Matilda: You will soon C there’s no escaping Trage-D

Posted in Broadway, Cultured, My New York by

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Matilda: The Musical has a cast of extremely talented kids, a catchy score and a story that will touch your heart. 

The first time I felt the urge to see Matilda on Broadway was when I saw the cast perform Revolting Children on the Tony Awards. I did some Youtubing and found some videos of other bits from the show then I did some Spotify-ing and listened to the soundtrack, I was hooked! I had to watch this show.

Finally, I got the chance! The cast is mostly children and they did an excellent job acting and singing. There was definitely a lot of energy to the show and Miss Honey and the Trunchbull were excellent, though I think my favourite adult actor in the show was the Librarian, she was so funny!

The set was decorated with letters and sometimes had some amusing bits (“Soot” in the fireplace). The kids did a lot of the rearranging of the set, moving props on and around the stage. I think my fave part was the school gate when they sang the School Song and stuck the letters in the gates. That’s one of my favourite songs in the show.

I can go on, it really is one of the cutest shows on Broadway. And can I add that they made a Doctor Who reference? Awesome! 🙂

[Image from broadway.com]

~*~

Something has changed within me, something is not the same. I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game. – Elphaba; Wicked

The Bletchley Circle

The Bletchley Circle

The four women in the Bletchley Circle worked together in a top secret department during WWII. Years later they moved on to ordinary civilian lives (more or less). Susan, the main protagonist, hears about a series of gruesome murders over the radio and notices a pattern that everyone else seems to miss. She calls in the help of her Bletchley Park friends and together the four women solve the crime.

Absolutely LOVED this show and I’m so glad to hear that they have been renewed for a second series coming this Spring!

~*~

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. ― Mark Twain

My Netflix Queue – Top Ten

Posted in Media, The Telly by

Now it’s called “My List” … I really like the old way. But, I digress, here is what I’m watching on Netflix!

doctor

Though I’m sad that, with the recent popularity of Doctor Who, the seventh season has not been made available, I’m still keeping this up on my queue and in the first spot!

torchwood

I have to take Torchwood a few episodes at a time because some of it is a bit over the top. But, I love Captain Jack Harkness so I will continue to watch it. Also I find that this is one of the few spinoffs of already established TV shows that I love and it was the show I found before I even became a fan of Doctor Who!

Sherlock

I don’t rewatch TV shows a whole lot, but I have seen the first two series of Sherlock three times.

Serenity

I dropped this on there recently because I wanted to give it a second change. I saw this a long time ago and for some reason couldn’t get into it. However, given my recent tastes in TV shows I feel like I might enjoy it this time around.

firefly

See above, similar reason.

Bones

Bones is by far one of my favourite TV shows. I’m not usually one for character arcs in my crime shows but the character growth in Bones is excellent!

psych

Are you beginning to see a trend in shows I watch? Psych, part Sherlock, part Bones. I like this sorta stuff!

Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 9.11.12 AM

This is a show about Merlin, you know the wizard in King Arthur’s time? It’s a really fun watch!

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An oldie, I grew up watching Columbo. He’s a seemingly bumbling detective and this is what throws people off. He always ends up catching his guy because he’s intelligent and outwits the crooks.

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Seeing my number one, I hardly doubt I need to explain my number ten.

** all screenshots were taken from Netflix!

~*~

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. ― Albert Einstein

Now that I have my laptop again, I’ve run out of excuses

Posted in Thoughts by

These FIVE THINGS (14) are brought to you by the end of the year.

It’s the end of the year! If that wasn’t clear. Did you finish all of your resolutions? I didn’t set any big goals for myself, other than to read widely – which I did – and to write one of these posts at least once a month … which I’m now doing to complete that goal. So without further ado, here are FIVE THINGS from 2013.

— Thing One —

I was in a legit book club.

Usually my book clubs consist of me and a girlfriend or two, having tea and talking about books that we’ve read and what we thought. However, this year I was a part of a book club consisting of a group of women who read theology books together and discussed it chapter by chapter. We did The Good and Beautiful God and are currently reading Theology of the Body.

I am also a part of a small group who is reading through The Ragamuffin Gospel together (I absolutely love this book!!!) . It has been a LOT of fun.

— Thing Two — 

I completed NaNoWriMo!!!

The good thing about telling everyone who asked me “What’s new?” during the month of November about NanoWriMo was that it motivated me to finish.

The bad thing about being verbal about it was getting asked to read what I wrote. I’m gonna be honest, I don’t like it. It’s a rough, rough, rough, rough first draft, with plot holes and dialogue that I do not enjoy. But, it’s a rough, rough, rough, rough first draft and I did it! I finished it! I am extremely happy!

But, I do feel a little bad that no one will really see it, especially after all of my talk about it, soooo, here’s a tiny peek. Please do remember that this is a rough(x4) first draft. Also, I suppose I just revealed it, that’s my writing blog. As you can see, it’s pretty sparse, you can criticize anything that’s already on there (if you’re bored, or something). I’m probably gonna move to Wattpad … I haven’t made my mind up yet.

— Thing Three — 

There were some firsts this year!

I gave blood, became an organ donor, planned a bridal shower – probably one of my biggest accomplishments this year – went to a speakeasy and attended a jazz festival where it felt like I stepped back in time.

I taught someone to drive a golf ball and actually found out that, after not practicing for a VERY LONG TIME, I’m quite good at driving now. I wonder if the same will happen when I get back on the snowboard?

Went to Wyoming, got cowgirl boots.

Planted tomatoes with great success!

There were a few more firsts, but those are the big ones that I can think of at the moment.

— Thing Four — 

There was death, there were births, there were weddings. Illness, wellness … I noticed life a lot this year. I felt it more too. For some reason, I feel that this year, of all years, I’m finally an adult.

— Thing Five —

I finally said “yes” to someone.

Oh that cat’s out of the bag! But calm down, there’s nothing to see here (no, seriously, nothing else to see or hear). I just needed to do it, and I did it. I stepped out of my comfort zone, met someone fun and we went on a couple of dates (literally). And that’s all there is to the story folks.

Those who know me on a personal level will understand why this is even worth mentioning, since I’m  always saying no (did I mention that I attract strange folks? That’s part of why I always say no. Especially to that one guy who was my dad’s age that invited me up to his “farm”. Yeaaaaah. No thanks. ). So … I said yes, once. That’s a step, right?

Well, 2013 was quite a year, I’m looking forward to 2014.

~*~

He says the best way out is always through. And I agree to that, or in so far as that I can see no way out but through– (A Servant to Servants by Robert Frost)

Second Hand Experiences

The Word we study has to be the Word we pray. My personal experiences of the relentless tenderness of God came not from the exegetes, theologians, and spiritual writers, but from sitting still in the presence of the living Word and beseeching Him to help me understand with my head and heart His written Word. – Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

I have, at times, taken someone else’s word for my own, but I admit, the things that have stuck with me – really stuck with me, so much so that I can relive the experience when I’m thinking about it, and not just say, “oh, someone said” or “I read it somewhere, something like …” – are the things that I have understood while digging into the Word on my own.

There is a difference between hearing someone else’s experience and actually experiencing it for myself. Sure, someone’s POV might supplement my personal experience, but when I experience it, when I get it, it sticks.

~*~