Come What May: Thoughts on Moulin Rouge, the musical

 

Although Moulin Rouge is currently on tour in DC, I wanted to see it on Broadway instead. The main reason was that Casey Cott is currently playing Christian. Since I'm a huge Riverdale fan, I could not pass up the chance to see one of its stars on Broadway. Especially since I know what a great singer Casey is! However, I'm also glad I saw it on Broadway for another reason....the set! I heard that the tour doesn't have as elaborate of a set and it felt really immersive from where we were sitting. (We were in row H, but the way things were set up, we were really close to the stage. 

Miniature model from Museum of Broadway

The show follows Moulin Rouge star performer, Satine, and an American man, Christian, as they navigate through a tumultuous love affair. The Moulin Rouge is going bankrupt and Harold Zidler, the club's owner, is willing to do whatever's necessary to save his beloved show and the jobs of all involved. He sets Satine up with The Duke, a wealthy man looking for a woman to be his own. It is Harold’s hope that she is what will entice The Duke to put up the money to save the Moulin Rouge. Little does Harold know of The Duke's violent past when it comes to his relationships. This puts a massive obstacle in between Christian and Satine. It leaves all wondering, “Is it all worth it for love?” But, love always prevails, as following the Bohemian ideals of “truth”, “beauty”, “freedom”, and “love”. (Synopsis courtesy of Stage Agent.)

More set pictures:

About ten minutes before the show started, the ensemble started assembling on stage and just doing their own thing in character. Then everything got started when Casey walked on stage and raised his hand to signal the Moulin Rouge sign to lift and the action to get started. I love that it kicked off with "Lady Marmalade" and it reminded me of how I'd always blast that song really loud in my car. The one thing that really stood out to me was that I could tell that one of the performers was a man in drag. And I LOVED that!!! (It was confirmed a little ways into the show.) 

There were so many changes made to the music from the movie soundtrack. Most of the songs were from the 2000s and 2010s. They did toss in a couple eighties and nineties songs too. I didn't realize until way later that they took out "One Day I'll Fly Away." That was surprising since it's such a good song. They also, thankfully, took out the Duke singing "Like a Virgin", which was so cringey in the movie! A lot of the songs were mashups. And they extended the "Elephant Love Medley" big time. I definitely want to listen to the music again!

I liked it way better than the movie overall. It was easier to follow the story this time around. Casey added an earnestness and innocence to Christian that made the character even more likable. Courtney Reed was fabulous as Satine. Not only was she stunning, but she had a gorgeous voice. She and Casey worked well together on stage and I enjoyed seeing their chemistry. 

The supporting characters were great too. Zidler looked exactly like the one from the movie. Amazing what costumes and makeup can do. I didn't realize the Duke was played by an understudy until intermission. The actor (Aaron C. Finley) was that great of a fit for the role. I loved that David Merino was playing Baby Doll. He has performed in local professional theaters in the DC area, so it was cool to see him on a Broadway stage. Christian's friends, Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago, were awesome. Toulouse was so different from how John Leguizamo played him in the movie. He seemed deeper and more emotional. 

For being a jukebox musical, Moulin Rouge was really quite phenomenal and I'm really glad I saw it on Broadway. 

The other exciting part of the evening was that Casey stage-doored afterward and I got a picture with him. I was too starstruck to say much, but it definitely made my night!

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Wake Up!: Thoughts on Jagged Little Pill

 

What Gen X woman has not jammed to Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album? It’s such a centerpiece of nineties music. This album always takes me back to the first time I heard it. I had this friend whom I would go on long car rides with in the summer between freshman and sophomore year of college. (And then we’d go to this really good Greek fast food place each time.) She had just bought the cassette and started playing it for me. I was hooked right away, as it was so good. Of course, “You Oughta Know” was the first song she wanted me to hear. I got the cassette when I went back to college and listened to it all the time. It definitely reminds me of being in college whenever I hear it. I especially love the hidden track, as it’s so melancholy and it’s great to sing a cappella. My favorites are some of the B-sides, like “Wake Up” and “Not the Doctor.” 

When I first heard about the musical Jagged Little Pill, which featured the songs from that iconic album and a few others by Alanis, I knew I had to see it. I bought the original Broadway cast recording and listened to it often. My older son was also into the music and that got him liking Alanis Morissette. We could finally connect about my music the same way Rags to Riches and dining at Ed Debevic's made me appreciate my parents' music (but only a bit for that). So when it came on tour to DC, we got tickets and counted down the days. Showtime finally happened this past weekend!

We saw a Sunday matinee at the National Theater. The show was scheduled for 2:00, but it ended up starting at 2:30 due to some technical difficulties. Thankfully, they made an announcement or we would have been sitting there wondering what was going on. When the show finally started, it was well worth the 30 minute (and almost three-and-a-half year) wait. There was so much energy from the moment the ensemble started singing the opening number and it carried throughout the show. 

While Heidi Blickenstaff was cast as Mary Jane in the National Tour, she was not performing when we saw it. However, Bligh Voth was so incredible in the role that I didn't even miss Heidi. (That also happened when I first saw Wicked and Shoshana Bean was playing Elphaba instead of Idina. Never underestimate an understudy!) She reminded me of Liz from Shrinking in some ways. And her voice was gorgeous. I was just completely impressed by her the entire time! 

Everyone in the show, from leads to ensemble, was just amazing. Jade McLeod was so perfect as Jo and had such a powerhouse of a voice. They rocked "You Oughta Know". Lauren Chanel was great as Frankie and gave a powerful performance, as well. I really liked Allison Sheppard as Bella and Dillon Klena also stood out as Nick. His brother, Derek, played that role on Broadway. Rishi Golani did really well in the role of Phoenix. We even got to chat with him after the show and he was really nice. 

I liked how everyone used the stage and props throughout the show. The furniture pieces were on wheels and the cast was able to move them around while performing. The set itself was mostly video screens that would move around to depict different scenery. I love how they worked it that way and sometimes it reminded me of the digital set in Mean Girls. The swing set that was occasionally brought on stage was cool and the actors could even sit on top of it. 

The choreography was mostly interpretive as compared to most shows I've seen. Like the dancers were acting out what was happening in the story. The dancing overall was really good and definitely acrobatic. A lot of the time, there was so much happening onstage that I am glad I knew most of the songs already so I could focus more on the action and not have to worry about hearing the lyrics. Thankfully, they didn't change the lyrics from the cast recording and only shortened one song toward the end (which was more of a background song). 

Courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As for the story, I had no idea what this musical was going to be about. I heard bits and pieces here and there, but not enough to understand what was actually going to happen. The songs didn't give away any context aside from "You Oughta Know", which I knew that Jo was going to sing and that it was about Frankie leaving them for someone else. So I was completely surprised about everything that had happened and it wasn't predictable at all. I don't want to share much about it as to not spoil it for anyone else. If you're really that curious, you can look it up online. The show starts and ends with a Christmas card family update letter. That's all I will say. There is humor throughout the musical, even though the story is pretty heavy. I will share trigger warnings at the bottom of this post for anyone who wants to know what they are. Some aspects of this show made me think of Degrassi though.

There were some annoying audience behaviors that served as distractions. Like people getting up in the middle of the show to go to the bathroom. (We had thirty extra minutes before the show started and there was an intermission!) Or people talking and crinkling bags behind us. I noticed some people left halfway through and didn't come back. Perhaps the show was too woke for them? 

Overall, it was a great production. I could feel the beat of the music in my seat on the mezzanine level. It was hard not to mouth the words of the songs so I'm glad I had a mask on. :) I'm glad I went in not knowing the story and it was easy to follow overall. (Although I did have to ask my son why they performed one of the songs a certain way.) If you are local and get a chance to see it in DC before it leaves next weekend, definitely check it out. If it is coming to a city near you, be sure to get tickets!

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TW: Rape, addiction, cyberbullying 

The Sharp Knife of a Short Life: Thoughts on tick, tick...Boom!

Courtesy of TV Insider

Back in 2003, I saw tick, tick...Boom! on stage. I had wanted to see it because I knew it was written by Jonathan Larson and I was (and still am) a huge Rent fan. I didn't really know much about the story or songs, but I  fell in love with it right away. At the time, Christian Campbell (Trick), Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life), and Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde: The Musical) were in it. After the show, my sister, friend, and I got to meet the actors and they were so nice! I also bought the soundtrack right away and couldn't stop listening to it! So yeah, I've been into TTB for a long time. I was thrilled to find out that it was being made into a movie and I counted down the days until it finally was released on Netflix. So seeing it this past weekend was a total treat in more ways than one. It was well worth the 18 1/2 year wait (since I last saw it, at least). I don't remember the dialogue from the stage production, but the music was definitely fresh in my head, so it was interesting to see what they would do with it on film. I was more than pleasantly surprised. 

With Christian Campbell, who played Jonathan (2003)

With Wilson Cruz, who played Michael (2003)

With Robin de Jesús, who played Michael in the movie (2009)

The story is set up with Jonathan (played perfectly by Andrew Garfield) doing a one-man show for an audience, with some singing help from Roger (Joshua Henry) and Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens). During this time, he's telling his story and interjecting songs throughout. It is similar to this actual performance by Jonathan Larson. In case you weren't aware yet, TTB is about Jonathan Larson trying to get a musical produced (not Rent though) and all the obstacles he runs into along the way, such as time, money, demands from his girlfriend (Susan, played by Alexandra Shipp) and best friend (Michael, played by Robin de Jesús, shown above), needing to write one more song, etc. The story takes place right before he turns 30, in early 1990 and he is feeling like he's not meeting any milestones. To go with this time period, there's a cordless phone with an antenna, an old computer with really old word processing software, etc. The fashion is early 90s and New York City doesn't have all the bright lights everywhere you go. This is also during the height of the AIDS crisis. I don't want to say too much about what happens, as to not spoil it. To alleviate confusion, the scenes where Jonathan is playing piano take place shortly after the scenes where he is interacting with people in the city, at the diner, or at his apartment. I will be sharing spoilers below the trailer, for anyone who has seen it and wants to share in my love for this movie.

While Jonathan Larson wrote the story and it was about his life, Lin-Manuel Miranda directed the movie. This is such a great marriage of two incredibly talented minds. I wrote about my love for both artists a while back, so it's fitting that they came together in this way. There are a LOT of Broadway and other celebrity appearances in this show and so many Rent Easter eggs throughout. So be on the lookout when you watch it.

Even though I loved the movie version of In the Heights, I enjoyed this movie version of a musical even more. My older son agrees with me on that. There was something about this movie that spoke to me and I can't stop thinking about it. It felt so raw and honest the entire time and it is relatable no matter what age you are. I was younger than 30 when I first saw it, and 30 is now far back in my rearview mirror.

Andrew Garfield was excellent and captured Jonathan's essence and kindness, bringing him back to life in so many ways. I also love how NYC served as the backdrop and just added so much more to the story. It didn't need to be all flashy to do that job.

If this is the first you're hearing about tick, tick...Boom!, check out the trailer and then make a date to watch it soon! Just don't read past the trailer to avoid spoilers! And have a box of tissues nearby...

 

My thoughts with spoilers:

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* While they added in some new songs (well, songs that Jonathan wrote that weren't in the original stage production), they also took out or shortened some others. "Green Green Dress" was used as background music during a seduction scene. It was a cool cover of the song and I was told that the song is played in full during the end credits, but I didn't get that far. "Sugar" was reduced to one line in order to prove a point. "Real Life" was one line repeated a bunch of times. 

* "Sunday" was the best, with all the Broadway cameos. I recognized Bebe Neuwirth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Andre De Shields, Bernadette Peters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin Vega, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Phylicia Rashad, and Chita Rivera. There were some others I didn't recognize or missed altogether until it was pointed out to me later. I really need to watch that scene again. I love how it added so much essence to the song. And the chaos right before it started reminded me of restaurant jobs I've had in the past. 

* At the focus group, it was easy to recognize Laura Benanti and Utkarsh Ambudkar (who is in every single TV show and movie), but you may not know that Danielle Ferland played the woman with the short blond hair. She was the original Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods!

* There was an abstract feel to the show that reminded me of Chicago soemtimes, especially during 

* I loved some other celebrity appearances, as well. Judith Light was great as Jonathan's agent, Rosa. Bradley Whitford was so convincing as Stephen Sondheim. It was fun to see Richard Kind, even though I always think of him as Bing Bong. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Christopher Jackson! I found out later that I missed appearances from Chris Sullivan, Luis Miranda, and Roger Bart. Another reason (among many) to watch again. 

* I think knowing Jonathan's ultimate fate made the story feel much heavier, like time really was ticking for him and he had no idea six years prior to his death. It packed in an extra punch to an already emotionally impactful story. My subject line is from The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" and it's fitting for Jonathan. 

* I liked that they included "Boho Days" into the movie. It's a hidden track on the stage cast recording, so I feel like it's incredibly underrated. 

* One of the Rent Easter eggs I caught was when Jonathan was mentioning friends who died from AIDS and all the names were those from the support group in Rent. (Steve, Ali, Pam, etc.) There was also a Rent vibe in general whenever Jonathan was talking and describing things. He reminded me so much of Mark during those times.

* The song "Why" is the one where Jonathan is singing about Michael, but the title is confusing since he asks "why?" a lot in "Louder than Words."

* Robin sounded different to me. I saw him twice in In the Heights and I feel like his voice changed since 2017 (when I last saw him perform live). "No More" was fun to watch on screen though. Watching them dancing in the different places added to the humor. 

* It would be cool to see Superbia as an actual musical. Maybe Lin-Manuel could work his magic and bring it to life even more.

* "Swimming" was new and different. It reminded me of "Contact" from Rent in some ways. It's one of those songs that grows on you after a few listens. (I just wondered how he had time to swim if he didn't have time to talk with Susan and Michael.) I like how it inspired him to write "Come to Your Senses." Speaking of which, I loved how great Alexandra and Vanessa sounded in that song. I sometimes had trouble telling their voices apart, but then they harmonized really well.

* I wasn't really sure how "Play Game" fit in, but I love how the rapper auditioned for Cats at the end. 

* In the stage production, all three actors sang "Johnny Can't Decide", which I think worked better since they were all talking about themselves in third person. 

If you've seen tick, tick... Boom!, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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It's called Pen-Fifteen, right?

Courtesy of Twitter

I had seen stuff about Pen15 online and while browsing through Hulu a while back. A friend had recommended it, as well. I finally got around to watching it. At first, I was like "what am I even watching?" My friend told me it would grow on me....and she was absolutely right! Pen15 is about two girls who are best friends and dealing with the ups and downs of middle school back in 2000. They are played by thirty-something actresses Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine, both who are really good at looking and acting young and awkward. (I saw them in another movie recently and they have proven their versatility.) The show took me back to a time I never want to re-live, and even brought out the feelings of anxiety I get even thinking about that time. The secondary characters were so genuine in their roles that the series almost felt like a documentary. I'm sad to have finished the ten short episodes so quickly. Thankfully, it has been renewed for another season, with 14 episodes this time! I just found out that it was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series. (However, Fleabag won which makes me think I should be checking that one out soon.)

Since my husband and son were teasing me about the title, I had been wondering where it originated from and thankfully Quartzy answered it for me: "The show's title is derived from the decade-specific prank in which a kid would convince someone to join the “Pen15 Club” (pronounced pen-fifteen); the only rule for joining is that one must allow the word “PEN15” (read: penis) to be written somewhere on the body. Kids were so clever."

This show reminds me of Welcome to the Dollhouse, a movie I was obsessed with in the late 90's. It also made me think of what Romy and Michele might have been like before they got to high school. Check out the trailer and then see my list of things I really liked from this show. Hopefully that will be enough to convince you to watch it too. (Fair warning, this is NOT a show for kids!)



Things I enjoyed about Pen15:
1. Maya's Ojichan's (grandpa) facial expression. I couldn't stop laughing!
2. The fact that Maya and her dad were faxing letters to each other when e-mail already existed.
3. The dial-up modem noise. Takes me back...
4. The Sylvanian dolls.
5. Sam. I wish someone like him had been around when I was in middle school.
6. The music. Such a fun mix of late 90's and early 2000's songs.
7. Anna's singing voice. I almost want her to sing "Nobody Knows" from that one scene in Spaceballs.
8. Brendan's cousin Richard.
9. Pu. You'll know when you see her.
10. Saving the best for last....the friendship between Maya and Anna. It reminds me somewhat of my friendship with my BFF, who was my sanity saver in middle school, even though we lived about 30 minutes apart. (We weren't as physically affectionate, but a lot of other aspects remind me of our friendship.)

If you have seen this show, tell me what you love most about it. If you haven't yet seen it, let me know when you've finally watched so we can discuss!

No Day But Today: Thoughts on RENT Live

Photo from The Stranger

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.

If you saw Rent Live, what were your thoughts? 

I'm a '90s girl, in a '90s world...

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.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

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 Hindsight on 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.)

Top Five Favorite '90s TV Shows

1. Friends: Could this show BE any funnier? (Speaking of funny, my BFF sent me this post about what Friends would be like in 2015.)
2. Seinfeld: This show had a bigger impact on my life (at the time) than just making me laugh a lot.
3. 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.
4. My So-Called Life: So sad that this was cancelled so soon. I even got to meet Wilson Cruz (Ricky) in the early 2000s.
5. Animaniacs: See the story of how I "sort of" met the voice of Wakko.

My sister and I with Wilson Cruz in 2003

Top Five Favorite '90s Movies (links are to trailers)

1. Clueless-I'm not a Jane Austen fan, but I am thankful to her for inspiring such a fabulous teen movie.
2. Beauty and the Beast-Why it didn't win the Oscar for Best Picture, one will never know.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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.

See the rest of them here.

This next section is all about music. I did a blog series on '90s music a few years ago, but will share some of the highlights here.

Top Five Favorite '90s Male Singers/Bands

1. Nirvana
2. Barenaked Ladies: Saw them in concert twice (2001 and 2004)
3. Toad the Wet Sprocket
4. Green Day
5. Gin Blossoms: Saw them in concert when they performed at an Independence Day festival by my parents' house.

Top Five Favorite '90s Female Singers/Bands

1. Jewel: Saw her in concert, even though getting there was a bit chaotic.
2. Alanis Morissette: Saw her in concert with BNL in 2004
3. Natalie Merchant: Saw her in concert at Illinois State in 1996.
4. Juliana Hatfield: I almost saw her in concert to open for Aimee Mann, but then she was sick and Beki Hemingway opened instead.
5. Jill Sobule

Top Five Favorite '90s Albums

1. Nevermind, Nirvana
2. Dulcinea, Toad the Wet Sprocket
3. Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette
4. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Sarah McLachlan
5. Tails, Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories

Top Five Favorite '90s Soundtracks

1. Rent
2. Clueless
3. Reality Bites
4. Empire Records
5. Wayne's World

Top Five Favorite '90s Songs

1. "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots
3. "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree
4. "Who Will Save Your Soul?" by Jewel
5. "My Favorite Mistake" by Sheryl Crow

Top Five Favorite '90s Books

1. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
2. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
3. I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb (It was 900 pages and I breezed through it...and during winter finals too)
4. Most V.C. Andrews novels (hard to choose just one, but I was a bit obsessed with Secrets of the Morning from the Cutler series.) 
5. Most Katherine Stone novels (also hard to choose just one)

Getting to meet Wally Lamb in 2013

Top Five Favorite '90s obscurities

1. 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?" 
2. 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.
3. 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."
4. Cupid and Diana by 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.
5. 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

1. Bajas: Apparently they resurfaced from the '80s because people were wearing them a lot in the early '90s.
2. Birkenstocks: I had an imitation version, but I still loved the style and comfort.
3. Grunge: I wore the flannel shirts and Chuck Taylor hi-tops through my early years of college.
4. Rolling the ankles of jeans tightly
5. Overalls/overall shorts

Rockin' the overall shorts and (imitation) Birkenstocks
while pretending to be in the opening credits of Friends. (1996)

Top Five Favorite '90s memories

1. My "Rocky Horror" phase
2. Speech team tournaments in high school
3. Waiting all day to get front row seats for Rent
4. Going to see Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind every weekend
5. College

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 love the 90s...the best of the rest

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.

I love the 90s....Soundtracks!

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.

I love the 90s--I'm Just a Girl....

Before reading on, check out last week's installment of this new blog series, if you haven't already: I Love the 90's

This week I am talking about albums and songs by my favorite female singers of the 90's.

Alanis Morissette, “Jagged Little Pill”: This is, by far, Alanis’ most popular and well-loved album. I still play it and the music doesn’t feel outdated at all. (I recently got it on CD so I could play it in my car!) The first time I heard it was thanks to a friend from my “Rocky Horror” days. We used to hang out a lot and just drive around. She played this cassette one day and I was hooked. Then my roommate in college had it and I listened to it in my dorm room. I eventually got my own cassette so I could hear it whenever I wanted. She had a lot of well known, standout hits. However, my favorite song on that album is “Not the Doctor.” I love the contrast between the verses and the chorus and the way it has a 90’s rocker chick feel. Overall, this is one of the best and most memorable 90’s albums.

Natalie Merchant, “Tigerlily”: This is another album that I recently had to buy on CD to play in my car. It’s more mellow in nature, but has some beautiful lyrics. Nothing else Natalie Merchant has done since that time has come close to this caliber of quality. I used to listen to it on my walkman all the time in college (after getting the cassette for Hanukkah sophomore year) and even went to see her in concert that spring. Afterward, I started listening to 10,000 Maniacs because she started with them. (They also have a lot of good songs.) My favorite song used to be “Wonder,” but now I like "Carnival" better and tend to sing along with it (or just end up singing it around the house). It has a nice beat to it and I also like the contrast between the verses and the chorus.

Jewel, “Pieces of You”: I first got into Jewel’s music toward the end of sophomore year of college. I then bought this cassette at the beginning of the summer and played it in my car all the time. It kept me sane during my first break-up and my terrible waitressing job. I continued to be a Jewel fan when I got back to college and people would send me tapes of her “rarities.” When I went to a “Rocky Horror” convention that fall, I hung out with a girl who was also a Jewel fan. We were singing her songs together all evening. (And probably driving the guys we hung out with crazy, as a result.) I went to her concert with some friends the following spring. It was a bit of a hassle getting there, but worth it to see her perform live. When I was in a theater troupe (about social action) during senior year of college, I sang “Pieces of You” with a few other performers. I performed the “Jew” part since I was one of the few Jewish people at my school (and probably the only one in the troupe). I also sang “Jessica” (one of her rarities) during Theater Ted during junior year. Overall, my favorite song is still “Who Will Save Your Soul?” It just makes me think of the days before Jewel knew she’d be a big hit. It also has a great beat and is easy to sing along. Nowadays, Jewel is a country singer. I recognized one of her rarities on her country album (it was also used as the title of the album, "Perfectly Clear"). She still has a good sound, but nothing compares to her first album.

No Doubt, “Tragic Kingdom”: I started liking this CD around mid-junior year of college. My sister had it and I borrowed it from her and then couldn’t stop listening to it. The songs were catchy and a lot of fun. At first, they all sounded similar but then each took on a life of its own. I really like Gwen Stefani’s voice (and still do). My favorite song on this CD is “Spiderwebs.”. I heard this song in the car today and that brought back memories of when I used to listen to this CD a lot more often. Their other CDs are good, but nothing compares to “Tragic Kingdom.”

Juliana Hatfield, “Only Everything”: I had heard some songs by Juliana Hatfield on the “Reality Bites” and “My So-Called Life” soundtracks. I really liked her voice and the type of music she sang. Then “Universal Heart-Beat” started playing on the radio and I really liked that too. I decided to purchase her album on cassette one summer day between my freshman and sophomore years of college. Afterward, I played it over and over again in my car. It had a great sound and each song had a unique feel. I think I still like “Universal Heart-Beat” the best though, as it reminds me of that time period in my life. I was in a pretty good place being in my first serious relationship and getting to see my boyfriend all the time that summer. This album reminds me of those carefree days of summer. I was supposed to see her in concert back in 2000 when she was opening for Aimee Mann. However, she got sick that day and someone else performed instead. She was really good but kept apologizing for not being Juliana. I bought her CD anyway.

There are some 90’s songs by females that I also wanted to mention. I am listing them because they either bring back good memories or they just have a great sound and I always associate them with this decade, no matter when I hear them. (I’m not listing any from last week though.) Check them out if you want some fun nostalgia.

“My Favorite Mistake” by Sheryl Crow
“You Gotta Be” by Des’ree
“As I Lay Me Down” by Sophie B. Hawkins
“Do You Sleep?” by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories (I know I mentioned this along with my commentary about “Stay” last week, but this song is too good not to stand on its own!)
“Crush” by Jennifer Paige
"I Know" by Dionne Farris

Coming next week...Favorite Soundtracks!

I love the 90s

Last week, I was watching a show on VH1 all about 90’s music. It was filmed in 2007 which made a few items of follow-up news a bit outdated. Still, it was fun to watch and it brought back a lot of memories. I thought that I’d devote some blog posts to my favorite 90s songs (or possibly albums) and what role they played in my life or what memories they bring back for me.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor: This song came out in 1990 and it reminds me of when I went to overnight camp and had a crush on this gorgeous South African counselor. The song played sometimes when we were in the same room and I associated it with him. It also makes me think of “Saturday Night Live” because Jan Hooks impersonated Sinead O’Connor a few times. My favorite was for “The Frank Sinatra Group.”

“Nevermind” (Nirvana): This album was one of my saving graces during sophomore year of high school (1992). I listened to it all the time with my walkman while riding the bus to and from school. I also brought it with me when I went to England that summer. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” may be the most popular song on there, but there are some other songs that are even better. When Kurt Cobain killed himself in 1994, I listened to the album a lot again, but it had a more melancholy feel. I still listen to it nowadays and it brings back memories of that time period in my life.

”Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers: I first remember hearing this at my sister’s Bat Mitzvah celebration in 1992. I associated it with the hot DJ (another past crush of mine) who chose to play it that evening. Then I had to go out and get a cassette single (remember those?) of that song. I put it on a mix tape that I brought with for my England trip. There’s something about this song that is so catchy. I listen to it now and it still hasn’t lost the appeal it started with in the 90’s. I don’t know if it’s the instrumental combinations in the background, the slow buildup to a great ending, the music video, etc.

"Stay" by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories: This song was popularized by the movie “Reality Bites,” which I saw before I started college in 1994. I immediately bought the soundtrack because I liked a lot of the music from the movie. “Stay” definitely stands out for me though. It’s so catchy and fun to sing along with. I had a hard time turning off the radio whenever it came on and would sit in the car to finish listening. It reminds me of the summer before college as well as my beginning months there. A year or so later, I got Lisa Loeb’s “Tails” album and I still love listening to that, as well. “Stay” is also on the album, but it has competition with “Do You Sleep?” It’s definitely a classic 90’s tune though.

"Blackhole Sun" by Soundgarden: This song also reminds me of freshman year of college. My friends and I played billiards a lot at the beginning of the year and this song always happened to be on in the Bowling and Billiards Center. I immediately associate it with that period of time anytime I hear it. It has a great sound and seems mellow even for grunge. The video is pretty crazy though. I still like it nowadays and put it on a mix CD for road trips.

"Dulcinea" (Toad the Wet Sprocket) and "August and Everything After" (Counting Crows): I first got into both of these albums during late 1994/early 1995, over winter vacation. I’d hear various songs from each of these albums on the radio and they stuck with me after a while. I remember that I was listening to Counting Crows on New Year’s Day on the way home from an overnight party. I was getting a ride home from one of my friends. A few days later, I bought the CD after getting a CD player to bring back to school. My favorite song from that CD is “Rain King.” It was played on the radio a lot during that winter break and it just stuck with me. I still like that song nowadays.
As for Toad the Wet Sprocket…I was told how good they are by a guy I was working with at Yen Yen around Thanksgiving time. During winter break, I exchanged some Hanukkah gift money or a gift card for the “Dulcinea” cassette at Tower Records. I listened to it all the time after that. I even got my friend (who got me into Counting Crows) to buy his own copy after he heard it. My favorite song at the time was “Fall Down”. However, I also love “Fly from Heaven,” , which is the first song on the album. I remember hearing it on an episode of “Party of Five” and becoming excited about recognizing it. (At the time, I wasn’t even a Po5 fan yet.) It has a great level of melody and harmony and I still love hearing it. “Dulcinea” is what got me started on my Toad addiction. After that, I had to have all their CDs/cassettes. I even became friends with someone during junior year of college who gave me a tape of rare Toad songs. I still have that somewhere.
I brought both albums back to college second semester and listened to them all the time. I was at a different place in my life between first and second semester and those albums remind me of that. I still have the original Counting Crows CD that I bought in 1995, but I upgraded “Dulcinea” to CD status.

"One of Us" by Joan Osborne: I first heard this song during sophomore year of college (1996), before it became popular. My friend had it on his answering machine and it was very catchy. Then he moved away (he was originally from Utah and only spent a year at Illinois State). After that, the song became popular on the radio and I thought of him whenever I heard it. It’s a great song and I still like listening to it from time to time. I even requested it during an 80’s and 90’s radio request hour earlier this year. I don’t hear from the friend who introduced me to this song, but I connected with his wife on Facebook and hear updates about him through her. She probably gives him updates about my life too.

That’s all for this week’s 90s music flashback. More songs/albums coming soon...