A Year in Review: My Favourite Moments of 2013

A Year in Review: 

My Favourite Moments of 2013

Another not-so-theatre-related post on my Theatre blog, but oh well. Everyone's doing something like this, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. So, here are my top ten favourite moments of 2013! (no particular order)

10. Seeing the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships live in London, Ontario.

Myself at the World Figure Skating Championships

Incredible experience; such a great competition for the Canadians, and it was amazing to be surrounded by so much national spirit.

9. Getting accepted to six universities (three in Canada, three in the UK).

I only didn't get into two of them, and those were the two most competitive ones. I didn't end up going to my first choice school (although I did get in), but it was really exciting to get in so many places. 

8. Every time I got to see one of my favourite Christines, Olivia Brereton and Anna O'Byrne. 

Myself with Anna O'Byrne/Myself with Olivia Brereton

It's wonderful to see a role you love done so perfectly, but so differently. These two are just incredible, and I feel very privileged to have seen Anna on two occasions and Olivia on three (hopefully more to come in 2014!). 

7. Every trip to London in 2013.

The best city in the world! London is my favourite place ever, and every time I visit it just makes me happy. London is my second home, and I look forward to more trips (and more Phantom!) in 2014!

6. Winning RhythmFest 2013.

Myself at RhythmFest 2013! L-R Clubs, medal ceremony, Hoop

This was a big deal for me; I had a great competition with only one drop, got good scores, and most importantly, had fun and enjoyed myself. A competition like that made me even more sad to leave the sport. RG is a huge part of me, and always will be, whether I'm on the carpet or not. 

5. Basically every moment involving Layla Harrison. 

From her perfect Meg on stage to her incredible kindness off stage, it would've been a very different six months for me if it weren't for her kindness, and I'm so grateful! 

4. Graduation.

My Mum and I at Graduation!

I graduated from High School! Not only that, but I won an award for History and got distinction again. It was a wonderful, triumphant day. I never thought I would do as well as I did in school; I still can't believe I went from nearly failing to graduating with distinction in two years. 

3. When this happened….

It's my favourite Phantom and Christine and I in one photo! And it's a really good photo! That is never going to happen again, and I feel so lucky to have a keepsake like this. 

2. November 2nd, 2013

There are so many reasons this day was incredible…. it was just 100% perfect and fabulous, and I will never forget how amazing it was. 

1. Hallowe'en 2013

L-R, Lara Martins, Olivia Brereton, Layla Harrison, and myself as a Ballet Girl :)

What can I say, it was a riot! Saw my favourite Christine, one of my favourite Phantoms, got to see all the incredible costumes and have a laugh at Stage Door - I know I said I wasn't going in order, but I think this was probably my favourite moment of 2013. 

A New Year, Some Thank-Yous, and a Reflection on Kindness

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person's life. 

I stumbled across this quote a couple days ago, and all I could think is that it perfectly reflected my feelings. I don't know who originally said it, or what the original context is. This quote has become the inspiration for the following post. Hope you enjoy :) 

A New Year, Some Thank-Yous, and a Reflection on Kindness

Hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing/fun-filled (which ever you prefer) Christmas! Mine was eventful (to say the least), but it was definitely nice to get home to be with my parents and bunny (not to mention having a washing machine constantly at my disposal!). 

So, here's my little New-year's post. I've been mulling over a post like this for a while, and I thought what better time to do it than at the close of the old year? It's evolved and changed in the few days I've spent writing it, but now that it's finished, I'm pleased with how it's turned out.

The New Year is a time of new beginnings; of a fresh start. I can't count how many zillions of New Year's resolutions or promises I've made to myself over the years, and I've probably kept maybe two of them, if that. All of them have involved change, but always a superficial change. Lose weight, learn to walk in 6 inch heels, 'be prettier'. I've never had a resolution in my life that wasn't completely idiotic. So this year, I've made four resolutions. Four because that's my lucky number.

1. See Phantom as many times as possible.
2. Express gratitude to those who make a difference in my life.
3. Each day, find one act of kindness that happened during the day.
4. Be kind to everyone.

Which brings me to my next order of business: kindness. It took me until early december to realise, but kindness has played a huge part in my last year, and without it, I don't want to think about where I'd be. It wouldn't be a good place, to say the least. And it's made me realise the important part kindness plays in everyone's lives, and what a massive difference it can make to a person. Even something as small as a door held open, helping a stranger with their bags on a train, or even just a smile or a wave in passing can make all the difference in the world.

So whenever I get upset (which is a lot) for whatever reason, I have kindness to look back on. I'm not going to point out particular people, but there are certain people in the last year whose kindness has made all the difference in the world. 

With that, here are some thank-yous that need to be said. I wish I could go on for a bit for each person that needs to be thank, but the socially aware part of my brain - small as it is - is telling me that that's not an appropriate thing to put in a public blog. I wish I could just list all of the names, but that list would probably be impossible to properly construct, and I don't want to leave anyone out.

So, thank you. Whether we've only spoken in passing, are acquaintances, or are close friends, you've made a difference to me, and I can't thank you enough!

And so ends this New Year's Post. I hope I didn't come off as too selfish, always talking about myself, but I'm afraid when thanking people for things they've done for you, there's no other way to put it. But I have tried my best.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope the coming year is full of kindness, love, friendship, and happiness for you. 

My Phantom Christmas Special

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone's had/is having an incredible Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, they I hope you have a lovely, relaxing day!

I wish I could get all of you Christmas presents (I do love getting people presents!) but logistically, that's impossible. So, my little 'Christmas Present' to all of you is in this post! Honestly, I'm not sure how much of a present it is, since it started out as a project for my own amusement, but I hope it's something you can all enjoy :) 

To begin with, my "Phantom of the Opera Christmas Awards"! It's all strictly my opinion, so of course everyone's free to disagree or add their two cents. It's also only based on the people I've seen (and remember!) live. If I haven't seen them, I can't put them on the list, no matter how good the reviews or bootlegs were/are. So there's not a lot of variety in the awards (it's basically the 2012/13 and 2013/14 London casts with a bit of Broadway 2013 thrown in). So, hope you enjoy :) 

The Phantom of the Opera Awards

The Phantom

Songs

Best Stranger Than You Dreamt It: Geronimo Rauch

Best Final Lair: Geronimo Rauch

Best Music of the Night: Geronimo Rauch

Best ‘Rooftop Angel’: Jeremy Secomb

Best voice: Geronimo Rauch

Character

Best Overall Characteriziation: Geronimo Rauch and Marcus Lovett

Most violent: Jeremy Secomb

Most manic: Jeremy Secomb

Creepiest: Geronimo Rauch

Craziest: Hugh Panaro

Misc./Fun Awards

Best Hands: Scott Davies

Saddest Final Lair: Geronimo Rauch

Christine

Songs

Best Think of Me Cadenza: Harriet Jones

Best Think of Me: Olivia Brereton

Best Serafimo: Anna O’Byrne

Best All I Ask of You: Anna O’Byrne and Olivia Brereton

Best Notes II/Twisted Every Way: Anna O’Byrne

Best Point of No Return: Anna O’Byrne, Harriet Jones, Olivia Brereton

Best Graveyard/Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again: Olivia Brereton

Best Voice (technical): Harriet Jones

Best Voice (characterization): Olivia Brereton

Character

Best Christine ‘look’: Harriet Jones

Most Child-like: Samantha Hill

Most Naïve: Sofia Escobar

Most Passionate: Anna O’Byrne and Olivia Brereton

Best Dancer: Anna O’Byrne

Misc./Fun Awards

Most likely to have a mishap with the veil: Olivia Brereton

Most likely to have a ripped Aminta dress: Olivia Brereton

Most likely to have a costume/prop mishap: Olivia Brereton

Prettiest wig: Harriet Jones

Raoul

Best All I Ask of You: Antony Hansen and Simon Thomas

Best Final Lair: Antony Hansen

Most Vain: Sean Palmer

Best at trying to protect himself from fireballs with a top hat: Sean Palmer

Most reckless: Antony Hansen

Best Final Lair Faceplant: Antony Hansen

Meg

Best Dancer: Layla Harrison

Best Voice: Layla Harrison

Best Characterization: Layla Harrison

Least Annoying Meg: Layla Harrison

Most Annoying Meg: Kara Klein

I could go on, but I think you get the point. I quite like Anna Forbes’ Meg as well, but Layla is just the best when it comes to Meg. 

Group Awards:

Best Angel of Music Trio: Anna Forbes, Olivia Brereton, Antony Hansen

Best Phantom/Christine Duo: Jeremy Secomb and Olivia Brereton

Best Christine/Meg Duo: Anna O’Byrne and Layla Harrison

Best Raoul/Christine Duo: Antony Hansen and Olivia Brereton

Best Andre/Firmin Duo: Andy Hockley and Martin Ball

Best Carlotta/Piangi Duo: Lara Martins and Jeremy Secomb

I can't really do a Carlotta section, as I've seen Lara 7 times and she's my only favourite. Only difference between her and Layla is that I've actually seen more than one other Meg that I remember, so I can more fairly say that Layla's the best at everything.

Now for my second section; a Phantom CD! The concept behind this is if I could arrange a Current London Cast Recording, who would do which songs. I've put understudies and covers in there as well, because if I got to make all the decisions, that's how I would have it. I didn't include the full company songs or the orchestra songs in this, just because their compositions are kind of a given. 

The Dress Rehearsal of Hannibal: Lara Martins, Jeremy Secomb

Think of Me: Harriet Jones

Angel of Music (The Mirror): Layla Harrison, Olivia Brereton, Sean Palmer

The Phantom of the Opera: Harriet Jones, Geronimo Rauch

The Music of the Night: Geronimo Rauch 

I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It: Harriet Jones, Geronimo Rauch

Notes/Prima Donna: Lara Martins, Jeremy Secomb, Jacinta Mulcahy, 

All I Ask Of You: Olivia Brereton and Antony Hansen

I Gave You My Music: Jeremy Secomb

Twisted Every Way: Harriet Jones

The Graveyard: Olivia Brereton

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again: Olivia Brereton

Wandering Child/Bravo Monsieur: Geronimo Rauch, Olivia Brereton, Sean Palmer

The Point of No Return: Geronimo Rauch, Harriet Jones

Final Lair: Geronimo Rauch, Olivia Brereton, Antony Hansen

Well, that's everything. Hope you enjoyed, and hope every has a fabulous Christmas!

Lots of Love,

Elizabeth xoxo

The Phantom of the Opera - December 18th, 2013

The Phantom of the Opera

Hi all! I’ve reviewed Olivia numerous times (for a very detailed review of her, see my November 1 ‘Olivia Soliloquy’ post), and the rest of this cast at least once, but it was an interesting show, so I thought I’d make a few point form notes for those of you who are interested.

Also, this was my 10^th time seeing Phantom! Finally into the double digits J I already have number 11 booked, hopefully will have 12 and 13 booked soon as well. I’m determined to see this cast as many times as possible before the summer, as I probably won’t be in London from June to August (I try not to think about that because it makes me want to cry), so I need to get in as many shows as possible before then. 

Phantom: Geronimo Rauch

I honestly wasn’t the biggest fan of his when I saw him in September. The portrayal struck me as boring; he seemed to be depending on his strong voice to do all of the work. After December 18^th’s performance, Geronimo is my favourite Phantom, surpassing Hugh Panaro and Jeremy Secomb. He’s stopped counting on his voice to do all of the work, and he REALLY got into the character. When I say really, I mean it was the most accurate, heart-wrenching, fear-inducing performance I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t sure after the first act, but the Phantom doesn’t really do much in the first act so I reserved judgment until the end. Geronimo’s Final Lair did it for me; I was so into it that I was shaking. I didn’t cry (for once) but I was shaking so badly the person next to me was beginning to look concerned. I usually get quite involved in the Final Lair, and there’s usually some sort of emotional reaction, but this was just something else. It’s hard to describe acting, really. But the way Geronimo moves, the way he uses his voice (both speaking and singing), and everything he does is just so completely Phantom. He managed to find an excellent balance between the Phantom’s crazy, insane side and his softer, more tender side. It was just enough that, although the Phantom is frightening and mad, his vulnerability was visible enough to make you feel sympathy for him. I will admit, I was very nearly Team Phantom in this show; I wouldn’t have minded if Christine had taken the ring back when he offered. I think that’s basically all I need to say about Geronimo; I can’t wait to see him again! If this is the improvement he can make in three months, then I imagine he’ll be absolutely spectacular by the summertime.

Christine: Olivia Brereton

I think anyone who’s read my two other reviews on her has already heard more than enough, but there’s a couple things I would like to mention.

First, her dancing has improved greatly. I’m not sure whether this is because she’s just gotten better at it in general, or she’s making a conscious decision for Christine to be a slightly better dancer. Regardless, I like Christine to dance properly, so I’m glad she’s improved. My Rhythmic Gymnastics brain noticed that her ankle extension is gorgeous (she also has RG elbows. Not Liubov-Charkashyna-extreme, but it still grosses me out a bit), so I’m hoping for further improvement in her dancing. She’s still in flat shoes, but I think they’re making the shoes with a bit of a box (or a least a stiffer, squarer front), so it looks much better.

Also, I’ve said this before, but I need to say it again: Olivia’s Graveyard/Wishing is just… other-worldly. It’s breathtaking, heartbreaking… I would dearly love for there to be a proper recording of the two songs, but I think I’m being a bit fanciful. Everyone who loves Phantom needs to see Olivia’s Graveyard/Wishing. There’s simply nothing like it, and there aren’t words to describe it. I often get bored with the 'pretty' versions of Wishing, but one could never get bored of Olivia's Wishing.

A shorter, although still longer than I intended, Olivia soliloquy this time J

The rest of the cast…

I think I had the second cover for Mme Giry; she was great vocally and in terms of character, but I felt her timing was a bit off. Lara was great as usual, the understudy Piangi (I guess Jeremy was on holiday or sick) was good. Cat is still jumping up way too early in Think of Me, and it irritates me to no end. Other than that though, I think she’s improved a lot. Her voice is still a bit shaky in places, but overall I like her a lot better than the first few times I saw her. Sean still isn’t doing the jump into the lake, which is another thing that irritates me. I guess he’s got an injury that prevents it from being safe, but that’s what braces and tensor bandages are for! (I’m kidding, of course. Just because dancers/gymnasts perform with injuries doesn’t mean everyone is capable of doing that) Firmin and Andre are still hilarious; I love these two as a pairing.

Bloopers and Fun moments…

I peeked down into the orchestra pit to look at the soldier who was about to try to shoot the Phantom; I guess it’s pretty loud from down there, because I could see all the orchestra members quickly covering their ears right before the gun went off. It was funny, just because it looked like such a well-practiced maneuver. There were quite a few line flubs and little mistakes, which I don’t recall. I have to check the lyrics, but I think there may have been a line mistake in Think of Me. I can’t remember the other songs/lines that had small mistakes. Past the Point had a few awkward moments, but I noticed for the first time how much the choreography echoes Music of the Night. And people think I’ll get bored with Phantom; how can you get bored when you keep noticing new things with every show! (speaking of which, I finally figured out why Triangle Girl in Masquerade is called Triangle Girl….) There weren’t any major mistakes really; the most noticeable for me was at the very end; the veil was left on the stage, and the cloak landed right near it, so Cat basically had to stand on the veil. It wasn’t a big issue, it just marred the effect of just Meg and the mask on the dark stage. Other than that, nothing too noticeable. Most of these I’m sure I’m the only one in the audience to notice. Also, I got to see Layla in a slightly different role tonight – she was one of the decoy Christines (the one on the bridge) during this show! I had an idea of it, because of the darker wig she was wearing as a ballet girl, plus it kind of looked like her on the bridge, but it was cool to see something new and unexpected. Another thing about this show is that there were a lot of moments I would've loved to capture in a photograph. During Angel of Music, there was a moment where Olivia's dressing gown was just hanging perfectly (usually it gets kind of crumpled up) and it was just such a beautiful post (brochure-worthy, really). Olivia also has the best (excuse my language) "What the actual hell?" look on her face during MOTN when Geronimo is about to put his arm around her neck. I had to choke back laughter; it was really funny and I would've loved to have that on camera. All in all, just some really great moments that I so wanted to capture in photographs. 

Stage Door...

I had a lot of fun at this Stage Door. I met a lovely family from Brisbane, Australia; the two kids were into musical theatre and they were all lovely to talk to. They had asked me to point out Geronimo and Olivia when they came out because they weren’t sure they’d recognize them (they actually got Olivia and Sofia mixed up), and I did, but I think I was a bit too loud and pronounced Geronimo’s name incorrectly. Sorry guys L I did see Lara and Layla briefly; Lara is so sweet, she always has something nice to say to me and always seems to have time to sign programs (I was only going to ask her to sign the one I had for my friend but she offered to sign mine as well, which was lovely). Layla had to run but it was nice that she had a bit of time for me (it’s always lovely to see her, of course). Olivia and Geronimo came out at the same time, and I got to chat briefly with them both, and also got what is probably the best stage door picture I will ever have (favourite Phantom and Christine in one picture!). 

All in all, an incredible end to my time in the UK for now. I can’t wait to get back to Phantom in February; it feels like a second home to me, and I just love seeing the show (and the people!) so much.

First Position: Where are they now?

The Dancers of First Position: Where are they now?

(This is really just a compilation of information I've been trying to find for a while, mostly for my own interest, but I hope some of you can find it interesting as well :) )

One of my favourite documentaries is First Position. Released in 2011, it features a collection of dancers (all American or American-trained) and their experience at the Youth America Grand Prix. It's been three years since these dancers were shown, and I was curious - what are they all up to now?

Miko Fogarty

In First Position: 12-year-old Miko won the bronze medal in the women's 12-14 division.

Now: Of all of the featured dancers, Miko has probably had the most competitive success, including a Gold Medal at IBC Moscow in 2013. Now 16, she continues to achieve high-placing results at international ballet competitions. She currently represents Switzerland, having represented the United States in First Position.

Links:

Giselle 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJJoR2U8-A8&list=UU6w8dv7qmGxI_BZTZ89eV6w

Esmerelda 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50lAMbJUXfc&list=UU6w8dv7qmGxI_BZTZ89eV6w

Michaela DePrince

In First Position: 14-year-old Sierra Leone-born Michaela was fighting through a painful injury at the YAGP, and at the end of the competition came out with a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre. 

Now: Now at age 18, Michaela has danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, and is now a part of Het Nationale Ballet's Junior Company in Holland. 

Links:

Michaela Performing on Dancing with the Stars in 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b70QqMXAFk

'La Valse' 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mdswPb7J_I

Rebecca Houseknecht 

In First Position: Rebecca did not come out of the YAGP with a job contract, as was hoped. Two months after the conclusion of the competition, she was offered a contract with the Washington Ballet. 

Now: After a year and a half at the Washington Ballet, Rebecca quit serious ballet training. She is currently a Health-Care Management Major at Towson University and dances on the University's dance team. 

Gaya in 2013

Gaya Bommer Yemini

In First Position: Gaya, age 11 and from Israel, won a bronze medal in the 9-11 women's division. She was not directly featured in the documentary, but they spent more time on Gaya than on Miko's brother Jules, and I like her dancing, so I wanted to include her. 

Now: At the 2011 YAGP competition, Gaya received a scholarship for the Princess Grace Classical Dance Academy in Monaco. She has performed roles in their professional company, and is still training there. 

Links: 

'Cartoon Girl', 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7vaJrbpC0E
Princess Grace Academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcademiedeDansePrincesseGrace/photos/pb.220444404672839.-2207520000.1405548500./630968133620462/?type=3&theater

Aran Bell

Aran in 2013

In First Position: Aran, 11, an American dancer who trains in Italy, won the "best overall performance" award in the 9-11 division. 

Now: Age 15 as of October 2013, Aran has danced with the company Intermezzo in New York (photo on right). At one point, he was asked to play Billy in Billy Elliot, but turned it down to focus on his dance training. Very little other information exists online about Aran.

Links:

Coppelia, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFM-qm-1wBQ

Joan Sebastian Zamora

In First Position: Colombian Joan Sebastian finished the competition with a Scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in the United Kingdom. 

Now: Joan Sebastian is listed as being an Artist of the Company at the English National Ballet, which he joined in 2013. He previously danced in Firebird and The Nutcracker at the Royal Ballet. I had the pleasure of seeing Joan Sebastian dance in the ensemble of ENB's Lest We Forget; while not a soloist, from what I saw he did an amazing job, and he's come very far indeed! 

Links:

English National Ballet Profile: http://www.ballet.org.uk/the-company/dancers/joan-sebastian-zamora/