Musical Monday #2: "Therapy"

So I'm sure pretty much everybody has heard of the musical Rent (re: they at least know it exists). What very few people know is that the composer, Jonathan Larson, wrote a one-man show before it called tick...tick...BOOM! (He only wrote two shows because he died suddenly the night before Rent opened. Very sad...)

And this song, called "Therapy," just cracks me up. I'm sure everyone has had a conversation like this. I know I have...

Spoiled rotten.

I have a problem with spoiled children.

I can't stand them.

Like the little kids' basketball league that swarmed over my university's workout center on Saturday. More than ten times during the hour and a half I was there did overly-inquisitive seven-year-olds go to play on the running track (where several student athletes were trying to run) but only ONCE did a parent reprove them for going up there where they clearly were not allowed.

Or like the boys who sit either one row behind me or one row ahead of me in church every Sunday. They're probably around ten, eight, and seven, but they act more like two. They're always running laps through the pews or talking loudly or hitting each other with programs or blowing up rubber gloves and hitting the people in front of them, and I've never, in the past two years or so, seen their parents reprove them...even though they're sitting in the row.

Or like my aunt's two children. My sister and I refer to them as The Dursleys...so if you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll know what we mean. There are so many incidents I could think of, but one always sticks out. The youngest cousin was probably three or four, and my sister was about nine or ten. Now, Lindsay loved the rubber Polly Pocket dolls, and seeing as how the day before was Christmas, had just received Rick, the coveted boy doll. As she was playing with him, our cousin ripped the doll from her hands, broke it in half, and threw the pieces in her face. And all my aunt said was "Aw, [little cousin], you're so cute." Lindsay was devastated.

I cannot stand spoiled children. As a former babysitter and church nursery worker, I had to deal with them on occasion. And then as a Disney World cast member, I had to put up with even more. For every child wide-eyed with wonderment is a child who wants more, more, more. For instance, every cast member in contact with guests wears a pin-trading lanyard. I cannot tell you how many times my head has nearly been severed from my body by a child grabbing my lanyard, yanking it down, and shouting in my ear, "I want that one! Gimme that one!" while they tried in vain to pry the back off and take their coveted pin.

(Just for future reference, if you want to trade you walk up to a cast member and say, "May I see your pins, please?" They will show your lanyard. If there's one you want, point to it and say "May I trade for that one?" and you will exchange pins. And just for the record, this is not impossible. A darling little girl who couldn't be more than three or four did just that, and found one she liked, but she checked her lanyard and said "Oh...I like all of these too much to trade. But thank you very much anyway." I gave her the pin without asking her to trade, and she was so overjoyed she gave me a hug.)

But yeah. Spoiled children. They're a hassle to deal with when they're small...and then they become adult-sized hassles later. I think a lot of parents don't think that far, that their indulgences will balance out as they get older. Oh, no. They only send them off to college where other people have to deal with them.

Spoiled children think they're awesome. They think they are God's gift to whatever their activity is, whether it be sports or academics or arts. They are never forced to do anything they don't want. If they get in trouble, Mommy or Daddy can fix it.

Then they get into college, and their peers have to deal with it. They have to deal with people who can't do their own laundry or cook their own food. They have to deal with people who firmly believe they are God's gift to their field, but, while talented, clearly are not. They have to get themselves out of the situations they land in.

And meanwhile, they get bad reputations. Some of the people they think are their friends merely tolerate them, because while there are things about them that they like, they're too much to handle as a super-close friend. Most of the people they come in contact with (especially in their hobby field) can't stand them at all. And then these poor kids are left in the lurch, lost and unsure of why nothing seems to go their way anymore.

That's why I love reading the mommy blogs on my list. It's nice to have some hope for humanity, that there are so many moms that aren't going to let their kids grow up into these maladjusted college students that later become "that guy" in the office. Or at least, aren't going to let their kids get away with breaking their cousins' toys.

(And also, P and I want five kids. I'm doing my research now! :) )

OMG!!!!

So I ADORE the Disney Fairy Tale Wedding gowns. I mean...I am a Disney princess.

(Shut up. I am too.)

And when Kirstie Kelly came out with her line of gowns, I knew I had to at least try them on. (My fiance's grandmother even cut the article about the new line of gowns out of the newspaper and saved it for me.) But the nearest place that carried them was in Atlanta.

But today I found out that the Bridal Gallery in Franklin carries them! I am so giddy!! I've already picked out which ones I have to try on first!!

One of the Belle gowns:
One of the Snow White gowns:
And the Giselle gown:
When I was little, Belle was my favorite. And then when I FINALLY saw Little Mermaid when I was fifteen (sad, I know...) Ariel became my favorite. And then Enchanted came out. Just so everyone knows how much I'm like Giselle, here's what Patrick's BM Michael said:

"I saw Enchanted. It was like watching Caitlin run around for two hours."

Yeah...pretty much.

Six weeks!

Six weeks!

I'll have to wait a maximum of six weeks!

So...FEBRUARY 25th!! At the latest!!

I sincerely hope it's earlier than that.

I want me some Great Movie Ride.

Gah!

I hate waiting.

Especially when you don't know when the thing you're waiting for it going to arrive.

Gah.

I applied for the Disney Alumni summer program, and now I'm just waiting to hear from them. I think I'm doing another interview, in which I will loudly shout "Great Movie Ride! Great Movie Ride! I wanna go back to THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE!!" Although I did also mark down that I was willing to work Icon Attractions...

...which, incidentally, is where GMR is located.

I'm just trying to find out what the usual schedule is...like when they typically start calling people. There's still about five months until I would leave for the internship, so I'm guessing they'll contact me for a phone interview by the end of March at the latest.

Gah. That's a long ways away.

Enchanted Attic is going decently well. I'm just frustrated with the amount of blocking I have to do. Miss Divalicious is terribly unhappy that I'm not giving her more Star Stage Time. But hey, she's an extra. She'll deal.

We had a pretty rough production meeting last night. I was fine- I've worked with the technical director before, and have a decently clear picture of what he expects. He wants me to communicate better about what we want? Sure. I can handle that. But, as all involved expected, the backstage crew got raked across the coals. Honestly, though, Jessica has impressed me. She's shown a lot of initiative, and it's fair to say that she's on my good side...she was definitely off it during the run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And once Caleb turns in his application, he'll be an ASM too. It'll be fabulous. I just hope that Nick can call the show. I think that'll help the performances run smoothly.

Gah. Still waiting on Disney.

It's all I can think about.

Crap.

No witty title this morning. It's too early.

I'm in such a Disney mood. Partially because of Musical Monday, and partially because I'm thinking of going back to Disney for the summer. However...I would be gone from May 18 to August 14, which is way too long. I have wedding planning to do, and if I'm in a show this summer, there's no way I could do it. Because, you know, I'd be in Orlando instead of Nashville.

Speaking of wedding planning, I feel validated about mine. The girl I'm directing Enchanted Attic with is a very no-nonsense, I-call-'em-as-I-see-'em kind of girl. And she was asking me about my wedding ideas, and so I confessed my Alice in Wonderland details: teapots and teacups, the flower girl dressed as Alice, the white roses painted red. And she thought it sounded adorable. So yay! I'm not completely retarded!

I'm so distracted by this Disney thing. I'd really love to go down again...I miss my park! And it would be a great way to earn some more money before the wedding. But I need to plan the wedding! And I'll miss P to no end. I don't know. I'm just so torn.

Anyways...

When I'm in class, I am thinking two things: 1) "I need something else to do" and 2) "This is sooo boring." I mean, really...Fundamentals of Physics. Not that fun. So I work on other things...like my book. But since I didn't have my draft of Book #1 (Beatrice and the Cat) to edit, or my draft of Book #2 (Beatrice and the Greenfinch Carnival) to write, I worked on legwork- character descriptions, timeline, etc. One of the things I worked out is pairings.

Here's a bit of my dirty laundry: I'm a fanfiction author. And when I mean fanfiction, I mean hardcore-squealing-fangirl-I-really-need-to-stop-writing fanfiction. I've got 70-something stories on fanfiction.net. Granted, most of them are from my middle school and high school days, but I still pop out a good Avatar, Harry Potter, or Shaman King one-shot every now and again. So when I started writing my own book, I thought of it in terms of fanfiction. As in...

What kind of story elements made me want to write fanfiction? Was it dynamic, curiously fascinating characters? Was it an irrestible romance? Was it a mysterious event spoken of but never elaborated on? Was it an unusual event? Was it a desire to see these characters in the future?

The answer is...all of them. However, one of the biggest things that drew me to fanfiction was pairings. Shippings, if you will. Whether it was a die-hard canon pairing like Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyoyama, or a couple tantalizingly hinted upon but never solidified like Sokka and Toph Bei Fong, or a crack pairing that I made up for my own enjoyment like Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood, I wrote prolifically. So now that I'm writing my own book, I think in terms of pairings.

Will it be our heroine Beatrice Ainsley and Hero Greenaway, the bookish magic enthusiast?

Will it be Asher Kingsbury, the silly and fun-loving youngest triplet, and Rora Caldwell, the sweet but strong-willed blonde? Or will he choose Neddy Cooper, the talkative, lively, musically-impaired brunette?

Will it be Jack Hawkins, the more-than-a-little eccentric magician, and Fidelity Merrow, the demure young lady with a wild past?

Or maybe even Dr. Percy Darnley, the poker-faced chauvinist school headmaster...and...a mermaid?

(There's a running gag about Dr. Darnley being jilted by a mermaid.)

So yeah. I'm having a lot of fun writing these romances as ambiguously as possible. That way, if I finally publish this (eventual) twelve-book series, I can hopefully watch the fanfiction authors take off with all of these pairings.

Oh, and just so you know, I've already decided who gets together with whom. I'm so evil...

My first Musical Monday!

I agonized over what my first MM moment (ooh, my MMM) would be. It had to be something that meant something, that was funny but not too funny, something unusual and exciting.

I got nothin'.

But then...I finally did think of something.

And therefore, my first Musical Monday is...

"Hurray for Hollywood!"

Yeah, random, right? But there's a reason behind it.

At the time in 2006, I was working my first full-time job and living in a different state than my parents for the first time. I was only a sheltered, slightly spoiled eighteen-year-old who was stubborn as all-get-out but had never experience true independence. Even when I started college in the fall of '05, I was only thirty minutes from home. So when I went to Orlando as part of the Disney College Program, it was rather terrifying. I was thrilled to work for the Disney company, especially as a tour guide on the Great Movie Ride, but I was really nervous about living in an apartment on my own without my mommy and daddy and my happy private-Christian-school bubble. It was a genuine sink-or-swim situation.

And I definitely swam.

I worked hard. I had a good reputation amongst my coworkers. I handled my money well. I learned how to manage my own personality around other people (that's a long story...I'll explain it in some other post). I even got my first boyfriend (whom I am now marrying). And I loved every minute of it.

If you've never been on the Great Movie Ride, it's a 22-minute tram ride through great moments at the movies that have been brought to life in a combination of live action and animatronics. (How's that for a cast member spiel?) Guests enter and exit the vehicles on a loading dock that perpetually plays the same song, "Hurray for Hollywood," over and over again. And somehow I never got tired of it. That song still echoes in my brain...and my mp3 player.

I'm going to post this video for now, but when I eventually get a copy of my own show, I'll post it here!

The first week back

The first week of my last spring semester EVER is just about over. It's so weird to think that this time next year I'll be out of school and finishing up wedding plans. I can't wait, and at the same time I really want to stick around in the theater department. Maybe I can still be in spring shows since they hold auditions in December.

We officially have recast the role of Josie!..but now her name is Josh. The guy playing the youngest kid is absolutely fantastic. He was in Joseph last semester, and he always had the best facial expressions. He came for rehearsal last night, and it was EPICLY AWESOME.

We had the pirates come in for the first time last night, and it was pretty fantastic. Once the blocking is fine-tuned, it's going to look really great. My only real concern is that one girl is playing a guy and she'd rather be a girl, and...well, the other is Miss Divalicious. I think MD was expecting a lot more stage time, and the fact that she never talks and has to do all of her acting in tandem with her onstage partner in crime is not pleasing her. But it'll all work out. Even if she's a diva, she is a hard worker.

My baby sister is playing Ernestina in Hello Dolly!. I couldn't remember which character that was, so I looked it up...and found this:

"Brittany Curran is Ernestina Money, the crude uncultured slut who escorts Horace to dinner at the upperclass "Harmonia Gardens" and does the hootchie kootchie on the chair at the dinner table."

Oh, Lindz is going to be EPIC. Considering that the two of us are generally polite, cultured, unslutty nice girls, it's going to be hilarious.

It is so freezing in this lobby!! People keep leaving the door open, and even though I have a heater under my desk, my fingers are so cold I can barely type!!

...maybe that's a sign that I should do something else. Like homework...that's due in two hours...

The second-to-last semester begins!

Thank God for the heater under my desk. Because seriously, it's 7:12 am, and it's dang cold in here!

First two days of classes are over. How's it going down? Like this.

Script Analysis (MWF at 10)
Also known as Dramaturgy. And in Erin-language, Scriptology. Basically, we're going to read a bunch of scripts. And then we're going to analyze them. Fabulous.

World Lit I (MWF at 11)
In order to get my English minor, I just need to take two more English classes: World Lits I and II. So yeah. That's why I'm taking this class. I've had the professor before (for Modern Drama) and we're doing a lot of Greek theater, so I feel pretty prepared.

Marriage and the Christian Home (MWF at 12)
This is going to be a fun class. It's my Bible credit, but we're talking about marriage stuff! Yay! I'm pretty dang excited.

Fundamentals of Physics (TR at 8)
I just had to put off one of my GenEd courses. And it just had to be this one. On the upside, I have one of the best professors ever. P and Kat both took physics from him and said he was fabulous. Plus, P is a physics major, and he said he'll tutor me. My goal is to get my first ever A in a science class on my report card.

...or at least my first B.

...I am SO not a science person.

History of Theater I (TR at 9:25)
I keep forgetting I even have this class. Basically, we're reading (and watching) plays from the earliest Greek theater up to Shakespeare. Technically, I'm supposed to take History of Theater II, but I'm graduating in December so they're pulling some strings. Awesome.

Voice and Diction (TR at 1:20)
This is definitely the BEST CLASS EVER!!!!!! Like seriously, best ever. It's a performance-based class focused on vocal performance. We get to work on dialects, and specialize in one (although I want to do like four). And then...

...WE'RE MAKING A DEMO!!!!!!!!

I was going to ask my parents to pay money for me to record a demo with Joe, but if I can do one for free in class, I'm SO TAKING IT!!

I've been excited about theater classes before, but this is definitely the best one ever!! We're doing voiceacting!! I feel like I'm finally getting a chance to show what I can do. I'm probably gearing myself up for some kind of spectacular failure, but right now I'm so thrilled and so happy I don't even care!

Physics Lab (T at 2:45)
Aaaaaand...this is where my fabulous class schedule loses its fabulosity. It's bad enough that the lab goes form 2:45 to 5:15. It's downright hellish when the lab instructor lectures from 2:45 to 4:35. And it's not even a useful lecture. He lectures about how to round up numbers. And then he tells us "Oh, you'll have to hurry to finish this lab." It was his fault!

So yeah. That is the one downside. Thank goodness it's only once a week.

Other than lab, I'm happy with how the semester looks. I'm taking 18 hours, plus I'm directing Enchanted Attic and I have private voice lessons. They should be announcing the season for next year pretty soon, and I am hell-bent on getting into the musical. If I'm just an ensemble member, I will be the happiest girl on the planet.

Speaking of ensemble members, my sister has stepped up from tech and ensembling to a speaking part in her senior year musical. They're doing Hello Dolly and she's just thrilled. So yay! Congrats to Lindz!

Now I have to go read Oedipus Rex. Yaaaaay....aw.

Whoa...what?!

It is 7:23 in the morning.

I am at work.

It is freezing.

But there is a heater under my desk.

Life is good.

...and then it kicks you in the shins like an angry two-year-old and runs away.

Why? Because one of the actors in Enchanted Attic dropped out.

It's not her fault. Her parents are making her change schools, and since they're paying for it, she has to do it. I just don't know how on ever-loving earth we're going to replace her. I don't even know if we have any options to replace her.

...maybe I could play her...

...but I doubt that will happen.

However, I do know that I will NOT allow Miss Divalicious to play the part. She auditioned and wanted it, but got a part as a pirate crony instead. She has a long-standing notoriety for being a diva, and getting promoted to a bigger part will not be an option.

So yeah. That's the current stress running through my mind. Terrific.

I just realized that three years ago today I headed for Disney World. I worked there on the College Program for a semester, and it was definitely one of the best times of my life. I just can't believe it was three years ago!

So yeah. I've got stuff to deliberate about. In the meantime, please enjoy my New Year's Resolutions.

IN 2009 I WILL...
-Write a page in my second novel every day.

-Practice voice more often.

-Exercise more regularly.

-Watch less television

Back from hiatus!

Whew! That was a much longer hiatus than I thought! I haven't even been doing all that much; it's just...well, life gets crazy, and my internet access at home is not very reliable. But I really feel bad about not roll-calling on SITS and getting back to all the wonderful people who commented. I feel like a mooch.

But in any case...what have I been up to?

-Christmas was lovely! I got the marvelous pink Schwinn I've been lusting after since August, plus a MASSIVE external hard drive and a nicer USB mic than the one I've been using.

-Lots of cooking. And when I say lots, I mean five or six batches of cookies, mini pumpkin cheesecakes, Christmas dinner, peppermint pie, and so many appetizers I can't count them. Anyone up for some delicious holiday recipes?

-Riding aforementioned bicycle. Now, the last time I rode a bike, I was eleven, and I flipped off and cracked my skull and swore I would never ride a bike again. Naturally, I have some reservations about riding again, but I've been doing it anyway. Besides, it's a great workout- that bike is so heavy that my legs can barely pedal it up!

-Scoping out apartments in Smyrna. P and I are looking for a place there, since it's halfway between his school and where I will most likely find work. He took me out on a date there. It was great. We were so honeymooney over each other it was ridiculous.

-Some sewing. Mostly just fun little things, but I hope to tackle my GINORMOUS pile o' projects soon.

-Lots of Sims 2 gaming. P gave me Bon Voyage for Christmas, and it's so addicting. I play it in waves. I've started a new challenge neighborhood. Ooh, fun!

-I started writing Beatrice and the Greenfinch Carnival, the sequel to my first book, Beatrice and the Cat. Hopefully I can tell you about some of that soon. ;)

So yeah. That's what I've been up to. Hopefully I'll get back in the swing of regular blogging soon. I miss it. :(