Hamilton

Ah, Hamilton, the show everyone's been raving about, and one that I managed to see without risk of missing out on if I didn't go pronto.  (Although that's really because of a lucky accident; a friend of a friend had tickets and could no longer make it, so my husband snatched them for us.  Lucky me!)

A few takeaways:

1. Yes, it was as amazing as advertised and totally lived up to the hype.
2. However, I'll admit it was not love at first sight, and it took me halfway through the first act before I fell into the groove.
3. A big part of the appeal is how unique Hamilton is from every other show I've seen.  It may be an old story, but it's put together in a very modern way...part of which is hip hop. That's also why it took me a while to get into it; I'm not a big hip hop person, and so many lyrics were rapped/sung very quickly, which requires great concentration and hearing to be able to catch what they're saying/singing.  I definitely missed a lot of the lyrics.
• Advice -- listen to the soundtrack before going.
4. I would love to go back and see it again.  There were so many witty moments that I'm sure would be better appreciated the second or third or nth time around (and not just because I missed some lyrics either).
5. Because so much of it is rapped and not traditionally melodic, I don't have as many songs stuck in my head like I normally do.  The exception is the funny King George songs.  Not a bad thing; just an observation.  And btw, I quite liked the sarcastic, ironic, British humor in those King George parts.
6. And finally, what a great refresher on history in a fun way!

Miss Saigon

I seem to have developed a bad habit of procrastinating until the last minute to see Broadway shows, barely squeezing them in before they close.  That was the case for Les Mis, American in Paris, and now again for Miss Saigon.  Well, better late than never.

Unlike many of the other musicals I've seen, I was not too familiar with either the music or the story of Miss Saigon initially -- I never played any of the music in high school orchestra, and the story is not widely referenced or known in pop culture.  However, a good friend of mine walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of "Sun and Moon" a few years ago, and I immediately fell in love.  I became even more obsessed when I learned that Queen Lea Salonga was the original Kim.

Here, just listen:

You're welcome.

Anyway, long story short, I was super ecstatic when about a year ago, I saw signs in Times Square announcing the return of Miss Saigon to Broadway.  I foolishly thought I'd have a lot of time to go see it; fast forward a year later...I found out the show's ending in January 2018 and then scrambled to get tickets.

Miss Saigon is one of those shows where there aren't that many songs (rather, many songs are based on just a few of the same melodies/themes), but they're all beautiful and lyrical and touching and emotionally charged, whether it's a sweet love song or an angry fight.  I enjoyed the show just for the experience of listening to the music and didn't even care that the current cast may not all be the strongest singers (then again, who can compare to Lea?).  Some of my friends felt that there wasn't much plot or character development in the first act (there isn't; you just jump in and assume the love story is a given), but the second act makes up for some of the plot holes, and I think you still go on an emotional journey with the characters if you just accept the plot line.

Overall, I'm so glad I managed to see it.  For those in NYC, you have about another month before the show ends here, and then it's going on a national tour for those of you in the rest of the U.S.

Lady Gaga Concert

 Having just enjoyed Lady Gaga's Superbowl halftime performance this past Sunday, I'm thrilled to hear she'll be going on a world tour.  Coincidence?  I think not.

The tour, "Joanne," takes its name from her most recent album.  She'll be in NYC on August 28, 2017.  That's more than half a year away, and I don't think I've ever planned or committed to a concert that far in advance, but how could I not be excited when so many of my karaoke favorites are fresh in my head?  Yeah...the timing of that announcement was definitely not a coincidence.  Go ahead, Lady Gaga, take my money.

The pre-sale is happening now (for Citi card holders), and the sale opens to the public tomorrow.

Time to listen to "Joanne" now.

Rice and Flower -- Cupcake Decorating Class

A dear friend recently discovered a cute handcrafted flowercake boutique called Rice and Flower that offers cake decorating classes, so we signed up and spent five hours today learning how to pipe apple blossoms, hydrangeas, poms, and chrysanthemums.

     

All I can say is, I have a newfound appreciation for pastry chefs who spend hours masterfully crafting their tasty artwork.  My hand was getting sore from all the piping, and sadly, most of my "good" ones were accidents rather than the norm.  Never will I ever complain again about how expensive a decorated cake is, although that said, unless it's some special occasion cake, I think I'd still prioritize taste over looks (I know it's a stereotype that fancy decorated cakes don't taste as good, but stereotypes exist for a reason!  But I shall never discriminate against any cake).

On the subject of taste, though, the class offers either traditional cake with buttercream or a Korean style rice cake with bean paste.  We chose the Korean rice cake with bean paste.  The bean paste was delicious, but I don't think the rice cake works as a cupcake.  For starters, it's a bit dry (sort of like a bread, but chewy in the middle).  It also got stale in less than a day; I could barely cut into it without having crumbs fly all over the place.  Nothing that a microwave can't fix, but that's too much effort to eat a cupcake.

Anyway, despite the challenges, our party of five had a wonderfully fun time, and I know I personally felt a teeny bit accomplished in learning something new.  While not all of the flowers turned out prettily, there was always Teacher Kim to the rescue to perform some plastic surgery if needed!  But I do think we all did a pretty good job overall; at least the pictures are totally social media worthy, in my humble opinion.

The Nutcracker

I've been meaning to go watch The Nutcracker at the NYC Ballet for years but have not been in town or had the time to go during the holiday season, so I'm glad I finally made it this year.  I haven't seen this ballet since I was a kid, but I love the music (who doesn't??  it's Tchaikovsky!), and it's such a classic, that adult me had to go at some point.

And...now that I have, I can say that it was fun and festive, and I can see how it's a great production for kids, but adult me prefers Swan Lake.  The first act of The Nutcracker actually had relatively little ballet, and it seemed like more of a play and acting.  There are also a lot more children in the ballet than I remember (not good or bad, just an observation, but perhaps that's also why there's not as much dancing).  The second act has most of the "popular" songs, and the Sugar Plum Fairy was a lovely dancer.  As a side note, the Playbill notes definitely made me appreciate some of the dances more.

Overall, it was enjoyable and lighthearted, but it wasn't as amazing as I had remembered.  That said, for those who have never seen it, I'd still recommend going one of these years, unless you're Scrooge and hate the holidays.

Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1

My earliest memory of Bruch's Violin Concerto is of my friend performing it beautifully and virtuosically with the Clear Lake Symphony Orchestra.  I was eleven at the time; she was ten.  I remember getting lost in the melodies (and wishing I could play as well as she), and then walking away with the very colorful third movement stuck in my head for days.  Later at home, I would listen to the CD over and over -- it was a David Oistrakh recording, and to this day, that's still my favorite rendition.  I suppose we're all more or less influenced by, if not partial to, the first recording of a song we hear.  Keep in mind this was before the days of YouTube and even Napster; it wasn't nearly as easy to find different recordings and compare and contrast before forming a view!

Bruch composed three violin concertos, or four if you count Scottish Fantasy, which I also love, but his other two concertos are rarely performed and never reached the same level of popularity as the first (hence people often just refer to Bruch's first violin concerto as the Bruch violin concerto).  The first movement is dramatic, passionate, and emotional, yet it is probably the most easily forgotten movement and is sometimes described as a long prelude into the second.  I'm not sure I agree with that statement though, as the piece has its own distinct character and has darker undertones than the second or third movements.  The second movement is actually a rondo and the heart of the concerto; the melody is beautifully sung and becomes more spirited, uplifting, and powerful as the piece progresses, before quieting down again at the end.  The third movement is an energetic dance, and perhaps the most impressive (and memorable) with all its double stops and fireworks ending.

Anyway, why am I talking about all of this now?  Because the New York Philharmonic will be performing this from October 27 - November 1, with concertmaster Frank Huang as the soloist.  So obviously I have to go 1) relive some good memories (I've actually never heard Bruch's violin concerto performed live after my 10-year-old friend's amazing concert), 2) support my fellow Houstonian (no, I don't know Frank Huang, but less than 6 degrees of separation...a few of my other music friends either studied violin with his mom or are friends with his younger sister), and 3) just enjoy one of my favorite violin pieces.

*UPDATE: Glowing review from NY Times here.


Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 (David Oistrakh, of course...that EMI Studio CD cover is the exact CD I had!):

Movement 1:

Movement 2:

Movement 3:

Ali Wong

For anyone who hasn't seen Ali Wong's stand-up comedy show Baby Cobra, you should watch it (available on Netflix).  For everyone who has, she needs no further introduction.

I think Ali Wong has left such a lasting impression on so many of us for a number of reasons.  For starters, obviously her performance was solid -- the material was hilarious, the delivery was on point, and her facial expressions (and graphic mimes) were the perfect complement to every joke.  But a good, funny show is just the prerequisite; I've certainly watched and laughed my way through a number of comedy shows (both live and recorded), yet unfortunately I can't name most of those comedians, nor can I remember what they said that was so funny at the time.  Ali was (is) different though.  Whether it's "right" or not, her identity alone was (is) a statement in and of itself.  She's Asian, female, and at the time of Baby Cobra, pregnant.  Asian comic?  Rare.  Female comic?  Also relatively rare.  Pregnant?  Even rarer.  Asian, female, and pregnant?  Ali Wong.

Now, having a unique identity can be a double-edged sword.  Had she delivered a less than stellar show, it's quite likely the story would have been "Asians aren't that funny," or "she was trying too hard."  Thankfully, that's not the case though, and she came out with pretty powerful (and also sensitive) content that was raw and real, touching on everything from cultural stereotypes (e.g., fancy Asian vs. jungle Asian) to women in the workplace (e.g., "lean in" vs. lie down) to poop (c'mon, just admit it...poop is funny...why else would there be a poop emoji?).  As a result, what I hear is "Ali Wong (Baby Cobra) is amazing!  I hope she comes out with more stuff.  I hope she's not a one hit wonder."  But why the last comment if we all agree with the first two?  Is it because we lack faith in her because she's Asian, female, and a new mother?  Or is it because we want her to succeed so badly that we're nervous for her, the way we might be anxious when rooting for a favorite sports team?

Regardless, I'm thrilled our wish has come true -- she's going on tour and is getting such a great reception.  And yes, of course I got my New York tickets already.  Originally there was only one NY show, and all tickets sold out during the presale, then she added a second show and sold out again, and now she's added a third.  Good for her!  Go buy tickets soon before the third show sells out too!

An American in Paris

Yet another wonderful Broadway show that is closing soon (October 9), so everyone go see it!  This was my first time watching An American in Paris, and it was a lot of fun and a very unique show with all the beautiful ballet.

I was so impressed with the talent -- how do these people dance AND sing so well?! -- in addition to the skillful use of the screen projections (I thought Les Mis did a good job, but this was so much better) and funny, witty quips throughout that lightened the mood for what would otherwise have been a darker post-war love story.  Many of the songs should also be recognizable to the general audience, whether you're familiar with Gershwin or not.

Overall, I would highly recommend An American in Paris to both the casual audience and serious Broadway lover.  The story is compelling, the songs are catchy, and the ballet is lovely.

Les Miserables

I love Broadway musicals.  Phantom of the Opera was my first, Wicked is the one I've seen the most, but Les Mis will always be my favorite.  It was the first and only musical I performed (by perform, I mean played in the orchestra pit) in high school.  So you can imagine my disappointment when I came to New York for college and discovered that Les Mis was no longer being performed on Broadway and was only able to see it for the first time in London when I was studying abroad.  And then the Les Mis Revival came to New York...except then I thought there would be no more rush and never bothered going to see it, until now.

Les Mis is ending on Sep 4, so I finally got tickets.  I thought they made a nice use of the screen and projections, although it was strange to not have a turntable set for those familiar with the original staging.  I liked Val Jean and Javert, found Marius to be nasally and Cosette pitchy, but regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and now I have all the songs stuck in my head.  Hope everyone gets to see it before it ends!