hooray for hairspray

My sister and I recently caught the Artsclub Theatre production of Hairspray. I loved the movie (the original Ricky Lake version... haven't seen the newer one), so it was really fun to see it live. I have my own weird rule(s) about musicals though:

1. I can only seem to enjoy them if they are set in a different time period (specifically the past): the idea of a current day musical, actually makes me cringe. Weird? Yes. I tried to explain to my sister how I didn't like Glee (yes, I must be the only one on earth) or High School Musical (again, cringe)... even Rent is too current for me. I think it is an inner fear that I will be walking down the street and people will spontaneously break out in song and dance, and I won't know the number.

2. Why is there no talking?: Ok, another weird rule... I like when there is dialogue interspersed with song and dance... does everything have to be sung... really? everything?

3. No singing animals: You know who you are feline friends.

Ok, so I will admit there are some exceptions to the rule... I did see Mama Mia years back and it was very cute, but come on, hard to not enjoy cheesy Abba songs (which I will argue harken back to the 70s, so different time period).

*images: Arts Club Theatre

dark dark musical

Last week, Roger and I attended the Arts Club Theatre Company opening of the play Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, part of this year's Push Festival (International Performing Arts Festival). Presented as a musical fable for adults, the play was packed full of gorgeous goth inspired costumes (think Tim Burton meets Vivienne Westwood), creative sets and props, and a dark story line following the fictional tragic life story of Edgar Allan Poe.

It dawned on me while we were sitting in the audience that this was the third musical I had seen this year. (Ok, I am including 2009 here, so I don't actually mean 3 musicals in January... that would be scary). Anyways, that is a record for me, considering I am not a huge fan of musicals... I sometimes/often get a little weirded out when there is all singing and no dialogue. Hmmm... maybe I'm softening. Nahhhh... I think I would still squirm at Cats.

Photo by Sean McLennan

white christmas

Just to clarify, this is not how I would dress up during the holiday season. Roger and I went to see Arts Club Theatre's White Christmas at the Stanley quite a few weeks ago... it was a bit too early to blog about it (I think it may have been November?!) so I am bringing it up now. I have never seen the original movie before, let alone the theatrical version, but it was very cute, entertaining and did get me into the holiday cheer a whole month ahead. I must admit though, classic Christmas songs are all good and everything, but I kind of like the duet of Bing Crosby and David Bowie à la Little Drummer Boy and Boney M's Christmas a bit better, but I guess that would be a very weird musical if they all came together.