Evita - What was That?!

Let me start off this entry by writing-- I get that I had big, billowy, clouds of expectations for Evita. After all, I’ve wanted to see this show since I was 8 years old. When the music began to rise for Requiem for Evita, I had goosebumps from sheer excitement. The big headed man who sat in front of me wouldn’t sit still so I had to perch on the edge of my seat to see the opening number, and the rest of the show for that matter.  I also had to resist the urge to hit him in the back of the head with my playbill for a good part of the show. Then Ricky Martin came out and started singing. He has a decent voice and he pulled it off...but he lacked emotional depth for me. He’s a Latin man for goodness sake, emotional depth is in our DNA! Anyway, he reminded me of the kind of Broadway singer that uses jazz hands. He did lots of assertive pointing when he sang, which when I think about it now actually makes me giggle. Having said all that, he was okay for the part of Che. I just wanted more heat and tension between Che and Eva and it just wasn’t there.

Which brings me to my next point, Elena Roger playing the part of Eva was SO disappointing. Ergh! I mean her voice was NOT meant for this part. She sounded like Edith Piaf throughout the show (and not in a good way) as she shouted through the better part of the musical. Roger also hit some really bad notes when she tried to reach those higher octaves. The sound she made actually made me cringe. Believe me, I understand that this is not an easy musical. However, it didn’t help that her very thick accent got in the way of the songs. If I didn’t know almost every song in this show, I would not have understood half of what she sang. I know she’s been working with diction coaches but let’s just say she needs more work. I think her one decent moment was the last song, “Lament” because quite frankly it was the only song she couldn’t shout her way through. *sad sigh* 

Just to give you a measuring stick, remember the movie version of Evita with Madonna and how god-awful she was in it...let's just say that Madonna sounded half-way decent in comparison to Elena Roger's shrieking version. Yep, it was that bad!! 

And another thing, I think the music director hit the fast forward button during the first act. Quite frankly, some of it was Roger singing ahead of the music. Other times the timing of the music felt almost manic, like they were racing for the intermission. Either way, it went by so fast that there was no time to make those very important connections between characters. Ergh!

What worked

Rachel Potter singing the Mistress song, “Another Suitcase in Another Hallway” was by far the highlight of this production. Her voice was nuanced and beautiful. She absolutely shined in this one moment. Lovely.

The Ensemble was amazing both in voice and in dance. During the seduction scene between Peron and Eva, there were several ensemble members dancing a gorgeous tango. I almost wanted the leads to shut up so I can enjoy the dance sequence. Rob Ashford’s choreography was AMAZING!! Loved it.

Max von Essen was the right amount of charming and smarmy as Magaldi. His voice was ridiculous (in a good way). Wish he was on stage longer.

So here is my confession, I may go see it again when Roger’s understudy performs. Wednesday night or Saturday matinee. I really want to experience this show without a pained expression on my face. Is that wrong?  Let's see if I can score some cheap tickets because there is NO way I'm shelling out full price for this show. Anyway, Go! Make some beautiful music. End Scene.


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Going on and on and on

Okay, I’m writing this blog in the midst of a raging headache but I was hoping that writing (which is my cure-all next to drinking water) would distract me from it.

The Avengers / Joss Whedon
How long has it been since I raved about Joss Whedon? Oh right...after Cabin in the Woods. Well, I went to see The Avengers this weekend and loved it. It’s partly because I’m a die-hard Whedon fan. Go Mutant Enemy, Grrr-Argh!! And partly because I really love the snarky humor in the movie.

Yes, the action in it was pretty good too but you know me, I’m always about the dialogue and there was enough juicy bits for me to chew on. Also, I didn’t watch in 3-D because my eyes don’t quite compute without shutting down into a migraine. Anyway Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow didn’t hurt the eyes either. I wished Cobie Smulders had more lines because I’m all about strong smart women in films. Robert Downey Jr. was most excellent as per usual...but I’ve gotta give a big shout out for Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Ruffalo completely won me over in this film.

I’ve been reading what the critics are saying about the movie and there are few things that I agree on BUT (rabid Whedon fan about to shout) EVERY TIME JOSS WHEDON has tried to do his own thing, the studios nix his ideas because they tend to run too far into the dark side. So Whedon needed a win here and I’m glad he’s doing well by this movie. Anyway, I’m probably going to go see this movie again on the big screen ‘cause it makes me really laugh out loud.

Evita
So tomorrow I am going to see Evita on Broadway. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. No, seriously, I have wanted to see this musical since Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin were leads in the original production, back in 1979. Every time the commercial came on t.v., me and my sister Ces, would belt out the few bars of “Buenos Aires” and dance around our living room like two crazy children. Anyway, I begged and pleaded for my folks to take me to see it but alas it wasn’t in the cards, too expensive. They thought I was too young for some fancy broadway show and they took me to the circus instead. * humph * Let’s just say that I’m not a fan of the circus. I always felt bad for the animals. * doing a little happy dance *

Okay, headache seems to be getting worse so I went and got a big mug of ice cold water. The cold water has made my fingers very cold and pressing them to my temples feels so gooooood. It’s a mild migraine. I’m having dinner with some friends later and I’d really like it to go away before I have to meet up with them.

At this very moment, I’m listening (very softly) to Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”...I love the opening lines to this song. “I remember when I lost my mind. There was something so pleasant about that day. Even your emotions have an echo in so much space.” Haha! Great lines.

The Legend of Korra
The sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender is finally airing. (Tony reminded me yesterday.) So I watched the first couple of episodes yesterday and was really getting into it. At first, I was resistant because the original characters were no longer in the storyline but once I let that go, it grew on me. Tony said that the lead character of Korra reminds him of me because she’s so headstrong and stubborn. Ha! I totally see it. There is a scene in the second episode where she is trying to learn to air-bend. Her teacher tells her to be like a leaf in the wind to get through a maze of spinning walls. Korra proceeds forward and gets knocked upside her head by those spinning walls and after a couple of unsuccessful tries she gets so angry she uses fire to blaze through the walls. Ha! Yep, I totally see it. Anyway, this is a great animated series to check out for young and old alike.

Update on Indigo
Let’s see writing is like those spinning walls, I’m getting knocked upside my head trying to get through this next part in my novel. Hehehe. I’m still writing. I haven’t given up. I promise not to torch the pages. I just sometimes feel like I’m not smart enough to write this novel. There is so much story to tell but I’m not sure I’ve got what it takes to finish it. Crazy, I know. I write despite my natural tendency to want to run away from this story.

I’ve gone on for ages and the headache is a dull ache in the right side of my brain. I think I should be okay for tonight if I don’t drink or eat. Ha!
Peace,

L~
 
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Out Past the City Limits

The sound of thunder woke me up very early this morning. Pandora turned into the Halloween cat (arched back, puffed out tail, walking sideways) and proceeded to find a place to hide when she thought the sky was falling. I love thunder storms. I curled up in my bed, tight warm blanket and listened to the sound of the rain for a good long while before I had to get up and get my day started.

Now, I am staring blankly into my computer screen and wishing I was anywhere else but here. I get that everyone feels this way sometimes but…today, I wish I was more of a nomad. Just pack a backpack with some essentials and head out. Wishful thinking. Besides Pandora doesn’t really like to travel, she’s more of a homebody who likes to stretch out on a bright spot in the apt to catch a few rays. She’s my seven lb anchor at the moment.

I know I’ve been a bit gaga over Jack White’s music but really it’s just an amazing distraction from the dissatisfactions of one’s life, don’t you think? I feel shackled and bound and I’m not even married. And for an hour or two music helps get me out of my own melancholy head and reminds me that there can be pleasurable moments. So an hour listening to the music of the rain helped.

I yearn to be out in the world today, taking a long walk out past the city limits, leaving the technology of laptop computers and smart phones behind. Anyway that’s all she wrote today. Heading off to work on my novel for a bit. Wish me good vibes and happy writing.

Peace,

L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.