I like musicals (mainly Facebook friends) keep asking me if I’m going to see it. And you know what? I’m not. And not just because I’m now living several hours away from the city, which makes it more difficult. It’s just... I have never really been a fan of the TV show.

King Kong is also coming to Australia. I have no interest in that either. If an actor I really loved was in the cast, I might go once, and you never know, it might surprise me and I might like it enough to go again. I am however, super psyched for Grease (love that movie, and has a totally awesome cast) and The Lion King (it’s Disney. Enough said). I wasn’t sure how Legally Blonde would work as a musical, but I love the movie and the cast, which was enough to get me to want to see it, and I loved it.

Really, this post was inspired because a friend is watching RENT (the filmed Broadway version) and tweeted the following:

Now, I don't think this makes her a bad musical theatre person. And whilst I don't think I have trouble understanding RENT, there were bits I had to ask about. Like would people in 1989 New York be that openly casual about their drug use, or HIV/AIDS. It turns out yes, in that part of New York, they would. And that's fine and now I know. All I was going off was from watching Philadelphia with Tom Hanks, because he definitely wasn't open about having AIDS and for good reason. 

And I don't think we should be ashamed for being a musical theatre fan and not liking certain musicals- even (or maybe especially) those that are heavily hyped, referenced and discussed in musical theatre fan circles. Hence, my above confessions. 

It's like when people release those lists of The 100 Books you must read before you die, and I haven't even heard of half of them. Does that make me a bad reader? I don't think so. I read a lot of books, all different types. From classics (Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, JRR Tolkein) to books that probably should never have gotten published (*cough* Twilight *cough*). Same goes with movies- I like a lot, all different sorts and genres. So, why is it a bad thing or something I should be ashamed of to admit I don't like CATS or that I didn't love Les Mis. And despite the many critics (and I am still finding and reading less than raving reviews about Wicked even now), I'd rather see Wicked than Chicago a hundred times. OK, I haven't actually seen Chicago (stage or screen), but you get my point (basically my mum can't stand Catherine Zeta-Jones or Renee Zellweger, so there's no way Chicago the movie would ever be played in our house. And since moving out of home, I just haven't seen it). 

These are just my opinions, so I hope no one is offended by what I've said. I just got thinking about it, and thought it needed to be said. That's all. 

Feel free to share your own thoughts/confessions, etc. 

The Happiness Box

Today is ANZAC Day- the day when we commemorate all those who served and died for Australia in battle from World War I up until the present. It's 98 years today that the first ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) soldiers arrived on the beaches of Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915.

Today I read a book. Now, that's nothing unusual, but this book is special. It's called The Happiness Box.

The Happiness Box was written in 1942 by Sgt David Griffin, an Australian solider who was a Prisoner of War by the Japanese in Singapore. I first came across it last year when I was in Singapore and took the Changi World War Two tour.
Basically, in 1942, some of the POWs wanted to make Christmas gifts for the children who were interned in the prisons alongside them. Some of them made toys, but David Griffin, knowing he had no talent for making toys, decided to write a book for the children instead.

The Happiness Box tells the story of three friends- Martin the Monkey, Wobbley the Frog and Winston the Chi Chak (a Malayan lizard) who live together in a little house in the jungle.

A Chi Chak... pretty much a gekko

All the presents had to be checked by the Japanese. And when they saw that one of the characters was called Winston, they became suspicious that the book was actually a code for the Allies (you know, Winston... Winston Churchill. Get it?).
Some of the POWs managed to grab the book, and they hid it in an ammunition container and buried it somewhere in the grounds of the prison camp. After the war, they dug the book up and took it back to Australia, where it made its way to the State Library of NSW.

It's a sweet little book, but it's really amazing to read it and know what the author went through, why he was writing the book and the people he was writing the book for- children living imprisoned in a crowded and awful gaol.

It's only been available for public purchase since 1991. I assume you can buy it in Australia... I'd never seen it or heard of it (I don't think) until I went to Singapore, but our tour guide said it was a pretty big sale for tour groups and visitors.

The best example I can think of to sum up the essence of the book, is this quote. All you have to know is that Martin, Wobbley and Winston found a box in the jungle. Inside were 3 books, one for each of them.

Then Winston, who was very clever, said, "I will tell you what they mean. They mean that we three must go out into the world and teach our neighbours how to be clever, industrious and kind, so that they can all be as happy as we." 

I think that pretty much says it all.

Lest we forget.

Does the month you were born in influence your personality?

Here's the story: My birthday is in May. But I was born 2 months (9 weeks) premature, so I was actually due in July. This means my star sign is Gemini, when I was meant to be a Cancer.

Now, I don't really read my horoscopes, but I'm always fascinated by the idea that when we were born influences our personality. The thing is, I often find I'm more Cancer than Gemini. Or sometimes I am Gemini. So, I like to think of myself as both.

This was shared on my Facebook today, and I found it interesting and another case where although some of it I agreed with under May; I thought my characteristics were much more July. Thought I'd post it here for you all to see.

JANUARY BABY Pretty/handsome. Love to dress up fo all and any occasion. It might be costume, sports gear, or the latest accessories. You love the best of everything in life! Easily bored. Incredibly talented and sure to become famous if you work at it and don't just expect greatness to fall at your fabulous feet. Fussy. Seldom shows too much emotion. Takes plenty of time to recover when hurt. Terribly terribly Sensitive, but in turn very sensitive to others moods. Down-to-Earth. Stubborn. Likely to be incredibly charismatic. Fabulous twinkle in your winking eye! A little tricky in love. If you are a man, the women love you and this can be problematic. Incredibly talented at several things. Will gather a crowd at a party because of their charisma and fun they bring.

FEBRUARY BABY Lots of rainbow coloured Abstract thoughts. Love reality and abstract. Intelliegnt and clever with it. Mecurial personality. Attractive. Sexiest out ofeveryone. Temperamental but can also be quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Love freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves strength and determination in a lover. Too sensitive and far too easily hurt. Incredibly creative and child like. Loads of colourful ideas and plans. Gets angry terribly quickly, but then the anger is gone just as quickly! Bores easily. Loves making friends but rarely for a lifetime. Horny. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Lots of dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves to entertain. Romantic Superstitious. ludicrous. Completely and utterly hopeless with money.

MARCH BABY Very attractive warm personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Can be incredibly shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally blunt, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity at all costs. Sensitive to others. Great kisser. Amazing lover. Impossible to forget once you have been with someone. Old lovers never REALLY get over you. Explosive temper. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness ten fold. You find it hard to show TRUE emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Observant and assesses others accurately. Shrewd and not easily tricked in to scams or false love affairs. Good person to have as friend, lover or business partner. Impossible to get over...be warned!

APRIL BABY Suave. Fair and compromising. Funny and fantastic sense of humour. Stubborn. Very talkative. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned about facts, order and absolute detail. Loyal. Does work incredibly well with others. Very confidant. Sensitive. A sunny and positive Attitude. Ridiculously generous. Very good memory. Impossible to fool with flattery. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to hunt out information. Able to cheer everyone up and/or make them laugh. Incredibly motivating. Understanding. Fun to be around. Tends to LOVE sports, music, traveling, but not theatre. Systematic. Both Hot and brilliant. You act a bit tougher than you are, and when it comes to picking the right life partener you are completely useless. Your first marriage is unlikely to be your last.

MAY BABY Holds grudges and can be hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thinker. Will not tolerate injustice or fools. . Attracts a lot of people and this is good as he or she loves attention. Deep deep feelings. Beautiful physically and inwardly. Likes to be right AND to win. Needs no motivation. Shy towards opposite sex. Does not need contant consoling or flattering. Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Tends to have a good imagination and A great BODY. Incredible leader of men or women. Someone you could trust with your heart and life. A hero.

JUNE BABY You've got the best personality of all it would seem, and are an absolute pleasure to be around. You love to make new friends everywhere you go, and tend to be outgoing. You are an expert flirt and more than likely have an a very attractive partner.Youa are what is referred to as a wicked hottie. It is also more than likely that you have a massive music collection. You have great taste in films, and may one day become a famous actor/actress yourself - heck, you've got the looks and talent for it!!! You are quite the super star Ms or Mr June! Expect to see your name in lights, or at least in a newspaper headline!!

JULY BABY Fun to be with but oh so so many secrets eh?. Difficult to fathom and impossible to understand. Quiet unless excited about the subject. Take incredible pride in yourself. Have a reputation. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Warm. Approachable. At times can be emotional and temperamental. Moody. Witty . Just plain crazy at times. Not at all revengeful. you forgive but NEVER forget. dislike people wasting your time. You guide others physically and mentally. You form impressions carefully.. At all times you treat others equally. Strong sense of empathy. Wary and sharp. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Oh and you are so comfortable and love to be alone. Sometimes you brood about the past and the old friends and lovers. Not aggressive unless provoked.

AUGUST BABY Warm and ebulinat personality. You believe to gain experience in life you must travel and takes risks. You feeds on positive attention. A slight lack of self control can have you engaging in some vices that are not good for you. . Kind hearted. Self-confident. You should not be messed with as you can be very sneakily vengeful. Easy to get along with and talk to. Has an "every thing's sweet as" attitude. You like interesting conversations with smart people Loves music and very good taste in all music genres. . Daydreamer. Easily distracted.

BIG artistic imagination. You love to be loved. Hates studying, but fortuanatley your brilliance often carries you through. in need of "that someone". Longs for freedom. Not keen on conventional rules. Lives by "no pain no gain" caring. Always a suspect if something goes wrong!. Playful. Strong willed. A fighter.

SEPTEMBER BABY Active and utterly dynamic. Decisive and quick to sum up a situation. You can be just a little hasty. Attractive and affectionate . Very confident of your own self worth, and rarely self loathing. Some might call it a 'healthy ego'. Very strong mentality. Diplomatic. You are a wonderful councelorand a good friend. Accomplished at solving people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Lots of people would refer to you as 'Suave' and you are incredibly generous. Usually you have many many friends. You enjoy very much making love. Exceptionally Good memory. Your speeches are inspiring and moving. You simply Love to travel and explore. Sometimes oddly sexy in a way that only your lover can understand. Quirky.

OCTOBER BABY Loves to chat. Incredibly loyal and loving to family and friends. Born with a special 'Angel' gene, your bring light and goodness to people you don't even know. Inner beauty and breath taking physical beauty. You will sometimes tell lies, but generally to protect people. You dont pretend to love. A fiery temper. Treats friends with importance and a lot of respect. Brave and fearless. Will fight for the under-dog. Always making new interesting friends. Easily hurt but you recover easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Not overly concerned with what people think of you, so will sometimes just say ANYTHING! Unpredictable. Extremely strong sex drive! f

NOVEMBER BABY Trustworthy and loyal. Very passionate and with the passion comes danger. Wild at times. You absolutely know how to have fun. Sexy and mysterious. Everyone is drawn towards your bold striking looks, your unusual beauty and slightly aloof personality. Playful. Lots and lots of naughty secrets. Very emotional and temperamental sometimes. The word 'Diva' comes to mind. Meetnew people easily and very social in a group. Fearless and independent. Can hold your own. Stands out in a crowd. Essentially very smart. Usually, the greatest men are born in this month. If you ever begin a relationship with someone from this month, hold on to them because their one of a kind.

DECEMBER BABY You are most probably the best looking person in the room. Better looking than all of these other months. Loyal and generous. Patriotic. No-one can say a word against your people and your country! Competitive in absolutely everything. Active in life to a fault. You are constantly trying new things. People can't keep up. A little Impatient. Highly Ambitious. Influential in organizations and politics. Easy to talk to, though..... hard to understand. Lots of visions to make the world better. You are a complicated soul. Easily won over by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Has that someone always on his/her mind. . Knows how to make life long good friends. Abiding. Able to show great character. One guy/girl kind of person. Entirely Loveable.

I HAVE A JOB!

Yes, that's right! I have a job.

So, naturally this has become the best day ever. It's just until the end of the year (for now), but we'll see what  happens!

For the past three months, I have been so stressed (actually, I've been stressed from like Term 4 of last year), and depressed and... in a really dark place (admittedly probably not helped by writing a really depressing fanfic). I've been questioning everything- am I even a good teacher? Is this really what I'm meant to be doing? Could I ever be happy doing anything else?

And now... I honestly didn't even think I had a chance of getting this job! The application was for History/Ancient History/Drama teacher. I'm qualified for History, taught Ancient History last year, but haven't taught Drama. But they offered it to me!

So, Manilla. It's a town with about 2000 people in it, in New South Wales. It's about 28 minutes from Tamworth, and 5 hours from Sydney. So that makes it probably about 7 hrs from home unfortunately. But Manilla has buses, and trains and an airport in Tamworth!

I just... ah, I'm so grateful. It was my new Head Teacher who I spoke to and she seems so nice! At the moment, it looks like I'll be teaching Junior (7-10) Drama and History and combined Senior (11 and 12) Ancient History and Drama. But that could change! The school has 159 kids just in Yrs 7-12, and I'm just... thrilled.

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported me these past few months and listened to me mope for so long, and who prayed for me... it means a lot.

I'm strangely not terrified! I probably will be when it gets closer, but right now I'm just so grateful and excited! My new Head Teacher said I got a "glowing" reference from my last principal, which I am so appreciative of.

I can't think of anything else to say right now!