Caught in a Whirlwind

I realize it has been more than 2 months since I have last posted and. Basically this semester has not been a cup of tea - I'm not totally thrilled with my classes, plus I'm taking more credits than my brain can handle so I will be very glad to be done with this fall (exactly 2 weeks to be precise!).

So much has happened over the last couple months, that it would be hard to go into detail about everything that has happened. Instead I will post some photos highlighting what I've done.

I made sushi at an event hosted by one of the student groups and was taught how to wear and tie a traditional kimono (see the rest below the cut)

Think of…the Tony!!

As some of you may know, the Tony Awards are tonight. This celebration of broadway is my absolute favorite award show of the year and I tend to plan my night around the ceremony so I can watch it live. Now in the age of Twitter, Facebook, and other online networking sites, information about the nominees is widely available, with lots of updates from sources like Playbill.com and Broadway World. While browsing the Playbill twitters, I found two gems that represent my favorite parts of theater: the spectacular costumes and the actors off stage.

First up is a video and interview of Elmo and Sutton Foster (nominated for Best Actress in a Musical) singing on Sesame Street. It's very fun and energetic (very Sutton).

Second is a sneak peek photo gallery of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark which will be performing tonight  and opened May 12th at the Foxwoods theater. I saw a couple of the featured costumes up close while in New York in April and am excited to see them finally in use on stage. The show also features Jennifer Damiano of Spring Awakening and Next to Normal fame. I've never seen her live, but her voice is incredible.

Broadway Antics

A couple weeks ago, the Tony Award nominees were announced, but I didn't recognize most of contenders for best play and musical. I haven't really kept up with the last couple potential Tony Awards nominees, which probably explains why I only recognize the revivals of Anything Goes (starring Sutton Foster - which I would love to see. She is an amazing actress.), How to Succeed…Trying (starring Dan Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame and with costumes I saw in my trip to New York in April), and The Importance of Being Earnest (starring Brian Bedford). Every year when I watch the Tonys, I revel in watching all the clips and performances put on by all the nominees, partly because they are more interesting than the suspense of waiting for the winners to be announced, but mostly because I love the spectacle of the elaborate sets and costumes.

Monday was the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony, with a number of important awards handed out to very deserving awardees. I didn't get the chance to watch it (I'm not even sure if it was televised), but I did look over the winners and nominees and they were quite satisfactory. Sutton Foster won the award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for Anything Goes (not surprising and definitely deserved) and the designer for Priscilla: Queen of the Desert won best costumes (SOOO glad - I've seen photos and they are amazing and swathed with detail. I used the movie as inspiration for my Midsummer Night's Dream/Costume Design 1 Final first semester)

Some of the nutty Priscilla costumes

Outstanding Music in a Play went to Peter and the Starcatcher, the play I was supposed to see when I was in NYC for my costuming trip (but didn't because an actor was sick); Sleep No More, an award winning theatrical experience, also won an award. I never had the opportunity to see the show, but it had a very cool premise. It was Macbeth, only set in an old high school and you walked through and watched the story unfold before your eyes. A complete list of winners can be found here.

A plus is that the Tony Awards are on June 12th! I can't wait to see what happens. In the meantime, I'll start doing some research about the nominated shows. Also Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. I love him (especially in Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog).

I also have task for you readers - if you are in the area, get tickets to come see Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music at Reagle Music Theater! I can assure you that both will be fantastic shows and won't disappoint!