High School Musical is a TV movie about two unlikely high school juniors vying to branch from their previous cliques (basketball team and braniacs) to audition for the school musical.  One admiration I've always had about it was how Darbus would have openings for high school students to write their own musicals and conduct them all.  Wow.  I mean, I've written and performed my own One-Act play and it took me about eight months to start, perfect and polish. I know it's just a movie but that would be really cool if any school ever offers that.

The night before an audition, I always watch the Audition scene because it calms me down and assures me I'm not like any of them (except maybe the first one sometimes).  My favorite audition is the last one of the two goth kids and Darbus' reaction is priceless!

The Truth of the Disney princesses

Yes, I'm aware this isn't fully about theatre but it can be related to the Broadway shows that came from the Disney movies (well, except for Pochantas.......it's not quite there yet). But I find this video hilarious—plus, the guy sings wonderfully.

Click here.......if you dare to do it. I bet you won't!

Comparisons between Frozen and Wicked

So Disney Pixar recently released a box-office and family-friendly success Frozen. Released on Nov. 27, the story is about two sisters left a kingdom after their parents were lost at sea—the elder, Elsa, has this power where everything she touches turns into ice and runs away from civilization after her powers were discovered; the younger, Anna, craves for a relationship with her sister (who shuts herself away from Anna) and longs to be in love and free from that household. (I know the story is more complex, but this is the abbreviated version.) 

Meanwhile, thespians around the world are well aware of Wicked, the prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It describes the backstory of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and how she became the witch we all know and love, but by rebellion against the wizard Oz. 

I personally believe Frozen and Wicked have extremely similar qualities. Here are 10 I noticed (feel free to comment). 

1. Idina Menzel plays (sings, rather) both main female leads (Elphaba and Elsa), who were both misunderstood and ran from the societies they knew and grew up in. (Not to mention their key songs, Defying Gravity and Let It Go, are about going against the crowd and becoming the person they were meant to be.)

2. Both female leads (Elsa and Elphaba) have magical powers the townsfolk fear. 

3. Both supporting girls (Glinda and Anna) are constantly loyal to their companion and seem opposite of them. 

4. Both supporting girls are played by well known blondes of the same name (Kristen Bell and Kristin Chenowith). 

5. Both supporting girls have character songs that show them as caring and wanting to reach out and connect to their buddy (Popular and Do You Want to Build a Snowman?).

6. Both supporting males (Fiyero and Olaf) sing songs about having a carefree life and not realizing what they're singing can really mean. (Dancing Through Life hints that Fiyero will become the Scarecrow and In Summer hints that Olaf doesn't understand he would melt in the sun.)

7. Both supporting girls (Glinda and Anna) fall in love with men that don't return their affections. (Boq fell in love with Elphaba's sister Nessarose and Hans was only using Anna to gain the throne.) 

8. There are animals that are important in the story. (Sven the reindeer accompanies Kristoff and Anna as she goes to find Elsa and Doctor Dillamond was a talking Goat professor at Shiz and partly inspired Elphaba to go against the Wizard.)

9. Both main females had some harm come to their sisters (Anna became frozen in ice and Nessarose was crushed by a house). 

10. Marriage was mentioned in both stories. (Kristoff's family insisted that he and Anna should wed and almost set up a marriage, while Glinda was engaged to Fiyero, Elphaba's love.)

Carly Rae Jepsen as Cinderella?

Despite the backlash she's getting because of "Call Me Maybe", Carly Rae Jepsen doesn't sound that bad as Cinderella.

http://notsoplainbutinsanejane.tumblr.com/post/75654310295/queeniewasablonde-carly-rae-jepsens-first-in

I know this isn't about theater or broadway but it's related to the musical Beauty and the Beast—well I'll argue that. Plus I haven't posted in a while so there should be some humor!

Suggested Top 10 Broadway Musicals Of All Time

Every person involved in theatre has their own opinion about what musicals and plays are their favorites and which ones should never have been thought of. Now I know people have their own opinions different from mine but I don't agree with this YouTube video of ranking the top 10 broadway musicals:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQuZ0a65EU

10. Wicked

     Yes I agree it's a good show and it should be on this list but it's still a recent show and a cult phenomenon among teen thespians. Eventually this show will climb higher but as of now, it's fine where it is in placing.

9. The Producers

    The show isn't terrible. (I looked it up a while ago when it was rumored that was what my school was putting on; the director later chose Jekyll and Hyde). It has a sense of adult humor and plays on mature jokes while having little plot twists. However, the fate of at least one of the producers could obviously be seen the moment the two think of producing the worst Broadway show ever.

8. Rent

    LOVE RENT. It's personally one of my favorites but then again, the older and more traditional generations might not appreciate it as much (it has strippers and the majority of the characters have AIDS) so its placement on the list is fine with me!

7. Oklahoma!

    I personally hate Oklahoma! and I think it's just awful. It has absolutely no meaningful moral to teach anybody, nor does it really have a plot—it's honestly about two guys vying to take a girl to the dance later that night and the less-creepy one wins her heart and marries her. That's literally it. I find it pointless and it should never have been on this list.

6. A Chorus Line

    I hear it's a very good show if you want to become a dancer or are good at dancing. I scarcely know a lot about it and the music, besides the mirror scene and the song "Nothing" (possible future post?). But it faces what people will say and do for auditions to "make it in", which I can relate to, so I'm neutral about it.

5. Chicago

    I can tolerate Chicago "and all that jazz." I love "Cell Block Tango", but just like for A Chorus Line, I do not know this show as well as I should and I do apologize. It's on my bucket list for "Musicals I Should Know More About."

4. The Lion King

    This show definitely deserves to be on this list. Besides being a hit Disney movie, it's well-written, has a meaningful plot, and the costuming is just absolutely cool and amazing. I mean, it's not every show where you see people galloping around in animal costumes. Well, it's more than the average costume, I'm just so fascinated by the design of them!

3. Cats

    If there's one musical I despise more than Oklahoma!, it's Cats. "Why," do you ask? I just don't get it. I like the costumes and the songs have a nice rhythm, but I don't understand it. It's literally about cats in an alleyway, they sing about themselves and about some cat being chosen to be reborn. It's so foreign to me. I do not see what is the hype for this show. For being a classic and for being on Broadway for this long, yes it should be on the list. But that's it.

2. Les Misérables

    First off, listen to how the narrator pronounces it, it's hilarious! Anyway, I really and truly enjoy this musical. It has a strong plot and developing characters that move the audience with them on their journeys and the songs are just so gosh darn powerful, I almost cry. It's wonderful.

1. The Phantom of the Opera

    It was only a matter of time before this show would come up. I admit, it deserves to me the first on this list. Partly because Christine, the damsel in distress, actually develops in her character and realizes what is happening to her and the opera house instead of being ditzy and foolish. Four for you, Christine! Plus, I always feel so bad for the Phantom because he goes through all of this trouble to get a girl. Poor guy. 

The Backstage Badger

I'm sorry I haven't posted in four months! Senior year gets absolutely crazy and it'll get worse once vacation is over and midterms begin.

Until I get an official post, take a look at the Backstage Badger tumblr (http://thebackstagebadger.tumblr.com/). It's the greatest theatre blog—well, in terms of the backstage crew. It's still really reliable and true! (Here's a BB post relating to an earlier post of mine.)