Monday, June 25, 2012

Musical {Guest Post}!

Hey guys! I'm Kaleigh and I blog over here!

When Beccah asked if I'd like to do a Musical, I knew exactly what musical I would share. Let's tell a story shall we?

Once upon a time, there was a really dorky little girl named Kaleigh. One might almost call her a dweeb. Kaleigh would come home for elementary school, smelling of crayons and dandelion crowns, get herself a snack and sit down to watch her afternoon movie. And what movie did she choose, you ask? 


http://ipreferparis.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b0bd69e20168e64934f3970c-800wi

Yes, I was obsessed with the musical Gigi. Now if you know anything about this musical, please don't judge my mother too harshly. I had no idea what the actual story line was until I was about 18. 

Gigi is a musical adaptation of the book by the same name, was directed by Vincent Minnelli, and is credited to be the last traditional MGM movie-musical.

Set in 20th century Paris, the story revolves around Gaston and Gilbert, a.k.a Gigi. Gigi is the granddaughter of once popular courtesan Madam Alvarez and is in training to take up the *ahem* family tradition. 
 Gigi, played by Leslie Caron

Gaston is a spoiled, wealthy playboy who is bored with life. Amid rumors of infidelity in his mistress, Gaston decides to leave fashionable Paris. After publicly humiliating his mistress, Gaston agrees to play Gigi at cards for a chance to  take Gigi and Madam Alvarez on a vacation to the seaside. Naturally, Gigi wins.
After spending so much time with Gigi, Gaston quickly falls in love with her. But Gigi is not your typical courtesan, and things don't go the way Gaston plans.
I won't spoil the story for you but believe me, it's worth watching! Some of my all time favorite songs are in Gigi, including "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" sang by Honoré Lachaille (Maurice Chevalier), Gaston's charming uncle. Gaston also sings a cynical love song called "It's a Bore" that will get stuck in your head for days.
But my favorite part about Gigi has to be the costumes. Throughout the musical you slowly start to see Gigi maturing through longer skirts and feminine costumes until finally, she emerges as a graceful and confident woman.
Many people have commented on the resemblence between Gigi and My Fair Lady. In fact, a song Gigi sings called "Say a Prayer for Me" was initially intended for Eliza Doolittle, but was dropped and eventually picked up for Gigi. While the two musicals definitely have some resemblance, Gigi is an endearing story that is well worth watching.

 There's so  much more I could say about Gigi, but I'll let you check it out for yourself. If you do watch, let me know! We can sigh over Gaston together ( totally had a crush on him as a little girl)

Thanks for having me Becs!







Monday, June 11, 2012

Musical {Glee}

So... let's be honest - I forgot today was Monday. How do you forget that? Well, I have summer-break brain going on, which means all my days run together. I am also in the process of packing up my house, so I can move this weekend! Yay! 


However, with everything going on today and this week, I didn't get to watch a musical for this week's post (lame lame lame). BUT, I sure did have Glee playing around the clock, and I think that counts as a musical!


So this week, I will look at Fox's hit series, Glee! Woot Woot! Do I have any fans out there? I know this is completely different then a typical musical, but I think it should at least count as the red-headed step-sister in the musical family. The show is packed full of singing, dancing, and of course all the drama of high school (what's not to love)? 



If you aren't an avid fan, let me break it down for you. The show is centered around McKinley High School's glee club. As the students are dealing with relationships, sexuality, and high school drama, they are also preparing for the next big Show Choir competition. There is a musical number for just about everything in this series, and I love it!



The music included in the show is always a popular hit, new or old. The show's mantra is Journey's "Don't stop Believing," but the hits range from the Beatles to Lady Gaga. The director's have a blast with the music and always builds their episodes around it. 


Let me warn you though, if you aren't a follower and want to check it out, there are some major social issues that get thrown around in the show. I'll just lay them out there for you: sex, homosexuality, some drug references, bullying, race, etc. So, if you don't like shows that address these types of issues, Glee is probably not the show for you. But if you want to have a blast singing along with some very talented singers, check it out! 



Friday, June 8, 2012

Bringing home the (turkey) bacon!

Hello lovlies! Well I started a new job - hence the lack of posts this week! It's been crazy, but it has been so much fun! No worries, I am still teaching in the Fall. This is just a little job on the side!

Lately, I've started running. And by "started running," I mean I've went a handful of times and almost passed out after 20 minutes. So it would make perfect sense that I got a job at an athletic shoe store, right? That's what I thought! I am working at this awesome little store in the heart of OKC! 

via
We sell everything from running shoes and gear to casual shoes with the same great support. I am actually really pumped to be working here. Unlike a lot of shoe stores, we don't sell any shoes that don't offer the support our feet really need.

You can tell from that paragraph that I am already sold of their purpose and their product. I can't wait to be able to share with you guys some of the awesome stuff I have learned! I'm pretty sure I've called almost every person I know to tell them how crappy our normal tennies really are for our feet! 

One perk of the new job though...
these beauties! 

via google

Be looking for a White Tree post soon. I had a fun shoot with Keisha over at Queen Guinevere! Can't wait to share!



Monday, June 4, 2012

Musical {Mamma Mia!}

The boy has done some amazing stuff the past two days. First, he finally caved and watched Mamma Mia with me (more on this in a sec). Second, he got my internet to work today! I have no idea what is going on with my internet/Mac lately. I have been blaming my internet for the past month for my crappy blog posts, which is true, totally not made up. My internet will work for a day and then it won't work for like two. I honestly can't understand what is going on. It could be my router or maybe it is my Mac. I've heard that the last update has made some Mac's act up... BUT, it is working now, so I can finally post this week's Musical!

As mentioned above, the boy finally gave in and watched Mamma Mia with me. When we started our musical challenge, this is the one musical he refused to watch. And to top it off, he had no reason of why this musical was on the "no watch" list. I realize most of you ladies are thinking, "well he's a boy, that's why." Which would make sense if my boy didn't spend a majority of his time singing or acting in music theater. So, mine is the exception - he likes musicals! But not Mamma Mia? How can this be? 

All pics via google.
Oh well, he gave in and watched it anyways! I didn't even have to beg; he just wanted to make me happy :) HOW PRESH!


So, now lets talk about Mamma Mia! FINALLY! It is one of my favorite musicals. And I will be talking about the 2008 film adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. The film is based off of the Broadway hit of the same name. The show made it's first appearance in 1999 in London, and it wasn't until 2001 that it hit Broadway. The show is based off of the music of ABBA, and two original members of the band composed the score.


Even though the music is based off of the band, the plot is entirely fictional. The film opens with the soon-to-be bride, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), sending out three very important invitations to her wedding. They are addressed to Sam Carmichael (Brosnan), Harry Bright (Collin Firth), and Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard) - her three potential fathers. After finding her mother's diary, she learns that her dad could be any of these three men, and she wants them to be at her wedding. On a journey to find who she is, Sophie makes a huge mess of things by inviting them without telling her mother (Streep). As old feelings begin to rekindle, all the characters rediscover who they really are. 


Let me just warn you from the get-go, not all of the actors in this film are great singers. To be honest, there are only a handful that are really great. Brosnan usually gets a bad wrap for this film because his singing abilities aren't among the greatest in the cast. He does not have a terrible voice; he just seems to be straining a lot as he sings. He doesn't look comfortable in the film or his voice. But I don't think he is a deal breaker for the film. I actually think he's kinda cute trying to sing his little heart out, but that's just how I am. Another thing to note before watching the film,it is extremely cheesy! That is probably one reason I love it so much! But if cheesy, over acted films get on your nerves, you may not like this one. 


Besides some of the above mentioned warnings, I can't get enough of the film and the music! If you are familiar with any of ABBA's music, then you will recognize many of the major songs: "Honey Honey," "Mamma Mia," "Dancing Queen," "Super Trouper," "The Winner Takes It All," and "Take A Chance on Me," to name a few. There are a total of 23 songs in the film, so plenty of ABBA to go around!


So, if you are a musical lover or an ABBA lover, go check this film out! Even the reluctant boyfriend didn't complain too much after. He wasn't a huge fan, but he did agree that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be!