Fish Number 2

This is my still unnamed fish:

He's very orange when he displays, and very docile. Hopefully, a name will come to me in the next few days.


Now, though, it's time for bed.

Another One

I was weak and got another fish today while I was getting some tetra fish to put in with Mizuki.

This is the new tank:

I'll put up photos of the second fish once I know his name. But, in this shot you can see one of the two tetra fish that are going to be his tankmates.

Meet Mizuki!

This is Mizuki, happy in his new tank.

New Family Member

Soon, this tank will be the home of my new beta fish, Mizuki.

I call this the Nfu Palace.

quickly before bed

Today, Val and I went to see Spamalot.

It was fantastic!!!

Nothing perks me up like musical theater...even when I have to go in to work tomorrow.

Time for bed!

Dogs in my Life

This is Bentley, my mother's dog. I've only seen him three times since he was a puppy, but he's still impossibly cute. I miss having an energetic dog - instead of a cat that vomits on everything.

I love my cat, but.....why must he always vomit on things?

This is my sister's dog, Lenny. He's a miniature dachshund and very, very, very nervous. I don't miss him quite as much as I miss Bentley, probably because he pees at the slightest provocation.

Busy Day

Today was productive. I slept in, but not too late. I did laundry, took out the trash, and did homework.

Now, I've just got an essay to finish and I'll be 100% done.

Woohoo! ≧(´▽｀)≦

A lot of good music is coming out this week. I'm really, really excited for it. New music always helps to keep my momentum going.

Back to work, back to work....

Review: The Little Mermaid Musical : Act 1

Finally, after a long time, I'm able to write down my thoughts on this musical. I'll start this post with Act 1.


Song List:

1. Overture
2. Fathoms Below/Where I Belong
3. Daughters of Triton
4. The World Above
5. Human Stuff
6. I Want the Good Times Back
7. Part of Your World
8. Storm at Sea
9. Part of Your World (reprise)
10. She's in Love
11. Her Voice
12. The World Above (reprise)
13. Under the Sea
14. Sweet Child
15. Poor Unfortunate Souls


Basic Info:

This musical is the latest in Disney's string of animation-based productions. It did its pre-Broadway workshop here in Denver at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. I went to three showings of the musical and there were changes every time. Some for the better; others, not. I'll address those changes as I make my way through my review, though my focus will be, primarily, on the music of the show, since that is, after all, the heart of the musical.


Review Song 1: Overture

Yes, I consider the Overture a song. Why? Because it makes the mood for the rest of the show. Sitting down, hearing lively music from the show of my youth, I was immediately put at ease. Ah, I though, I remember these songs - listened to them yesterday as I rewatched the film, even. The Overture featured soem of the new songs as well, but was heavy on the classics, which was a wise move.

But let me say a word on the orchestra here. They were fantastic. If, at any time, you looked into the pit, you saw a bunch of cool, relaxed-looking musicians. They weren't stuffy - they appeared to be enjoying themselves, which gave me the impresssion that I was watching a labor of love rather than a labor of commerce. It's a difficult reaction to explain, but that's the impression I got from them. Also, the conductor was a fantastic ham.

Rating: ★★★★☆





Review Song 2: Fathoms Below/Where I Belong

Even now, almost month after the curtain closed on Mermaid, I sing this song. Yes, it appeared briefly in the animation, but the musical gave it a whole new dimension. Also, there was swaying, and I love a good swaying song.

Musically, the swells in the song really helped to anchor me in the musical. Visually, their representaiton of the ship - a plank with two pendulums that swung in opposition under it, was a clever and efficient way to represent a ship and allow characters to act underneath it - in the "ocean." This is easily one of my favorite numbers in the show.

Rating: ★★★★☆


3. Daughters of Triton

If you've seen the film, you know the song. There wasn't anything particularly impressive about the song, though the setup for the scene was interesting. Instead of being just a concert, the celebration is to honor Triton's victory over Ursula in battle. This victory will help set up the tension between the brother and sister (yet another new twist) and drive the subplot of the show.

Rating: ★★★☆☆



4. The World Above

This number is okay though, honestly, I can't recall veyr much of what went on during it and, between the original and the reprise, I'm not sure what went where. That having been said, this new number clearly didn't pack the punch it needed to.

Rating: ★★★☆☆



5. Human Stuff

Scuttle is more than just a seagull in this musical, he's the bright shining ham of hams. He is comic relief par excellence, and his trio of followers are equally as superb and, oddly enough, characterized. Megane Seagull is my favorite.

The music is peppy, the performance is skilled but goofy, and I can recall almost every lyric after three showings. But, beyond that, the song lets the audience see how young Ariel is, which is important not only for connecting to the children of the audience - whose attention span is starting to waver after a floaty, lackluster number - but for the skeptical adults in the audience who remember the film from childhood and need to remember the excitement of the Snarflbatt.

Vaudville seagulls for the win.

Rating: ★★★★☆



6. I Want the Good Times Back

You don't get more Broadway than this, a big, belting number from Urusula and her lovely eels - my favorite characters in the show - that yearns for the 'good times.' It is one of my top three favorites in the show, vascilating between the number one and number two slot, depending on my mood.

"I want the special thrill you get from crushing hopes and dreams"

With a lyric like that, how can you go wrong?

But, to refrain from complete fangirling, I have to say that the presentation was a bit lacking at times, chiefly because of the difficulty presented when you're acting with tentacles. Ursula's costume doesn't allow for much movement, really, so she relies on her vocal talents to convey the acting for her. I wouldn't fault the actress for this portion, though, because the message did get through. The tentacle can-can was silly and brought the level of the number down, though.

Still, this number rocked my socks.

Rating: ★★★★★




7. Part of Your World

This is a classic and this number, performed improperly, could have destroyed the musical. The choreographers opted to do very little here. Ariel rested in her nook of her human stuff cave and sang.

It was perfect.

The usually mobile Ariel was still, solemn and well pitched. I couldn't have asked for anything more from this number.

Rating: ★★★★☆


8. Storm at Sea

An orchestral number whose tune I can't recall. I'm sure there were trumpets and drums involved, though.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆




9. Part of Your World (reprise)

As with the full number, excelelntly performed, this reprise showcased Sierra Bogess' ability to throw her voice to the audience but still keep the young quality to it.

Rating: ★★★☆☆



10. She's in Love

This number.....it's fantastic. It's more fantastic when J.J. Singleton is performing it, but even when Cody Hanford is Flounder, there's something fantastic about this number that jams the lyrics into your head and keeps you singing days, months after the show is over.

I can't say enough about this song. It's poppy and happy and belting and dancing and...everything that's god in the world.


Rating: ★★★★★



11. Her Voice

This is Eric's time to sing his little love song of love. It's not particularly impressive, though it is kinda pretty. When my soundtrack gets here in the mail, I probably won't listen to it more than once.


Rating: ★★★☆☆



12. The World Above (reprise)

Nothing spectacular here, just a reprise of the longer version.

Rating: ★★★☆☆



13. Under the Sea

This one didn't quite live up to the original. It was scattered and focused, it seemed to me, only the visual presentation rather than vocal unity. It didn't help that Sebastian's actor seemed to have a cold until the last week of the show and was heaving for breath most of the time. Still, it was less song and more quick-spoken narrative.


Rating: ★★★☆☆


14. Sweet Child

In this song, the eels convince Ariel to seek out Ursula. It's my favorite song. Ever. It's gliding and sinister and fantastically performed. I will be playing it nonstop when I get my soundtrack. I sing it nonstop now.

"Sweet Child, Poor Child, Dear Child, Sad Child......perhaps the Sea Witch can"

Rating: ★★★★★


15. Poor Unfortunate Souls

Another of my favorites because the performance was just. that. good. It was, more or less, the same song as in the animation with a few exceptions for the purposes of the "plot." (namely, Urusula has a magic shell upon which her powers and life depend)

But oh! the grand vocal skills of Sherie Rene Scott! The power and the intonation! I couldn't ask for more, I really couldn't.

Rating: ★★★★☆







Rating Breakdown:
★☆☆☆☆ - I couldn't make it all the way through the song, not even once.
★★☆☆☆ - I made it through once, but wouldn't want listen to it again
★★★☆☆ - I am not offended by the existence of this song, but I wouldn't sing it out loud.
★★★★☆ - I would listen to this song multiple times and sing it in public.
★★★★★ - I have had a religious experience and will worship this song for life.

Coffee!

This is what my drive to work looks like

I haven't made coffee at home for a very long time. Too much coffee isn't good for your kidneys, so I limited myself to coffee at work then, later, to one cup a day anywhere.

Today, I made my first cup of dark hazelnut roast at home.

How could I have ever stopped making such deliciousness?

I've decided, since I'm always tired and I have a lot of schoolwork to get done, that I will make friends with my coffeemaker again.

victory

Today, everything at work resolved itself. Well, not everything, but a lot of things. I'm happy that I won't have to quit. I'm disappointed that it took a year for them to make things right, though.

Still, better late than never.

Now I'm tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired, so I'm going to bed.