An Internal Struggle with the Twilight Series

Note: This blog post contains spoilers on the Twilight series, including Breaking Dawn.

I consider myself a fan of the Twilight series, but I always struggled with loving a series that romanticized what in many ways is an unhealthy relationship.

In Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Bella is human girl who moves to Forks, Washington, and falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. In the first book, they fall hard for each other, but they are still testing each other, they tease each other, flirt playfully, and Bella still spends time with her human friends. They seemed to have the perfect relationship and I found myself joining the teenage girls crushing on the fictional Edward.

In the sequel, New Moon, Edward leaves for a long period in the book because he wants her to have a better life. She completely falls apart. It's described as something more than love. They need each other, they feel whole when they are together. What girl doesn't want to imagine herself with a guy who would do anything for her? Who only sees her? Yet, Edward also thirsts for her blood. He has to balance loving her, with the fact that he wants to kill her. He makes up for this by protecting her from everything. He never wants her out of her sight.

In Eclipse, he forbids her to see her best friend, Jacob Black. He goes so far as to stop her car from working and have his sister kidnap her (he has an unfair advantage, he can read minds and his sister can see the future). There is something wrong with this picture. It's not healthy for a teenager to spend all her time with her boyfriend and for him to demand that she stop seeing her other friends. He lightens up later in the book, but because Edward is seen as the perfect boyfriend, young adults might think this is acceptable and might mistake their own controlling boyfriends for just being protective and loving.

None of these books were particularly well written, but I was quick to overlook the faults because I was so invested in the story. I eagerly went to a midnight Breaking Dawn party, participating in a heated Team Edward/Team Jacob debate (I was one of the few on Team Jacob, but my reasons for that would be another post entirely). After reading the much-anticipated Breaking Dawn, though, I can no longer overlook the fact that Stephenie Meyer is a lazy writer.

It's not very fair to compare Meyer to J.K. Rowling, but since they both have such die-hard fans, comparisons are inevitable. I never thought Rowling was a great writer either, but she took her time with the series, whereas Meyer seems to be tackling a lot in a short amount of time--the Twilight series, as well as her first adult novel, The Host, and other projects she is apparently working on. As a fairly new writer who has said in interviews that she wants to improve as a writer, she should slow down. I guess it's a little too late for this series though.

I will admit that I was shocked about Bella's pregnancy, especially since I wrongly misinterpreted the fact that vampires could not have babies to assume that it also meant they could not have babies with humans. After that, however, the book went in far too predictable and easy directions. I was hoping that Bella would not become a vampire, but of course she did. At the core of the first three books is the story of a beautiful vampire in love with a clumsy ordinary girl. If she's also a vampire, it's just two vampires in love, and that's pretty boring. Plus, Bella got to be a vampire and didn't end up having to make any sacrifices. What's that about? She got to keep a relationship with her father. She got to stay best friends with Jacob and will eventually have him as a son-in-law (anyone else creeped out by the Oedipal implications in this, let alone the fact that he imprinted on a baby). Everyone wins, except the reader.

A novel has to have conflict, but the only conflicts in this book were forced as when Bella was sure that she and Edward were going to die and that Alice had actually left them. Plot devices like this only work if you believe them. I suspected early on that Stephenie Meyer was a happy ending writer and it was obvious throughout the book that nobody would die and everyone would be paired off (in some cases with no development as with Charlie and Sue). There was no suspense in the final confrontation with the Volturi and everything leading up to it.

The main reason I was quick to forgive the faults of the first three books was my love for the characters, who felt three-dimensional. In this book, many characters were barely in it (Alice, Emmett), and the others felt like their personalities were missing. Edward was always there, but not as much of a presence as in the other books. The only character who was consistent with the other books was Jacob and the chapters from his perspective were the most enjoyable to read.

I've been reading reactions to the book online and while many were unhappy, there are many "Twihards" or "Twilighters" who say that all the books are perfect. They call Stephenie Meyer a "genius." As I said before, I love it when books get teenagers so excited that they will wait in line at midnight, but I would hope that they would realize it's OK to love a book and be critical. They should want to engage in the books, think about and discuss them. I'm not saying that because I thought Breaking Dawn was bad, that everyone should, but I hope that for those that did love the book, they think about why they did.

What I Learned Last Week

As some of you may know, when my mom and sister come to town, it's always a Broadway extravaganza (I guess that's not that different from when they're not here, but at least when they come, I have an excuse to see a show every night).

We had a cramazing time and were lucky enough to see both South Pacific (totally worth paying full price) and Hair (totally worth waiting in line for), though sadly not In the Heights. I think the most important thing I learned is, Xanadu really is as good, silly, and fun as everyone says, and not just because of Cheyenne Jackson's short shorts.

But they do help.

In all honesty, though, the highlight of the week was Hair in Central Park. All three of us love the music and have always wanted to see it live. Seeing it with them, outside in the park, with such an amazing cast (especially the charismatic Will Swenson as Berger, the comic Bryce Ryness as Woof, and sweet-voiced Alison Case as Crissy), for free, and then dancing onstage at the end, was one of my favorite theatre memories ever, and I have a lot. I'm so happy it's getting the reviews it deserves. Congratulations, cast and crew of Hair.

I've always loved the music from Hair, but I'd always heard that the show didn't have much of a plot. I was surprised to find three-dimensional characters that greatly moved me.

What a piece of work is man.

How Far Would You Go For A Guest Spot in a Musical Video?

As much as I hate High School Musical, I was curious about the new ABC show High School Musical: Get in the Picture, a reality show in the style of American Idol. Young adults show off their vocal talents or lack thereof in the first audition to make it to the semi-finals. In the first five minutes, many hopefuls speak about how this is the most important audition of their lives, how they want this so bad. The coaches talk about how they will change someone's life. What do they win? A chance to sing in the new High School Musical film? A chance to star in the rumored High School Musical 4? No, they win a guest spot in a music video. As far as I can tell, the winner will not sing at all. So why all the drama? Maybe they just wanted to meet Zac Efron.

Week in Review

Monday: Ricky Gervais at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden: Hilarious, of course. His stand-up comedy performance is a little bit The Office's David Brent, in that he is politically incorrect, a little bit Extras' Andy Millman, in that he makes it seem as if he doesn't mean to be, the words are just coming out wrong. I was disappointed that there were no special guests (apparently last time David Bowie introduced Gervais). Maybe if he didn't spend the money on the big bright letters that spelled out RICKY. The show felt a little short for how much it cost, but still worth it.

Tuesday: Some Americans Abroad at the Second Stage Theatre, directed by Gordon Edelstein: The plot summary on the website mislead me into expecting a comedy about partying college students, but it was actually about the professors and the innerworkings of the English department and it wasn't that much of a comedy. I liked the play itself and some of the performances, but I wasn't a fan of the production. There wasn't so much a set as tables and chairs that would be moved to the back of the room after each scene, resulting in a cluttered mess at the end. I was very impressed with Tom Cavenaugh, who came into the production at the last minute, and gave a very compelling performance. I find Second Stage to be very hit or miss. See below for a hit.

Wednesday: Jay Brannan at the Highline Ballroom: Loved it. I'm reviewing this for 52shows.com.

Thursday: Animals Out of Paper at the Second Stage Uptown, directed by Giovanna Sardelli: I wasn't a huge fan of the only other show I've seen at Second Stage Uptown, Len Asleep in Vynl, so I didn't have high hopes for this one. But, wow, this was the highlight of my week that included seeing my favorite comedian and an amazing concert. The play was both hilarious and moving and the characters were well-developed and likeable, despite their many faults. Kellie Overbey plays Ilana, an origami artist who just went through a divorce and lost her dog. A teacher named Andy, played by the hilarious and heartbreaking Jeremy Shamos, visits her unexpectedly and asks her to mentor his genius student, Suresh, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, who brilliantly captured every nuance of his character.

Saturday: Mamma Mia! (the movie), directed by Phyllida Lloyd: Full disclosure: I really enjoy the stage musical. It may be cheesy, but it's a lot of fun, and never tries to be more than what it is, which is why I think it's the jukebox musical that succeeds most at being a jukebox musical. The movie was also fun and not as much of a disappointment as I thought it would be. Only a few songs were cut and only a few scenes changed. It works better on stage, in a movie it just looks too cheesy, but I was impressed that most of the actors pulled off their roles. I've never liked Meryl Streep (sorry A.O. Scott). I found that she overacts, but I didn't hate her in this. I found Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper to be charming.

Why Didn't I Know About This?

Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Bendham director) is directing a film adaptation of one of the first book in one of my favorite teen series, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. The film will be called Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. The trailer doesn't look great. It seems to tone down the wit and craziness of the books, but it's hard to tell from a preview. I couldn't find anything about a U.S. release, but I must find a way to see this film.

Tony Highlights

I have to say, I loved the Tony telecast this year. It was very entertaining, especially the acceptance speeches. My major complaint is the fact that they didn't televise a bunch of the major awards, including best revival of a play and best book of a musical. I really wanted to see Boeing Boeing and Stew win. I got 19/26correct as there were no major surprises this year. Here are some of my thoughts/favorite moments:

-Whoopi Goldberg did a good job as host, but I thought she could have done more with her appearing in scenes from musicals. Instead of just showing up and singing the word "Tony," she could have done spoofs on the shows themselves.

-Performances: I like medley performances the best. They allow for more actors to performs and gives the audience a better sense of the show. I wanted to see South Pacific and In the Heights before, but now I really want to see them. If Paulo Szot sounded that good on television, I can only imagine how he sounds live. I don't think the shows that weren't nominated (The Little Mermaid, A Catered Affair, and Young Frankenstein) should have performed. It only reminded me why those shows weren't nominated. Cry Baby chose a good number ("A Little Upset") to showcase the choreography (Rob Ashford should have won) and the ensemble, the two best things about the show. Sunday in the Park with George chose the wrong song, "Move On," from act two. Act one of the show is far superior. I loved seeing the RENT original cast, especially the ensemble, but where was Jesse L. Martin? I miss him. Daniel Evans from Sunday was totally rocking out.

-Acceptance speeches: There were so many good ones. Of course, the best speech has to go to Lin-Manuel Miranda who rapped his speech for best score. I really hope he didn't write any of that ahead of time. Best line--"Mr. Sondheim, look, I made a hat where there never was a hat. And it's a Latin hat at that." Brilliant. That speech alone would get me to buy tickets to his show. Runner-up goes to Patti LuPone for being such a diva, for being so unapologetic about it, and for telling the orchestra to shut up. I also loved Laura Benanti's heartfelt speech. She seemed genuinely moved that Arthur Laurents stood up for her. And finally, Mark Rylance, who totally deserved his win for one of the best comedic performance EVER, for totally confusing everyone in the audience by reciting prose by Louis Jenkins instead of thanking people. I have to add, yeah Boyd Gaines! I don't remember his speech too well, but I love him in general and as Herbie.

-Did anyone notice how when Mary-Lousie Parker presented the award for leading actor in a play, she rightly called Macbeth "the Scottish play," as it's bad luck to say the name in a theatre. Alec Baldwin, however, actually said the name. I guess that's the difference between theatre actors and movie actors.

-I don't really know where to put this, but I love how awkward Daniel Radcliffe is.

-Surprises: There weren't really any, but I did kind of think they'd give it to Raul Esparza because they felt bad about last year. I'm glad they didn't because it wasn't his best performance and I'm sure he'll have plenty more Tony-worthy performances ahead of him. I did think Sunday in the Park with George would win scenic design of a musical, but I haven't seen South Pacific yet.

Too Soon?

I was walking around Soho on my lunch break, when I noticed a poster for a new VH1 show, I Love the New Millenium. I'll admit, I was amused by I Love the '80s and would occasionally be sucked into the marathons. I thought it was a too early to have the right perspective for I Love the '90s, but now this is getting ridiculous. The decade isn't even over yet.

On a more positive note, in the fall, TopShop will open in Soho. It will be like having a little piece of London where I work.

I Say Twilight You Say Rock

I must admit, I was late to the Twilight party, but I've been completely sucked in (if you'll excuse the lame vampire pun) to this vampire/human love story. My sister described this addiction nicely before she finished the series, "When I'm not reading, I'm thinking about when I can read." I've been so into these books, I almost forgot how much fun it is to be a Harry Potter fan until I went to a Harry and the Potters concert last week.

Since Twilight author Stephenie Meyer is being compared to J.K. Rowling, I got to wondering if Twilight rock would be the new wizard rock. So far, I've only found two Twilight theme bands. The Bella Cullen Project, a mellow all female trio, and the Mitch Hansen Band, a mellow one-man band. Neither of these bands are really doing it for me. I'd like to see something with a little more energy and wit. Maybe some bands that sing in character, as Harry and the Potters do. Jacob and the Blacks anyone? Edward and the Cullens? Or how about Stupid Shiny Volvo Owners? If anybody knows of any other Twilight bands, I'd love to hear about it. If you read the books, what would you name your Twilight band?

There's No Business Like Show Business

It's that time of year again: Tony nominations. The biggest surprise was all the love for Cry-Baby. Best musical? Seriously? I would have liked more nominations for Is He Dead?, especially for Norbert Leo Butz, but at least David Pittu was nominated. And it closed a while ago so I wasn't really expecting it to do well. Here is the full list of nominees as well as some early predictions/thoughts. I haven't seen everything yet, but I'm hoping that will change before June 15.

Best Play:
August: Osage County
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps

I think it's a pretty safe bet that August will win, deservedly so.

Best Musical:
Cry-Baby
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

I have yet to see In the Heights, but considering it got the most noms this year (13), I think it might win. Maybe Passing Strange will take it (it did win the NY Drama Critics Circle Award), but I don't think there's a definite front runner yet.

Best Book of a Musical:
Cry-Baby
Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
In the Heights
Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing Strange
Stew
Xanadu
Douglas Carter Beane

I hope Stew wins something, but I don't think it will be for book, because that was not the strongest part of the show. Maybe In the Heights, but from what I've heard about Xanadu (which I also have not seen yet), this might be its category.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre:
Cry Baby
Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger
In the Heights
Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Little Mermaid
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Passing Strange
Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald
Lyrics: Stew

Well, The Little Mermaid does have a great score, but how is this nominated for best original score? Anyway, it's not going to win. I think this is the category that Passing Strange is most likely to win. It's interesting that two of the big front runners this year in the new musical categories are off Broadway transfers starring the man who also wrote the music for the show (Miranda and Stew).

Best Revival of a Play:
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Macbeth

Tough category this year, but I hope Boeing-Boeing wins. I encourage everyone to see this play. I am usually not a huge fan of farce, but I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard in a theatre.

Best Revival of a Musical:
Grease
Gypsy
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George

This might be the most competitive category this year (except for Grease, how'd that get in there?). I haven't seen South Pacific, but I from what I heard about it, it will probably win over Gypsy.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play:
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Patrick Stewart doesn't have a Tony, so maybe it will go to him, but Mark Rylance, who is generally known as a Shakespearean actor, gave a brilliant comedic performance that deserves to be recognized. I've heard amazing things about Ben Daniels as well.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play:
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County

It's all about the August women, and they are both deserving, but I think Amy Morton might take it.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical:
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair

I haven't seen either of these performances, but I believe it will be between Paulo Szot and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Stew's narration doesn't really seem like acting. I didn't care much for Evans and Wopat gave a good performance in an underwhelming musical.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George

Another tough category. This really was a good year for Broadway overall. I'll be surprised if LuPone doesn't win, but you never know.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play:
Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raul Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?

Will they give it to Esparza as a sorry for last year gesture? I sort of hope so, even though this wasn't his strongest performance.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play:
Sinead Cusack, Rock 'n' Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

I'm so happy for Mary McCormack. I hope she wins.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical:
Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Robin De Jesus, In the Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Patti LuPone gets most of the glory for Gypsy, but the rest of the cast is just as deserving, and Boyd Gaines should win.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical:
de'Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In the Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

What I said about Gaines, but for Benanti.

Best Scenic Design of a Play:
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Anthony Ward, Macbeth

August

Best Scenic Design of a Musical:
David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with George
Anna Louizos, In the Heights
Robin Wagner, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Sunday

Best Costume Design of a Play:
Gregory Gale, Cyrano de Bergerac
Rob Howell, Boeing-Boeing
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps

I loved the costumes from Boeing-Boeing, but I haven't seen any of these other plays.

Best Costume Design of a Musical:
David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Paul Tazewell, In the Heights
Catherine Zuber, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

I'll totally have to guess on this one for now, but South Pacific or Sunday.

Best Lighting Design of a Play:
Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County

Macbeth, maybe. Or The 39 Steps because Kevin Adams is brilliant.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Howell Binkley, In the Heights
Donald Holder, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid

Sunday, maybe Mermaid, but probably Sunday.

Best Sound Design of a Play:
Simon Baker, Boeing-Boeing
Adam Cork, Macbeth
Ian Dickson, Rock 'n' Roll
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps

Macbeth, maybe, or The 39 Steps.

Best Sound Design of a Musical:
Acme Sound Partners, In the Heights
Sebastian Frost, Sunday in the Park With George
Scott Lehrer, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy

I don't know too much about sound, so I won't even try to guess.

Best Direction of a Play:
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing

Since I'm assuming August will win for best play, Anna D. Shapiro.

Best Direction of a Musical:
Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Considering Laurents already has a Tony for Gypsy, Bartlett Sher. Correction, Laurents has never won a Tony for Gypsy, but I still stand by my original prediction.

Best Choreography:
Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu

Cry-Baby actually deserved this nomination. The choreography was really creative and the best part of the show, so hopefully Rob Ashford will win.

Best Orchestrations:
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair

Is anyone still reading this? Maybe they'll be nice and give one award to A Catered Affair, but I kind of doubt it. Probably Sunday.

I'm very excited to see what happens. This is an interesting year and I think the winners will be all over the place, (see this New York Times article). Congrats to all the nominees.

Schadenfreude

Playbill just announced that the new musical, Glory Days, is closing after only one performance and 17 previews. The show was written by two 23-year-olds (one of who was also in Cry Baby, poor guy) and stars four young actors. I feel really bad for them, I hope their spirits aren't totally crushed by the negative reviews, and I do think they have potential (especially actor Jesse JP Johnson, who gives the most real and touching performance in the group), but I can't help but be excited. I saw this show on Saturday and it wasn't horrible, but definitely not Broadway material. The closing notice puts that Saturday afternoon in a new perspective because now I can say that I've seen a show that will be remembered for how quickly it closed (see: Carrie), and that kind of makes me happy.

And now a word from our sponsors...

OK. I feel guilty about using this blog for this, but I am participating in AIDS Walk New York and so far I've only raised $25, so I thought I'd turn to the blogosphere for help. For more information, you can visit my personal page. If you are not interested, please ignore this post, but if you have some extra cash lying around, feel free to donate. Thanks for reading.

Nothing is too Wonderful to be True

It's a little early to be excited about this, but broadwayworld.com reports that a Houdini musical is in the works, aiming to open on Broadway in the spring of 2010. Danny Elfman, one of my favorite film composers, is set to do the music and David Yazbek will write the lyrics. Yazbek wrote the music and lyrics for one of my favorite musicals in recent years, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The two seem to have a similar sense of humor and I'm excited to see the results of this brilliant partnership.

Linda Recommends

I haven't posted in a few weeks and it's a slow Friday, so I'm going to do a round-up post. Consider this sort of like my Must List (sorry EW):

Music: She & Him Volume One: Even though this album was released on Tuesday, I feel a little late to this party. Still, better late than never. She & Him is one of my favorite actresses, Zooey Deschanel and singer/songwriter M. Ward. Aside from the Beatles cover (or covers, depending on whether you consider "You Really Got a Hold on Me" a Beatles song), it's quite an endearing album--wistful, folk-y, with a hint of 60s girl groups. The best part, all the tracks are available on the duo's MySpace.

Live Music: Juanes La Vida Tour. You can read a review I wrote of his album on the middle of this page. He really knows how to get a crowd going.

Television: Since I don't have a TV yet, I'm addicted to www.hulu.com, a website which offers full-length television episodes and films for free. I'm currently on the first season of Doogie Howser, M.D. I watched it sometimes when I was younger, but I think a lot of it went over my head, and it's much better than I remember. And thanks to the internet, I was able to watch the return of How I Met Your Mother, which included a brilliant line that probably only I enjoyed, "That's not so Raven."

Theatre: Macbeth is transferring to Broadway and I was lucky enough to see it at BAM. There's nothing I can say that the rave reviews haven't said, except seeing Patrick Stewart live is almost as cool as seeing him in Extras.

Food: For breakfast, I'm addicted to Nature's Path Organic Toaster Pastries, especially the Cherry Pomegran™. So much better (and better for you) than Pop-Tarts.

Next to Mediocre

As a former volunteer usher for the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center (home to the Civic Light Opera), I was excited to hear that it would be the location of the world premiere of the new musical Twice Upon a Time, slated to open at some point in the West End and possibly Broadway. Although after seeing the show, I'm not sure I should get my hopes up about being able to brag that I saw a show in my little corner of California before it went to London.

Previews began on Feb. 13 and opening night was Feb. 16 (the night I saw it). The show is set to close on March 2. The show is written and directed by Ray Cooney with music by Chris Walker and lyrics by Mary Stewart-David. I know workshops are a work in progress, but I was expecting something that I could at least picture eventually making its way to London, especially since Cooney is already a well-established British playwright.

The flimsy plot is centered around Steven (Brandon Michael Perkins), who lives in London and is a successful lawyer with a smoking problem. At his boss's insistence, he goes to a psychiatrist who uses hypnosis to get Steven to quit. His methods send Steven back to a former life as a Chicago gangster named Johnny. From then on, any wave of an object can send Steven back to Chicago and each time we have to deal with nauseating light flashes and echoes of the last dialogue he hears. This is where it gets confusing. Is he watching his old life? Is he a part of it? Can he actually change the course of Johnny's history? I still don't know the answer to these questions. In any case, Johnny falls in love with his mob boss' girlfriend Ruby (Misty Cotton), but in the present Steven is in engaged to Barbara (Jennifer Malenke), his boss's daughter. It is hard to get attached to any of the characters because we are never with them for long enough to really grasp what's going on or why they feel the they do for each other.

The show has an old-fashioned feel, which pays homage to Guys and Dolls with its gangsters singing and dancing routines. One could argue that a great storyline is not necessary. In how many shows does the love story show any real development? But usually those musicals, like say Anything Goes, have scores written by brilliant songwriters, like say Cole Porter. The score here, while enjoyable, especially the lovely ballad "The Truth About Ruby," is not enough to sustain the show.

Neither are the individual great scenes, which don't really tie together as a whole. These include an especially hilarious trip to the wedding caterers and an adorable dance number with Millicent Martin (whose character is pretty extraneous, but fun to watch).

Overall, the cast is strong. Perkins is charming in his double duty, but I still do not understand the appeal of Cotton, who stars in almost every Civic Light Opera production. Her voice is nothing special and her acting is cold. (Full disclosure: There are a few critically acclaimed actors that I've never understood the appeal of, like Bernadette Peters, so I might be missing something here.) The ensemble numbers are very well done, and a few supporting characters were particularly talented--Danny Bolero as Dr. Patel for his vocal work and Matt Bezmarevich as the catering manager for his comedic work.

This show may never be a smash hit, but with some plot changes and tightening and a new leading lady, it could be decent. On second thought, it might make it to London. After all, Starlight Express did well over there.

On the opposite coast, Next to Normal is another show with rumors of an eventual Broadway transfer. The off-Broadway show already has a cult following and got decent reviews, even after various workshops under the title Feeling Electric, it's still a mess.

This latest incarnation, directed by Michael Greif, who has a good track record with RENT and Grey Gardens, officially opened at the Second Stage Theatre on Feb. 13 and is set to close on March 16.

Dan (Brian d'Arcy James) and Diana (Alice Ripley) are parents to Natalie (Jennifer Damiano) and Gabe (Aaron Tveit). Natalie is dating Henry (Adam Chandler-Berat) and their relationship often mirrors that of her parents. Although Henry is the most endearing character, his presence takes away from getting too deep into other relationships, which are the heart of the story. I can't talk much about the plot without giving too much away, which is exactly the problem--it's too gimmicky. If you want to tell a story about manic-depression and how it affects a family, just do it without relying on cliche plot surprises and ridiculous musical numbers.

There is a lot about this show to like, which is what makes it so frustrating to watch. I so wanted it to be better. Kevin Adams lighting combined with Mark Wendland's three-tiered set is visually stunning. Tom Kitt's adrenaline-pumping rock score is strong, if only it wasn't undercut by Brian Yorkey's often insufferable lyrics. James does stupendous vocal work as always and he gives his character as much depth as he can in the scenes he is in. Having never seen Ripley, but having heard of her talent, I was disappointed with her voice, which was often nasally, but her acting made up for it. The young actors are also talented in the vocal department, but the acting is sometimes too over-the-top. Tveit is probably going to be a Broadway teen heartthrob a la the Spring Awakening kids, but his moves sometimes make Zac Efron's "Bet on It" look subtle. Damiano is also prone to this kind of arm flailing. Chandler-Berat was the most real on stage, however unnecessary his role.

A Broadway-transfer wouldn't be the worst thing, but before then, this show needs to decide what it wants to be. A few friends of mine were commenting on the sincerity of the musical Spring Awakening. I actually found the sincerity of that show refreshing, but in Next to Normal, some of the scenes are so earnest and then it will turn to satire with a Costco musical number. I'm all for a musical that deals with manic depression, but all those involved need to have more confidence in the story they are telling. And please, don't ever think that shock therapy should be put to music.

Some West Coast Competition for Magnolia

Too often, quality and/or popular food means giving up the customer experience. At Sprinkles Cupcakes in Los Angeles, customers wait outside, only to be herded in and out with no time to make a decision. BabyCakes Baking Company in Torrance, CA rivals every cupcake bakery on both coasts, plus the husband/wife team who own it make every customer feel welcome.

The bakery opened about two months ago. The pink and white decor gives the place an old-fashioned feel. The couple used to cater out of their house where she had time to perfect dozens of cupcake recipes. Every day, five signature cupcakes are offered and the rest vary from day to day.

We arrived about an hour before closing on a Saturday. They were running low on cupcakes, and they were out of her specialty, the vanilla with vanilla bean frosting. We said that was ok as you can get vanilla cupcakes anywhere, but the husband insisted that these were different, and she whipped us up one. While we were waiting, he gave us free samples (mini cupcakes which are sold for a dollar) of the chocolate mousse and the red velvet.

We purchased four cupcakes to split. I didn't try the lemon, but the strawberry cupcake with fresh strawberry buttercream was made with fresh strawberries which meant it was not too sweet. The banana with caramel frosting was good, although it tasted more like a muffin. But he was certainly right about the vanilla cupcake. The whipped cream center is a unique and delicious touch.

The bakery also sells cookies, muffins, and other pastries. The cupcakes cost $2.50 and the fresh ingredients and customer service definitely make it worth the price. I'm already looking forward to my next trip home when I can return for the sparkling pear cupcake made with champagne. And if they don't have it, I'll guess I'll just have to keep going back until they do.

Spinal Tap Fans Unite!

On Friday, I attended a Q&A with the cast of The Homecoming at Borders. Afterwards, I had the cast sign a copy of the play (no matter how hard I try, I can't shake the fan girl out of me). I spoke to Michael McKean about a few things, including This Is Spinal Tap, and he encouraged me to write a letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame asking them to admit Spinal Tap, as the band is approaching its 25 year anniversary. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website, "Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll." Nowhere does it say that fictitious bands are ineligible. I decided to take it upon myself to fight for this worthy cause and encourage others to do the same. Spinal Tap in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Things That Make Me Confused

If I were to write my own version of "My Favorite Things," two items that would probably be on the list are musical theatre and dessert, or maybe I'd break up dessert into two sub-categories, cupcakes and ice cream. But that doesn't mean that I'm excited about this. Or this.

I guess the Catered Affair wedding cupcake makes sense because the show is about a wedding, but what about Spring Awakening suggests an oversized ice cream sundae? I guess they left that part out of the play about teenagers in Germany in the 1890s hanging out at the local malt shop. And is the Broadway industry so desperate that shows now have to pimp themselves out to dessert companies?

The Best Cure for the WGA Strike Blues

The rumor is that the WGA strike will end soon, but it will probably be a while before new episodes of non-reality shows air. In the meantime, you might want to check out The Battery's Down, a new web show about an actor trying to make it in New York City.

The two-part first episode premiered on February first and a new episode will be available on the website and on YouTube the first of every month.

The show was created by Jake Wilson, who also stars in it. He has a pretty impressive resume and some friends in the business, judging from the guest appearances on the show, but I wouldn't be surprised if this show gets him better offers.

Sometimes the show is a little too over-the-top, but it's meant to be. The catchy Avenue Q-like theme song and the Ferris Bueller musical are highlights (except for the fact that I fear some producer will see that and get an idea), but the selling point is the big musical number, "This Is Your Life," which squeezes as many theatre references as it can into a few minutes.

The show is obviously aimed at a very specific audience, so I'm guessing non-musical theatre junkies won't be too amused. But you might want to check it out anyway. It sure beats Celebrity Apprentice.*

* I've never actually seen that show.

Everybody's Gonna Love Today... Except Me

A fun little post for 52shows.com about my inability to get into a sold out show.

More Reasons to Love the Roundabout

As I said in the previous entry, I've been seeing tons of theatre lately. Some excellent ("Happy Days"), some good ("The Farnsworth Invention"), and some disappointing ("The Little Mermaid"), but I feel compelled to write about "Speech and Debate" because you are less likely to have heard about it.

I've loved the Roundabout Theatre Company since I saw Assassins at Studio 54 in 2004, which had one of the best ensemble casts I've seen in live theatre. Since then, I've never been disappointed in any of their productions. In the fall, the company introduced Access Roundabout, an initiative to encourage young adults to attend live theatre with discounted tickets to every performance, and Roundabout Underground at its new Black Box Theatre in the basement of the Laura Pels Theatre. The first of the productions is Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam. The play officially opened on October 29 and since then has been extended several times.


It is refreshing to see such an intimate theatre space just a block from Times Square. There is a cozy waiting area with couches and a bar for early arrivers. The theatre itself, which is general admission, seats about 60.

Three high school students with varying agendas who have secrets about themselves and their drama teacher form an alliance in, as you may have guessed, a speech and debate team. Solomon (Jason Fuchs) is an aspiring journalist, Howie (Gideon Glick) is a recent transfer who wants to start a gay-straight alliance, and Diwata (Sarah Steele) wants to star in the school musical and is also working on her own musical version of The Crucible. For a non-musical, this has some of the best musical numbers I've seen this season. From the sample of Crucible, one can only hope for a Speech and Debate sequel with the full scale version.

Susan Blackwell is the only "adult" in the show, and while she masters who two scenes, she lets her three young co-stars steal the show. Fuchs captures the anxieties and innocence of his character with little details like biting his thumb nail. Glick, is playing a teenager who came out at the age of ten, a far cry from the confused Ernst he played in Spring Awakening, but it would be a shame if he always gets typecast as the gay one. Still, he out of everyone feels most like a teenager in the way he can portray ultra-confidence and complete insecurity at the same time. Steele was Adam Sandler's sweet, chubby, smiling daughter in Spanglish, and one of the best parts of the movie, but who knew she could sing, dance, and bring so much humor and depth to a character? She's definitely one to watch.

The show is now set to close on Feb. 24. It would be nice if it would extend again so even more audiences could see it, but one can always look forward to the next Roundabout Underground show, if this is going to be the standard.

I'm back.

To the few people who read my blog regularly (hi mom), I apologize for being so bad about updating. I recently started a new job and to be honest, I've been wondering whether it'd be worth it to keep this blog up. But lately I've been thinking, even though I do a lot of writing at my job, I should have an outlet for review writing, just for fun, whether or not people read it. So I will try and write more regularly. I've been seeing tons of theatre lately (more than I should probably admit to), so more on that to come.

I'm Down With OSP

You must check out Old Springs Pike. Here's the review I wrote on one of their shows for 52shows.com.

A Death Over 100 Years in the Making

It's probably a good thing that Is He Dead?, written by Mark Twain in 1898, hasn't been performed until now because it's hard to imagine any actor in those 109 years could be as captivating as Norbert Leo Butz. The play, directed by Michael Blakemore, officially opens today (although the Playbill still lists the pre-strike opening night, November 29) at the Lyceum Theatre. In 2002, Stanford University English Professor Shelley Fisher Fishkin rediscovered the Twain play and brought it to producer Bob Boyett, who recruited David Ives for the adaptation (Jesse Green wrote a fascinating article on the process from the discovery to the production for the New York Times).

In the play, French painter Jean-Francois Millet (Norbert Leo Butz) can't sell a painting. When a snooty English man (played to comic perfection by David Pittu) wants to buy one of his paintings and then changes his mind upon realizing that the painter is still alive, Millet realizes that the only way for an artist to be successful is to die. His friends help him fake death, forcing Millet to pose as his widowed sister handling his affairs.

There is nothing particularly original or groundbreaking here, but then again most of it was written over a hundred years ago. Still, it's rare to find a show this funny that never loses its momentum. This is in large part due to the Butz, who bounces around the stage in drag with the same energy he displayed in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The supporting cast is just as engaging, especially Byron Jennings as the villainous Bastien Andre, complete with wicked laugh, and Pittu as four minor characters with a variety of accents. Even Jenn Gambatese was able to redeem herself from memories of the disappointing Tarzan with her performance as Millet's simple lover.

Aside from the problem of the multiple doors not staying shut, Peter J. Davison makes fantastic use of the vast stage with his set design. The cluttered effect of paintings everywhere makes the stage look much smaller in the first act, in contrast to the grandiose white room of the second act, when the characters have money.

Time will tell how successful the play is with critics and audiences, but with the all-star treatment Is He Dead? is getting, it's hard not to see parallels between Millet and Twain, who was just coming out of bankruptcy when he wrote this. I guess the answer to the question is that no, an artist is never really dead as long as his work lives on.

Northernly Exposed, Again

In the early '90s, my television habits mostly consisted of educational programs and cartoons. There were shows that my parents watched that were forbidden to me and my younger brother, such as Beverly Hills 90210, but the one "adult" show that they never had a problem letting me join them for was Northern Exposure. I was not even 8 years old when the show first aired, so I'm sure some of it went over my head (Chris in the Morning quoting Jung, for example), but I loved it. Now that the show is reairing on a local PBS station (which means no commercials), I can experience the show from an older and supposedly wiser perspective.

Northern Exposure aired from 1990 to 1995. The show was about Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow), a Jewish Columbia med school grad, who was forced to practice four years in the fictitious town of Cicily, Alaska to pay off his medical school debt. The characters are what appealed to me so much the first time--Joel's love interest and sparring partner Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner), the sweetly innocent film buff Ed Chigliak (Darren Burrows), the Rolling Stone-ordained minister and DJ Chris Stevens (John Corbett), Joel's often silent secretary Marilyn Whirlwind (Elaine Miles), the young and silly Shelly Tambo (Cynthia Geary) dating the much older Holling Vinceour (John Cullum), and the rich astronaut Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin).

What I didn't remember about the show is how brilliantly the wide range of music tied in with the plots. One particular example that stands out is "Pretty Lady" from Sondheim's Pacific Overtures during a flashback of Maurice seeing Shelly for the first time. It sounds like pretty background music for a love at first sight scene, but the lyrics about sailors mistaking a Japanese girl for a prostitute reveal that the situation is more about love than lust.

It's pretty rare to find a show with intelligent dialogue that balances funny and tender moments. It's even more rare to find a show that everybody in my family enjoys. I'm so happy to have rediscovered it, I just may be tempted to save up for the complete series on DVD.

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd...

I tend to view Entertainment Weekly as a guilty pleasure magazine, but I am often pleasantly surprised at how well-written and informative it can be, especially in the Holiday Movie Preview issue. I usually don't like to read too much about a movie that I'm anticipating because I like to be surprised, but I really enjoyed this article by Steve Daly about the making of Sweeney Todd. It gives an interesting look at how the film was made, without giving too much away. I especially loved that Stephen Sondheim approved Depp for the role without hearing him sing.

Tonight We're Going to Party Like it's 1999

As I mentioned in a previous entry, today both the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears released new albums, titled Unbreakable and Blackout, respectively. MSN.com offers a free listen, but it's not really worth wasting an hour and a half of your time (I learned that the hard way).

The Backstreet Boys, in addition to developing an inexplicable fondness for the prefix "un," delivered a boring album. Each power ballad seems to be a weaker version of the one before and even the few dance tracks seem to drag.

Britney Spears' Blackout is no more memorable. Most of the songs sound like the repetitive "Gimme More," all sung in that breathy whine of hers. I will give her one thing over BSB, she does know how to laugh at herself, such as in the autobiographical "Piece of Me" with lyrics like, "I'm Mrs. Most likely to go on TV for stripping on the streets." I can't give her too much credit, as she didn't write the lyrics.

Maybe Ms. Spears should have asked advice from her former beau and the Backstreet Boys should have enlisted Justin Timberlake's help instead of JC Chasez because so far, JT seems to be winning the battle of the '90s pop stars.

52shows

I started writing for a live music blog, 52shows.com. My review of the Pipettes at the Echoplex is up now.

I Want Candy

I love October--pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, the beautiful fall weather, and candy sales galore. I know I'm supposed to be buying candy for the kids who will come around trick-or-treating, but I can never resist the urge to try whatever new combinations of flavors the candy makers will come up with each Halloween (I'm a purist for many things, but candy isn't one of them). This year, three new variations on some classics caught my attention.


The limited edition Elvis Reese's are my favorite so far. It's pretty much the same peanut butter and chocolate goodness, but with banana creme. It's like a peanut butter and banana sandwich, but better because it has chocolate. It's also a better combination than the caramel Reese's that were introduced last year.


Candy Corn Hershey's Kisses, which are only available at Target, also combine two of my favorite flavors--candy corn and chocolate. They are certainly cute and while there is a hint of candy corn, the overpowering flavor is white chocolate. One of these Kisses is more substantial that one candy corn, but I think candy corn is one treat that tastes better in its "natural" form.


Three Musketeer Mint was the most disappointing. This dark chocolate bar with a mint filling tastes very similar to a York. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but the only thing inherently 3 Musketeers about it is the fluffy texture. I was thinking that it would have the traditional chocolate nougat in addition to the mint, but that was not the case.

Anyone else have any particularly good or bad candy experiences this Halloween?

Backstreet's Back, Alright?

I will forever associate the Backstreet Boys with the summer of 1996. I was vacationing in Europe with my family and "Get Down" was a huge hit in pretty much every country we visited. Despite its ridiculous lyrics (especially in AJ's rap attempt), I couldn't help but dance along every time it came on. I wondered who these five guys were and why I hadn't heard of them, but gave it little thought until two years later when their US debut album, Backstreet Boys, became a huge hit. I'll admit that I bought that album (using my little sister as an excuse). I bought it mostly for sentimental value, but I actually enjoyed it. I was pretty anti manufactured pop groups at the time, but something about this group appealed to me. Maybe it was the harmonies, maybe it was the dance parties it provided the soundtrack for, maybe it was the whispered spoken interludes between many songs (but probably not). As fond as I was of the group, don't count on me waiting in line on October 30 to buy its seventh album (minus Kevin), Unbreakable. Incidentally, this is the same release date as the album for another blast from the '90s past, Britney Spears.

Unbreakable's first single, "Inconsolable" is yet another ballad, which could be the cousin of "Shape of My Heart." The harmonies aren't as strong with one less voice, but it's a perfectly acceptable song for the Backstreet Boys. I probably wouldn't have had a problem with it had it been on Backstreet Boys, but I don't want to see these guys post-marriage, post-children, post-rehab, trying to relive their glory days. I want to remember the Backstreet Boys as they were when I first saw that video on MTV in Europe and they persuaded me to get down.

You can check out "Inconsolable" here

No es Perfecta, es Miranda! mi Amor

If you’ve never heard of Miranda!, think Argentine version of the Scissor Sisters meets Mika. Ale Sergi (vocals), Juliana Gattas (vocals), Lolo Fuentes (guitar), and Nicolas Monoto Grimaldi (bass) specialize in over-the-top theatrics and electro-pop fun. El Disco de tu Corazon, Miranda!’s third full-length studio album was released on August 28 in the United States. The bright and glittery packaging of the album is hard to resist (and why I picked up the album in the first place at a music store in Buenos Aires), but the music itself ends up falling slightly short of expectations.

Nothing on this album is as addictive as the band’s biggest hit “Don,” off of the album Sin Restricciones. With its constant changes, danceable beats, and falsetto vocals, it was different from anything being produced in Argentina at the time. The problem is that when a band perfects the art of the pop song, it’s hard not to hit a plateau. Still, there are plenty of enjoyable dance tracks like the eerie “Prisionero” and the silly “Hola.” “No Me Celes” is perhaps the best song on the album, and it doesn’t even have the aid of synthesizers and sound effects, just sweet vocals and a Latin-flavored melody courtesy of la guitarra de Lolo. None of the lyrics on this album are as clever as “Don” or as provocative as “El Profe,” (also off Sin Restricciones) a song about a professor seducing a student. On “Voces,” when Ale sings “Voces adentro de mi costantemente quieren convencerme de algo que hare sin querer (voices inside of me want to convince me of something I’ll do without thinking),” it comes off as cheesy, but not in the self-aware way of previous albums, such as when the band performs telenovela theme covers.

For all these petty complaints, it’s hard not to love Miranda! After all, the title of the album translates to the album of your heart, and how can a band who wears superhero outfits, top hats, and roller skates, not find its way to your heart?

Disney Channel's Newest Original Series is Anything But

For its newest series, Wizards of Waverly Place, Disney uses its tried-and-true recipe. Familar faces from other Disney Channel shows/movies. Check. A fashionable and spunky heroine with a secret. Check. Annoying brother. Check. Check. Mean girl. Check. Dorky best friend. Check. The formula worked well in the past, but this show could have used a bit more originality to give kids a reason to watch when they could be watching Hannah Montana or Harry Potter.

Wizards of Waverly Place premiered last night at 9:30 p.m., although from now on it will air Fridays at 8:30 p.m. Alex (Selena Gomez), her older brother Justin (David Henrie), and her younger brother Max (Jake T. Austin) are three wizards in training. Before you think Hogwarts, this show is more Sabrina the Teenage Witch than Harry Potter. By day, they keep their magic a secret and attend school in New York City and by night (well, more like afternoon), their father (David DeLuise) teaches them wizardry.

In the first episode, Alex duplicates herself so she can attend a crazy 10 minute sale and not have to miss wizard class. Disney Channel has been running promos featuring this episode's major plot points all month long, which only added to the "Haven't I seen this before?" feeling. The funniest moments took place in the form of pop culture references. The sale took place at Suburban Outfitters, Max got his first wand, an eWand which doubles as an MP3 player, and the duplication spell sounds like "Edge Bono U2 sus".

If anything, this episode just leaves the viewer with questions. Are there other wizards in New York City? Why does the dad ask Alex to duplicate him at the end? Isn't he a wizard too? Is the mom a wizard? The terms for the show are not really set, although a visit to the Disney Channel website does answer some of these questions. The children are training for their wizard test, which will determine which one will keep his/her powers. There can only be one wizard per family. Their father already lost his powers to his brother, which explains why he cannot do magic himself.

As far as acting goes, it's pretty par for the course for a Disney series. Henrie is likeable as the teacher's pet older brother, but Austin has definitely not improved in the acting department since "Johnny Kapahala Back on Board." Gomez seems to be trying too hard to be the next Disney Channel starlet. Of course, I'm not the show's target audience and tweens will no doubt enjoy the crazy antics without too much questioning.

There is still time for Wizards of Waverly Place to improve. This was only the first episode. Maybe the next few won't feel so much like an edgebonoutoosus spell gone wrong.

High School Musical: La Seleccion Es Lo Mas!

By now, everybody knows about the phenomenon that is High School Musical, which includes two movies, an ice tour, and a stage musical. Pre-pubescent Americans aren’t the only ones buying it up, the little made-for-tv musical that could is a worldwide phenomenon. In Argentina, High School Musical is so popular that Disney is creating an Argentine production of the film (until now, tweens watched a dubbed version with the songs played in their original English for their HSM fix). In order to cast the leads, Canal 13 is airing High School Musical: La Seleccion, a reality show in the tradition of You’re the One that I Want and its British predecessor How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria. A Mexican version of La Seleccion is simultaneously being aired in Mexico.

High School Musical: La Seleccion airs every Sunday night on Canal 13 in Argentina and replayed every Monday night on the Disney Channel, but episodes can be viewed worldwide on the channel’s website. Episodes are usually up by Tuesday and there is a backlog of episodes to catch up on the season. Twenty-six thousand young adults were narrowed down to 20. There are eight remaining and of those eight, four will be chosen to portray Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, and Sharpay.

Argentine reality shows (of which there are many) tend to be much more rigorous than American versions. The 20 finalists attend “escuela,” a sort of High School Musical training school. Each week culminates in a concert in front of a live studio audience. A panel of four judges the performances and the scores are then combined with a score for escuela. The two with the lowest scores go to the phone votes. Unlike You’re the One That I Want, only one person is eliminated each time, regardless of sex. Therefore, a boy can be up against a boy, a girl against a girl, or a boy against a girl (this last one is not really fair, because the boy almost always beats out the girl in the phone votes). Whoever wins the phone votes is still allowed to participate in the concerts. Unlike other reality show in which the losers go home, the kids who lose the phone vote still participate in school and are usually background dancers and singers during the concerts. Also, everybody had a chance to participate in the recording of the soundtrack (for the television show, not the movie), which is already gold in Argentina.

Last week was the final week for eliminations and the eight remaining finalists, four boys and four girls, will perform in the concerts until the end. So far, everybody who was eliminated deserved to go home. The theme of the show is “cantar, actuar, bailar” (sing, act, and dance), but of the original 20, only about six are a triple threat. This week, each contestant performed a song and the judges made comments, but did not give scores. At the end, the judges deliberated and decided which roles four of the contestants would be competing for. The other four will be decided next week. The whole episode was fairly pointless, but entertaining nonetheless.

Most of the contestants go by cutesy nicknames and the eight finalists are Fernando Dente (Fer), Walter Bruno (just Walter), Juan Macedonio (Juanchi), Gaston Vietto (he goes by Gaston, but they also call him “El Charango,” the name of an instrument which he plays), Agustina Vera (Agus), Delfina Peña (Delfi), Sofia Petros (Sofi), and Valeria Baroni (Vale).

Of the remaining male contestants, Fer has the best voice. He has a good range, consistently gives entertaining performances, and can actually dance and sing at the same time without losing his breath. He is a versatile actor who can do great comedic performances, but can also play the Romeo. The judges have not yet decided whether he will be competing for Troy or Ryan. He does have the Troy hair going on, but he is so good at being silly that I kind of hope he plays Ryan. He is the only one of the four that I think can do something with the role.

Walter is probably my favorite. I love his falsetto and his self deprecating humor (the poor kid has braces). The judges also haven’t decided which role he is going for, but if they have any sense, they will pick him for a Troy.

Juanchi is one of the fan favorites, but he is the most inconsistent of the males. He brings the house down with his rock performances, but he does not have the best vocal range. Altough he has given some weak vocal performances, he is, as the judges say, an excellent "showman". When he had to sing Mika’s “Grace Kelly,” a song that was clearly out of his range, he worked it with his energy and dance moves and the audience and judges ate it up. The judges picked him as a Ryan, which seems a little off. He is too rock ‘n’ roll and not enough musical theatre. He would make a good Chad, since he’s got that whole too cool for school thing going on, but unfortunately, they’re not auditioning for that role.

Gaston has no right still being in the competition. He has yet to sing an entire song without going out of tune. Gaston was saved twice by the fans and it’s fairly safe to say it was because of his looks. He was lucky last week because there were no more eliminations, otherwise he would have been in the bottom two again. The judges picked him as a finalist for Troy, much to everybody’s shock, but I think they did it because they know he won’t win and it will guarantee that either Walter or Fer will be Troy.

Delfi has the best voice of the girls. She looks a little too old to be Gabriella, but I was really hoping she’d get that role. The judges picked her as a finalist for Sharpay, probably because she is the only blonde and it's the role that she obviously wanted. However, this week she did some acting scenes as Sharpay and I have to say her acting abilities leave something to be desired, although she did channel her inner diva when performing her rendition of “Bop to the Top.” Sure beats Ashley Tisdale.

Agus has by far the best personality and acting skills of the girls. One of the best performances was Agus and Fer singing “Don” by Miranda! They have such great chemistry on and off stage that ideally she would play Sharpay to his Ryan. Agus does not have the most consistent voice, but at least she does not have a lot to live up to. The judges haven’t decided which role she is going for, but I kind of worry that she would lose to Delfi because everyone is convinced that she is Sharpay (probably because she is blonde). It wouldn’t be the worst thing if she played Gabriella; she gave a very sweet performance to Fer’s Troy.

The judges seem to love Sofia, but there is nothing special about her. She has a decent voice, but she does not show enough emotion when she sings and seems very stuck up. She might make a good Taylor, but she is going for the role of Gabriella.

Vale also has a decent voice, but she is boring. She always gives the most forgettable performances, plus she would have been in the bottom two last week, so she doesn’t seem to have a good shot. The judges haven’t decided who she is going against, but it hardly matters because she won't beat either Delfi or Sofi, the judges’ darlings.

The judges are one of the main reasons why the show works so well. They give constructive and detailed comments and hopefully the contestants are learning from them. The three female judges—-Soleded Pastorutti (singer), Laura Oliva (dancer/actress), and Andrea Del Boca (actress)—-are too nice. They tend to give everybody high scores, but somehow their comments are detailed enough to make up for it. Andrea is the worst, she pretty much always gives tens. She admitted in one episode that she wanted to be the nice one, but she’s not helping anyone by telling these kids that they are perfect and they don’t need to improve. The best and most under-appreciated judge is Peter “I’m sorry” Macfarlane (opera and musical theatre director), the Simon Cowell of the group. The contestants, judges, and audience members seem to hate him, but he obviously knows his stuff. He has never given anyone a ten because nobody has ever given a perfect performance. He constantly teaches musical terms to host Matias Martin, the family members of the contestants, and anybody else who cares to listen. His biggest pet peeve is singers who go out of tune (and rightly so). He also calls the “professors” out for the songs they choose, such as songs in English for students who clearly cannot pronounce a word of it or the “Grace Kelly” fiasco.

The coaches, Ricky Pashkus (theatrical director), Virginia Modica (vocal coach), Fernando Lopez Rossi (musical director), Veronica Garabello (dancing coach) are always ready to defend their choices, which often results in some pretty intense arguments. A frequent complaint by the judges is the English songs. Many Latin singers do sing in English, but these kids are just starting out. It’s hard enough for them to perform every week without the added difficulty of pronunciation. It would be one thing if every contestant had a song with the same level of difficulty every week, but the song selection seems totally random. Someone will perform a rock song, someone else a ballad, someone will sing in English, another in Spanish, some have to perform a duet, and others solo. The show would have benefited from theme nights to level the playing field, such as duet night, musical night, movie night, maybe even Queen night (they seem to really like picking Queen songs).

It's not perfect, but this is still a really well done television show that I can't get enough of.

You can watch episodes on the Canal 13 website.

Ben Kweller at the Echo

Check out my PopMatters review of Ben Kweller's three nights at the Echo.

Hope for the Sitcom

Last season of How I Met Your Mother ended with one of Barney's (played by the brilliant Neil Patrick Harris) catchphrases, "Legen... wait for it." Season three picked up right where he left off, with the "dary." This ability of the writers to carry a running joke is what makes How I Met Your Mother one of the funniest shows on television right now.

The season premiere of How I Met Your Mother aired Monday night at 8 p.m. on CBS. Ted Moseby is still telling his two children the story of how he met their mother (the narration by Bob Saget still feels as extraneous as it did in the first two seasons). Despite the changes this season, namely that Marshall and Lily are married and Ted and Robin broke up, it's the same old show with high fives, suiting up, and hanging out at the bar.

The season premiere featured Enrique Iglesias as Gael, Robin's new boyfriend and Mandy Moore as Amy, a girl Ted uses to try and "win the break-up." This is not a show that needs to rely on big name guest stars. A scene in which the boys have trouble pronouncing Gael would have been just as funny with an unkown sitting at the table.

The highlight of the episode came at the tag where Marshall sends Barney a link to slapcountdown.com. Last season, Marshall and Barney were involved in a slap bet which Barney lost and given the option of ten slaps in succession or five slaps over an eternity, he chooses the latter. Two of the slaps have already been doled out, and three are remaining. The website, which countdowns to the next slap, can be accessed on CBS.com.

The show's creators are promising that the "mother" will finally appear, but by this point in the series, it hardly matters. The amusing characters and running jokes are enough to carry the show even after the mystery of the mother is revealed.

624 hours in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is doing well these days. For all the economic turmoil Argentina has gone through, residents are finally spending again, and the prices reflect this. It's no longer possible to buy a pair of shoes for 10 American dollars as I did on my last trip four years ago, but at least it is still possible for three people to eat out at a nice restaurant with a show for about $10 each.

Lunch: Any confiteria in Buenos Aires is a good place for breakfast or lunch (I never really woke up early enough for breakfast). A confiteria is similar to a cafe or tea house and I've never been to a bad one. I usually opt for tostadas, sort of like grilled cheese but thinner than the American version. For meat eaters, tostadas with cheese and jamon crudo (prosciutto) is supposed to be quite good. Sandwiches de miga are another typical lunch food. It's also made with thin bread and no crust. Mr. Miga, which has various stores around the city, has options ranging from pineapple to corn to roquefort cheese.

Merienda: Tea time is known as merienda, and is usually around 5 p.m. The options for my favorite meal of the day are overwhelming. Tostadas are also an option for merienda and any confiteria will have a good selection of coffee. If you're more into chocolate, submarinos are available everywhere and can also be prepared at home. Made with hot milk and melted chocolate, submarinos get their name because the chocolate bars are long and slender and look like a submarine when placed inside the milk. Submarinos are usually made with Chocolate Aguila, available at any grocery store or kiosko. The best place to get a submarino, if you feel like spending a little extra, is Park Hyatt hotel (located at Avenida Alvear 1661), which offers specialty submarinos using truffles instead of chocolate bars. I really enjoyed the dark chocolate, which was not too sweet. Other options include white chocolate, whiskey, or mocha.

Pastries known as factura go well with coffee or submarinos or mate (an herbal drink made with yerba). There are different types of factura and anything with dulce de leche is a good option, but the most typical are the media lunas, which look like a small croissant, but taste sweeter. Any bakery will have a good assortment and I've never had a bad batch of factura anywhere in Buenos Aires.

Alfajores, another Argentina delicacy, are like big cookies filled with dulce de leche and usually covered in chocolate (there are variations on the fillings and coatings). They are available at every kiosco, but the best place for an alfajor is Havannah. You can sit down and have a coffee and alfajor at the store (you won't have trouble finding one as they are almost as prominent as Starbucks in the United States) or take a box home.

If you don't feel like going out for merienda, just go to the nearest kiosco, buy as much candy and chocolate as you feel like eating and take it up to wherever you are staying. I recommend Tita (chocolate with a wafer inside) and Bananita Dolca (chocolate with banana flavored filling).

If it's Monday, go to Freddo for buy one get one free ice cream and then take home a few kilos for dessert for the rest of the week. The dulce de leche ice cream tastes like pure dulce de leche instead of the caramel stuff that they try to pass for dulce de leche in the United States. The consistency of the ice cream is also smoother than anything I've found at home. The other two ice cream shops in the same league as Freddo are Persicco and Volta. Persicco has chocuquina ice cream with pieces of Chocolina cookies and Volta offers Bananita Volta (which tastes like Bananita Dolca). But if you just want a simple dulce de leche granizado, Freddo is still the best.

Dinner- Dinner is never earlier than 9 p.m. and can be as late as 1 a.m. Fabricas de pasta (places that make fresh pasta) are just as common as confiterias. My favorite place for fresh pasta to make at home is San Jose de Flores. They really pack the filling into the raviolis for exquisite flavor.

Nightlife- Like any big city, Buenos Aires has enough theatre, bars, clubs, and restaurants to never be bored. The best thing is with the new non-smoking laws, you can have a night out and come home without smelling like smoke. Paseo La Plaza (Av. Corrientes 1660) is a good place to start. It is an area with tons of little theatres, bars, restaurants, and shops. It is also the home of The Cavern, an imitation of the Cavern in Liverpool. We saw a talented George Harrison tribute band called Dark Horse.

There is no shortage of options of tango in the city, but a good choice that is not too touristy is La Viruta. It's kind of hard to find because it's located under the Armenian cultural center. The cover price gets you in for tango lessons, dancing, and a tango show. Make reservations if you want a table. Three-course meal specials are only 20 pesos each. The food is decent, but not spectacular, so you can always go for the dancing and eat either before or after.

Haircut- I always like to get my haircut whenever I go to Buenos Aires because I can go to a trendy place for about $10. This time I tried De La Cabeza (Mario Bravo 1136) on a recommendation. Kim cut both my hair and my sister's. We both have very different hair types and we both left very happy. He thinned and layered my hair so it wouldn't be quite so frizzy and poofy and he gave my sister long bangs.

Shopping- There are tons of shopping malls in Buenos Aires and they all have the same stores. El Solar de la Abadia is a little different. Although you'll find Kosioku and Cheeky and every other major store, the architecture adds something extra to the shopping experience. It used to be a factory, and the floors and walls were kept pretty much intact.

On the weekends, the bars in Palermo Hollywood have stands set up for shopping. The prices are reasonable and the merchandise is original. I bought a purse made out of paper for 39 pesos (about $12).