I saw How to Succeed today!


The actual publicity poster for the show, fyi.
I went with my suitemates Annika and Claire. Normally I spend way more time with two of my other suitemates, Abby and Emma, but there was no date that worked for all five of us to see the show so I took the chance to mix up my company. Annika and I got to the rush line around quarter to eight and that was basically perfect, as we were 7th & 8th in line and a bunch of people showed up soon after us. It was cold but not too crappy, as we came prepared in several layers of clothing and with an extra blanket. (One day I will journal about rushing Spiderman in January. THAT was hell.) They didn't give us any trouble about getting three seats together, either, so we ended up with partial view on the far side of the fourth row.

We hung out in the Marriott Marquis lobby (obviously) for a few hours and talked a lot about feminism. (I hadn't realized Annika was so into it! She's now the second person I've met at Barnard who self-identifies as feminist - Abby's the first. Progress!) At some point the woman who paid Susan Blackwell $1,000 to lick her face (side note on that video: Marin's vagina is quivering) showed up and we both recognized her and were like :O. CELEBRITY SIGHTING #1.

We got lunch and then wandered back to the theater to meet Claire. On the sidewalk, Annika said, "We definitely just passed a famous person." I said, "Who?" and she was all, "IDK, he played Pepper on Modern Family," at which point I was like "You mean NATHAN LANE?" Thus, CELEBRITY SIGHTING #2. I really enjoyed that she was just like "idk some broseph," I mean I'm not particularly a fan of Nathan Lane myself but loooool.

At the theater I sat next to an outrageously adorable old man and his wife who were basically IRL Carl and Ellie. (Him: "We've been married 53 years! We've known each other for 58! We met when we were 17, can you believe that? She's my best friend." a;ksdlfjal;skdf) They talked about how they'd seen the original production of How to Succeed and then they were like "oh btw Anderson Cooper is over there." I was like WHAT? and craned my neck and true to form, there he was, four seats over and on the other side of the aisle. ;asjdf;kl CELEBRITY SIGHTING #3. He is just as fine irl you guys, js.

As for the show itself (I know, FINALLY), it was AWESOME. I had a much better time than I expected to, considering I don't usually dig movies/musicals from before like, 1990. (I recognize that this makes me sound like a snot. Can I make up for it by being really into ancient shit?) Obviously there were lots and lots of retro sexism, which was kind of a buzzkill, but it also had moments of genuine hilarity, and DanRad and Hanke (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) were fucking DELIGHTFUL. Hanke was a deliciously ridiculous villain; he actually reminded me a little bit of Lauren Lopez' Draco with his exaggerated facial expressions and flailing physicality. It wasn't excessive, though - just super charming. The whole cast was excellent, really, and perfect for their parts, no foolin'. I dug the set design and choreography, too. Afterwards, Dan gave the BC/EFA speech, and John Larroquette interrupted to be like "Wait, you're BRITISH?" Haaaa.

I wanted to stagedoor Christopher, but I knew the scene would be crazy because of DanRad so I let it go.

Aaaaaaand that was that! Now I'm eating fudge-covered Oreos, om nom nom nom nom. (Mary adventures! They finally sell them here!) I really want to update more often.

Godspeed,
Mary

I just did a racial survey of my icons for the lulz. Here's what I came up with:

Icons featuring white people: 91
Icons featuring non-white people (Elphaba doesn't count): 15
- including several Mimis, many In the Heights cast members, one Wallace from Veronica Mars, one Martha Jones, and one Merle Dandridge.
(These add up to more than my total icon count because some of my icons feature multiple races.)

...I think my icons need an affirmative action program. Especially for black people, what? (Hispanic people seem to be doing okay.)

Uh, one day I will write a more substantial update. (And my 2010 year-in-review poast!) One day.

So, Jessica lesson_in_love and I have seen a TON of theater this weekend.

( In the Heights, N2N x2, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson )

In light of today's announcement (permanent sadface), I am more glad than ever that I had a ticket to see Louis Hobson at Joe's Pub tonight. At times like this, it is always nice to be around fellow fans.

• So uhhh I was definitely standing like two feet away from Aaron. I texted lesson_in_love, she immediately texted back "WHAT IS HE WEARING?" Ilu Jessica.
  
• Anyway, he was stubbly and looked unbelievably gorgeous as usual. So that was a nice treat. Especially when he was chewing on a pen what? Oh Aaron, never change.
  
• At one point Adam came up to him and they boyhugged and I nearly didn't survive the cute, it was that intense.
  
• BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT LOUIS. He was looking super doable tonight, dressed all in black with ruffled hair. I approve. Also approve of his super cool air guitar.
  
• He insisted that the closing is not really a sad thing, and while I was mostly like OK WHATEVER LOUIS, it was still nice to hear him say it and I am feeling more upbeat about the whole thing than I expected to. I mean, it's not like I have to feel guilty about not seeing the show as much as I possibly could.
  
• The evening had a vaguely autobiographical theme, in that the songs were arranged in chronological order of their significance in Louis' past, which he explained before each one. He devoted three songs to his relationship with his wife. (They got engaged when he was 20 and she was 19! What!)
  
• So for the 3rd song he brings out Meghann, who looked gorgeous, and said something sweet about how he believes that she is going to be the most famous of all the N2N cast members one day.
  
• AND THEN THEY SANG "THE NEXT TEN MINUTES" NBD NBD. Meghann killed it. I couldn't even believe how powerful her voice was. Louis was choking up a bit and so was I and jeez, you guys.
  
• The next person he brought out was Adam and they hugged and kissed each other's cheeks (!) and their bromance is basically my favorite thing ever I'm not kidding. They sang "Help" which was OUTRAGEOUS in how great it was, I think it got the best crowd reaction of the night. Adam kept poking at Louis and ruffling his hair and then Louis would swat away his hand. I can't even deal. When the video inevitably shows up on youtube I'm probably just going to devote the rest of my life to watching it on a loop.
  
• Jason was also ridiculously adorable. He and Louis did some exquisite dancing up there. Definitely keep an eye out for video of that.
  
• AND OF COURSE, our lady Ripples, who wore a dress so short I was actually a little concerned. She did two songs with Louis, played her guitar, and made bird sounds, pausing only to pick up her pin when it fell off (???). You know, the usual Ripples stuff.
  
• Feeling Electric was the encore song. I CAN'T EVEN. Aaron gave it a standing ovation, omg cute. ♥

SO YEAH, THAT WAS MY NIGHT. As soon as it was over, I went to the Starbucks across the street to write down everything I could remember. I am really, really cool.

NEXT TO NORMAL tonight, with labellefolie!

• Sooo Jason definitely had Marin's lipstick ON HIS NECK through the entirety of Act I. GET IT TOGETHER GUYS. Our theory: they went all method and actually had sex during Natalie's verse of Just Another Day.
  
• I missed Louis so much oh my gosh everything he does is attractive
  
• Marin was all giddy during It's Gonna Be Good, clearly just super pumped to celebrate Gabe's birthday. So...that was heartbreaking.
  
• I noticed for the first time Dan drinking in the background of Catch Me I'm Falling. That's not new, is it? TOTAL MINDFUCK that I've never seen it before. I don't even know what to think, next time I go I'll have to watch for it more closely.
  
• Marin cried like, the entire show. How does she even. Stanning stanning stanning.
  
• Jason Danieley, in return, kept making faces that were LITERALLY :(((( (most notably at the very end of Act I) and I can't even deal, okay?
  
• Marin accidentally threw the bottle of pills into the audience during My Psychopharmacologist and I. Of course Louis had like, 3 backups, but it was still super lulzy.
  
• Meghann's deliveries were super weird tonight. It was like she was doing her first read-through and had no familiarity with the book or sense of how to convey the character coherently.
  
• pee ess Shake Shack cheese fries are amazing.
  
• Did I miss anything, Alex?
  
• Oh and I am fucking pumped for the revival of Rent and do not give half a shit that it is way too soon. I would have been pumped for a revival opening Sept. 9, 2008. BRING IT ON.

Bloody Bloody at B&N!

• UM SO I (ACCIDENTALLY!) SAT NEXT TO KATIE FINNERAN NBD NBD
  
• She is super cute and pregnant and I tried extra hard not to creep on her or be visibly flaily when Darren came over afterwards to kiss her and chat, but akl;sjdfl
  
• I am just barely not visible in this picture, but that's Katie in the red coat and I'm on her left.
  
• They performed The Corrupt Bargain (BRYCE PINKHAM YOU SLAY ME, omg the dancing), Second Nature, and I'm Not That Guy. Benjamin Walker got lost at the beginning of the second verse and was all "jeez, I'm performing tonight, I should learn this." It was cute.
  
• "I wonder when was the last time the word 'twat' was bandied around on this stage." Insightful, Benjamin, thank you.
  
• At the end he jokingly kicked over the stool that was on stage and the dorky B&N employee was like "It's like a Who concert!" It was so lame, loling forever.
  
• ♥ ♥ ♥ everyone.

GUYS, NEXT TO NORMAL.

( one day I will write a non-theater update :( )

I saw Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson last night! It was ridiculously fun.

( I'll try to keep my comments spoiler-free since I know some of you are probably still trying to see it )

What do you think, flist: Is it a good thing or a bad thing to feel shame about your screwups and regret about your failures?

I'll poast later to elaborate on why I'm asking.