Legally Blonde

OMG OMG you guys!

So last week I got to see 3 shows in 4 days and it was tons of fun. Wednesday I saw Promises Promises at the State Theatre at the Arts Centre....it was okay, but not much to write home about. Especially as Ness and I saw it 3 times on Broadway with Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, Katie Finneran and Tony Goldwyn. This one did not really compare. Marina Prior was okay, but it seemed weird. The guy that played Chuck was not great. He was doing okay, then forgot the words and messed up the last song a little bit....which I noticed, but perhaps people that hadn't seen the show didnt.

Then Friday it was off to Sydney for Legally Blonde weekend. After a little delay in actually getting to Sydney, Ness, Kay, Nick, Vicky and I headed off to the Lyric Theatre in Pyrmont to finally see Lucy Durack in Legally Blonde the musical. Our seats were fantastic, I think we were about 5th row, just off centre. The show started okay, then technical issues popped up and they even had to stop the show for about 10-15 minutes...it was hilarious...our very own disaster show! Then the show started up again with all the Delta Nu girls (skipping part of the song....) and to make things worse the poor little Chihuha dog played Bruiser wasn't cooperating and started running away, Renee Burleigh who plays Margot did a great job of catching him and improvising that part where she talks 'bruiser'.
Intermission they put down the fire curtain, again for technical dificulties....
Lucy was amazing as Elle...I knew she would be. But there were so many little things she did that I loved...but were very Glinda from Wicked...which I guess might have been more Lucy than Glinda in Wicked. Rob Mills (which did not help with the Wicked connection) was great as Warner. David Harris (who I only knew a little as playing Fiyero in Wicked post Rob Mills) was a great Emmett- adorable, funny and talented. Helen Dallimore who plays Paulette was fantastic...surprise surprise ANOTHER Wicked alumn, but she was Glinda in London. Also from Wicked...Zoe who played Elphaba when I saw Wicked in Sydney the first time.

After the show Ness, Vicky and I rushed to the stage door...and had it all to ourselves for a few minutes. We had prime positioning and got to meet everyone (I missed a few people but thats okay, I met the main ones, and there is always next time.). Everyone was really nice and happy to have a quick chat and sign our programs. Lucy came out almost last (which is why I missed Renee, she came out while I was talking to Lucy and zoomed past me. But still, I was talking to Lucy so I couldn't be happier. Lucy was very nice and happy to sign my program, and her CD for me. And then after signing a few other peoples programs took a photo with me.
Ness and I were pretty hyper after that...

Me with Lucy Durack at the stage door! She's so lovely!

Saturday Vicky and I had breakfast down at Harbourside, and then walked around a bit in the drizzle...before heading back to our hotel to change for another dose of Legally Blonde. Ness and I headed back over to the Lyric theatre at the Star Casino, and perused the merchandise stand - which in my opinion was lacking a little, I was disappointed in their selection...needed less kid stuff and better t-shirts!
After settling on a mug, magnet and dog bone tag/keyring, we bought OH MY Cosmopolitan cocktails...another plastic glass to add the collection.Then we headed in. We had seats on the end of the aisle further back and to the far right of where we were sitting the night before. So we had a different perspective which was good. -it included a view of David Harris in his underwear during Take It Like A Man.
Luckily this show went off without a hitch. No more technically difficulties. There were quite a few more kids in the audience of this show, but it was matinee. Overall a great show, a second viewing allowed us to take in more, and pick up on a few extra quirky bits.

After the show, we skipped the stage door - as we had pretty much conquered it the night before!
We headed back to the hotel for a debrief and a chance to change out of my dress.

For dinner all five of us headed to the Hard Rock Cafe, we got Long Island Ice teas while we waited for our table to be ready. -they pack a wallop I tell you!
We had a good table on the window, which had a great view of the harbour. The table was a bit squishy with all our drinks, meals and side dishes, but it was fine. I ordered a pomegranate martini with dinner - a classic fave of mine. We waited for the fireworks which were supposed to start at 8:30pm, but didn't end up starting till 9pm. -Ness and I shared a dessert to allow us to wait longer.
 
Sunday there was no time for sleeping in as we had to be up and out of the hotel by 10am. Vicky, Ness and I had breaky down at a cafe at harborside. Nick met up with us (he and Kay were staying till Monday) for a bit and then we had to head off to the airport. -for stupid international check in.

Once we checked in, we sat around a while in the food court....I was exhausted and not feeling great. After a bit of nibble on some food, we headed through customs and sat around in the shopping area, before finally boarding to go home. The plane was fine, and soon enough we were home again.
Melbourne was freezing, which was mean after a lovely morning in Sydney.

It was a great weekend, and I can't wait to see the show again...it better keep going and come to Melbourne so I can see it a million times more!

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Carlie

Life is What DOESN'T Happen While You're Making Plans!

So my mood hasn't really improved overall. I've been out of touch with reality the last week - not having real internet means I can't access my world the way I want to. I was never up to date with my tv, and it took hours to read any news and check emails and the like. I also was unable to look for any jobs, as loading the home page would have taken ages -let alone searching for jobs. So I was feeling left out and doomy.

I know its my own fault that I don't have a job, that I'm not trying hard enough (probably), but at the same time, I try and try and get nothing and that is not helping me to keep trying. I don't get a lot of encouragement around here, only pressure.The longer I don't do anything, the less I feel motivated. I know that not having a set job goal isn't helping...but I have never had one and even when I try to focus my attention in one direction, it doesn't really go anywhere. -I don't want to end up like my mother, doing short term jobs with no permanent direction in sight. I don't want to be wondering where the money is going to come from all the time!

However perhaps the bigger problem now, is that I am running out of money. I wisely saved all my money from my December job which has allowed me to pay my bills this year, but I've only got enough for another month or so left. I'm drowning and I don't know what else to do. It is worse now because I don't have my family's money there to pay for living expenses anymore. My dad finally moved out and since my mum still doesn't have a job, there isn't a lot extra to go around.
That's the other half of my doomy mood - I thought I'd be happier when my dad moved out -having been expecting it since I was 10 or something. But they're still fighting, and being mean, and I feel bad, and I feel bad for my sister who is having her world shaken up, and my brother is mad at mum, and moody about it. I feel bad because I probably will have even less connection to that side of the family now. I feel bad that I wasn't told, he told my sister and my brother, but didn't plan to talk to me, until after mum told him to -which at that point I already knew so why bother?! I don't know where his new place is, well I know the rough location, but not the address.
I don't know, things are just weird around here for now. At least my mum got her room back, and a bed again. Plus its nice having extra wardrobe space in the house.

I'm not feeling great because my brother is mad at me too, and my sister always blames me for everything and won't talk to me, or acknowledge my existence. It sucks to be hated, I'm lonely -whats the point in having a family if they don't even talk to you?!

Oh well, enough of my doom and gloom, dark and twisty ways. -I must say there is one thing I keep watching to cheer me up - the trailer/promo for Katie Finneran's (of Wonderfalls, Promises Promises) new tv show. It cracks me up, I've watched it a few times already! Maybe it will make a great show, maybe it will bomb, but for now I have hope and laughter!

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Carlie

Rock of Ages

It was so nice to be back at the theatre. My 2nd time this year. Saturday night I got all gussied up and drove into the city to see Rock of Ages at the Comedy Theatre. I was on time, until I started looking for parking...that's always my downfall. I must remember to leave earlier next time. I ended up parking in Lonsdale street just down from the theatre in a parking garage that only charged 7 bucks for the night. -A pretty good deal if you ask me!

I met Ness at the usual restaurant in Burke st and ordered the first thing that popped into my head - pizza. Which I don't think I've actually ever ordered from that place before, so its ok. -not that I NEED to justify my food choices to anyone.

We headed down to the theatre around 7:30pm, bought our programs for a respectable $20, and hung around in the lobby till it was time to go in. -I haven't been to the Comedy Theatre since I saw Avenue Q with Brett and Nick years ago, but the lobby of the theatre reminded me of the Broadway Theater in New York where Promises, Promises was.

We had good seat on the aisle, with no great visual blocks or anything. It was an interested crowd of people in the audience. We were definitely on the very lowest end of the age scale...except for maybe a few teens. Mostly it was oldies..but that's to be expected with the kind of music.

Once the show got going, I really started enjoying it. I didn't really know what to expect. It was definitely funnier than I expected, and the legendary music was worked in really well. -It was hard to not sing along.
They gave us fake LED lighters to wave at the door...but no one really used them till near the end.
My fave characters were Regina, Franz and the narrator guy..whose name I can't remember right now...I want to say Lonny...The main two were really good too!

There was one bad thing about the show - that they served drinks during the show and took orders...people would walk up and down the aisles taking orders while the performers were on stage...it was somewhat distracting.

By the time the show was over, my ears were ringing like a real rock concert! There was no where to go afterwards, so we dawdled around for a bit before heading off to our cars. The 7 buck carpark worked out good -although it was a little dark up there when I was leaving, but I was parked right next to the elevators so I felt safe. I was home pretty quick too - its always an easy trip, only 20 minutes give or take.
I was singing the songs and was way too hyper to sleep, but after starting to watch some tv, I became exhausted very quickly, and was out like a light when I went to bed. -I did have weird dreams though....long episodic ones...

Anyways all in all it was a good night, a lot of fun and I might see it again before it leaves Melbourne if I can find the money.

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Carlie