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[lyndsbenz]

Error!

So guys the Audra McDonald episode of PPR that I was talking about didn't air last week! But it should be scheduled to air soon! Sorry about the confusion!!!! ABC keeps switching things because it's the last season. There has been a lot of rescheduling due to political things and other conflicts.

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

Meet the cast of Castle

Captain, my captain! RIP Roy Montgomery and hello Victoria "Iron" Gates

RIP Captain ):

Yes "sir"

[lyndsbenz]

Meet the cast of Castle

Lanie Parish

Lanie and Perlmutter (the other medical examiner!)

Sing it girl (Blue Butterfly--Film Noir 40's)

Classy, sassy and a bit smart assy ;)

[lyndsbenz]

Meet the cast of Castle

Richard and Alexis Castle and Martha Rodgers:

Never a dull moment in the Castle household!

Alexis- Parent of fathers.

Alexis and Martha

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Meet the cast of Castle

Kevin Ryand and Javier Esposito:

Boy's will be boy's

They really do care for one another! Bromance!

Detectives in action!

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Meet the cast of Castle

Castle and Beckett:

Sexual Tension

I know who the killer is!

Partners

Can you feel the love?

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Alright guys, it is time to talk about one of my favorite things; CASTLE! No, no, not the fortress used to protect warriors during times of war, or the buildings you used to make out of sand when you went to the beach. I am talking about the TV show Castle. This is my favorite show on television! And when were done it’ll be yours too! Okay, you may not be as in love with it as I am but you will be well versed when I’m through with you.

Ever since I was a little girl I have been in love with murder mysteries. I sometimes feel like maybe I should have become a detective BUT that is beside the point. Castle gives me a little bit of everything I love murder mysteries, brilliant musical scores, high cliental of people who can act, overdose of theatre dramatics, and writing of course. Here is a brief description of what is all about: "Castle" is a comedic crime procedural about a famous mystery novelist, Rick Castle, who is bored with his own success and teams up with the NYPD to help solve the crimes.

Let’s expound upon that in a little more detail.  Richard Castle, a mystery writer, becomes board with his bestselling character and decides to kill him off. In the meantime Kate Beckett is out hunting criminals. What brings them together is a copycat killer. A man is reading some of Castles books (his lesser worker—which really begrudges Castle) and copying those killing sprees but something is a little off. The killer is missing key details. Details like these a serial killer wouldn’t miss. Fate seems to intervene and bring the two together--some more reluctant than other *cough* Kate Beckett *cough*. But all in all thanks to Beckett and Castle’s teamwork they are able to solve the murder. The rest of the season you see how Castle’s connection to the mayor helps him stay on with detective Beckett’s team (much to Beckett’s disapproval) to help solve crimes. Throughout the season you see hints of flirtation and a care for one another even though it is not always dealt with upfront.  And it is at the end of the first season you realize what it is that made Kate want to become a cop in the first place. In 1999, a then young Beckett, and her dad come home to find their house crawling with cops after her mother did not show up to dinner. She had been murdered in the back alley. This is what set Kate on a whirlwind to become the best cop she could be and find her mother’s killer.

Over the next several seasons we see the relationship between Castle and Beckett bloom and after four years we see them finally in the right place to have a relationship. But Castle isn’t just about the relationship between the leads, but between the full cast. Beckett’s partners Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito look out for not only Beckett but each other. They have a hilarious bromance thing going on that always leads to crazy shenanigans. They really make a wonderful team. Then there is Rick Castle’s mother—Martha. The overly flamboyant thespian who lives with her son and granddaughter. Then there is Alexis Castle—Rick Castles overly mature daughter. Parenting fathers is something that Alexis has had to do for as long as she could remember considering that her dad is just a kid himself and has been divorced twice, and has no clue who his father is himself. This dynamic makes for amazing home scenes that NEVER disappoint! Laser tag, severed heads, dress up….you never know what you are going to get at the Castle household. Then last, but not least, Beckett’s best friend, Esposito’s love interest, and the main medical examiner—Laine Perish. Sassy, classy and a bit smart assy—Laine adds another fabulous dynamic to the show.

Now, Castle isn’t just a comedy but more a dramadey. The form that Castle tends to follow is a mixture of drama and comedy and they do it better than anyone I know with shows that are light hearted one week and dark the next. They even have a great way of blending the two together. Some seasons have more darker tones like the season fours arc was all about secrets and how eventually they explode, and season five is more light hearted (so far, only 9 episodes in) and all our character are having a little more fun—settling in their place. And with Kate’s mom’s murder progressing ever season it leaves for a constant wonder of “what’s next”. Plus, the murders are just fabulous. These aren’t your average run-of-the-mill murders all shows are tied with a unique theme. Some of the themes Castle has expounded on are:

·         Burlesque

·         Steam Punk

·         Elvis

·         Blue Butterfly (40’s Film Noir)

·         Nebula 9 (homage to Nathan Fillions old show Firefly)

And MANY others!

I highly recommend you watch an episode. Only it’s hard with this show to start in the middle because some much of each episode really builds off from the season before it--which is another reason I love this show. The relationships build, the story lines build, some of the same killers come back. It’s more life-like and less like a typical show where things are just left open-ended. So if you can watch it then do it! Just know season one and two are similar but build up season three and season three is nothing like two or one but four is not like three but you need three to build from four and the same goes with five. Five is different from four but you couldn’t get five without four or three. So not that I have confused you just go watch an episode! Lol.

Well, that’s all for today guys.

More tomorrow!!!

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

As I am sure you have already figured (if you are keeping up with my blogs) that I love musicals, and the stars that shine in them. Well here is another blog about another great artist.

Today we are going to talk about the talented Stephanie J Block. With am impressive resume a mile long filled with Broadway, Off-Broadway, National and Regional tours. It's not hard to fall in love with her. I mean, just look at this resume!

Broadway:

The Mystery of Edwin DroodAlice Nutting/Edwin DroodStudio 54, Dir. Scott EllisAnything GoesReno SweeneyThe Stephen Sondheim Theater, Dir. Kathleen Marshall9 to 5: The MusicalJudy BernlyThe Marquis Marquis, Dir. Joe MantelloWickedElphabaThe Gershwin Theater, Dir. Joe MantelloThe Pirate QueenGrace O'MalleyThe Hilton Theatre, Dir. Frank GalatiThe Boy from OzLiza MinnelliThe Imperial Theater, Dir. Phil McKinley

Off-Broadway/ National/ Regional Tours:

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Gloria Mitchell 2econd Stage Theatre, New YorkThey're Playing Our Song Sonia Walsk Reprise! Theatre Company, Los AngelesCATS Grizabella St. Louis MUNY9 TO 5: The Musical Judy Bernly The Ahmanson Theatre, Los AngelesThe Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley The Cadillac Theatre, ChicagoWicked* 2006 Helen Hayes Award - Outstanding Lead Actress Elphaba 1st National TourWicked Elphaba U/S Curran Theatre, San FranciscoCrazy for You* 2002 Ovation Award Nomination - Best ActressPollyRedondo Beach Performing Arts CenterI Love a PianoGingerThe Denver CenterFiddler on the RoofTzietlePittsburgh CLOJames Joyce's The DeadMary JaneKennedy Center & Ahmanson TheatreOliver (2001 Austin Critics Table Award-Best Actress)NancyAustin Musical TheatreBye Bye BirdieRosieSacramento Music CircusBells are RingingGwynneReprise!GreaseRizzoSanta Barbara CLOThe Glass HarpBaby LovePasadena PlayhouseCrazy for YouPollyMcCoy/Rigby Ent. & Sacramento Music CircusGuys & DollsSarah BrownCLO of South Bay CitiesDamn YankeesGloria ThorpeSacramento Music CircusGodspellRobin/Dance CaptainThe St. Louis MUNY & Regional TourWill Rogers FolliesZiegfeld's Fav/US for Betty BlakeTroika Org/Pierre CossetteSouth PacificNellie ForbushCabrillo Musical Theatre/San Gabriel CLO

If you are aware of musicals whatsoever you'll notice that Stephanie has played the best of the best. But that's not all. Stephanie has also made a name for herself in the symphony world, working with some of the best orchestras out there including the Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch), Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Charlotte Symphony and the Cleveland Pops among many others.

Stephanie recently released a solo-album, THIS PLACE I KNOW. Stephanie works with an array of award-winning songwriters to collaborate and make this beautiful album.

But once again. I cannot express what a gorgeous voice she has and how amazingly talented she is without you listening. So once again I highly encourage you to go pull her up on YouTube. You won't be disappointed!!!

That's it for tonight guys. It's been a long day. I'll be happy to post videos of Audra and S.J.B. singing tomorrow since I didn't get a chance to today.But for now just go over to YouTube and have a look!!!

Until tomorrow

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

Oh goodness guys, I’m not sure what to inform you about next! There are so many wonderful things….and by things I mean musicals! But I think we are going to keep it light on this post. I introduced you guys to Ragtime (if you didn’t already know it before hand) and as you may know Audra McDonald is the lead in Ragtime. She play’s Sarah. We’ll of course this isn’t Audra’s only role on Broadway. She was recently in the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess on Broadway, opposite Norm Lewis. Audra has gone on to win numerous awards for her onstage/singing performances but here are a couple of fun facts thanks to IMDB!

·         At her final "Carousel" audition, Audra fainted on stage while singing. She still got the part and went on to win her first Tony Award in 1994.

·         The youngest actor ever to win three Tony Awards.

·         Graduated from the Juilliard School for the Performing Arts in 1993.

o   She almost didn't graduate from Juilliard because of her lack of interest in classical music, but with the help of a fellow student, impressed her teachers and went on to become a huge Broadway star.

·         Has won four Tony Awards in 11 years: as Best Actress (FeaturedRole-Musical) in 1994 for a revival of "Carousel," in 1998 for playing Sarah in Ragtime," as Best Actress (Featured Role-Play) in 1996 for playing Sharon in Terrence McNally's "Master Class," and in 2004 for her portrayal of Ruth Younger in a revival of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." She was also nominated in 2000 as Best Actress (Musical) for playing the title role in "Marie Christine" and in 2007 for playing Lizzie Curry in a revival of "110 in the Shade."

Not only has Audra stared in numerous roles on Broadway but she’s also been on the silver screen. Her most recent debut was on a show called Private Practice, on ABC, from 2007 to around 2011.  She mainly has done guest appearances and a few movies.

Audra just wrapped up on the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess a few short months ago in New York City. But her fans don’t have to worry; she will be appearing on tonight’s season finale of Private Practice on ABC. All of us Audra fans are dying to see the episode and get word on what she’ll be doing next. I hope she continues to stick with Broadway. A woman of her caliber should be on stage! I’ll post a video or two for all of you who haven’t heard this woman sing! If you have been following my blog then you’ve heard Audra sing and if you haven’t then go ahead and look at my Ragtime posts. You’ll be glad you did!

That’s all for tonight because I’m leaving you with homework! Go to www.youtube.com type in Audra McDonald and just enjoy. Explore different things. The woman is a classically trained singer. She can hit pretty much any range known to man. It’s rather ridiculous. So have fun with it and I will see you guys tomorrow.

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

Here it is guys. The other video I promised you (from the last post). Ragtime - A Shtetl Iz Amerike. So beautiful! I hope you guys enjoy it (:

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

Okay guys, I’ve posted the opening number of Ragtime above, or next to this, depending on how this is spaced when it is posted, lol. But you get the point! So, this is the original Broadway cast. However, they are not on their stage, this is a special performance that they did on the Rosie O’Donnell Show back in 1998. The stage was much smaller than what they had on their Broadway set so they had to make do. Which is why I believe their choreography isn’t much on this video.

To be honest I would LOVE to show you the opening number when I did Ragtime, but because of copyright I cannot. So I will just tell you, in our version we had all three groups (Immigrants, Harlem and New Rochelle) separated the whole time. Just like this video New Rochelle did their number followed by Harlem and then last the immigrants. But we did this really neat scene with the Harlem and immigrant section. The Harlem folks had a piano they all got to dance around—it really was amazing! And the immigrants all came over on a ship. So we used a projector to immolate us all on a ship in tight rows. It was a SUPER NEAT effect. Like I said before this is a much smaller space for this group to work around so they didn’t do much choreography, but during the musical breaks we left the piano out in the middle of the stage and each group circled the piano-- looking at one another—not certain of them and then, all of the sudden, there it was, the piano. The piano was the one thing that united us all. We would be completely captivated by it and then all of the sudden we would snap, and notice each other again. We had this motion of walking towards it, swayed by its beauty and its music, but then we’d notice each other again and slowly start to back away.  With the musical break and each group being separate this really spoke volumes and was one of my favorite parts about this number.  

Learning the music was another thing. Our director is a HUGE fan of vibrato (I’m sure you musical theatre junkies know how that is!) and he would have us over emphasize certain words and phrases using our vibrato. As a singer this really stretched me. There were people doing theatre, a lot longer than I have been alive, still carrying notecards up until the show started because of how tricky the music was and how many weird cutoff’s there were. If you have ever done this show or have seen this show you will notice that the cutoffs are all over the place. And always being in groups of three there were three sections singing three different parts, all in the soprano, alto, base and tenor. You’ll definitely notice the level of difficulty in “A Shtetl Iz Amerike”. Each group had to sing in their parts and in a different language.  For instance, I was an immigrant and I had to learn Hebrew. New Rochelle learned Italian and the Harlem group learned Haitian. It was super neat!!! I will post a video of that song so you can hear it! It was so much fun to learn another language and it really impacted the story line.

There is a lot that goes on in this musical. So if you are lost feel free to give me a shout and I will be happy to explain more, or get you links to other videos.

****Oh, and FUN FACT….did you notice the little girl in the Immigrant bunch? Look familiar? If you are a Glee fan she should. That is Lea Michele, just twelve years old, and already on Broadway!

I hope you enjoy this (:

Well, until tomorrow!!

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

This by far is one of my favorite numbers from this show! This showcases Audra McDonald's CRAZY talented voice and acting ability. I know you can't see her act in this video but just listen to her voice. I'll put the lyrics up for you but this is one of the most emotionally gripping moments of the show. When she has to bury her baby, alive, in the ground. Just listen.

[SARAH] Ooh... Daddy played piano, Played it very well. Music from those hands could Catch you like a spell. He could make you love him 'Fore the tune was done. You have your daddy's hands. You are your daddy's son. Ooh... Daddy never knew That you were on your way. He had other ladies And other tunes to play. When he up and left me, I just up and run. Only thing in my head- You were your daddy's son. Couldn't hear no music, Couldn't see no light. Mama, she was frightened, Crazy from the fright. Tears without no comfort, Screams without no sound. Only darkness and pain, The anger and pain, The blood and the pain! I buried my hear in the ground! In the ground- When I buried you in the ground. Daddy played piano. Bet he's playin' still. Mama can't forget him. Don't suppose I will. God wants no excuses. I have only one: You had your daddy's hands. Forgive me. You were your daddy's son.

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Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Michell singing Wheels of a Dream from Ragtime the Musical.

Go ahead.....it's okay to swoon! Wait until you hear these voices<3

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And the people called it Ragtime!

Unless you are Broadway musical fan you've probably never heard of Ragtime. Well, let me tell you….you are missing out! Big time! But you don’t have to take my word for it maybe this list will sway your thinking…

Tony Award Nominations            

Best Book of a Musical Best Original Musical Score Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Audra McDonald Best Orchestrations  Best Musical  Best Actor in a Musical - Peter Friedman  Best Actor in a Musical - Brian Stokes Mitchell  Best Actress in a Musical - Marin Mazzie  Best Scenic Design  Best Costume Design  Best Lighting Design  Best Choreography  Best Direction of a Musical

1998 Drama Desk Award Nominations

Outstanding New Musical Outstanding Book of a Musical Outstanding Music Outstanding Lyrics Outstanding Orchestrations  Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Peter Friedman  Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Brian Stokes Mitchell  Outstanding Actress in a Musical - Marin Mazzie  Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Steven Sutcliffe  Outstanding Choreography  Outstanding Direction of a Musical  Outstanding Set Design of a Musical  Outstanding Costume Design  Outstanding Lighting Design

1998 Theatre World Award Nominations

Steven Sutcliffe

2010 Tony Award Nominations

 Best Revival of a Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Christiane Noll  Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical - Bobby Steggert  Best Direction of a Musical Best Scenic Design of a Musical Best Lighting Design of a Musical

2010 Drama Desk Award Nominations

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical  Outstanding Revival of a Musical  Outstanding Actress in a Musical - Christiane Noll  Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Bobby Steggert  Outstanding Choreography  Outstanding Orchestrations  Outstanding Set Design  Outstanding Costume Design

2010 Drama League Award Nominations

 Distinguished Revival of a Musical  Distinguished Performance Award - Bobby Steggert

2010 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations

 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Bobby Steggert

Yes, yes, that’s what I thought. Let me just give you a quick run-down on the show itself. Then I will attach some music videos later on, because honestly, until you hear it you will never get the full effect.

“Ragtime is a tapestry of New York area life in the first decades of the twentieth century. People from radically different walks of life - an African-American family, a Jewish immigrant family, and a wealthy suburban WASP family - see their lives intersect in the aftermath of a crime, with unexpectedly emotional results.”

Being a musical theatre junkie I feel in love with this show right away. I feel so privileged to have been a part of this show. I encourage you to find out if this show is playing in a theatre near you because you won’t be disappointed!!! 

xoxox

[lyndsbenz]

Heartache: A Girl Called Eddy

One of the most heartbreaking points of the movie is the realization that these two lovers cannot be together. There is such a love between them, but how could they make it work? This song is played right after Sophia comes to the conclusion that the two of them cannot work it out. Finally she lets herself draw the conclusion that “Love doesn’t conquer.  It’s not a weapon you can wield, and that’s exactly what we’d have to do.” So cut to Yves and Sophia torn apart, yet again. It’s heartbreaking. And this song sums up everything so beautifully. It’s one of my favorite songs in the entire movie. So enjoy it guys!!!

xoxox

[lyndsbenz]

No Cars Go by Arcade Fire.

This is one of the more upbeat selections in For Lovers Only. This TOTALLY sets the mood in the movie when Sophia and Yves leave on their whirlwind romance across Europe. ENJOY!

xoxo

[lyndsbenz]

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC! Not only is it one of my favorite things but it is the emotional backbone for, For Lovers Only. Some of these scenes are breathtakingly gorgeous but the musical score behind them really adds another layer to the whole picture.

Mark: “It’s the emotional back-bone. I wouldn't say it was difficult but we needed to really find its tone. It's black and white so for instance you add a distorted guitar sound, it sets a certain tone. So we really had to pay attention to the marriage of music to picture.”

The music in For Lovers Only really flirts with a lot of different styles of music. Upbeat, slow, sexy and French, of course! I can only embed one video so I will post one here , and then I'll post two other videos--giving you a little taste of the music from the movie. Let me know what you think!! Each video has a different range of styles and I'm pretty much in love with them all. 

Music From The Movie:

·         No Cars Go: Arcade Fire

·         Sex Tourists: French Kicks

·         Heartache: A Girl Called Eddy

·         La Noyee: Serge Gainsbourg

·         Les Tcheques: Mathiue Boogarerts

·         Toute Ressemblance: Pascal Colomb

·         Everybody here wants you: Jeff Buckley

·         Love: John Lennon

So there you have it--the making of, the love story and the music behind the masterpiece. This is one of my favorite movies. I hope you enjoyed reading about it and were able to watch some of the videos!!

Tomorrow we are moving from movies to my favorite…..MUSICALS!!! Ah yes, by the time you are done reading my blog you will know everything you need to about those fabulous little thing called musicals!!! We will take a look at Ragtime The Musical and Titanic (NO—NOT THE MOVIE) The Musical. Both musicals are from the same time period, with a gorgeous choral sound that cannot be beat. You’ll love them I promise!!!!

So that’s all. No more romantic love stories….we’ll for now.

Until tomorrow!

xoxo