This is one musical that I truly enjoyed. The movie "Lion King" was a great movie with songs that made us fall in love, laugh and cry. The musical production gave us that and more. To see the characters come to life and perform in colourful costumes were a sight to behold. At the end of the show, I loved the musical more than the film.
I'm most amazed with the actors because other than act, sing and dance, they also had to control the puppet above their heads. The task wasn't easy but their movements were graceful, as if they were one with their respective puppets.
My favourite productions were: "Circle of Life" (start of the show), "I Just Can't Wait to be King", "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?"
A few photos to remember: A peak at the orchestra which was located below the stage.
The Husband and I outside Capitol Theatre.
Rafiki in wax, located at the ground floor lobby of Capitol Theatre.
The Lion King will run until 31 August 2014. You can buy tickets via Ticketmaster. If you have time this weekend, check out the website for tickets and see it before it ends.
I grew up watching his films. He's known for being a brilliant comedian but in all of his films, my favourites were about celebrating life and death: Jack, Patch Adams and What Dreams May Come.
Robin Williams
1951-2014
I don't have very much time these days so I'll make it quick. Like my life. You know, as we come to the end of this phase of our life, we find ourselves trying to remember the good times and trying to forget the bad times, and we find ourselves thinking about the future. We start to worry , thinking, "What am I gonna do? Where am I gonna be in ten years?" But I say to you, "Hey, look at me!" Please, don't worry so much. Because in the end, none of us have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting. And if you're ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day... make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular. I know I did. - Jack I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly without complexities or pride. I love you because I know no other way then this. So close that your hand, on my chest, is my hand. So close, that when you close your eyes, I fall asleep. - Chris Nielsen (What Dreams May Come) What's true in our minds is true, whether some people know it or not. - Patch Adams Death. To die. To expire. To pass on. To perish. To peg out. To push up daisies. To push up posies. To become extinct. Curtains, deceased, Demised, departed And defunct. Dead as a doornail. Dead as a herring. Dead as a mutton. Dead as nits. The last breath. Paying a debt to nature. The big sleep. God's way of saying, "Slow down." - Patch Adams Thank you, Robin Williams, for the gift of laughter and inspiration.
A night of wonderful music by the one and onlyIdina Menzeland the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. Did I just wrote that in one sentence? Did that happen not too long? Yes. Yes!
It has always been a wish to watch a concert at the Sydney Opera House. I feel very blessed that I was able to experience watching a concert at the Opera House with Idina Menzel as the performer. Another dream come true!
Idina Menzel was the first Elphaba (of the musical WICKED) in Broadway, of which she won a Tony Award. On TV, she was known as Shelby Corcoran, Rachel's mother in Glee. She has also appeared in a Disney movie entitled, "Enchanted".
I've only seen Idina sing on videos in youtube and Glee. The only recording that I have of her is the OST of Wicked. When I learned that she will have a concert in Sydney, I immediately got tickets so I can watch her. I have always admired her singing voice and I thought that this might be a once in a lifetime chance for me to see her perform live.
She came out on stage in a simple but classic black lace dress. She was barefoot. According to her, she feels free and more grounded when sings with bare feet.
She took our breath away the moment she sang her first song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Her voice was amazing. Her stage presence made us not take our eyes off her. And her humour! She was so funny and spontaneous. Like she was talking to a friend the whole time she was on stage.
I wrote down some of the songs Idina sang that night...in the dark! That's what you call dedication haha. Here's a part of her repertoire: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Wizard and I, Don't Rain On My Parade, Both Sides Now, Let's Dance, Love For Sale, At The Ballet, What I Did for Love, God Save My Soul, Poker Face (the song she sang in Glee), Take Me For What I Am, Defying Gravity and For Good.
My favourite parts of the evening:
When she sang "The Wizard and I". One of the songs from WICKED. Even if I will never get to see her play Elphaba, this was good enough for me.
When she sang "Let's Dance". It was at this point that Idina talked about how she started as a wedding singer. She even danced a few moved which very much entertained us.
When she sang "Poker Face". In between singing this song, she talked about her hesitation to go into TV and star in Glee as Rachel's mother. She showed us her funny take on the song which she thought doesn't really make sense when you carefully listen to the lyrics.
When she sang "Defying Gravity". The song the character "Elphaba" is known for. To hear the original Elphaba sing my super favourite song in such a powerful voice just made me indescribably happy.
When she sang her finale song "For Good" in acapella. She put down her microphone and sang this song in all its rawness. The whole concert hall in silence and the only voice heard was hers. It was beautiful, it was touching. Singing "For Good" with no music made us feel her sincerity and gratefulness for having performed for us. It was her best gift to us that night.
I was able to buy a Idina's concert playbill and it came with stories of her achievements and a short interview. The most important question was asked, "Would you ever return to Wicked?" And sadly for now, she doesn't think she'll ever do it again.
I watched Idina's concert with the Husband and two of my dear friends. We all enjoyed it immensely and felt very spoiled for living here in Sydney, having the chance to watch concerts at the Opera House with performers such as Idina Menzel.
Below are videos of her performances in her Barefoot at the Symphony concerts where she sang "Defying Gravity" and "For Good":
Two things. We've been having chilly mornings in Sydney and the weather has turned me more sentimental than I already am. *Cheesy na nga ako, naging cheesy pa lalo!* The song "Buko" has been my LSS for days. Songs like these are what I call the modern type of harana. Eto yung tipo ng kanta na simple pero may lambing at madaling awitin. Maaring corny sa iba pero para sa akin, na-appreciate ko na OPM siya.
Naalala ko pa nung nililigawan pa lamang kita
Dadalaw tuwing gabi masilayan lamang ang ‘yong mga ngiti
At Ika’y sasabihan bukas ng alas siyete sa dating tagpuan
Buo ang araw ko marinig ko lang ang mga himig mo
Hindi ko man alam kung nasan ka wala man tayong komunikasyon
Maghihintay sa’yo buong magdamag dahil ikaw ang buhay ko
Kung inaakala mo na ang pag-ibig ko’y magbabago
Itaga mo sa bato dumaan man ang maraming Pasko
Kahit na di mo na abot ang sahig
Kahit na di mo na ‘ko marinig
Ikaw pa rin ang buhay ko
Naalala ko pa nung pinapangarap pa lamang kita
Hahatid, susunduin, kahit mga bituin aking susungkitin
It was a musical like no other. Jesus Christ Superstar has been shown in cities all over the world, told in different interpretations. We are privileged to have experienced this spectacular musical produced in a big stage like Sydney Entertainment Centre. Well, the production wouldn't be called "the arena tour" for nothing. They showed in Sydney for only three days and each show, all tickets were sold out.
Playbill, tickets and a fridge magnet to add to our collection
The Husband took the lead in getting us tickets as he was more enthusiastic in seeing JCS. While I've seen JCS way back in college, a production by Repertory Philippines, the promise of a rock musical in an arena piqued my interest too.
The crowd before the show. Full house!
Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot. He brought the house down with his commanding presence and powerful voice. He's the star of this show.
Ben Forster as Jesus Christ. Amazing and talented. He lit up the stage with his astounding voice.
Melanie C as Mary Magdalene. It was a dream come true to finally watch a Spice Girl live and I'm so grateful it had to be Melanie C. She was a revelation! Her voice was fantastic, substantially powerful and yet soothing when needed.
Andrew O'Keefe as King Herod. I've only known him as an Australian TV Host so it was my first time to see him sing and dance. He was extremely good! As in, wow! He brought King Herod's character into a different dimension. His part was only one song but he did it so remarkably well.
This production showed a modern day JCS. They adapted the concept of Occupy London; social media came into play such as status updates in facebook and twitter; coverages from CCTV cameras; uploading videos on youtube; even one of the pharisees used a Macbook in one scene! I appreciated how they made JCS as current as possible.
In a nutshell: If you ever come across this production and it promises a musical and rock concert in one, go and see it! It's worth your money and time.
I’ve been LSS-ing on this song since I’ve seen SMASH’s Season 2 finale. There’s something inspiring and hopeful about the message of "Broadway, Here I Come!" that I can’t help but feel positively excited whenever I hear it play or hum it by my lonesome. It's a good song for when you feel you need a little courage from within or simply when you want something to perk you up in the mornings.
Can I just say that I love the 2nd season of SMASH? It’s so much better than the first one. This last season, they’ve eliminated the subplots that didn’t matter and instead focused mostly on theatre and production.
Anyway, here's the lyrics if you want to sing along with the video above (I've also highlighted my favourite words on the song):
"Broadway, Here I Come!"
I'm high above the city
I'm standing on the ledge
The view from here is pretty
And I'm step off the edge
And now I'm fallin', baby
Through the sky, through the sky
And I'm fallin', baby through the sky
It's my callin', baby
Don't you cry, don't you cry
And I'm fallin' down through the sky
Toward the street that I'm from
Oh, Broadway, here I come
Mmmm
The pressure it increases
The closer that I get
I could almost go to pieces
But I'm not quite there yet
See, I've been bravin' crazy weather
Drownin' out my cries
I pull myself together
I'm focused on the prize
And now I'm fallin', baby
Through the sky, through the sky
I'm fallin', baby through the sky
It's my callin', baby
Don't you cry, don't you dry
'Cause I'm fallin' down through the sky
And it's a tune you can hum
Oh, Broadway here I come
Broadway, here I come
Will I remain the same
Or will I change a little bit?
Will I feel broken or totally complete?
Will I retain my name when I'm the biggest, hugest hit?
This is just something for the books and an experience that the Husband and I won't ever forget.
We were supposed to go up the mountains last Friday but changed our plans due to the awful weather (unpredictable rains!) so we decided to book tickets to the latest Star Trek movie. It was a Friday afternoon and we saw a few people lined up at the counters. When we got inside the theatre, it was us and only us. Wow!
At first I found it quite scary to be just us alone in the huge theatre. I think the big space and darkness overwhelmed me. But once I got over it, it was sooooo much fun watching a movie like Star Trek with just us inside the theatre. I got to laugh and scream as loud as I can. We had no inhibitions as to how we'd react. Plus, the Husband and I didn't have to whisper our side comments during certain scenes. It felt like we're just sitting in our lounge room only we had a bigger screen!
Good thing the Husband brought his little flash with him that he was able to take a photo of me inside the theatre. I told him this happy circumstance might never happen again so we should have a photo.
And by the way, Star Trek Into Darkness was an entertaining film. It was definitely worth watching on the big screen.
This morning, I spent a few moments reflecting on how grateful I am to love and be loved by family and friends. Every Valentines Day, my thoughts are not just for my significant other but also for the special people who fill my life with love and joy. Wherever they are, I send positive and grateful thoughts out to them, not just today but everyday.
Here's my Hearts Day gift to you dear readers. A short film by Disney entitled "Paperman" which takes only six minutes of your time but will give you a smile that could last the whole day.
This video made me remember how love can find you in the most unexpected times and how the universe makes a way for things to fall into place because some people are meant for each other. Ahhh Love, the most wonderful thing!
Have a fun Hearts Day! Live, love and be grateful! :) Sources: WikipediaYoutube
Last year, I was fortunate to have watched and seen more shows/exhibitions than I expected. Big thanks to friends who gave leads and invited us. There were so many wonderful shows and exhibitions last year but the Husband and I carefully chose what we'd like to really experience. Here's a list of memorable shows we watched in 2012. Musicals
Annie. My childhood dream to see "Annie" came true when it showed in Sydney during the first quarter of 2012. The musical that made songs such as "Tomorrow", "It's a Hard-Knock Life" and "Fully Dressed" famous. I enjoyed every minute of this heart-warming story of an orphan named "Annie" as she dreams a home to call her own. Love Never Dies (Sequel to "Phantom of the Opera").The continuation of Phantom and Christine's tragic love story. If you have seen "Phantom of the Opera", this is a must see. It's as fabulous as the its predecessor but more dramatic and poignant.
Legally Blonde. Afun and entertaining show that will remind you how great it is to have girlfriends who will always be there to share the highs and lows of your life, get over the man who broke your heart, fall in love again (with the right man this time) and celebrate the uniqueness in you. Read about my story here.
Exhibitions Harry Potter. An exhibition which made me appreciate and love the film series even more. It was a treat for movie enthusiasts to see each character’s wands and outfits worn in the movie, the flying car, the Horcruxes, the Twizard Cup, pieces from the Wizard’s Chess, the Invisibility Cloak and the full version of Buckbeak. Read my story and see more photos here. Love Lace. Lace is one of my favourite fabrics (next to silk and satin) because of its intricate and meaningful designs, the details and hardwork that goes into creating them, and the romance and mystery it brings to those who wear them. The exhibition showcased the things one can do to lace, may it be in the form of dresses, boots, gloves, jewellery and artwork. It was a small exhibition but it was a beautiful showcase. See more photos here.
Picasso. The most significant exhibition of Picasso’s art ever held in Australia. More than 150 important paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings created by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) have come from the artist’s personal collection – works he was determined never to relinquish. It was amazing to see his work and admire his style in art.
Madame Tussauds. Enjoyed this fun exhibition with our family. Each Madame Tussauds is unique in every city as 60% of the wax figures in Sydney are composed of famous Australian personalities such as Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Rod Laver, Lleyton Hewitt, Julia Gillard, John Howard and Mary Mackillop. Read my article on Madame Tussauds here.
Narnia. A short but fun exhibition for kids. I enjoyed seeing this exhibition because it showed the costumes used for the film. Made me appreciate the huge effort and cost in filming this kind of production.
Ballet Sleeping Beauty by the Imperial Russian Ballet. One of the most watched ballets in history. The music was written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the original scenario was conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and the choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa. My first time to watch ballet and it was good. Read my story here.
Sports Event Australian Open 2012. Another dream of mine that came true! We got to watch the best tennis player in the world, Roger Federer. And this all happened on my birthday which made me so happy. To watch a legend like Roger Federer is a gift. For someone like me who's far away from any Grand Slam or Masters venue, it is a once in a lifetime blessing. The minute Federer walked inside the court, the crowd was in awe. One will feel the air of royalty alluded to him by many but he didn't look intimidating at all. He looked relaxed and down-to-earth. He has this certain grace that only a Master exudes. For more of my Australian Open 2012 experience, please read here.
In my books, this was a great line-up of shows and exhibitions. I hope the shows we see in 2013 will be as entertaining. We also look forward to learning new things as we experience a different set of shows and exhibitions in the coming year.
We are such big fans of The Big Bang Theory that I even follow some of the cast on twitter. This morning Kaley Cuoco (Penny) shared TBBT Flash mob that happened in one of their shoots. Enjoy the video below and have a good laugh.
I've seen the film a couple of times and when I learned that they've turned it into a musical, I hoped that one day it will reach the shores of Sydney and stage here. It took awhile for that to happen and when it did, I resisted the temptation to read reviews and even listen to the soundtrack. Since this show originated from a movie, I wanted to experience the musical with only that knowledge that it was from a movie. I wanted to experience it with raw appreciation and a fresh perspective. Legally Blonde (The Musical) is a fun and entertaining show that will remind you how great it is to have girlfriends who will always be there to share the highs and lows of your life, get over the man who broke your heart, fall in love again (with the right man this time) and celebrate the uniqueness in you. It's such a refreshing musical that will leave you a feeling of warmth and positivity plus a certain fondness for the colour Pink :D (LOL).
The Songs. They've got catchy and easy to "sing-along with" songs. My favourites are "Omigod You Guys", "Serious", "Chip On My Shoulder", "Legally Blonde" and "Find My Way".
The Cast. It was great to see Lucy Durack, Rob Mills and David Harris together on stage once again. I saw them when we watched "Wicked" and they were the perfectly casted for the roles of Elle Woods, Warner Huntington III and Emmett Forest respectively. Lucy was a natural "Elle", Rob was charming and David's presence was very engaging. I was highly entertained by Helen Dallimore (who played Paulette) as she brought the house down with her singing and dancing and Erika Heynatz (who played Brooke Wyndham) as she captivated all of us with her strong voice, great stamina and stage presence.
The Production. The production design was well-executed as there were a lot of scene changes. The stage was colouful and added life to every scene.
We sat on second row and it was freakin' awesome! I usually wear glasses when watching shows but I didn't have to. The orchestra below the stage was well-within sight too. Kudos to my friend Rachel for getting the best seats.
I was lucky to snap a photo of the main cast as they did the final curtain call. Note that I only used my Lumix GF1 with 20mm lens to capture this and yet it turned out clear enough. This was how close we were to stage. The main characters (from left to right): Prof. Callaghan, Brooke Wyndham, Warner Huntington III, Emmett Forest, Elle Woods and Paulette.
Personal: Watching "Legally Blonde" is our way of celebrating the birthday of our dearest friend Rachel. It was a very apt way to celebrate her birthday as she is very fond of watching musicals like me and our other friend Hilda. I got her Adriano Zumbo's "Happy Birthday" cake and had a Din Tai Fung dinner before the show. Experiencing "Legally Blonde" was more fun and special because I watched it with two of my dearest friends. We ended the night having our favourite gelato at Messina and a walk at Darling Harbour.
It was my first time to watch a ballet performance and I was so excited at the thought of being inside the theatre and watch a show I've never seen before. I went with tweethearts Jo and Pen on Friday night who were all first timers as well. Since the show was at 8pm, we orchestrated an early dinner meet-up with the whole Tweethearts gang at Westfield Sydney.
Arrived at Westfield Sydney at 5pm, dropped by the Nespresso Boutique then went up to Level 5 to meet with everyone. While everyone started with dinner, I was the only who made a quick run to Via del Corsofor some Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter macarons and a cup of long black. On night outs such as these, I can't skip my afternoon tea as I need it to stay awake til at least 12 midnight. I rarely need coffee in the mornings because I'm a morning person but it's in the afternoon that I need a little caffeine kick to sustain whatever energy I may have during the day til evening.
While I was savouring my macarons and coffee, the Husband started bringing dinner to our table. He had his favourite American Hautedog and Chips from Snag Stand and then a little later, He brought me my Breaded Chicken and Fried Egg Rice from Din Tai Fung.
We had an hour and a half to catch up but it felt like minutes. Ang dami talagang kwento!!! Kulang ang oras. And to think that we all talk fast! LOL. But we're grateful nonetheless. At least sa maliit na paraan, naisingit ang pagkikita kahit sandali lang.
We marveled at the exquisite beauty of State Theatre when we arrived at a few minutes to 8. It was overwhelming to see exquisite details of their ceilings, walls, chandeliers and statues adorned in every corner. The theatre was old but well-maintained.
According to our friend Pen, Sleeping Beauty is one of the most watched ballets in history. The music was written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the original scenario was conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and the choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa {source}. The show had three acts and lasted almost three hours.
While some parts were a bit dragging and may have induced a few yawns (hello, classical music! nakakahele kaya! and I think that is still a compliment haha), over-all it was entertaining. The production was simple but the costumes and tutus of the ballerinas were very colourful. We were a bit disappointed that there wasn't a real orchestra especially that the sound system of State Theatre seemed ancient (and at one point it stopped! que horror!). The dancers moved gracefully and I swear I looked closely if they'd missed a beat or make a mistake, especially in unified acts, and they didn't (if they did, I was probably busy yawning). The Prima Ballerina who played Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) was an enchanting presence on stage. She illuminates! Another character that I fancied was the man who played Blue Bird (he was dressed in blue and according to the program he was a bird). He was really fantastic.
I have such high respect for ballet dancers and every time I see them dance perfectly, I know that for every step and position, it took them hours of practice and huge amounts of discipline to get it right. Sleeping Beauty may not be a perfect production but I commend them for giving us a good show on Friday night.
To watch a ballet production such as Sleeping Beauty is quite an honour because the show has been running since 1890. I'm glad I had a chance to watch it with friends and appreciate the art of ballet even more.
The Sleeping Beauty production ran in Sydney for only four days from 30 August to 2 September and it was directed by Evgeny Amosov.
Two of the things I love: Roger Federer and Lindt LINDOR Truffles in one commercial. I find this very funny so I'm sharing it with you hoping it'll bring a smile to your face on this Monday morning. Let's all have a cheerful week ahead!
If you happen to pass by The Galeries (500 George Street, Sydney), a mini-Batman Exhibition is currently on-going to promote the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. The film will be shown in theatres starting tomorrow.
For those who would like to avail free tickets, visit The Galeries and shop a minimum of AUD$70.00 and you will have a chance at getting double passes to the movie. Details, terms and conditions can be found here. Promo runs from 10:00am of 16 July to 6:00pm 31 July, or when all stocks of the gift has been depleted (whichever comes first).
The exhibition showcases not more than 10 photos when I dropped by The Galeries. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.
