Panic! at the Disco: Pray for the Wicked Review

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I know what you are probably looking at the title and thinking. "Why is there a review for an album that does not relate to theatre?" Well, I thought and pondered about this for a little while and decided that since Brendon Urie was in Kinky Boots last year, this made it okay to review a Panic! at the Disco album on my theatre blog.

As many of you may know, Panic! at the Disco released a new album titled Pray for the Wicked last Friday. This album comes with so many different styles of music that all sync together somehow. With the traditional use of drums, piano, bass, guitar, and Brendon Urie's beautiful vocal cords, there is the addition of brass and string instruments.

Say Amen (Saturday Night) Video
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Like with every P!@TD album, the sound of it is different than all the others. With this, I think he went a bit more theatrical with some of the songs and a bit more pop with others. I felt that "Old Fashioned" could have come straight out of a musical, which I kind of enjoyed. I also felt like "Dancing's Not a Crime" had more of a Maroon 5 vibe to it, but with that alternative flair. (BTW, I am a huge fan of Maroon 5 as well).

I also felt that there were a couple of songs in the album had an almost inspirational feel to them. "Hey Look Ma, I Made It" and "High Hopes" both talk about never giving up hope that you are going to make it and be the one to get that big break. I feel, as a someone who really wants to become an actress, that is something that you have to have.

Hey Look Ma, I Made It Video
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Now, what did I think of the album as a whole? I absolutely loved it!!!!! It is one of the best albums
that I have ever listened to. I am someone who always has that one song from an album that they don't care for as much as the others, but this is a very rare exception. I love every single song on the album and could listen to them all day. Added bonus: it always makes me want to get up and dance.

I have already recommended it to so many of my friends and for good reason. I even said to one of my best friends that Brendon "hit it out of the park with this one". I seriously have nothing bad to say about this album.

Though, as with most things in life, I do have my favorite songs:

1. Say Amen (Saturday Night)- This was the song that got me to pre-order the album immediately. I love the sound of it and how upbeat and energetic it is.
2. High Hopes- Like I said, it is so inspirational and it is how I feel when I think about pursuing an acting career.
3. Roaring 20's- A) It talks about his time on Broadway, B) I love the sound of it, and C) It is probably my favorite song out of all of them!!!
4. One of the Drunks- I like the style of it and it makes me want to dance (which I have to restrain from doing when I'm driving)
5. King of the Clouds- It has a super cool vibe to it and has an almost escapism element to it that I love.
6. Dying in LA- So beautiful, so magical, so pure

If you haven't already, you guys need to go and listen to Pray for the Wicked ASAP. It is a fantastic and beautiful album that I feel most people will absolutely love!!!

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The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Performance Review: Live Stage Recording

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Andrew Lloyd-Webber created a masterpiece that made its way to Broadway thirty years ago this year. That masterpiece is The Phantom of the Opera. A musical about a disfigured man who hides in the Paris Opera House and falls in love with a ballerina named Christine. It follows the Phantom in his pursuit to make Christine fall in love with him even when he is met with fear and hostility. The music adds so much depth to a compelling plot that when performed on stage create a piece of art that you will only see in The Phantom of the Opera.

Christine and the Phantom
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The performance I watched was a live stage recording of the 25th-anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall. The portrayal of this musical was done so elegantly on stage. The costumes clearly express the time period this show is based in. There is Christine’s dress in Act Two, a beautiful deep blue color with white and gold accents and white bell sleeves tell us this musical is set in the 1800’s (including the big puff of fabric on her rear end). Even the blue hooded cape she wears shows us when this takes place. There are also the men’s suits. Though many seem like they are in a similar style to what men where today, you can’t deny that coattails on some of the suits seem very outdated for the modern era. Even the costumes worn by the opera house actors seemed very much for that time period, including the costume worn in their production of Hannibal had the women wearing brightly colored laced-up corsets and skirts that accentuate women’s breasts the way corsets do.

You may think that The Phantom of the Opera would not have the most extreme makeup you have ever seen. It is true that many of the actors, even the men, are wearing foundation, blush, eyeliner, and lip color. But the true work of art is what the makeup team do to make half of the Phantom’s face

The Phantom
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look disfigured and in a sense, hideous. That is right, we see what the Phantom looks like under his mask. At the end of the show, when Christine rips off his mask and wig, we see the disfigurement that makes him seem like a monster. The prosthetic that is applied to his head and bald cap shows an opening in the skin that seems to show a part of his skull and a bit of his brain as well. You see the muscles just below his cheekbone where skins might have tried to appear, but at last, gave a scar-like effect. His lips are a distortion that does not come as a shock to many because it is the only thing we can see behind his mask. A prosthetic has been added to make his lips look unnaturally big and I really wonder how he was able to kiss Christine with those without it accidentally coming off. I’m guessing it was stuck down with spirit gum which can only be removed with it’s matching remover. And finally, there are the gray wisps of his balding head that would deceive many if you didn’t know that a bald cap was applied underneath.

Masquerade
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The set helps to transport us to a time where the Phantom is. The opera house stage that is made by the set pieces of what show they are performing (Opera-seption!). This is including the giant chandelier (which sparks to demonstrate its destruction at the end of Act One) that is the focal point of the Paris Opera House.  Laura Pledger at Radio Times tells us that “...I was sitting underneath it when the firecrackers went off at the interval and I can tell you, those smouldering remnants were hot.” (Link to article here). The Phantom’s lair can be demonstrated by walking down the rafters which lead to a boat on wheels hidden off stage. The boat floats across a lake, demonstrated by fog across the stage. From there, you enter his lair, which includes a candelabra, an organ, and his throne-like chair. There is no set left to the imagination in this show, which is something to be admired.

The props also help us to know what is going on. The props of the hanging men show how far the

Phantom without his mask
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Phantom will go in order to get his way. The ring that the Phantom forces on Christine’s finger, the mask the Phantom wears to cover his distortions, they all help move the show along. But what tied everything together was the script. An opera is a show that has very little to no talking within the entire show. The majority of the dialogue is portrayed through song. Many may think that it is something that would turn them off of the show since lyrics can sometimes get lost in the music but it is done so well that you are able to understand what is going on and understand the severity of what the Phantom is doing.

The music helps to transport us to the show you are seeing. The instruments tell us the mood of this point in the show. “The Phantom of the Opera” song uses instrumentals to display the curiosity of

Raoul and Christine
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Christine and the eagerness of the Phantom in their “strange duet”. “Masquerade” displays their joy of going an entire six months without any interference with the Phantom. And “Wishing You Were Here” shows us Christine’s heart when she wishes her father were here so that he would have never sent her the Angel of Music (A.K.A. the Phantom). These songs are all accompanied by the lyrics of each song which tells us what is going on during those moments in the show. The music helps us to understand differently than when the words are spoken. It creates a different kind of clarity that you would not know if it were just spoken word. The emotion is presented in a different way to when things are presented in spoken tongue. The Phantom’s menacing threats, Raoul's love for Christine, Christine’s fear of the Phantom.

The music helps to create a plot that moves the audience, and the actors bring this plot-through-song

Point of No Return
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to life. The storyline displays some humor, but mostly drama. Sierra Boggess uses her beautiful opera voice to let us know of the different emotions the script is presenting. Ramin Karimloo portrays the Phantom’s storyline in a way that I think would make Lloyd-Webber very proud. He displayed his hatred for the world that shunned him but also his love for the young singer, Christine. Hadley Fraser perfectly used the script to portray Raoul’s hatred and anger toward the Phantom, but also his love for Christine which she shares for him.  The way the actors portray the characters and give light to what goes on during the show is perfect. They express so seamlessly the trouble the Phantom is causing and how the script intends for them to feel about the trouble.

All in all, this show is one of Lloyd-Webber’s works of art and if you have the opportunity, I would recommend seeing this show. It is performed beautifully on stage, has a compelling score, and creates a story that resonates with the freak in all of us. Make your way to experience The Phantom of the Opera. You won’t regret it.




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Seeing Something Rotten! at ASU Gammage

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On November 4th, I went to see Something Rotten! at ASU Gammage, and let me tell you, it was unforgettable.

This started about two months before the show. My mom and I were talking and I mentioned the show and that Adam Pascal was in it. She responded by saying that we should get tickets to go see the show and that is how it all began.

My mom got these for me as a birthday present and bought an extra ticket so that I could invite a friend. I decided to invite my friend Liliana because, a) she loves musical theatre and b) she gets just as excited about musicals as I do. She said yes and everything was set in place for seeing Something Rotten! 

Program

In a blink of an eye, November 4th came around and the four of us (My parents, Liliana, and I) went down to Tempe to see a matinee showing of Something Rotten! We get there in plenty of time and were able to get our Playbills (or Gammbills as they call them) and find our seats before the curtains went up.

ACT 1

As the first act began, my excitement grew. It just seems so surreal to me that I was going to see Adam Pascal perform before my very eyes. The songs were energetic and funny and I was laughing my butt off. Watching this hilarious story unfold before me; there is nothing like it. I loved when the song "A Musical" started. A friend of mine had played me this song once before and I thought it was hilarious. I will say that my favorite part was all of the musical references in the song, and in particular, the Rent reference. When they started playing the opening piano of "Seasons of Love" I half expected Adam to pop on stage and start singing the song. But once the song finished, everyone was applauding and the applauding continued for about 1 minute with the actors just standing there waiting for us to stop.

Then it was time for "Will Power", the moment I had been waiting months for. The song was incredible and I absolutely loved all of the Shakespeare references. Plus I enjoyed watching Adam Pascal perform.

*I know I keep talking about Adam in this post. I am sorry, I was just really excited to see my favorite Broadway actor perform and I still can't believe this dream of mine came true.*

The act ends with the song "Botton's Gonna Be On Top" and it was magnificent. I actually felt like Nick Bottom's dream could come true, but as we all probably know, when you have William Shakespeare as your competition, there is no point of even trying.

Me and Liliana

INTERMISSION

Intermission comes and we are all in awe of what we just witnessed. Liliana and I are talking about it and we are over the moon.

Just before Act 2 started, Liliana and I went to the concession stand to get something to eat. On the way, we saw the souvenir stand and new we had to get something after the show was finished.


ACT 2

Act 2 kicks off and we are introduced to the song "Hard To Be The Bard". This ended up being my favorite song in the entire show. It was so cleverly written and gave us some insight into how Shakespeare was going to take on the Bottom Brothers.

As everything came together and more musical references came into the mix, I continued to enjoy myself and everything about this show. I laughed so hard during it. From Shakespeare putting on a fat suit to a Puritan saying "God Dammit".

When I wore my shirt to school

The show concludes and everyone is giving a standing ovation to the amazing cast and crew that put this show together to make it as amazing as it was.

Now we went to the souvenir stand and bought some merch. I ended up getting the t-shirt that has a picture of William Shakespeare wearing some shades and it says "IT'S HARD TO BE THE BARD". Liliana got the t-shirt that says "God, I Hate Shakespeare" with a tomato on it and a CD of the cast album.

But as we left the theatre, we wanted to get a photo in front of the Hamilton and Something Rotten! banner since we are now huge fans of both. We were able to get the Hamilton banner one, but unfortunately the Something Rotten! one was covered by a metal detector so we couldn't get that photo.

Hamilton Banner

We got to the car and asked my dad if he could put Liliana's CD into his CD player so we could listen to the album on the way back. We were all laughing along with songs and my mom even had to clarify a few lyrics, in particular, the line in "God, I Hate Shakespeare" that says, "Don't be a penis, the man is a genius."

That was the day when I went to see Something Rotten! It was by far the best show I say in 2017 and if tickets weren't so darn expensive, and ASU Gammage wasn't that far from my house, I would have definitely gone to see it again. I would highly recommend you see this show! Every actor was phenomenal and the writers of the show are absolute geniuses!!!  And I am so excited to go back to ASU Gammage to see Hamilton in a months time!!!



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Bare: A Pop Opera Review (minor plot spoilers)

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On June 11, 2017, I went to see a show at the Nearly Naked Theatre (also known as the Phoenix Theatre) called Bare: A Pop Opera. I heard about this because a good friend of mine, Brandon Hayes, was cast as the lead, Jason.

When I got to the theater and was seated, I was able to see the gorgeous set. It started as a cathedral which looked phenomenal and I think tech did a wonderful job designing and building the set. As we were waiting for the start time to roll around, there seemed to be a bit of technical difficulty they were trying to fix. They ended up fixing it in time which shows how hard tech works and how dedicated they are to the show.

Program

I decided not to take any notes during the show so that I was able to give my full, undivided attention to it. I didn't want to miss anything that was happening on stage.

So lets start off by talking about Act One. Act One is about the conflict between two gay men, Peter and Jason (Cole Brackney Wandelear and Brandon Hayes) keeping their relationship, and their sexuality hidden from their parents as well as their peers at their Catholic School. But everything seems to possibly be crashing down around them when it starts to become harder for Peter to keep their relationship a secret. It shows a struggle that is so real in our society not only twenty years ago when the show was written, but also now for many still coming to terms with their sexuality. Every single actor performed every song and ever scene seamlessly and so did tech. There was not a falter  in sight when it came to their performance.

Act Two was just as incredible and the actors and tech had the same energy they had in Act One. This was the most powerful act of any show I have ever seen. Everything was crashing down around all of the characters and it seemed to feel like the weight of the world was on Jason and Peter's shoulders. And even when the end of the world for these characters seemed near, we are left with the important reminder that love is love and nothing can ever change that. This act showed how coming out can be scary for some and how peoples reactions can affect those who come out. It sends a powerful message which makes the show so real and relatable to many.

Me with Brandon Hayes (Jason)

I want to talk about the actors individual performances for a bit. Cole Brackney Wandelear (Peter) really embraced the character of Peter. Brackney Wandelear emotions and facial expressions really show his conflict with whether to tell others about his sexuality. Alyssa Lucero (Nadia) conveys perfectly her characters conflict with her body image and being accepted. Nadia is a character that many of us can relate to in one way or another and Lucero brought that relatability to life. Johnna Watson and Shawn Wong (Ivy and Matt) are as talented as can be and play their characters beautifully. Watson was perfect in her execution of Ivy's wanting for Jason and the conflict it brings. Wong perfectly channeled his anger at the fact that Jason seems to take everything from him and created a truly incredible and believable performance. Brandon Hayes (Jason) is excellent when it comes to conveying his characters struggle with his sexuality. Hayes gives a performance that makes you really feel for Jason and the characters own personal conflicts. Charlotte Strayhorne (Sister Chantelle) completely rocked her role. Strayhorne did not hold back at all in her portrayal of the LGBT supporting nun which made the show that much more perfect.

I also quickly have to mention the set. The use of the set was amazing. Every single piece of scenery was utilized to it's maximum potential. Everything that is on stage in the opening of the show was all that was used and it is so amazing to see the creativity in the set design. I would never have thought to use a bench stool as a makeshift closet.

Also, I want to give recognition to the technical crew for not missing a single beat when it came to lighting, sound and everything in between. The technical crew did a magnificent job.

Overall, this is a very powerful performance done by an equally powerful and amazing cast. It sends an incredible message and I think everyone of age should see it. Now, I must say, this is not necessarily a family friendly show due to its mature subject matter, language, and nudity. Viewer discretion should be advised.

My overall rating out of 5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is an absolutely phenomenal show that you don't want to miss. Whenever I see a show, if I like it there are usually two versions of liking for me. There is, "I liked it, but I am satisfied with seeing it the one time", and there is "I want to see it again, it was unbelievable". This is one that I really wish I could see again to be able to re-experience the beauty that is Bare: A Pop Opera at the Nearly Naked Theatre in Downtown Phoenix. So believe me when I tell you that you need to go and experience this eye opening, tear jerking, unbelievably excellent show. But you better hurry. There are only two more shows left and you don't want to miss it. You can buy tickets here.

Sincerely,

Carlee

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