Twisted Broadway - Reupload

This post was originally written around the 24th or 25th of July, but due to a  technically error was never uploaded to the blog....so now I am reposting.

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Monday night after work Ness and I went to see a charity concert at Fed Square in the city called Twisted Broadway. It was all stage people singing songs that were gender swapped, girls singing guys songs and vice versa. 
It was general admission, but we were 3rd row -most people sat at the back. 
 
It was a lot of fun, and there was talent galore! Some of my Rock of Ages peeps were there, Amy Lehpalmer,  Samantha Hagen, Brent Hill, and Rachel durham as well. Amy sang AND played violin, that was fantastic!!! 
 
Boys in tutus, hairspray, and many other moments had me laughing my ass off. Well worth the $55!!!!
 
I love being able to see my fave theatre people perform, and a chance to find some new ones! 
 
 
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Carlie

The Producers

Saturday night I went to see the production company's production of The Producers with Kay, Nick, Ness and her friend Evie.
It was fan-freaking-tastic! While they don't do much by way of sets, the costumes were great...and the acting was awesome! Wayne Scott Kermond from singing in the rain and anything goes was a great Max! Christie Whelan was also great as Ulla! But Brent Hill of Rock of Ages blew me away in a performance as Leo - the total opposite of Lonny from RoA! He even sounded just like Matthew Broderick!!!

Our row X seats were great, almost any seat has a good view in that place!


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Carlie 

New Job and Carrie Underwood - St Kilda

So last week I got offered a job working for the city of Port Phillip doing city permits. I started Monday, and am slowly starting to do more things and learn what's going on.

The drive to St Kilda is not quick, but at least I don't have to leave before 8am really. Traffic varies because of all the schools around there. The shops are okay. I've got Safeway and Coles for groceries if I need them. Priceline and Chemist warehouse for makeup and other stuff. No clothing stores, but that's ok - I can sit on amazon if the prices are right. 

I'm exhausted and have had a long hard week. Mostly cause I'm not used to getting up early and I am not getting to bed early. Monday night cause I was waiting for The Newsroom - the new Aaron Sorkin show to finish downloading, and tuesday night cause I was out at the Carrie Underwood concert at the Palais. Since the concert was so close to work, I decided not to go home and come back, and instead hang out for 2 and a half hours. I got food, changed, got petrol and found The Palais -which I had never been to. It's next to Luna Park - which looks even scarier when closed! I lined up for ages in the freezing cold to get my parking ticket, with tons of people - I never realized that there were so many Aussie fans of Carrie out there! I was genuinely surprised by the number of couples, kids, and young straight guys. I had decent seats. The support act Damien Leith was really good. Carrie was really good, sang plenty of my fave songs, and when you have four albums of great songs, you are bound to miss out on a few faves, but that was okay. I had a great view, even though it was further back than I would have liked...except for when the three people infront of me - a husband, wife and their adult daughter kept putting up their phones or cameras to take video and pictures...which they did a lot! I kept having to not only look around the guys big tall head, but around his arms and phone. It started getting ridiculous and I probably should have said something, but I didn't want to lose my focus on Carrie by wasting time telling off people who probably would have ignored me anyways.

My only real complaint with the Palais was the whole no water thing...I understand the no alcohol thing, but I can take water into plenty of shows elsewhere, is it really necessary to throw out bottles of water? I think if they are going to do that they should at least offer you a free bottle of water (even if it was small), because having to buy water is annoying and I don't like to spend.

Last night I finally got some decent relaxation and was in bed at a reasonable time. Today and work I started doing stuff on my own, so its starting to all sink in. They are nice people, but I don't know, they are a bit weird. But time will tell. I'm still new and quiet.
I seem to get home around 6:45pm...ish. Its not that bad, at least I don't have to spend hours on a train.

Looking forward to some quiet time over the weekend, and sleep ins!

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Carlie

Bye Bye Monash

So my 10 month run working for Monash Council ended yesterday. In some ways it was a good thing, and it some a bad. I'll miss the money, the fact that I had an easy drive against traffic, and late starts. I will miss the people, especially those I was working with before I changed departments because worked so closely together, and for so long.

But I'm looking forward to a change, with new challenges. I need a chance to grow and develop my skills, which I haven't been able to do lately. So that will be good.
It does suck to have to start looking again, and to have to interview again. I hate interviewing. Guess I better get a kick ass interview outfit.

As for my last day, I thought it would be really hard to leave, but I was okay in the end. I think I was more upset when I finished up in my original job, because I really liked it there and wasn't ready to leave. But I think I got all I could out of this 2nd job, which was longer than it was going to be originally...so I guess that's a plus.
The girls put on a party for me (and the other girl that was leaving as well) and even gave me a box of chocolates.

I thought it would be hard to say goodbye to the girls at my old department, but it wasn't too bad. I had a nice to chat to the girls I used to work with, and said goodbye to the others.

We'll see how I feel at the end of next week, when I haven't had any early mornings. I know I'll miss working after a little while, but for now I'm going to enjoy having a break.



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Carlie

Musical Weekends

Been so busy lately, there has been no time for blogging!

Thursday night I went to see the new production of Annie with Mum and Vanessa. I saw it years ago when they did it with Anthony Warlow and Amanda Muggleton. This time Anthony was back as Daddy Warbucks, with Nancye Hayes as Miss Hannigan.

It was a good show. The little girls were cute. The girl that played Annie was good, but you could tell she was nervous and not a pro, but that might change with time.

The funniest thing of the night was that Bert and Patty Newton sat down right in front of us....I couldn't stop laughing at the irony...Wicked's theatre, with the guy we hate in it...but the people lining up for pics and stuff was cute - lots of little girls.


Sunday I was back in the city -after a long detour due to traffic and road blocks- to see Moonshadow the Cat Stevens musical with Ness. It was very pretty, the music was pretty good and the cast was great! Marnie from Hairspray, Rodney from Wicked, and Blake who won the rob guest endowment last year were all fantastic! But I'm still not sure if I actually liked it or not...the story was lacking something. But I definitely didn't hate it.
It was still previews, so maybe they will make some changes for the good.
Not sure if I'll see it again...time will tell.

Looking forward to the many musicals coming up in the months ahead!

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Carlie

A Girl Without an Obsession

So it dawned on me recently, that for the first time in a good while I am without an obsession, which is very strange for me since I've almost always had one. Even as a small child the obsessions were there.
I'm feeling very lost. Without an obsession to drive my life, what is there?

As a young child there was The Carebears, Barbies, Cabbage Patch Dolls etc, and of course the big one - The Baby Sitters Club books. That one took over most of primary school for me. I read the books over and over, had merchandise and even planned a special exhibition, which naturally never amounted to anything other than a few papers filled with crazy ideas.

Then there were a few small ones when I started high school, then came along Charmed. A show I really liked became my new obsession after hanging out with my cousins Jade & Caitlin. We started taping it, and would watch it and eat Oreos and drink Sprite...it was a thing for us. I remember talking to Jade on the phone for an hour when we found put Andy died in an upcoming ep!
I had posters, trading cards, bears and even a few spell books!
Then as a result of losing all my videos and pics, plus the fact they killed of Prue, I moved on to Buffy & Angel. That lasted the rest of high school. I had trading cards, books and whatever I could get my hands on. It also lead to meeting some of my best friends, through a few online forums related to the Whedonverse. I went to my 1st & only convention, met Joss, and saw Serenity at the movies 7 times before it even opened officially!

Can't really remember when I let go if Buffy & Angel...I think when Angel ended and I decided to pick back up with Alias, Gilmore Girls, and then Grey's Anatomy. I did the multi obsession thing for a while, as along came Private Practice.
Then in 2008 along came Pushing Daisies and Wicked...and the rest is kind of history!

I got into Pushing Daisies the week before I saw Wicked for the first time. I got the soundtrack and listened to selected songs for that week before. I had always known Wicked was coming and knew I would love it. I had been waiting years for it to finally get to Australia. But that week of Kristin greatness was too much, I spent the next year seeing Wicked over and over, and watching the 1st season of Pushing Daisies over and over.... and watching any Kristin interview/material I could get my hands on. I must also put in my Idina obsession in there too...but I was actually more into Idina before Wicked, because of RENT.

So Wicked started off a whole Broadway obsession, seeing almost everything that came to Melbourne. But at the same time I was devoting myself to all things Wicked/Kristin Chenoweth/Idina Menzel....Vanessa and I discovered (finally) The West Wing. And that took over my life at the same time. I have lost count of how many times I have watched a select few GOLDEN episodes. I made my very first proper fan vid, played drinking games, learned about American government...and got to see more stuff with Kristin Chenoweth!
When I wasn't thinking about all things West Wing, it was all Wicked, or Pushing Daisies, or Kristin...I am surprised I actually found time to finish my university degree with all that in my head!

Then Wicked left Melbourne, and we finished the West Wing, I finished Uni, and I had a little more time to devote myself to new things. That's when I found Glee....a little show I was only watching for Kristin, and a love of musical things....turned out to be fantastic! I was hooked and those first few eps blew me away. It was smart, funny and made my heart sing every week....then they brought in Idina and that rocked my world all over again.....bought the music and watched the performances over and over....till it lost it after the 1st season....but I guess nothing can stay great forever.

In 2010 I also had my big US trip to obsess over. I got to actually MEET Kristin, in New York, and see her on Broadway! It really doesn't get any better than that! Oh yeah it does...I got to go to Idina's concert in Long Island as well! I loved almost every minute of that trip.  But it was over before I knew it!

Last year I was obsessed with Private Practice. Season 4 was SOOOO good! I finally had time to obsess over it. Finally getting all the dvds helped too! But sadly this season started out promising, but has failed to live up to the standard of the 1st 4 years. Its in the 5 year slump that Grey's Anatomy fell into. I haven't lost hope yet, but I don't look forward to it and don't don't enjoy it quite as much as I did last year.

And that leads me here, to a place with no obsession. Nothing to take up all my thoughts and free time. Maybe its because I've been working full time since the start of August without any holidays. Maybe its because I don't really have a lot of free time spare, I spend it all watching things just to fit them in. Even the new shows this season haven't really captured my heart. I mean I really enjoy Pan Am, but I won't die if it doesn't come back next season. The same for Once Upon a Time, Up All Night and Unforgettable. I like them, but I'm not watching interviews or rewatching the eps.
Smash is perhaps the closest to an obsession. But I don't feel obsessed! I LOVE it, and have bought a few songs, and watched some eps over again....but wonder if I haven't let myself get attached, after the whole Glee situation. I don't let my hopes get high anymore. Maybe if I had more time, I'd have the energy to live and breath SMASH, but I just don't feel it. I love it, but I don't love it to death!

Maybe something will spark that feeling again soon, and I hope that it does. But right now I'm feeling very lost. I do not have a focus, something to get worked up over. Its been quite hard for me to feel really excited about anything lately. When did I become downer?
Either way, it is very strange after all these years to not be so focused on one thing. Maybe its part of growing up - I sincerely hope not, because if it is, I don't want it!
Maybe when I finally get that holiday/break that I want, it will refresh my brain and let my go crazy for something again. Until then, I will continue to sorta really really like stuff.


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Carlie

A Chorus Line

Last Saturday night Ness and I went to see A Chorus Line at Her Majesty's Theatre. I had fairly low expectations, which was good because it is not a big flashy musical. It is simple, but touching, with nice songs, some better than others. The cast was great, some very talented kids, and some older great characters. I thought the girl who played Diana was great.

But overall it does not have a big production value. It's a good show, with a good cast, but it's not as big and flashy, that I feel the need to go again...somehow like every other musical I've seen at that Theatre. I liked it a lot, but definitely not feeling the need to go again.


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-Carlie