Customs, Christopher Plummer, Shakespeare and Canada

Last week, i took my very first trip to Canada! We went up on the weekend to Stratford (Canada) for the annual Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Every year, Stratford attracts tons of tourists for the festival that has yearly productions from Shakespeare to modern plays. We stayed in Canada for a day and a half, and along with all the sight seeing, shopping and eating we saw three performances.

PETER PAN (The Boy Who Never Grew Up)
The first we saw was "Peter Pan". The story tells of a boy who never wants to grow up and takes back three children with him to Neverland, one of them Wendy Darling to be the lost boys and his new mother. When the children realize that they've forgotten their real life and parents they decide to return home, but run into problems with pirates along the way. Peter Pan was the first show we saw in Stratford to ease us into seeing two more Shakespeare plays in those 48 hours. The Avon Theater was jammed with many children who (throughout the show) made their opinions and comments well known to the others in the theater.

EXAMPLES:
1. Peter Pan: (Addressing audience) "Where's Tinkerbell?"
Kid: "She's up there!"
2. (The Darling children have flown off with Peter) Kid: Mommy! It must be magic, I can do it to!

Peter Pan was the oldest boy who never wants to grow up that I've ever seen! He was alright, but Captain Hook and Smee had my vote (as well as one lost boy whose voice cracked the entire time and sounded like a Monty Python character). The show was great to start with and after it was over, we had a few hours to shop, eat and be on our way to the next show!

THE TEMPST
For our second play of that day, we went alongside the river at sunset to the Festival Theater to see Shakespeares, The Tempest. The Tempest was the last play that Shakespeare wrote during his life and many think that some of the lines and concepts are things that Shakespeare wanted to "get across" to "certain people". This production was especially special because of its star actor, Christopher Plummer!! Christopher Plummer played Prospero, a man who once was Duke but banished (along with his daughter Miranda) by his brother to gain power. While on the island, Prospero sees a moment to shipwreck his enemies on his island and take his revenge. But what revenge will he take on his enemies? The show was sold out, and for good reason! Along with Christopher Plummer (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001626/) a truly amazing cast put on a spectacular show. The set was great and the costumes phenomenal! Every moment left you either with goosebumps out or wanting more, but by the time it was over you it seemed we couldn't stop clapping. It was something that I'll never forget.

The next morning before our third and final show, we took a small trip to the Shakespeare Costume Warehouse. We had bough tickets to take a tour of the warehouse where after every show 2 or 3 costumes are selected, stored and never worn again. Instead, they're put on display for others to see and sometimes re worn in other productions. We went to the earliest tour they had and was happy when we found out that it was to be a private tour! We walked through seeing old costumes, props and sets that were used once in a production. It was a great way to start the day and appreciate everything that makes a production possible (besides the actors).

AS YOU LIKE IT
Our final show, As You Like It, was in the same theater at Tempest but instead was a comedy. The show follows Rosalind, a girl who is banished from the court and flees along with her cousin Ceila to the Forest or Arden. While she is in the forest, she learns that the man She loves, Orlando has also flown the court and lies somewhere in the forest. Wanting to take advantage of the opportunity, Rosalind becomes a young man and meets Orlando in the forest to find out how he truly feels for her. The show is most famous for the quote "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women, mealy players". The show has many great monologues and memorable scenes that weave magic into the story of two girls and a boy who fall in love.

As soon as the show was over, we jumped back in the car and drove home to Michigan. In almost two days we had made it to Canada, through customs, shopped, geocached, seen three shows and made it back to Michigan and already wanting to go back for more.

Day of Wrath Born Scorpion Need

By my interesting title choice, yesterday I returned from my fourth year at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Blue Lake is a music camp that runs during the summer, that draws many student from around the world to come and learn something new in their field. Majors can range from things in music (band, orchestra, choir, jazz etc.) to art, Shakespeare, musical theater and music composition. With every new year, comes new people. What makes or breaks you year depends on two things; you cabin mates and your counselor. If everyone in your cabin hates each other (or your counselor), it doesn't help to make it a fun experience. Thankfully, this year I had a wonderful cabin as well as two counselors!

Every day at camp starts at the crack of dawn (usually 6 AM) and goes until about 9:30. At camp you work on your major for about 6 hours and every night you go to some sort of concert. There are two periods of break time; Minor and Rec. During minor time you can either take an extra class or use it as a rest hour. If people have a minor class, they're usually glad when Rec comes around. EVERYONE has Rec and a free hour and people usually stay in their cabins or go to main camp to talk to friends or stand in the very long food lines to buy ice cream.

Blue Lake is an Internationally known camp that hosts campers from many other countries. This year, there were many campers from Germany and France. I was very excited to have a German student in our cabin and my bunk mate. Students receive scholarships (either full or part) to come to camp for a session, and for many they come to America for the first time. They get to come to learn not only about music, but also how crazy America is....

On the final Sunday of camp, every major group has a final performance. The concerts are spread out through the day and after they're done, the campers are released.

Every year is an adventure, every year is filled with fun, every year you learn something new and at the end of every year you don't know how to be normal again

At the Tonys, Tony Awards!!

I accidentally deleted my last blog, so I made another just like the first!
I haven't blogged in a while, so I at first find myself with a new blog but without a topic.
Then I remember that the Tony's were on a few weeks ago and how much of a theater dork I am...

The Tony Awards are the equivalent of the Oscars. Instead of awards for movies, the awards are for either musicals or plays and all the people that help to make them happen. The awards include famous stars presenting and live performances. This year, almost (if not all) the nominees came from shows that are all fresh on Broadway. Every show has something different, and every year I want to see all every single one.

In my other blog, I did a post with the list of the 2010 Oscar winners, and so, here's the winners of the Tony Awards for 2010!

Best Play - Red
A new play by John Logan, involving the meaning of art and the artists that create it

Best Musical - Memphis
A new musical about a white DJ who wants to change the world and its music and a black club singer looking for her break. Her BIG break.

Best Book of a Musical - Memphis

Best Original Score (Music/Lyrics) - Memphis
Only heard a few songs at the actuall awards...I want them all now!

Best Revival of a Play - Fences
The story of a man torn between two paths, but is determined to make life better for his son and the many generations to come

Best Revival of a Musical - La Cage aux Folles
A story about a family staying together and their bonds put to the test

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play- Denzel Washington (Fences)
Movies, TV and Broadway....there is nothing that he hasn't done

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - Viola Davis (Fences)
Really want to see this show!!!

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - Douglas Hodge (La Cage aux Folles)

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music)
A Sondheim musical and story of love

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play - Eddie Redmayne (Red)

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - Scarlett Johansson (A View from the Bridge)
A show about obsession, secrets, love and the loss of everything

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical - Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet)
A story of four future famous stars (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins). Four men who made up a million buck group

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical - Katie Finneran (Promises, Promises)

Best Direction of a Play - Red

Best Direction of a Musical - La Cage aux Folles

Best Choreography - Fela!
A mix of music and dance from Africa, talking about political and social issues of the country

Best Orchestrations - Memphis

Best Scenic Design of a Play - Red

Best Scenic Design of a Musical - American Idiot
A musical based on the life and songs of the band...American Idiot

Best Costume Design of a Play - The Royal Family

Best Costume Design of a Musical - Fela!

Best Lighting Design of a Play - Red

Best Lighting Design of a Musical - American Idiot

Best Sound Design of a Play - Red

Best Sound Design of a Musical - Fela!