Best of 2023

Courtesy of The Central Digest

I realize I didn't blog here a lot this year, and when I did, it was about pop culture. I also realize my last post was in September. I've been mostly sharing about stuff on Facebook and Instagram these days. I haven't even posted about my trip to NYC this past summer. It's been that kind of year, I suppose...

New TV shows that I enjoyed in 2023 (in no particular order):

Bad Sisters

Nine Perfect Strangers: It followed the book pretty well overall and I liked the White Lotus feel.

Shrinking: Well done show with all the feels. Harrison Ford deserves an Emmy for his role.

Acapulco

Why Women Kill

XO, Kitty: Fun and cute. I definitely want to see what happens next.

Not Dead Yet: I adore this show and am so glad it got a second season!

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Somebody Somewhere

The Other Two

The Bear: Took me a while to warm to it but now I want it to continue!

Tiny Beautiful Things: Really well thought out show with incredible acting by Kathryn Hahn.

Jury Duty: Really funny, especially with how James Marsden was acting as himself.

Lessons in Chemistry

The Flatshare

Sullivan's Crossing: If you watched this show, I'd love to discuss!

Series I'm sad to say goodbye to:

Riverdale

A Million Little Things

Manifest (this post is about season one)

Never Have I Ever  (this post is about season one)

Ted Lasso (this post is about the first two seasons)

Workin' Moms (this post is about seasons one - four)

Favorite movies from 2023:

A Man Called Otto

Theater Camp: This movie is so good! If you haven't seen it yet, drop what you're doing and watch it right now!

Are You There G-d? It's Me, Margaret.

Red White and Royal Blue

Happiness for Beginners

Quiz Lady: Really cute and funny story about two sisters trying to save their dog. I highly recommend it.

Runners up:

Barbie: It was good but not something I want to see more than once.

Wish: I enjoyed it, but I still felt like something was missing.

Elemental: For all the great artistry, I found the story lacking.

Side note: I don't see a lot of movies so the ones that are currently popular have not made this list as a result of just not seeing them yet.

Top 10 Books I read this year:

See my top five picks at Chick Lit Central, as well! I read so many amazing books this year (go to my Goodreads page and see all the five-star books) and am sad to have to narrow it down at all. Links are to reviews.

1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

3. If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch

4. The Women by Kristin Hannah

5. New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

6. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

7. The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

8. What You Do to Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein

9. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

10. Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

Theater:

I got to see Something Rotten again (twice: once at a professional theater and once at a college)

Into the Woods (Touring from Broadway)

Jagged Little Pill (Tour)

Les Miserables (first time since 2005, they changed a lot in terms of the set)

Beetlejuice (Tour)

Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway)

Shucked (Broadway)

Moulin Rouge (Broadway)

I also got to see Ragtime again for the first time in 25 years. (Regional professional theater)

Spring Awakening (Saw at a small independent theater featuring high school students)

Avenue Q (Saw at the same theater as Spring Awakening, but featuring adults, including a teacher from my younger son's school)

My older son and I saw a musical about Audrey Hepburn, as well. It was interesting but went a bit long. (Small independent theater)

My family and I saw a production of Young Frankenstein. I was lukewarm on it but my younger son has been listening to the music ever since we saw it. (Community theater.)

There is more good theater in store for '24, including Company!

Highlights from 2023:

My daughter's Bat Mitzvah.

The NYC trip with my older son. (See above about the shows we saw.) I also loved going to Museum of Broadway.

Seeing my daughter in her camp shows this past summer. She owned the stage every time she was on.

Meeting Wade Rouse (a.k.a. Viola Shipman), Jean Meltzer, and Sara Goodman Confino. (Authors I adore!)

With Jean Meltzer

With Sara Goodman Confino

With Wade (R) and his husband Gary (L)

Pittsburgh trip with my family, which included getting to see "Will."

Seeing my older son in all his shows. He was especially amazing in his recent high school play, portraying a new role that no one had ever seen before and really making it his own. I also love how his improv troupe completely re-created a favorite experience from my 20s.

Visiting family in Chicago a couple times and seeing my nephew and some close friends. 

The amazing besherte timing that allowed me to meet my best friend's baby shortly after he was born.

My younger son getting his learner's permit (that just happened though, so I have yet to experience his driving skills). He's also been really into astronomy lately and I love seeing how passionate he is about it.

Making some new friends this year: One was through a cousin and one was due to my love of Kimberly Akimbo. 

Getting to see my sister-in-law this summer, even if it was only for a short period of time. I also enjoyed meeting her fiance. 

Taking on some new responsibilities at work, including the newsletter, which I'm enjoying.

Things from social media that made me smile:

Ayo Cheetah. These cooking videos are hilarious! 

Gen X Women are Sick of Your Sh-t. Great place to go for all things nostalgic.

On the down side:

The past few months of 2023 have been horrific. I wrote a post a while back about something very similar to what is happening now, but it captures my current feelings so accurately.

I hope 2024 only brings good things to everyone!

This is something I'm excited for, but dreading at the same time. Never mind that it will be 30 years since I graduated high school... (And no, I am NOT going to my reunion! Good thing I have no need to punish myself.)

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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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It's Showtime!: My thoughts on Beetlejuice

 

Courtesy of Beetlejuice's website

My family and I finally got a chance to see Beetlejuice when it was on tour in DC. We went on the last day of the tour, but it was a very short run here. In any case, I'm really glad we got to see it, as it was a great performance!

If you have seen the movie, you might as well forget almost everything that happened because the musical only keeps a little bit of it. If you haven't seen the movie....have you been living under a rock?!? 

Anyway, the titular character is only in the movie for a short amount of time, compared to how much he is in the musical. I actually liked that he had more stage time though. Justin Collette did an amazing job making Betelgeuse feel even larger than life. I just hope he's drinking a lot of tea between shows because that voice could do a number on anyone's throat.  Isabella Esler was also fantastic as Lydia, and this was her professional debut. I have a feeling she will go far in musical theater. She had such a powerhouse voice and a great stage presence. I also really liked the supporting characters, especially Adam and Barbara. Delia was a lot of fun too. She added a Moira Rose quality to the way she talked. As Adam, Will Burton reminded me of an actor from SNL. (Most likely Mikey Day.) And I just loved the facial expressions Britney Coleman used to enhance Barbara's personality. 

The story completely deviates from the movie aside from a few plot points and the inclusion of the "Day-O" scene. Betelgeuse starts off by saying that was going to happen. He also breaks the fourth wall a lot and makes the story feel kind of meta. While he's not supposed to be likeable, he really is for the most part and he even shows some vulnerability. There are a lot of funny lines and plenty of innuendoes. Apparently, the show was a lot raunchier in previews, so I have to wonder how much raunchier it could get!

The music is great. I went in barely knowing any of it, but I kind of wish I had listened to the Original Broadway Cast recording because I had trouble hearing some lines and would have benefitted from knowing what they were going to say. At least I can't complain about them changing anything... I also had trouble hearing some of the dialogue and some jokes got lost on me. The majority of the songs are high energy and upbeat though. Some of Lydia's songs got me teary-eyed. She put a lot of emotion into them. 

The set is basically a character of its own. If this show had been made 10-15 years ago, they wouldn't have the current technology at their disposal. I love how digital backgrounds combined with furniture and props that carried the feel of the movie. The digital parts included animation, as well. It was so much fun to look at...a feast for the eyes! The bright lights were a bit much and I had to shade my eyes from them every so often. 

Along with the set, the costumes were amazing throughout. Most took after the ones in the movie, as well. I loved that they had the shrunken head guy. :) 

Overall, the story handled topics that the movie didn't touch, such as grief. (Given that it's all about death, you'd think that would have happened in the movie.) A lot of the musical felt more positive and upbeat than the movie though. It's also very much woke, which is fine for me. There's some political humor that I definitely appreciated. 

If you haven't seen Beetlejuice on stage yet, check out this trailer. Then go no further. If you have seen it, please proceed past the trailer, as I have some questions...

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Questions for anyone who has seen it on stage already:

1. How was everyone living able to see Adam and Barbara toward the end?

2. After Lydia killed Betelgeuse (after marrying him), how was everyone still able to see him once he was dead again?

3. When Lydia first saw Beetlejuice, how did she describe him? We all missed what she said.

That's it, really. :) 

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Best of 2022

Courtesy of Metro

I realize I didn't blog here a lot this year, and when I did, it was about pop culture. It's been that kind of year, I suppose...

New (to me) TV shows that I enjoyed in 2022 (in no particular order):

Riverdale: Seasons 1-3, Seasons 4-6

I can't wait for season seven!

Heartstopper: I love the graphic novels and this series brings them to life in the most touching and beautiful ways. The two leads are adorable!

Courtesy of IMDb

How I Met Your Father: I was skeptical at first, but this is a fun series and I'm excited for it to return in late January. There are even some cameos from HIMYM.

Maggie: Such a sweet sitcom and I'm sad that it wasn't picked up for a second season. I hope to see Rebecca Rittenhouse in something else soon. 

The Time Traveler's Wife: This series was so much better than the movie. It gave new life to the book and went even beyond that. Three words: Naked Theo James. :)

The Sex Lives of College Girls: What comes between Never Have I Ever and Sex and the City. This is such a fun series and I'm glad it will be getting a third season. 

Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Virgin River: If Schitt's Creek was my sanity saver in 2020 and Ted Lasso was my sanity saver in 2021, then Virgin River takes the title for 2022. I love everything about this show and am eagerly awaiting season five. It's such a comfort show, even with the elements of danger.

I Love That for You: Quirky comedy starring Molly Shannon and Vanessa Bayer. I hope there will be another season. It's really well written!

Reboot: I wasn't sure I was going to like this at first, but then I really got into it and it had more layers than I was even expecting. 

Courtesy of TV Insider

The White Lotus: I still can't stop thinking about this show!

Runners up:

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem: It's an interesting show but some parts are really gross and unnecessary. It's also hard to like most of the characters.

The Summer I Turned Pretty: This is more for the Gen Z crowd and it's hard to feel sorry for someone who has multiple guys interested in her.

Courtesy of IMDb

Partner Track: I liked it overall, but it was a slow build and Ingrid could be really frustrating. I also didn't understand all the law terminology.

Queer as Folk: I had hopes this would be better than it was, but I felt like I was jumping into the middle of something that had no context and most of the characters got in their own way. 

The Kids in the Hall (reboot): It was nice to see the guys again after all this time, but a lot of the humor was tone-deaf. We did get some good inside jokes out of it though.

Courtesy of IMDb

The vote is still out on Wednesday, as I am still in the middle of it, but I wouldn't say it's a favorite even though it's really well done. It's clever and Jenna Ortega is great in the titular role.

Favorite movies from 2022 (links are to trailers):

Turning Red: One of the few recent Pixar films that had an emotional impact for me.

Better Nate Than Ever: Really cute. Follows the book for the most part, with a few changes. Definitely got me teary-eyed.

Where the Crawdads Sing: First (and only) movie I saw in the theater since the pandemic started. Followed the book really well with great acting throughout.

I Want You Back: Such a cute and fun rom-com! And there's a nod to Little Shop of Horrors.

Matilda: One of the better movie musicals I've seen lately. 

Rosaline: Another cute rom-com set in Shakespearian times. Somewhat made up for not getting to the Ren Faire this year...

Moonshot: I don't think it's available on HBO anymore, so I'm glad I caught it when I did, as it was really good. It helps that Cole Sprouse was one of the leads...

Side note: I don't see a lot of movies so the ones that are currently popular have not made this list as a result of just not seeing them yet.

Books: 

See my top five picks at Chick Lit Central, as well! I read so many amazing books this year (go to my Goodreads page and see all the five-star books) and am sad to have to narrow it down at all. Links are to reviews.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

For the Love of Friends by Sara Goodman Confino

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn

Playing With Myself by Randy Rainbow

The Maid by Nita Prose

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

Theater:

It was so nice to go see live theater again this year. It started out in February with a performance of A.D. 16 at a local professional theater. Since it was written by Cinco Paul (Schmigadoon), my oldest and I were excited to see it. While it was a fun show with good music, my son liked it more than I did. I think I was expecting it to be as funny as Schmigadoon...

In March, I took my oldest to see Rent at the National Theater. We had seen filmed productions of it, but it was so much fun to see it live with him. Most of the cast did a great job, but Roger's voice seemed weak. 

In April, we finally got to see Mean Girls. Here are my thoughts on that performance.

In July, my oldest and I saw The Band's Visit at Kennedy Center. I was excited about it because one of the actors from Shtisel played the lead male character. When we arrived, I was even more excited to find out that Janet Dacal from the Original Broadway Cast of In the Heights was playing the lead female character. The show was decent with some good music, but it was hard to follow what was going on sometimes.

Right before my birthday, we got to see Six. That was amazing!!! Here are my thoughts.

A few days later, my husband and I saw a Second City show at Kennedy Center for my birthday. It was really funny and totally on point with all the commentary about politics and today's society. 

We're supposed to see Beauty and the Beast this week, but it was cancelled twice before when we tried to see it this month, so I am keeping my fingers crossed...

I recently got into the music from Carrie: The Musical, thanks to Riverdale. I'd love to see a performance of this someday!

Famous people I want to meet:

Cole Sprouse. That's all. (Not me being a cougar or anything...)

Courtesy of Puzzle Factory

Highlights from 2022:

* My nephew's arrival in August. He's the cutest little guy and I love seeing pictures of him and doing video chats. I can't wait until the next time I get to hold him again. This is the first nephew on my side of the family and I adore him so much!

* Seeing Rocky Horror with my oldest a couple times. I still remember most of the lines and it was so much fun to shout them at the screen. My oldest thought they were really funny too. Our shared favorite is "I hate celery!" I didn't realize how much I missed the experience of Rocky Horror until I did it again. And it's good to know that most of the lines are universal and don't just apply to one theater in the Chicago suburbs. :) 

* Running blog tours for my job. It's one of my favorite things to do for the company I work with and I get good turnouts each time.

* My oldest getting his license. While I'm going to get a lot more gray hairs from this, I appreciate that I don't have to do as much driving. 

* My younger two kids graduating from elementary and middle school. 

* Seeing my oldest in his school play and musical and seeing my youngest in her camp musicals.

* Celebrating 20 years of being with my husband altogether. (Also 18 years of marriage.)

* Seeing "Will" again on our way to Chicago. 

* Reuniting with some friends while we were in Chicago. 

* Going to Pride Fest. It's been so long since I had last done anything fun to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride.

* Getting to see Liza Wiemer again. She's a fantastic author and if you haven't read The Assignment yet, you definitely should! Along with Liza, I also got to see my friend Kelly again. Liza is the one who introduced us.

* Getting to meet up with some other friends I hadn't seen in person since before the pandemic. 

* Meeting Camille Di Maio in person, as she's an author whose historical fiction novels I really like. She is absolutely lovely in person as she is online!

* Going to Philadelphia over President's weekend. We visited a really interesting museum called Wonderspaces and also got to explore the Franklin Institute. 

* The election having better results than I was expecting. While we avoided a red wave, there were still some disappointments, but we did pretty well as a country, overall. 

On a sad note, this year brought an unexpected loss to our family. In early August, my father-in-law passed away from a sudden heart attack. I am thankful that we saw him over Memorial Day weekend, but I didn't expect that to be the last time we'd ever see him again and forgot to take pictures with him. I'm still processing his passing and I know it has had an impact on my husband. He got to say goodbye to his father in person, even though it was difficult to see him that way. I feel awful for his half-sisters and stepmother, but the upside is that my husband has reconnected with them as a result. 

Anyway, I hope 2023 only brings good things to everyone. 

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Best of 2021

Courtesy of Sammiches and Psych Meds

2021 was almost a repeat of 2020, which explains the abundance of TV shows on this list...

New (to me) TV shows that I enjoyed in 2021 (in no particular order):

1. One Day at a Time

2. Being Erica

3. Workin' Moms

4. Cruel Summer: Such an interesting and well-done teen mystery thriller. I loved the 90s throwbacks and the Cold Case feel.

Courtesy of Deadline

5. Schmigadoon

6. Shtisel: I really hope they'll bring it back for a fourth season. There's still so much they could do with this series and I definitely miss the characters. 

7. Ted Lasso: My latest obsession!!!

8. Ordinary Joe: There's still more to go with this first season, but it's really creative and I love seeing what will happen next. 

Courtesy of TV Insider

9. Maid

10. Only Murders in the Building

11. Hacks: Really funny and well done. A Devil Wears Prada for the comedy circuit. I can see why Jean Smart got the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

12. Little Voice: I'm sad that this only got one season. It's a great show created by Sara Bareilles. I love all the Broadway references, courtesy of Louie. It was nice to see one of the actors in the Dear Evan Hansen movie though.

Courtesy of Deadline

Shows I watched that didn't make it to the list (but I'll still watch anyway):

The Morning Show: It's such a train wreck, but has a fabulous cast. Just too much yelling, fighting, and really long conversations.

Kevin Can F--k Himself: I mainly watch this for Annie Murphy as Kevin is a real life Peter Griffin and I can see why he made her snap!

Courtesy of CNET

Ginny and Georgia

And Just Like That: It leans toward the cringey side, but that could change next year...

Saved by the Bell reboot: It's funny in regards to nostalgia from the original series (and some great meta stuff) but some aspects tend to be annoying.

Courtesy of Vox

Top 5 favorite movies from 2021:

1. In the Heights

2. Free Guy: So funny, creative, interesting, suspenseful, and entertaining. Highly recommended!

Courtesy of TechRadar

3. Tick Tick Boom

4. Cruella: Really well done. More Disney villain movies need to be done this way. Ursula needs to be next!

5. The Hating Game: Just watched this recently. Great adaptation of Sally Thorne's romcom novel. I actually like it better than the book!

Courtesy of Decider

Books:

See my top five picks at Chick Lit Central, as well! I read so many amazing books this year (go to my Goodreads page and see all the five-star books) and am sad to have to narrow it down at all. Links are to reviews (or Bookstagram posts)

1. The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (leaned more toward YA and New Adult, but was definitely one of the best books I read this year)

2. The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

3. With Love from London by Sarah Jio (This was going to go on my list at CLC, but it publishes in 2022)

4. 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

5. Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

6. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

7. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

8. Half Life by Jillian Cantor

9. The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz

10. The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

Musical treat this year:

Being able to watch Come From Away on Apple +. It was a really good musical and I can't listen to the songs without getting teary-eyed. 

Famous people I want to meet:

*Brett Goldstein. He plays Roy Kent on Ted Lasso and he's everything! Of course, I would be happy to meet anyone from this wonderful show.

Courtesy of TV Insider

The rest is mostly the same from last year, but bears repeating:

*Dan Levy because, like, obviously! ;) (I also wouldn't mind meeting the cast of Schitt's Creek though!)

*Michael Judson Berry: He's so funny with his Schitt's Creek impressions and videos and he seems like he's so down-to-earth and friendly too. 

*Randy Rainbow: When have I NOT wanted to meet Randy Rainbow?!? He's saved my sanity since 2016. 

Highlights from 2021:

*My family getting the Covid vaccine. We are all now fully vaccinated and my husband and I are boosted. Our oldest will be boosted soon.

*My sister got married and we got to attend her wedding in Chicago and finally meet my new brother-in-law in person. They are perfectly matched and I'm really happy for them both!

*Getting to see my best friend and her husband when we were in Chicago. (My family and I didn't have time to make plans with a lot of people, but we couldn't be in the same city and NOT meet up!)

*Getting to see "Will" again after five long years. He officiated my sister's wedding too.

*My younger son's Bar Mitzvah

*I got a new job!!! And it's in a field that actually interests me and is something I want to grow into even more: Book publicity!

* Having Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws. It was so nice to be back together in person again. I hope we can make things work for Passover, as long as omicron gets under control!

*My kids going back to school in person. It's been good for them, even if it means I get up at 5:45 am!

*Some mini-vacations: Staying at a cabin in the woods, going to Virginia Beach (and spending an entire day at the beach itself), staying at a cozy house for a little winter retreat. 

*I made a couple of new friends, which is a challenge in this day and age. Both live nearby and I've already connected with one in person a couple of times. I have lots in common with both of them, as well. 

*Getting to see my friend who moved to Florida a few years ago. She was in town for a week and we hung out a couple of times.

*The Chinese food car picnic my husband and I had for our anniversary. 

That's a wrap for 2021! Here's hoping there will be an end to this pandemic in 2022. 

Got this from a friend's Facebook post

Also got this from a friend's Facebook post

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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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