"When opportunity knocks. When possibility calls..." You get tickets to see Kimberly Akimbo and you get to enjoy every second of the experience! (Trust me, it will make your sh*tty life better. ;) )
I had been listening to the Original Broadway Cast recording of Kimberly Akimbo for most of this past year and have really gotten to know the songs well and enjoy them more and more with each listen. So I was really curious to see how they would play out on stage and what would actually happen in the story. I can tell you that listening to the music is not going to spoil anything because you're still going to be plenty surprised!
The show tells the story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco, who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly, thereby giving her the appearance of an elderly woman, and how, according to Playbill, "[f]orced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side." (Synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia.)
There's so much more to the story than the synopsis implies. It's full of many ups and downs, really funny moments, and some heartbreaking ones too. I loved it from the moment it started and walked out of the theater exhiliarated by the experience! We had almost the entire original cast, except for Victoria Clark, who normally plays Kimberly. In her place, we had Colleen Fitzpatrick, who did a marvelous job in the lead role. My main goal was to see Bonnie Milligan play Debra and I got my wish. She was even better than I was expecting her to be and I had high expectations. She definitely earned that Tony! Justin Cooley also delivered as Seth and was even more awkward than he sounds just from the songs. I loved him for that. Everyone in this intimately sized cast was amazing though. I loved the four teenagers and all their interactions with each other. The best part is when Debra calls them out on it, but that's all I will say...
On the side doors, they have pictures and descriptions of all the teenagers, including Kimberly, of course!
The set was really well put together. It would shift smoothly between a house (as well as the basement of the house), a school, and an ice rink. The costume changes happened on stage sometimes. Kimberly would wear a robe over her clothes to go to bed and then would take the robe off in the morning to reveal her outfit. I liked the costumes a lot too. They were simple but they gave off the feel for the time period.
As I mentioned before, it was cool to see how some of the songs played out on stage. Especially with the context behind them. This was especially true for "This Time," "How to Wash a Check," "Our Disease," and "The Inevitable Turn." (The latter is one of my favorites and seeing it performed made me love it even more than I already do.)
If you're looking for something new and different to see on Broadway, you've come to the right place! It should be touring in the next year or so; don't miss out if it comes to a city near you. Definitely a rewarding production in every way possible. If you want to get a feel for the music and see the camaraderie of the cast, check out the Tiny Desk Concert. (A different actor is playing Seth, but he's still good.)
After the show, we stage-doored and met almost all the cast. The only two who didn't come out were Colleen Fitzpatrick (Kimberly) and Nina White (Teresa). Everyone was so nice too!
Olivia Elease Hardy (Delia)
Fernell Hogan II (Martin)
Steven Boyer (Buddy, Kimberly's dad)
Alli Mauzey (Pattie, Kimberly's mom)
Justin Cooley (Seth)
Bonnie Milligan (Debra, Kimberly's aunt)
Michael Iskander (Aaron)
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I made it a 2022 goal to watch Riverdale and I am already done with the first three seasons! I wanted to share my thoughts so far. The first half of the post will be general and then there will be spoilers later on. (You will have time to back out before seeing those.) I've been calling it "The Dale" because my husband gave it that nickname and it just stuck. :)
General thoughts:
Riverdale is a combination of many different shows: Beverly Hills 90210 (Luke Perry is even in it), Desperate Housewives, Scooby Doo, Glee, Stranger Things, Dawson's Creek, Degrassi: The Next Generation, etc. If we want to talk books, there are some Sweet Valley High aspects.It also uses elements from some well-known movies.
I read Archie comics as a teenager and I will never be able to do so again after watching this show. The characters have a dark side that you don't see in the comic books.
I will also never be able to watch Big Daddy after this because after seeing Cole Sprouse as Jughead, I can't even imagine watching him as a little kid again. Also the fact that Jughead is my main crush from the show makes me feel like a cougar and this was when he was in his twenties. Either that, or I just pretend his twin brother was playing Julian the whole time, as well as Ben on Friends.
It is so easy to hate some characters one moment and love them the next. Cheryl Blossom is the biggest example of this. It also extends to Alice Cooper (I still laugh about that name). Then there are others I will always hate, like Hiram Lodge.
I like that the casting is more diverse and that there are LGBTQ characters.
I love the musical theater element. Not only have they already done two musical episodes using songs from the musicals they were featuring, but they also sang "Out Tonight" from Rent in one of the episodes. There have been some Cabaret and Anything Goes songs too. I haven't seen the musical version of Carrie, but now I can't stop listening to the cast recording. Of course, I'm picturing the characters from Riverdale each time. I've seen the Heathers episode before, but this time it made more sense in the context of season three and I actually cried from "Seventeen." I can't wait to see future musical episodes!
They include a lot of pop culture in the show too. There was an episode where they went to see Love, Simon. They make other pop culture name drops, as well.
There is a lot of horror involved, but I'm enjoying it anyway. There's always a murder mystery to solve and teenagers are the ones to do it (hence the Scooby Doo comment). This video says it all. With the horror, there are a lot of conspiracies and other wild situations that could only happen in the town of Riverdale.
There's a V.C. Andrews element to the story that gets introduced in season one. And it's not what you think either... Also, Cheryl's grandma looks like she's straight out of a V.C. Andrews novel.
There are a lot of 80s and 90s actors on the show: Luke Perry, Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, Lochlyn Munro, Mädchen Amick, Anthony Michael Hall (in one episode), Robin Givens, and Gina Gershon....just to name a few.
Have I enticed you to watch yet? If not, check out this trailer. I'll be sharing my thoughts with spoilers below, so don't go any further than that if you're new to all things Riverdale.
Thoughts on seasons 1-3 with SPOILERS:
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I still find it weird that Hal revealed himself to be the Black Hood killer when the guy had green eyes and Hal clearly did not. Was he wearing colored contacts to disguise himself?
There seems to be a black hole for some characters, like they just disappear and no one seems to think about them anymore. The two Pussycats and Chuck definitely ended up there. I thought Ethel did too, but she's back now.
I thought Cheryl's closeness with Jason was going to be the V.C. Andrews element, but it turns out that Jason and Polly were cousins. I also found out (from starting on season four), that Archie's grandma's name is Virginia Andrews. That is V.C.'s first name. Hmmm...
If Betty's half-brother is supposedly dead, how did he end up being an FBI agent? Unless the death story was a cover up? And if that was the case, why did Chic even bother coming into their lives? Did he know the Coopers were looking for him?
Is Gryphons and Gargoyles connected to The Farm in any way, or are they two separate problems in a really intense and twisted season? Both talk about ascension though. Speaking of that, where did the farmers go when they left Kevin behind? That seems so bizarre.
Hiram Lodge is the absolute worst! I hate him so much! He's never going to stop being a complete piece of sh*t, even from prison. Who doesn't he have doing his bidding at this point?
Other characters I hate right now: Penny Peabody, Elio (the guy arranging the boxing matches), Penelope Blossom, Edgar and Evelyn Evernever. I'm also really mad at Kevin and Fangs right now for not listening to Betty and Cheryl and I hope at least Kevin will be able to redeem himself, if Fangs has truly ascended with the farmers.
Characters I love besides the main four: Josie, Toni, F.P. Jones, Fred Andrews, Pops, and I'm still on the fence with Cheryl as she did come through for the main four at the end of season three. I'm also on the fence with Reggie. He does have a lot of good moments, even though he can be a bully sometimes.
I love Betty and Jughead together. They make such a sweet couple. I also am glad Veronica and Archie are still endgame for now...
If you're a Riverdale fan, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the first three seasons!
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A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a show that is new to me, thanks to the Degrassi Fans group on Facebook. Some people were talking about how a bunch of actors from Degrassi: The Next Generation were on this show called Being Erica. So naturally, I had to check it out. It's not often that I feel like a show is completely meant for me. I don't know how I missed it when it first aired, but I think it was just on Canadian networks at the time. However, I'm so thankful to have learned about it now. And now that I'm done, I feel like I'm going through withdrawal. I'm really going to miss the characters and all the time travel scenarios.
Reasons this show is totally meant for me:
1. I love time travel stories. This is the essence of Being Erica.
2. There are a lot of "chick lit" elements: romance, career, family, friendships, fashion, etc.
3. Erica was born the same year as me and graduated high school at the same time I did, although this show takes place when she was in her early to mid-thirties. Having said that, there are a lot of time travel trips to the nineties.
4. Erica is Jewish and we get to see elements of Judaism that you don't always see in TV shows. There were episodes about her Bat Mitzvah, Purim, and Yom Kippur, just to mention a few. I also loved her dad's shirts. They were always Jewish themed since he's a Rabbi.
5. There is a lot of LGBTQ focus, such as a Pride Parade episode and a prominently featured gay romance.
6. Erica works in publishing. I am seeking publishing work. She's also done editing, which is something I love doing already. There's a lot of focus on books.
7. There are so many appearances by actors from Degrassi TNG. I know I mentioned this before, but it's something that appeals to me. Just to name a few (with their Degrassi character names): Lauren Collins (Paige), Drake (Jimmy), Paula Brancati (Jane), Adamo Ruggiero (Marco), Shannon Kook-Chun (Zane) Olivia Scriven (Maya), Jake Epstein (Craig), Jake Goldsbie (Toby), etc. Even some minor characters had various large or small parts on this show, such as the guy who plays Wesley's uncle/teacher, the cell phone kiosk owner who hires Drew, K.C.'s mom, Kelly (Emma's college boyfriend), Charlie, Sadie, Dylan, Dean, Johnny, Dakota, Becky's grandma, the guy who steals Craig's guitar, Mia's ex-boyfriend who bullies J.T., the teacher who K.C. was trying to set up with his mom, the film director Eli was trying to impress, the magazine publisher Clare wanted to work for, the racist store manager, etc.
8. Tatiana Maslany is in it and if you know how much I love Orphan Black, you know why I think this is cool.
9. There are a few actors from Schitt's Creek on the show, as well. I spotted Ivan (the baker), Antonio (the guy trying to copy Rose Apothecary, and David for that matter!), and Marnie (the woman at the unemployment office).
Here's what the show is about:
Erica Strange is thirty-two and just got fired from her job and her date cancelled on her at the last minute. She then gets caught in a rainstorm and ends up getting anaphylaxis from a drink sample at a coffee shop. She wakes up in the hospital and is greeted by a therapist named Dr. Tom. He invites her to visit with him and after a rough morning, she does just that. He asks her to write down her regrets and then sends her on her first trip back in time to change one of them. Soon Erica is taken on a journey through all of her regrets, which teaches her lessons about her reactions to present day experiences.
This show has made me think a lot about how I view my regrets. It's really poignant and emotional at times. It also gives perspective on what we expect from ourselves by a certain age vs. what others expect from us. There was an episode where Erica's mother was mapping out her life for her...at her Bat Mitzvah, and she made a big deal about being married and having kids by age thirty. That doesn't work for everyone!
Intrigued yet? Check out this trailer. Not sure what else I need to do to convince you to watch this show at this point. It's available on Hulu and you can also find it on YouTube.
For those of you who have seen all four seasons of Being Erica, read on after the trailer for my thoughts, with spoilers included.
If you reached this part, I assume you've seen the entire series and want to hear my thoughts on it. If you'd like to share your thoughts, please feel free to do so in the comments.
First of all, I love this show so much. I wish there were more than four seasons because it has so much room to still go in new directions. I thought it was cool how things came full circle with Erica becoming Sarah's doctor. I had a feeling that would happen from her visions, but it was nice to see anyway.
Thoughts on Erica:
I liked that Erica wasn't perfect. She's pretty and sometimes she seems like she has her act together, but then you see through all these glimpses of her past that she has messed things up a lot in her life. I love that she can sometimes be awkward and anytime she time travels, she does something clumsy upon entering. She looks like a mix between two of my friends, as well as Shenae Grimes. I didn't like that she could sometimes be condescending to people or act like she knew what was best for everyone else. Like I get that she hated Josh and thought Sam was making a huge mistake, but was it worth saying something for the sake of her relationship with Sam? Sam would have come to the same conclusion either way. Aside from that issue, Erica just reminds me a lot of myself. I found her to be totally relatable.
Thoughts on time travel aspect:
Sometimes Erica's time travel adventures made me think of Quantum Leap, even though she was usually leaping into her own life. I would have liked her to see someone else's face in the mirror when she was leaping into a different character, like the times she went back to see her mom before she even existed. I know they did this with Tom when he went back into his younger body, but we still saw his current, albeit shaven, face. They also did this when Erica got to be teenage Julianne. I also thought she should have been played by someone else as a teenager, even if we only saw that through images in a mirror.
The show had an Erin Morgenstern (The Night Circus) quality in the way time and space were able to be bent so easily. Like walking into different offices through doors. I love the symbolism of doors in this show and how they kept saying that when one door closes, a window opens. When Tom's office decorations disappear in the final episode, it has such a magical quality to it, where it almost seems like his office was enchanted. Same with Erica first imagining her office into being. There was a lot of suspension of disbelief in this show, but it was so much fun to watch for that reason.'
It also made me think of The Time Traveler's Wife, especially in regards to Erica's relationship with Kai.
The episode where Erica is being tested before becoming a doctor made me think about a lot of things. I kept wondering if she and Tom were actually dead and that's how they could do all this, but that would mean that all the extra characters were also dead, yet we see them have their own stories too. Also, how could Erica be dead in 2019 from an explosion on a train if she is already dead now? The final episode didn't give any more answers and somehow Leo's appearance made things even more questionable. Also, how would Erica not have any interaction with Dr. Tom if she is helping his daughter? I'm guessing he'll just be on vacation with Amanda the whole time?
There's also the alternate life concept that Erica brought up when she came back to 2011 as her 43 year-old self. She introduced the concept when talking about the episode where she lost her virginity to Zach Creed originally, and then to Alex Berlin when she time traveled. So there's a Sliding Doors (yes, doors again) concept to the show, as well.
I love how there are no actual devices to enable the time travel. It just happens when Erica says she wants to go back and do something different and Dr. Tom makes it happen. We usually see the time travel occur through someone's eye.
Thoughts on the theme song:
It is probably going to be stuck in my head forever. I didn't even like the theme song all that much. I think it could have just been something instrumental and with a shorter intro video altogether. I always skipped through it anyway.
Favorite characters (aside from Erica):
Julianne: At first, I didn't like her at all. I hated how rude she always was to Erica. Then when Freidken pulled all that crap on her, she became so likable. And even more so when she started 50/50 with Erica. I love how she called her "chicken" all the time and said "Pronto Toronto!" Her friendship with Dave and Ivan was sweet too. Also, she's so girlcrush-worthy.
Dave and Ivan: You can't have one without the other. They're such a fun couple and I love that they got married on the show. I think I probably like Ivan more than Dave, but they were so cute together in general. (P.S. Dave is played by the cell phone kiosk guy from Degrassi that I mentioned about earlier.)
Kai: He's my favorite out of all of Erica's romantic interests. It's just too bad that it could never really work between them because he wouldn't always be in the past (which is Erica's present). He is gorgeous and has such a sexy singing voice.
Dr. Tom: He's just wonderful in so many ways. I love how he took Erica under his wing from the very beginning, that he has demons in his past, that he tries genuinely hard to be a good person, that he quotes different people all the time, from Shakespeare to Spider-Man.
Sam: I liked Erica's sister a lot. She came a long way from figuring out that her marriage wasn't what she was hoping for, to getting back on her feet, to landing in a stable relationship, to becoming a mom. She looked a lot like Jane Levy (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist).
Lenin: I liked him from the moment he first started flirting with Sam. He's such a great boyfriend for her.
Cassidy: I can't really pinpoint why I like her aside from being nice and pretty. Her confidence, perhaps?
Least favorite characters:
Thomas Freidken: I really wanted to see someone take him down. He was such a horrible creep with the most inflated ego ever. I was literally yelling the F-word at him whenever he spoke.
Scott Galvin: He was a terrible boss and I hated how he treated Julianne and Brent.
Josh: I never liked him for Sam and I'm glad she finally came around to realizing it. He had a few nice moments, but then he would ruin them by acting like a jerk again.
Claire: She was always rubbing her relationship with Ethan in Erica's face and then she ended up cheating on him and trying to take him for everything in the divorce. She had a good moment in one of Erica's time travel scenarios, but it wouldn't have happened in the original version of that same evening.
In the middle:
Jenny: She could be a bully and a hot mess, but I feel like she genuinely cared about Erica and their friendship. (This is the character played by Paula Brancati. However, I liked Paula better as Jane on Degrassi.)
Brent: He started off nice, had a period of being a jerk, and then came around again and was a lot more likable. I love that he and Julianne finally got together!
Dr. Naadiah: She always seemed to be in Dr. Tom's business and trying to make decisions for him, but when she invited him to see her life outside of work, it endeared me to her. Also, she's the reason Dr. Tom got to be a therapist in the first place.
Leo: There were just some things I liked about him and some things I didn't. Like he could be a good brother to Erica and Sam sometimes, and then act selfishly at other times (like with the car situation).
Adam: He was cute and a good match for Erica, but I didn't like how he'd get mad at her over every little thing. And yes, he wasn't Kai, so I had trouble completely investing in their relationship. He was considering getting a BSC wax though...
Ethan: I liked his friendship with Erica, but not their romantic relationship. He was so rigid and boring.
Erica's parents: It took me a while to warm to them, but then I liked them later on. I enjoyed learning more about her mom through seeing her in the past and learning that she wasn't perfect either.
Some of my favorite episodes:
* Pride parade. I love anything with LGBTQ and this reminded me of the times I went to the Chicago Pride parade.
* The one with Erica's final test. It was such a game changer (it had me panicking) and made me think a lot.
* Erica's Bat Mitzvah. She had a Dirty Dancing theme. Too bad she's a fictional character or we have totally been friends!
* When Erica becomes Julianne on Christmas. I especially loved when she did the air quotes.
* The Groundhog Day (or half-day) episode.
* The one where she goes into the future (2019) to learn more about Kai. It was fun to see what they thought 2019 would be like in 2009.
*The camp episode that featured Jake Epstein (Craig from Degrassi).
*The one where she brings Judith's baby to her college memory.
*When she goes back to 1969 to find out the truth about her mom's past. (Her mom was played by Lauren Collins--Paige from Degrassi--and she fit the role so well since she looks like Erica's present-day mom.)
*When she's Julianne's doctor-in-training and we find out more about why Julianne lashes out at people.
*The episode about Purim because it doesn't often happen on TV shows and because of how Erica repairs her relationship with her Zadie.
Little inconsistencies I noticed:
1. The actress who plays Erica at her Bat Mitzvah is completely different from the actress who plays her in the Hanukkah episode. They're supposed to be around the same age.
2. The Goblins sign reverts back to the old design in one of the episodes of season four, but changes back after that.
3. Erica got mad at Dr. Tom for trying to change her history, but she felt it was okay to change Adam's timeline in the episode where she has control over time travel.
4. I heard Kai call Dr. Fred "Dr. Frank" in one episode. At least it sounded that way.
Things I thought were funny:
*The kitty book
*Adam walking into Dr. Tom's office completely naked
*Erica's jokes at the Purim party and her Zadie wanting to know the punchline of the one he interrupted.
*Brent's dog licking his mouth.
*Erica calling Dr. Tom out on quoting Spider-Man
*Erica ruining the ice penis sculpture at the Pride party
I'm sure there are many more, but these were at the top of my head.
I'm keeping up my tradition of mentioning my top 10 favorite episodes of the most recent season. I am looking forward to season EIGHT! I worry that they're going to run out of references soon. Like I said last year, I hope they'll feature Can't Buy Me Love, Adventures in Babysitting, and maybe some other lesser-known classics like Moving Violations in the next season. Grease 2 is fair game, as well!
After you check out my favorites for this season, keep reading for my thoughts on Schooled. 1. Episode 3: Food in a Geoffy
When a job for Geoff Schwartz's new food delivery service goes awry, it's up to Murray and Geoff to race all over Jenkintown in search of an important cheesesteak; a handful of local customers are anything but helpful. This episode has actors from Cheers.
2. Episode 5: Parents Thursday
While at school, Erica attempts to fool Beverly into thinking parents weekend has been rescheduled; Adam joins the school production of "Romeo and Juliet." I love anything involving Adam doing theater.
3. Episode 6: A 100% True Ghost Story
Beverly scores a bargain on four paintings, but something supernatural is causing them to be destroyed; Barry decides to throw a huge "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-themed party against Erica's wishes. If you don't know why I liked this episode, then do you really know me?
4. Episode 10: It's a Wonderful Life
Hoping to outdo the Kremp family, Beverly decides the Goldbergs must do an even better family holiday card; a prank war with Barry and JTP quickly spirals out of control.
5. Episode 12: Game Night
Geoff struggles to keep his living arrangement with Erica and Barry a secret from Beverly during game night; Adam goes to his guidance teacher for a lesson in being cool so he can get closer to a new girl in chemistry class. I just remember the game night parts being really funny. This is also the first time we meet Brea Bee (I later saw the same actress on Dead to Me). And Anthony Michael Hall is the cool guidance counselor!
6. Episode 15: Dave Kim's Party
A big party is being thrown at Dave Kim's house and Pops has a plan to make Adam cool for the big event; Beverly's cookbook has made her "famous," leading her to become out of control and fame hungry.
7. Episode 16: Body Swap
Adam is torn between following Beverly's rules when it comes to off-campus lunch or going to the food court with his friends; after using Barry's college ID to get food at the dorm, Geoff becomes the "student" Barry wishes he could be.
8. Episode 17: A Fish Story
Adam and Murray don't want to go on a camping trip, so father and son create a film faking it; Erica joins an all-girl a cappella group and learns an important lesson after taking over the group. I always enjoy when Erica sings. She has a great voice. Also, "The Molly Singwalds."
9. Episode 18: Schmoopie's Big Adventure
Beverly buys a bicycle for Adam just like the one from Pee Wee's Big Adventure; Barry and Erica turn Murray's furniture store into an after-hours lounge for college students. It brought back fond memories of Pee Wee's Big Adventure for me. 10. Episode 21: Oates & Oates
While throwing a telethon at their college, Barry attempts to woo Ren by promising to get Hall and Oates to perform; Beverly attempts to set Bill up, but things go awry when he finds happiness with a woman he meets through Beverly's enemy. One of the funniest scenes ever is in this episode. I could not stop laughing! Hall & Oates even liked my tweet where I said that my older son thought they were a cereal.
Schooled (Season 2)
Courtesy of IMDb
I loved watching Schooled over the past year or so and was so disappointed to find out that it was cancelled. I literally yelled "NOOOO!" when I read the unfortunate news. It was such a funny series and since I went to high school in the nineties, I could totally relate to all the pop culture references. The only thing I wouldn't have minded less of was all the arguments between Coach Mellor and Julie.
I'm sharing my top 10 favorite episodes of this past (and last) season.
1. Episode 3: The Rudy-ing of Toby Murphy
After watching the classic film "Rudy" in C.B.'s class, a student wants to play football; Principal Glascott suggests Lainey find a girlfriend to give her advice on life, so she tries to befriend Wilma.
2. Episode 4: Kick Like a Girl
Hoping to improve the football team's chances at winning the title, Mellor and Glascott recruit star soccer player Felicia to kick field goals; CB chaperones an overnight ski trip and hopes to get in some quality time with Lainey. I loved the potential for CB and Lainey in this episode.
3. Episode 7: Hakuna Matata
Lainey is asked to direct another school musical, but she is unsure if she can top herself after the success of last year's show; Coach Mellor's athletic records may soon be broken, so he must find a way to keep his name in the spotlight.
The Lion King. Enough said.
4. Episode 10: Beanie Babies
CB hopes getting Lainey a Beanie Baby for Christmas will show his true feelings for her, but it doesn't go as planned; Principal Glascott tries to convince Felicia that she needs to participate in a Kwanza play he has written.
5. Episode 11: Boy Bands
Wilma encourages Ronnie to pursue his dreams of being in a boy band but goes too far when a music video gets out for William Penn to see; the school hires Aunt Julie as the nurse, which quickly affects her relationship with Coach Mellor.
6. Episode 13: Titanic Love
Lainey has a realization about CB; Principal Glascott uses the season's bad football team to teach Coach Mellor how to be both a good winner and a good loser.
7. Episode 15: Moving On
Wilma steps in to help CB move on from Lainey with help from Coach Mellor; Lainey learns she has unresolved issues from her past when mentoring a student. I got teary-eyed from this episode.
8. Episode 16: Rock Star
While preparing students for the school's show choir, Lainey realizes Wilma might be a better singer than her and gets competitive; Coach Mellor and Aunt Julie fight over how to parent Toby. I liked it mainly for the parts about Lainey and Wilma.
9. Episode 20: CB Saves the Planet
CB is smitten with environmental consultant Paloma, who was hired to oversee William Penn's Earth Day activities; Wilma gets a surprise after convincing Lainey that yearbook superlatives are not important.
10. Episode 21: Clueless
Lainey has a difficult choice regarding her relationship with Barry and her friendship with CB; Coach Mellor and Julie are put in a tough parenting position when Toby is invited to prom as a freshman by a senior. It paid homage to one of my favorite nineties films. What's not to love?!? If you watched either or both series, what were your favorite episodes this past year?
I've been a fan of The Goldbergs ever since I started watching season one (and then had to binge watch to catch up to the latest season). My son and I even went as Beverly and Adam for Purim this past spring! So I am keeping up my tradition of mentioning my top 10 favorite episodes of the season. I already am excited for season SEVEN! I hope they'll feature Can't Buy Me Love, Adventures in Babysitting, and maybe some other lesser-known classics like Moving Violations.
Me and my shmoopie
After you check out my favorites for this season, keep reading for my thoughts on Schooled, the spin-off series. Episode 3: Rad!
Erica's dreams come true when she lands a job at the new karaoke bar in town; Erica turns to Beverly for help bringing in more customers; Murray tries to teach Barry and Lainey how to be financially responsible adults. Two words: Rick Springfield
Episode 6: Fiddler
Murray becomes an overzealous stage parent when he learns Adam has no interest in the school production of Fiddler on the Roof. Meanwhile, Beverly can't seem to keep from interfering with Erica's latest career plan.
Episode 7: Bohemian Rap City
Adam's obsession with toys and the Nickelodeon Super Toy Run contest is cause for concern for Beverly and Murray. Erica has a falling out with Lainey over who gets to sing Bohemian Rhapsody on their audition tape for Star Search.
Episode 11: The Wedding Singer
Beverly is in her element as she prepares for Barry and Lainey's wedding; Geoff worries about Adam's shortcomings as a wedding videographer; Barry begins to have second thoughts. I love how they incorporated clips from The Wedding Singer.
Episode 15: My Valentine Boy
With Geoff's help, Erica and Valley Erica find a new band member to replace Lainey; Barry convinces Geoff the new band member is trying to steal Erica from him; Adam and Murray each plot to get out of going to Valentine's Day dinner with Beverly. I learned after watching it that Evan Dando from The Lemonheads was the guy in their band.
Episode 16: There Can Be Only One Highlander Club
Despite Beverly wanting the two boys to bond, Adam and Johnny Atkins compete for the head of the Highlander Club at school; Barry tries to ensure that the JTP doesn't fall out of touch after high school.
Episode 17: Our Perfect Strangers
Erica, Barry and Adam are not happy when their distant relative Gleb visits from Russia, until they realize he can make their lives easier; Beverly starts working on her cookbook, which causes tension with the Frentas.
Episode 19: Eight-bit Goldbergs
Adam is thrilled when he has to design his own video game for school; Beverly is worried about Pops' gambling and ropes Bill Lewis into her latest scheme.
Episode 22: Mom Trumps Willow
After Adam decides to see "Willow" instead of spending Mother's Day with Beverly, he must find a way to get back into her good graces; Barry is tired of his status as middle child and fights Erica for his right to the college of his choice. I now tease my kids by saying "I'm done" if they're rude to me.
Episode 23: Breakin'
Adam unintentionally lets it slip that Barry never completed his community service requirement; Erica makes plans for her and Geoff to follow the Grateful Dead all summer; the JTP graduates from high school. I love how they used the end of this episode to lead into the season finale of Schooled.
Schooled
Courtesy of Amazon
Schooled originally started out as this one episode about William Penn Academy in the 90's, with just Mr. Glascott (now the principal) and Coach Mellor being featured. They focused on Glascott's sister and his nieces. I believe Beverly had a cameo. It was cute enough, but was too concerned about teachers making a difference. The only part I really liked was Felicia's sister singing a Backstreet Boys song and everyone joining in.
Then they revamped it as a new series, starring A.J. Michalka reprising her role as Lainey Lewis. And it totally worked! I can't even choose a favorite episode because it wasn't on for a full season and ALL of them were really good. It was a fun look at 90's nostalgia with some appearances by characters from The Goldbergs. It got me to actually like Brett Dier (I'm not a fan of Michael from Jane the Virgin, but seeing him as C.B. changed that for me a bit. I like him better as C.B. though, and definitely without facial hair.) I like how they interview teachers and former students at the end of each episode. I am hoping that they can tone down the sappiness a bit going forward. The show doesn't have to be sappy to get the message across. We know all teachers are there to make a difference, so it doesn't need to be said all that much. Having said that, I'm excited that it will be back for a second season and I hope they can keep the momentum going.
A few things I really liked:
*The "Romy and Michele" episode. There were a lot of characters from The Goldbergs on that one.
*The JTP coming back together.
*The way Coach Mellor took over as the mathletes coach
*RENT!!! (Even though they wouldn't have rights to perform RENT back then, it was fun to watch them try.)
*Johnny Atkins as the janitor
*Glascott trying to hack e-mails
*One of the kids singing an Alanis Morissette song in a talent show
*Beverly trying to help out with an overbearing parent
*The theme song and the way they use the yearbook to go along with it.
Anyone who knows me knows what a huge Rentaholic I am. I can't always remember why I walked into a room, but I can sing the entire soundtrack...if you let me. I've seen the show many times, the last two being somewhat more amateur productions at a community college and a community theater. I saw the movie in 2005, but was disappointed with how many songs they took out. So while the prospect of a live-televised production was exciting, I also had some reservations. I knew I would watch it either way. (And thanks to Fox.com's difficulty with streaming, I had to wait until the next day to watch. The upside was very quick commercial breaks.)
Overall, I was impressed. Rent is a hard show to pull off really well and the energy and camaraderie from the cast was prevalent throughout. This is the first time I cried over a significant character's death since I first saw it on stage (after seeing it so many times, I became more desensitized to it). I enjoyed it for the most part and smiled and laughed a lot, as well. I think a lot of people are being too hard on it. I just had fun watching for the nostalgic feel it gave off.
If you have never seen Rent before (it's only been 23 years, what are you waiting for?), you may want to first watch the filmed Broadway production. That one has the best feel for the musical.
Some other random thoughts, in no particular order:
*I felt that everyone fit well into their parts. Mark's mom seemed a bit over the top, but she was funny.
*Angel's voice was weak, but her personality and style made up for it in spades. I couldn't help but love her. She looked like Adam Lambert without the elaborate costumes on.
*Tinashe was cute as Mimi. I thought she sang well, despite what everyone else has been saying.
*I didn't buy into Roger on an emotional level, but he had a good voice.
*Jordan Fisher was adorable as Mark. I've never seen any Mark crying during "Halloween," but I love that he did that.
*Brandon Victor Dixon was amazing as Collins. He balanced out Angel's voice when they sang together. (Side note: I love the part in "I'll Cover You" when they're climbing the playground equipment and she jumps into his arms.)
*I loved that aside from the "Seasons of Love" soloist, Keala Settle (from The Greatest Showman) was also the support group leader and Roger's mom. She has a wonderful voice and such great stage presence.
*I thought the "Seasons of Love" blocking was interesting. It was a new way of thinking about the song.
*They left out a LOT of lines in songs and changed wording when it wasn't always necessary (i.e. the very beginning). I was especially annoyed that they didn't include the two lines that Mark and Roger yell at each other at the end of "Halloween." They also omitted the "Seasons of Love" reprise.
*I was surprised they didn't change certain words in "La Vie Boheme" and that they performed "Contact". My 13 year-old son didn't hear the words in question and didn't really understand what was happening in "Contact," thankfully. He said it gave him more context for what happened next.
*The set was cool. It took on the feeling of NYC really well. What was weird was that it was sort of in the round and if they put up a wall on stage, half the people couldn't see it. The same is true for any above-the-audience action. They kept filming things in a circle, which was hard to watch sometimes.
*I thought it was weird when people who didn't have AIDS sang part of "Will I?".
*I didn't like that people were screaming for the actor who played Roger when he was singing "What You Own." It was distracting. And Jordan should have gotten more audience love too. Just saying...
*I have to wonder how much was pre-recorded and how much was done live? They had to show scenes from the dress rehearsal if Roger was in them because he broke his foot. However, they all came together on stage at the end.
*I thought it was strange that they set it in 1991, since it came out in 1996 and that's closer to the "end of the millenium." In the stage production, they don't mention years.
*The actresses playing Maureen (Vanessa Hudgens) and Joanne (Kiersey Clemons) were perfect in their roles and really gave it their all during "Take Me or Leave Me." I loved Maureen's cow hat in "Over the Moon," but didn't think it was necessary for her to fly above the audience during the "mooing" part.
*At various times, they included little monologues about AIDS and homelessness. That was different from the stage production.
*I enjoyed the tributes and nods to Jonathan Larson. It's still so sad to think that he never got his own glory of seeing the success of Rent.
*The "Easter egg" of Mark's original shirt was so funny and awesome.
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for over a year, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week, I chose the topic: The '90s
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.
A while back, this blog project group talked about the '80s, before Darwin Shrugged joined us. Too bad because she would have had another excuse to talk about Bon Jovi. ;) In any case, I decided to get all nostalgic again this week, as I'm obsessed with Hindsighton VH1 and that's all about the '90s. I feel more of a connection to this decade because it's when I went to high school and college. I started my adult life toward the end of 1999, so most of this fabulous decade was spent in school. I even wrote a short story about the '90s. Hindsight came out a few months after that, but it's funny that both are about time travel and involve someone going back to 1995.
Instead of writing some long-winded post about everything 90s (trust me, I could go on all day), I am going to share some top five lists. These are written from the perspective of my personality in the 90s, even though I still like most of these things now. (I introduced the 80s stuff the same way.)
Seinfeld: This show had a bigger impact on my life (at the time) than just making me laugh a lot.
Party of Five: If I didn't already want to move to San Francisco because of Full House, then this show would have sold me all the way. I even re-watched all the episodes when they were on Lifetime.
My So-Called Life: So sad that this was cancelled so soon. I even got to meet Wilson Cruz (Ricky) in the early 2000s.
Top Five Favorite '90s Movies (links are to trailers)
Clueless-I'm not a Jane Austen fan, but I am thankful to her for inspiring such a fabulous teen movie.
Beauty and the Beast-Why it didn't win the Oscar for Best Picture, one will never know.
The Wedding Singer-I still love Adam and Drew together (seeing Blended confirmed that) and this started everything off. So cute, funny, and romantic. A great throwback to the 80s too, with lots of fun music!
Life is Beautiful-In my opinion, the best movie ever made about the Holocaust. I cried way more for this than I ever did for Schindler's List. So incredibly touching.
The Shawshank Redemption-I wasn't expecting to be so moved by this film, but it has definitely stayed a classic for me 20 years later.
Welcome to the Dollhouse: If you knew me in 1996/97, you know how obsessed I was with this movie. I think I had it memorized at one point. "Wanna see my fingers?"
Liquid TV: This show on MTV with cartoons and puppetry. They had regular sketches like "Aeon Flux," "Winter Steele," and "Dog Boy." Beavis and Butt-Head originated from this series, as did cartoons about Milton from Office Space.
The Murmurs: My friend put a song of theirs ("Mission," from their self-titled album in 1994) on a tape for me and I loved their sound so much, that I had to listen to more of their music. Only one song of theirs was ever on the radio: "La Di Da."
Cupid and Dianaby Christina Bartolomeo. Fairly underrated, but if Chick Lit Central had been around in 1998 when it first was published, it would have had lots of love and attention. It takes place in DC, which I loved about it even long before I knew I'd live in the area.
Tribes: My pen pal got me into this show and then it was cancelled soon after and I was so upset that I wrote Fox to tell them to air it again. They replied to my letter but just to say that they had already made up their minds.
Top Five Favorite '90s fashion trends
Bajas: Apparently they resurfaced from the '80s because people were wearing them a lot in the early '90s.
Birkenstocks: I had an imitation version, but I still loved the style and comfort.
With a few friends from college at this restaurant where the waiter (behind us) managed to break a table from a booth. (And yes, I am wearing overalls here too.)
What are some of your favorite things from the '90s?
I haven't revisited my 90's blog in a while. After I wrote the previous posts, I thought of some other 90's favorites that I missed.
Jill Sobule: Before Katy Perry claimed to have "kissed a girl," there was Jill Sobule's version of the song, which was way cuter (in my opinion). The lyrics and tune are completely different to begin with and the video is a lot of fun too. In the summer of 1996, my sister got me hooked on Jill Sobule's CD and we'd listen to it all the time. The songs had a lot of variety and the lyrics were interesting and easy to follow. She has a nice voice that is enjoyable to listen to even now.
Barenaked Ladies: I became more interested in this group in the late 90's. I first heard Brian Wilson and then was listening to a CD of theirs that had a few other classic songs. When "Stunt" came out, I really started to like them. "One Week" was a huge hit on the radio at the time and it was fun to listen to and try to figure out the lyrics.
Sarah McLachlan, "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy": When I was in college, a friend of mine put "Possession" on a mix tape she made me. After hearing that song, I knew I had to hear more and I started listening to Sarah McLachlan's whole album. The songs are mellow and sound beautiful, thanks to her amazing voice. One of my favorites is "Ice Cream." It's just sweet and romantic at the same time. I used to listen to this CD all the time when I was studying, as it was good background music and reminded me of The Coffeehouse because they played it there a lot. I still listen to it as an adult, when I need to relax or when I'm getting work done.
Soundtracks:
"Pretty Woman": I had this soundtrack on cassette for the longest time and must have worn it out, because it just stopped working after a while. I finally purchased it on CD so I could listen in my car. Hearing it again brought back memories of when I first saw the movie (and loved it) and became addicted to the soundtrack. The first song, "Wild Women Do" by Natalie Cole, sets the mood for the soundtrack. Then there's "King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West, which became an instant hit in the early 90's. There's also the classic "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette, which gives off a different mood from the movie. The rest of the soundtrack is just a lot of fun overall.
"Beautiful Girls" and "The Truth About Cats and Dogs": I lump these soundtracks together because I saw the movies around the same time and both have great tunes and a mellow feel to them. Jill Sobule even has a song on the latter of the two. I love that "Sweet Caroline" is on the "Beautiful Girls" soundtrack, as my friend and I used to find it funny to sing it out loud together. There's a pretty one on "The Truth..." soundtrack called "Angel Mine" by Cowboy Junkies. There's just a lot to like about both CDs and they both give off a seductive tone overall. Either are great to play on a date. :)
Other songs I liked in the 90's (and still like now):
"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
"In the House of Stone and Light" by Martin Page
"Birmingham" by Amanda Marshall
"Zombie" by The Cranberries
"Lightning Crashes" by Live
"Good" by Better than Ezra
"Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms
"When I Come Around" by Green Day
"Six Underground" by Sneaker Pimps
"Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots
I'm sure I'll think of more songs and albums after the fact, but this pretty much sums up 90's music favorites for me.
Soundtracks to movies, musicals and TV shows comprised a lot of my 90’s music collection. I listened to them often (and still do) for the variety of songs and the way they were arranged to capture the feel of the show. I wanted to share some of my favorite 90's soundtracks with you today.
“Clueless”: After seeing this movie in the summer of 1995, I immediately had to get the soundtrack! There was one song I loved in particular, “Supermodel” by Jill Sobule. They play it when Tai is getting her makeover. However, the other songs are a lot of fun too. There’s a modernized version of “Kids in America” that kicks off the soundtrack. I also like “Shake Some Action,” “Change,” and “The Ghost in You.” There are a few songs with heavier beats and more of a rap feel, but they don’t take away from the enjoyment of the soundtrack overall.
“Wayne’s World”: The first time I heard “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen was in this movie. (This kind of makes me sound younger than I am!) I loved the song so much that it fueled me into buying the soundtrack. I wasn’t disappointed with my purchase though. “Bohemian Rhapsody” got me more interested in Queen and I started listening to more of their music, as a result. In the meantime, I also fell in love with “Dream Weaver” and “Ballroom Blitz.” (I believe it was a cover that was done by Tia Carrere in the movie.) This soundtrack even made me appreciate heavy metal and some big hair bands.
“Reality Bites”: I may have mentioned this soundtrack when I first talked about “Stay” by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories. I originally got the soundtrack for that song, but then enjoyed the other songs too and couldn’t stop playing it. There’s “Spin the Bottle” by Juliana Hatfield, “Locked Out” by Crowded House, “Bed of Roses” by The Indians and an 80’s classic, “Tempted” by Squeeze. There are also the classics from the movie: “My Sharona” and “Baby, I Love Your Way.” I even enjoyed “All I Want is You” by U2. I don’t like U2, but I’ll make an exception for this song. I recently got the soundtrack on CD so I could listen to it in my car. It’s fun for driving around and road trips. It makes me think of my college years a lot too.
“10 Things I Hate About You”: I originally got this soundtrack because I love Letters to Cleo’s version of “I Want You to Want Me.” Then the rest of it was great too and it captured the mood of the movie. “Even Angels Fall” by Jessica Riddle is always enjoyable to listen to. Letters to Cleo even does a cover of “Cruel to Be Kind” and I like their version of that song too. Other standouts are “Your Winter” by Sister Hazel, “The Weakness in Me” by Joan Armatrading and “War” by The Cardigans. The songs fit perfectly into the movie, which makes for a great soundtrack overall.
“Empire Records”: This used to be my workout music when I was in college. There are a lot of fast and upbeat songs that I enjoy listening to. I originally got the soundtrack before I even saw the movie. It just looked enticing and I figure that a movie about a record store would have a lot of good music. Unfortunately, they left off “Say No More, Mon Amor” by Rex Manning. Just kidding…that was only slightly cheesy! “Till I Hear it From You” by Gin Blossoms and “A Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins were pretty popular around the time the soundtrack came out. However, all the songs are worth listening to. I may have to dig out my cassette and listen to this one again soon. (Or find it on CD for my car!)
“Pulp Fiction”: Not only was I surprised by how much I liked this movie, but I fell in love with the soundtrack around the same time. I think I originally got it because of “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield. However, all the songs on this soundtrack have their own unique feel and each contribute to the movie in different, but memorable ways. I remember singing “You Never Can Tell” with a friend at a Rocky Horror convention (the same friend with whom I sang Jewel songs). I also used to joke about “Flowers on the Wall” with a friend in college because we never could understand the words and would replace them all with “watermelon” till we got to the main chorus. I still love “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green, “Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon” by Urge Overkill and “If Love is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)” by Maria McKee. I think I’ll always associate “Misirlou” with this movie. My CD is mixed up somewhere in my collection, but something tells me I should listen to it again!
Disney music: My cousin worked for Disney records when I was growing up, so we usually got all our soundtracks from him. There were some great Disney movies out in the 90’s and some had equally great soundtracks. This includes “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King.” “The Lion King” was the first soundtrack to be written and compiled by a famous rock musician. I even like how Elton John put his own versions of some of the songs at the end. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is so beautiful and romantic and I love how he made it even more so with his radio edition. BATB was done by Ashman and Menken, who also did “The Little Mermaid” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” Sadly, Howard Ashman passed away. Tim Rice took over as lyricist for Aladdin. After “The Lion King,” Disney soundtracks seemed to go downhill. They didn’t have the same feel as before. I liked “Hercules,” and maybe one or two songs from other soundtracks. I was disappointed that “Tarzan” didn’t have any songs sung by the actual characters. It was like a music video to Phil Collins songs. Disney’s most stand-out soundtrack (which also, according to my cousin, was a best seller) is “Newsies.” It’s about a bunch of paperboys in the early 1900’s, but the music is so much fun to listen to. Their first number, “Carrying the Banner,” has a Broadway feel. I love “Seize the Day,” for both the lyrics and the rhythmic music. Ann Margret even sings a few songs. For a while, I would listen to it all the time. Then I put it aside until 2002, when my (now) husband decided that we should learn about “Newsies” to impress our (soon-to-be) sister-in-law. It was her favorite movie. We now listen to the soundtrack on road trips. It has become a staple in our music collection.
Last, but definitely not least...
"Rent": I got the Original Broadway Cast recording of “Rent” for Hanukkah in 1996. I only knew a couple of songs at the time, but heard good things about it and was excited to receive it as a gift. After I got back from my trip to NY that winter, I started listening to it and getting to know the songs and characters. By spring break of junior year of college (in 1997), I had practically memorized this CD (both discs) and was addicted to it. My sister and I would act out all the songs together. I finally got to see “Rent” in December of 1997, a year after I had received the soundtrack. I felt like I knew the characters and it was like visiting with old friends. It was so hard not to sing along. I still love this soundtrack and still know all the words to the songs. “Rent” has played such a big role in my life for such a long period of time.
