said the red-head

moving forward.

And so ends the New York leg of my summer odyssey. It’s been lovely, as always. I saw ELEVEN shows plus a concert and a benefit this time. Good life I got here. I’ve already written about Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher, Jesus Christ Superstar, End of the Rainbow, Ghost, and Best Man. I also saw Once; Memphis; One Man, Two Guvnors; Harvey; and Death of a Salesman. I saw Regina Spektor in concert (!!!!!) and last Saturday I went to the Story Pirates benefit.

Now I am going to attempt to write about each of these individually awesome experiences. In case I don’t, at least I have some record of what I did right here.

Last tuesday night (the 15th), I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Regina Spektor. I have wanted to see her live in concert since I first heard her music years and years ago. I've kept a constant tab on her and I've never been able to find tour dates. At first, I found out that she was finally playing LA in August and then I saw I was going to be out of town and I was heartbroken. I looked more closely and saw that she was also playing in New York while I was there. I ended up going with my friend Anais who used to work for my mom. We had the BEST time. 

The concert was everything I could've hoped for and more. Regina is so adorable and meek-seeming when she talks and then she sits down and just BLOWS my mind with her volcanic talent. She truly is one of a kind. Everyone should download Far, one of her newer albums. I know it by heart. Her tour was promoting her new album What We Saw From the Cheap Seats which is on iTunes for preorder and I can't wait. Every single breath that comes from her mouth and every single note that falls from her fingertips is flawless and intriguing. Heaven. 

The lighting design was insane. I would love to do lighting for music at some point in my career. 

Once was absolutely fantastic. I would say out of all the shows that I saw on this trip, this was the best musical. In fact, let me rate them all right now.

Musicals

1. Once
2. Jesus Christ Superstar
3. Newsies
4. Ghost
5. Memphis

Plays

1. Peter and the Starcatcher
2. One Man, Two Guvnors
3. Harvey
4. Death of a Salesman
5. End of the Rainbow
6. Best Man

Combined (THESE ARE THE MUST SEE)

1. Peter and the Starcatcher
2. One Man, Two Guvnors
3. Once

Anywho. Back to business. Once was really sweet and heart-wrenching. I remember liking the movie a lot but it’s been a long time. I am a huge fan of the music so I was super excited for that.

Marquee.

When you get to the theater, they invite the audience onstage to enjoy drinks from an actual bar. It’s fun to mill around on an legit Broadway stage and to see all of the audience in front of you. All of a sudden, members of the ensemble mosey onstage and pick up various instruments lying around. They begin a raucous mini concert that blew my mind. It might have been my favorite part of the show. The actor/musicians were so talented--flipping from one instrument to the next and they having a blast in the meantime. One of my favorite things in entertainment is when we can see an actual person peek through the theatrics. Like on SNL when Bill Hader breaks during Stefon or Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen break during Garth and Kat. I feel so close to them, like I am in the joke, or that we're all buddies. If only. This moment of jolly jamming felt like that. I felt so at home, like I was at another of Peter’s rocking music nights.

Blurry set photo.

Eventually they ushered us off the stage and gradually the show began. It was nice how the switch from preshow jam to actual show was so subtle. They dimmed the lights little by little until it was finally dark halfway through the “first” song.

Gods were looking down on me. The usher said in passing as we were leaving the stage, "Does anyone want the set list from today?" I was like YES! and here it is.

Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti were a dream. They both rocked the accents. The real surprise though was Milioti. She comes in with a bang of spunky personality and never came down from that cloud. She was overflowing with personality and such subtle humor. I loved the running “I am always serious. I’m Czech.” joke. She was truly wonderful to watch through all the highs and lows. Hilarious in her initial interaction with the Guy. Sweet in her maternal moments with her little daughter. Heartbreaking in her painful yearning rendition of “The Hill”. I was completely and totally rendered speechless by her “If You Want Me”. Her voice sounds like a violin. She’s rocking a powerhouse talent in that little body of hers.

Steve Kazee was also fantastic. He had such a powerful voice. He comes in and completely owns the floor immediately with “Leave”. He begins soft and painful in a sweet way and builds to such passionate anger. Completely captivating. His riffing and runs at the end inspired such deep emotions to stir in my heart. “Falling Slowly” is another matter entirely. Every time I hear that song (even on my measly iPod) I have to stop and listen and just sway with my eyes closed. Beauty. I enjoyed his Elvis swinging hips during “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy”.

The complete draw of this show, however, is the stellar ensemble. The movement by Steven Hoggett is so flawless. “Sets” are changed and music is filled in seamlessly. Each member had a nice moment in the spotlight. I loved the Czech family/roommates. They seemed to have a blast while showing off to the Guy during “Ej Pada Pada Rosicka”. Elizabeth A. Davis was beautiful and perfect for the part of Reza, the Czech seductress. I don't think I have ever seen anyone that skinny. Little twig. David Abeles was definitely Ron Weasley grown up. Paul Whitty as Billy, the music shop owner, was probably my favorite member of the ensemble. He was hilarious and rocked a badass beard. (It was real, by the way. Always more impressive.) He’s kind of like an overgrown elf. The best moments were when they were all singing and playing together. “Gold (A Capella)” was stunning. That melody is already breathtaking and a capella singing is always gorgeous so put them together and well... You get it.

I wish I brought a silver sharpie. Only Steve Kazee had one.

I could gush and gush forever, but really, just try and see it if you have the chance. Worth it, I swear. 

Marquee.

Next up: Memphis. It was completely out-of-the-blue that I saw this. I was at the TKTS booth wednesday afternoon and nothing was super calling out to me. I had a few I wanted to see but nothing major. I was chatting with some of the lovely people who hang around the booth to answer questions. I asked one of the girls what her current favorite musical and play were. She said Memphis. (I ignored the fact that she was wearing a Memphis shirt and therefore probably was employed by them.) I knew Adam Pascal was in it, so I thought why not? I am sure it will be fun.

And it was. It was, by no means, my favorite show ever, but I had quite a bit of fun. The cast was a lot of fun and Montego Glover (Felicia) had a lovely voice. It was super cool to see Adam Pascal on stage as something other than ROGER. I was lucky enough to see him and Anthony Rapp in their iconic roles at the Pantages a few years ago. I was glad to see him in a part fo very different than what I am used to. Huey Calhoun is such a dork and a weirdo (the opposite of badass rocker Roger) and so endearing. 

Preshow, intermission, post-show.

I don't really have much else to say. The costume color palette was beautiful and I loved the girl's costumes. Derrick Baskin, who played Gator, was the original Mitch Mahoney in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, so that's cool. The set design was very clever and nice to look at. 

Wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this show to anyone but it most certainly was not bad. Oh, fun fact! The show is at the Shubert Theatre, home of Chorus Line, the longest running show in Broadway history. 

Playbill and ticket. 

Since I have already hit the 1500 word mark, I think I will wrap this one up and continue on a new post. Don't wanna overwhelm any of my nonexistent readers. Til then!

xoxoleah

days gone by. (2.0)

Alright, let's jump right back in.

Saturday night I saw Ghost. It was most certainly a spectacle. The story was kind of cool and there were some musical highlights but the most impressive aspect by far were the lighting and special efects.

Epic marquee.

Pretty chandelier. (It's not actually rainbow. That's the photo effect.)

I can't believe they actually had custom slushies. All out.

Pre-show set. Pretty scrim.

Almost the whole set was made of huge screens that projected video almost the whole time. Also, they did an unbelievable job with the ghost tricks. By way of special lighting and theater tricks, they truly made it seem as though Sam Wheat were passing through doors and solid objects. I can't even begin to imagine the cost of this extravaganza. My mind is still reeling. Without all these technical show-offs, I don't think I would've enjoyed the show as much. The actors were cute and there were knockout singing moments, but mostly so-so. 

Crazy visuals. There are a lot of videos and pictures with the actor's faces on them during the show. It must be a bitch to change when understudies go on. 

When the ensemble was dancing, often they would project silhouettes of more people on the screens. Way cool.

It just looks. so. cool.

Sweet ghostiness. 

New York City.

Caissie Levy (Molly Jensen) was adorable. She has a killer voice. I am pretty sure I saw her as Sheila in Hair a few years ago. That's a perfect role/show for her. She has also been Elphaba in Wicked, Maureen in Rent, and Penny in Hairspray. All awesome shows and awesome parts. Richard Fleeshman (Sam Wheat) was a little bit of a bore, but I give him mad props for completely pulling off all the ghost tricks so convincingly. At the stage door I discovered he was British which improved my opinion of him a bit. Da'Vine Joy Randolph was so damn funny as Oda Mae Brown. She deserved her Tony nom for her Broadway debut. She had real guts and completely fooled around on the stage. Her costumes were also hilarious. 

Funny little tidbit--Beyonce was there the night I saw it! I didn't see her there but I heard afterwards. So cool. She's a goddess.

From left: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Richard Fleeshman, BEYONCE, Caissie Levy, Bryce Pinkham.

On Sunday I saw the Best Man matinee. I was a little nervous going in since I knew it was a political comedy and I am completely useless when it comes to politics. I was mostly just interested in the star-filled cast. James Earl Jones. Angela Lansbury. John Larroquette. Candice Bergen. Eric McCormack. Kerry Butler. Jefferson Mays. Michael McKean. Very impressive. 

Marquee. 

The show completely went over my head but I am so glad I can say I got to see these people. I saw Angela in A Little Night Music a few years ago. That woman blows my mind. One of the best talents out there and still rocking the stage at her age. Her part in this was rather annoying and only had, like, two scenes but it's ANGELA LANSBURY. So it doesn't matter. James Earl Jones was really funny, though sometimes hard to understand. Also, I thought it was interesting that he was playing a Black former president as of 1960. I quite enjoyed John Larroquette's performance. Damn, that man is funny. I also saw him in How to Suceed with Daniel Radcliffe last year. Funny guy. His relationship with Candice Bergen in the play was very interesting. She was fantastic. Eric McCormack was awesome as the slimy young politician who will use any means to get to the end he wants. Kerry Butler walks a fine line for me. She ALWAYS plays the over-the-top annoying characters and it often works for her. This one was hot and cold.

Also, the play was damn long. THREE ACTS. At the second intermission, I thought it was over but then there was no curtain call. Very strange. 

That's all for now! I am rushing out the door to go see Once. I am so so so so so so so so excited. I'll write more tonight, hopefully. 

xoxoleah

days gone by.

I've had a fabulous few days here in mah city. Friday was a pretty relaxing day. I met a new friend at Starbucks for a nice little chat which was fun. I had the most yummy lunch at the Shake Shack. I swear, that place injects crack into their food. Mmm mmm mmm.

Artsy food shot. Yum.

That night, I saw End of the Rainbow which was very interesting. I sat in the front row all the way on the right. I only really know Judy Garland from her glory days--Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, and all that jazz. I never really knew anything of the end of her life, besides that it was dark. It was fascinating to see and Tracie Bennett was inspired. 

Marquee.

Ceiling of the Belasco Theatre. I wish my iPhone camera could even attempt to do those lights justice. Each one of those circly-doos is a one-of-a-kind stained glass lamp. Breathtaking.

Pre-show set. Pretty.

Obsessed with these. I want to have the job of making/naming all of these. So fun.

Tracie Bennett truly embodied what I believe Judy must have been like in those last few days. She did crazy quite well, thrashing round the stage, sometimes in a funny way and sometimes in a heartbreaking way. She really covered the whole scale of emotions and took us along for the ride. Her singing voice was spot-on and glorious. I also enjoyed her little callbacks to her past career and love life. Lots of jabs at ex-husbands and references to the ruby slippers. She completely ruled the stage and I am glad her work has gained her a Tony nom. I look forward to seeing the awards this year. There is some great competition in my heart. I got to meet Ms. Bennett at the stage door and she was absolutely adorable. Teeny tiny little thing. Super sweet and funny and gracious. 

My absolute favorite part of the show however was Michael Cumpsty as Anthony, Judy's long time pianist and confidante. He was sweet and quite hilarious and sad. I just wanted to hug him and be best friends. I really enjoyed his storyline as well. Little bit o' scandal. If nothing else, see this show for him. It also doesn't hurt how much he looks like Colin Firth's long lost twin.

My least favorite part of the show was easily Tom Pelphrey as Mickey Deans. Though whether I should blame the actor or the part is a mystery to me. Funny little story. There is a scene where Judy throws a fruit bowl across the stage at Mickey. The night I saw it, one of the oranges flew into the first row of the audience. Everyone just carried on like nothing happened. Scenes later, Mickey cleans up the mess and he was looking around for a bit to find everything. Nonchalantly, the man in the audience just threw it up on stage and Tom Pelphrey picked it right up and went about business as usual. Live theater, man. Nothing like it. 

Saturday was a fun day. In the afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere screening of Standbys, a fantastic documentary about the  grueling life of three Broadway standbys. I quite enjoyed the film, but the best part was certainly the talk back afterwards. The director Stephanie Riggs; the three stars: Ben Crawford, Merwin Foard, and Aléna Watters; and Cady Huffman and Katie Finneran were all there. It was beautiful and funny and heartbreaking to hear them tell their stories and give advice in such a close vicinity. I am really glad I got to experience it. I truly hope this movie helps to propel these extraordinary actors farther because they have mind-blowing talent and the world deserves to see it. Damn, I could never be a standby/understudy/swing. So much brain power and heart strength needed. Yikes. 

Free ticket! Part of the Tony Awards Film Series at The Paley Center for Media. 

From left: Cady Huffman, Katie Finneran, Ben Crawford, Aléna Watters, Merwin Foard, Stephanie Riggs. Bonus: bottom left with the camera is Ben's new fiancee. :)

I met a lovely man at the movie who was a reviewer. We chatted for a bit and he suggested for me to get into reviewing theater professionally. I would love that. It's definitely a part of my vision for my future. Let's all hope for me! 

Next, I made my way into Times Square and there was the weekly market going on. It was fun to peruse and see all the cheap wares. I tried an Arepa for the first time. Damn good. Basically sweet corn patties with melted mozzarella. I drool at the memory. 

Next, I got my tickets to Ghost for that night. I am pretty damn exhausted right now, so I am gonna post what I have and try to finish writing about my weekend tomorrow. As Tigger always says, TTFN!

xoxoleah 

day two.

Today was nice and relaxing. I slept in til forever. Did some work and hung around home for a few hours. Then I headed out to the South Street Seaport TKTS booth. Here's a New York secret. That TKTS booth usually has little to no line and they have the same tickets. Jump on it, folks! I ended up getting fairly reasonable fourth row center tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar. It was so damn good. (Am I going to hell for saying "damn" about this show?)

Marquee.

I love this new fad of a show-themed drink menu. 

Gorgeous lights at the Neil Simon Theatre.

I had such blast at this show. Speaking of blast, my poor eardrums! The only thing louder than the rocking band were the soaring voices. This music is insane and rather wacky and it only works with KILLER singers and thank god, this cast wayyy delivered. 

We had the understudy of Judas and I am so glad we did, because Jeremy Kushnier blew my mind. He was such an incredible actor and his voice... Well, let's just say I've died and this must be heaven. I met him at the stage door and he was so sweet. 

Paul Nolan truly embodied Jesus. His voice was insane. Out of nowhere he would start belting the highest notes without even pausing. It must be such a weird ego trip to be Paul Nolan in the day and JESUS H CHRIST every single night. The hair, the costume, the extreme religious lighting, the love onstage, the fans after the show. I don't know how you come down from that. And yet--he was so humble and sweet and present at the stage door. All strong personality traits of the son of God himself. 

Chilina Kennedy (such an interesting/weird name) was beautiful as Mary Magdalene. At first, I didn't quite like her. She was a little hostile and intense but then she got softer and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. I am also obsessed with her costume. I couldn't find a picture online that did it justice, but I hope you can all come see it just for that. Hehe. 

I am so glad I got to see this show live and in this decade. I'd only ever seen the movie before tonight. The music was amazing in that but all in all, a rather strange piece of art. This show kept what I loved and made the other parts so much more appealing. Happy I made the choice to see this show. Great day two. 

On the way home, I stepped into this music store called Colony Music Center. It was a DREAM. A perfect mixture of Amoeba and Drama Book Shop, two of my absolute favorite places. It was truly and sincerely Heaven on Earth. 

I can't believe I have written two days in a row. I hope I can keep this streak going. Yay!

xoxoLeah

day one.

I'm in New York! Ahh, there is nothing better. I am so grateful that my unique life provides for such amazing travel experiences. I really want to write things as they happen, cause if I wait, I will literally NEVER write them down. So I left LA tuesday night at 9:10 and I didn't really sleep until 2 am this morning. A little dozing on the plane and a smidge of resting once I got into the city. But I essentially started my day right away by catching up on some of my TV shows and taking a well-deserved shower.

Then I headed right out in the heart of the city--Times Square. Simultaneously the worst and my favorite part of the city. First stop: I tried to get rush tickets to Once, but I seriously misjudged the fanbase and the tickets were long gone by the time I got there. No stopping me though, I headed right down to the Nederlander to wait for the Newsies lottery. Let me non-sequitur for a sec. I have only gotten into a show by lottery three times in my life. The first time was for Spring Awakening at the Pantages in LA for onstage seating. My mom (the coolest ever) went and waited in line for me and brought a million people to enter for me cause it was my only chance and I was at work during the drawing. The second time was at Godspell when a stranger approached me to "team up" since we were both single seats. To "team up" for lottery tickets means that we each put that we need two tickets and if either of us win, we take the other. So completely randomly, my partner won and I got in. 

Waiting for the lottery.

So I am waiting and I really want to team up with someone. I finally find someone and she seems cool and she agrees. We wait patiently through the calling of the names and I get more and more nervous as they fill up spot after spot. Finally, at the tail end, they call my partner's name! I was so damn psyched. I have good ticket karma. Now I need to help someone else out so I don't feel so guilty. 

Marquee.

Newsies-themed drinks. Fun.

Newsies was an absolute blast. I WILL NEVER NOT ENJOY A LARGE GROUP OF DANCING BOYS SHOWING OFF. God, they're good. The music is so good and so moving. Although I will admit I didn't really like some of the new songs they added for the play. Whatever. Small price to pay to see such an experience live. The sets were really cool and industrial-chic (like Rent almost) and very cleverly transformed into different places, but I couldn't get the full vibe because my seat was pretty obstructed. Overall, an amazing show. The only flaw for me was that I was perhaps a smidge too exhausted to fully enjoy it. I caught my eyelids drooping a few times. 

Secret shot of the preshow curtain.

I waited at the stage door of course and met some of fabulous boys. I got quite a few autographs and took a picture with Thayne Jasperson and Jeremy Jordan. Jeremy Jordan kind of annoys me sometimes, but he is damn talented. 

Thayne and Jeremy.

Playbill and ticket.

After that I went right to the TKTS booth to find evening tickets. I ended up getting fairly cheap fourth row center tickets to Peter and the Starcatcher. God, I don't even know how to describe this show. It was such a revelation. Immensely inventive and thoroughly entertaining every single beat. 

Marquee.

It was incredible to see all the actors so very close in a show like this, when there is so much going on in their faces and in the people out of the spotlight as well. Christian Borle, Adam Chanler-Berat, and Celia Keenan-Bolger completely own my heart. My mind is still blown. I am struggling to write coherently. I love that a show like this is such a success and I am surprised it even made it to Broadway. It's so silly and you have to really pack any disbelief away and come along for the ride. 

Preshow set. Intermission curtain. God, I'm such a rebel.

The show is so fast-paced and yet every single joke lands perfectly and we get whisked away to the next one immediately. It is incredible how they use simple and creative ways to make incredible things happen. I loved the use of the rope as the water's edge and the walls of rooms and such. Every actor had their moments in the spotlight and also so very many where they got to support others and make the incredible things come to life. Gah, it's just fantastic. 

Let me try to pull my thoughts together. 

Adam Chanler-Berat is a dream. I saw him as Mark in Rent and I love his voice on the Next to Normal recording. He was born for Peter. With his lanky, skinny little body he looked just like an overgrown Boy. He was very sincere and made me tear up quite a bit at the end. 

Celia Keenan-Bolger is perfection. So dang cute and damn talented. She IS thirteen. I truly hope she wins the Tony. Whatever happens, I am SO happy she is even nominated. Funny little tid-bit. Yesterday I saw Newsies which features Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Peter and the Starcatcher which stars Celia Keenan-Bolger. Best Broadway siblings out there. 

I give mad props to Christian Borle. He is up there sweating his balls off running here and there and being completely ridiculous. He is just so funny and he does the craziest things and we go right along with him. When he loses his hand there is a good few minutes where we all (audience and cast included) just stare in rapture as he captivates us with his extreme reaction. He got a roaring round of applause for that section. Well-deserved. 

I love sitting up close cause you can see some of the mistakes that could happen. For example, there is a part where Christian Borle and Adam Chanler-Berat are very close to each other and Christian is being his crazy self and suddenly I can see that Adam's holey shirt was caught on Christian's button. Christian did a very good job of being subtle but I saw him struggle for a bit. Finally he just pulled it off and we could see a little bit of the rip. They made it look so seamless as the best actors do. 

See this show.

I went to the stage door and met most of them. They were very sweet and grateful. Celia might be the cutest human on Earth. I told her I saw her brother in Newsies that day and she was so excited. 

Then I ran home, grateful for the early wednesday 7pm curtain. I got ready for bed and caught up on some more of my shows. THIS IS MY LIFE. God, I am so grateful.

xoxoleah

truly, heaven must feel like this. (part one)

These past few months I had the pleasure of working on a production of Spring Awakening. There are no words to describe how wonderful this experience was. Perfect in every way. Let's start at the beginning.

The Beginning.

Once upon a time, my bestie Lauren and I were talking on iChat, and she mentioned that she wanted to audition for this new production of Spring Awakening. My ears perked up immediately and I googled "Over the Moon Productions" right away. I emailed Kate, the director/founder/producer/queenofeverything saying that I wanted to be a part in any way I could--auditioning, interning, assisting, whatever. The first person I met was Jason, the assistant director. We had a quick little meeting at Starbucks and he was awesome and it could not have gone better.

After that, I didn't see anyone til our first production meeting. I was nervous going in because I knew no one and I hadn't really worked on something this big before. I was still a little awkward that first day, but I got even more excited because all the people I met were so cool and fun. We signed contracts and discussed schedules and such. I told them that I wanted to help in any and every way. They told me that they probably wouldn't need much help until tech, but that they would let me know. I hoped and prayed to be part of the rehearsal process. It felt like an eternity until March. 

Prom.

Next up was 80's Prom! Over the Moon hosted an 80's-themed prom fundraiser for the show and Trevor Project. At first, I was just really excited to go with a group of friends. But then I decided to email Kate and see if she needed help. She asked me to come help set up in the morning and I also offered to donate wine (since we have so many extra bottles and no one in our house drinks). I had a blast decorating and I started getting to know some of the people. Kate's dog, Scout was there jumping around and being so darn adorable. We all split up around noon to go home and get ready. 

I had so much fun dolling myself up. I gave my hair a big ol' pouf with a Disney scrunchie. I wore a pink off the shoulder floor length dress, à la Molly Ringwald's bridesmaid dress from Sixteen Candles. I bought it for A DOLLAR at the weekly Jet Rag Dollar Sale. I wore some fun crazy makeup and big jewelry. Val was my date and he and Adam came to pick me up w/a limo town car. They brought me a pink wrist corsage. 

**Quick Background Info** Since I left school before any of my proms, this was kinda my only chance to experience it all. My mom and Adam and Val really went out of their way to make it awesome for me. I love them all. :)

The night was fantastic. Lots of dancing. The DJ played an awesome mix of classic 80's songs and contemporary music. It was so much fun to see all the crazy costumes and big hair. Almost everyone went super all out. Then, guess what happened next? I WON PROM QUEEN. My beloved Adam Baby voted for me a kajillion times I guess and I won!! It was the craziest moment and I will never forget it. They crowned me and gave me a pretty sash and a LiteBrite. At the end of the night, we stopped at the In 'n' Out drive-thru and got delish burgers. It was a perfect ending to a fabulous night. 

Act 1. 

The next week, there was a run of Act 1 for the designers and crew and a mini production meeting. I was still a little nervous and awkward around all the people. It was incredible to see all the actors doing their stuff. I was definitely still an observer at this point. I just watched and listened and soaked it all in. At the meeting they told us that they originally wanted to do the show in an old church (such a cool idea) but it didn't work out with the venue. They told us we were moving to a theater in Hollywood. After that day, I got kinda disconnected from it all for a bit. 

Act 2. 

Two weeks later, we had the designer run of Act 2. The improvement was tangible. It felt so real and raw. I really felt the emotion and drama, of which there is plenty in Act 2. At the meeting we were finally starting to talk about Tech which was super exciting. 

Preparing for Tech. 

That week, I started getting emails about Tech and scheduling and what I would be doing and when. I was getting more and more excited by the minute. I sent the email to Christina about interning and she was actually available. I introduced her to Kate via email. Then both of our names were on the schedule. Seeing that made me so happy. The next week we had an intern meeting at a cute café in Silverlake. It was awesome to see Christina. The meeting was short and sweet--basically just going over the schedule and answering any questions. Christina and I stayed for lunch after which was SO nice and long-awaited. That day was just awesome. After lunch, I had some time to kill, so I went and laid down in the park by the lake. Who knew there was a lake in Silverlake? Apparently only the stupid idiots like me were left off that memo. It was so blissful and unexpected to pause and unwind for a minute. My dad and I also ended up seeing Spamalot on the fly which was a bunch of fun.

Alright, I shall continue writing about the heaven of my SA LA time soon. See you then! 

xoxoleah

memorabilia.

I recently found a big box of old art and schoolwork in the garage during one of my mom's regular purging and cleansing of the house. It's really interesting to dive back into the emotions and thoughts of my childhood self. I took some pictures of what I found and wanted to share it with the world wide interweb. 

I used to make these paper doll things all the time. These were my favorites of the ones I found. (clockwise from top left) Working girl. Irish Elfin girl. Self portrait. Birdman. Metal woman. Cute prostitute. Pocahontas. Interpretive hippie chick. Millenium celebration!

Hippie school graduation. 

Mother's day circa 1999. "I love my Mommy cause she buys me a lot of toys and clothes and shoes. And she made me a castle in my room. And my Mom also gives me hugs." Gotta love the priorities of a five year old. 

This is a page from a fun art book I had as a kid. All the pages have those two eye holes and you design faces and creatures around them. This beauty was crafted by my dad. "I can't pear to be without you" and "You're the apple of my eye". Brilliant words of wisdom.

Insightful artwork. Ball. Stop. Big pig. 

Self-confidence booster. The witch is obviously the correct answer. 

I don't really understand my brain... "Choose the right answer. My life is... Awesome. A fish. Owned by my dog. This cow. A bear." What. 

I am a professional. "Leah Miller and I have fun!"

Desperate for friends. "Please come to my party!" Best part? The Little Mermaid princess dress.  

I find this so funny. "Good thinking! Outstanding friend."

Fourth grade inventor project. Look at my smiling face. :)

Winter Minnie Mouse and frizzy hair days. Yay. 

Very official. Gold stamp of reading excellence. I feel validated now. 

High quality derping right there. 

Oh lord in heaven. Why does this exist?

Grandparents! One day old. 

Once a princess, always a princess. Very accurate self-portrait, if I say so myself. 

Parentals. One day old. Cute family unit. 

Family portrait. If I am interpreting correctly, I believe it's (from left to right) my dad, my mom, me, Mark, and Sarah.

Daddy's little girl. 

"The Hallo-wiener"

Little bunny Leah. Easter's the best. 

"I do not believe in ghost, but I believe in selatins [i.e. skeletons]"

I hope you enjoyed this foray into my past, I know I certainly did! Woot woot. 

xoxoleah

great expectations.

Breakfast Club. Christina = badass. Ethan = jock. Allison = weird chick. Julia = nerd. I am the princess. I even have the hair to match.

I had a few friends over on Friday to celebrate my birthday. For some reason, I was in a little bit of a funk. I think it was one part PMS and one part my friends and two parts sugar overload. It kept feeling like we were just hanging out and not as much celebrating me. I don't know how to write about what I am feeling without sounding like an ungrateful little brat, but this is my place, and if I can write anywhere, it's here. 

Birthdays (and holidays) are a big deal to me. I love traditions and grand gestures. I hardly ever really celebrate my birthday because of the timing. It's December 28th, three days after Christmas, and three days before New Year's. People are always either out of town or busy with other holiday plans. No one wants one more event to pass out from sugar and barely sleep. 

So when I do plan something for my birthday, it's a special event in and of itself. And therefore, I was really excited to just be with my friends and hang out. It had been quite a while. 

When everyone was here and we were all just hanging out, I started getting bummed out. I felt somehow excluded (I know I was projecting that myself) and not part of the conversation. I know that I have no reason to complain. I was acting like a victim. Just sitting there, wanting someone else to notice I was feeling out of it, and come over and hug me or something. But that's when I had to try and remember that people don't do what you want them to, just cause you want it. I didn't ask for anything or do anything proactive; I just sat there, feeling sorry for myself and bored. 

I knew all this in the moment also, but I couldn't seem to pull myself out of it. I just went downstairs with everyone else to watch my all-time favorite cartoon--Aristocats. I was still bummed out, but I tried to enjoy my favorite movie. By the time it was over, I was feeling a little better. Kittens can do that. 

Cuties. Me, Allison, Mia.

We came upstairs and got all snuggly on the bed. We all talked and had fun and laughed for hours and hours. There were still some weird moments, but I tried to enjoy them and I found that when I stopped thinking about it, I stopped caring. Or at least not as much. 

It was really nice, at the end of the night when almost everyone was asleep, my last two awake friends and I went into the other bedroom and just talked until we fell asleep. It was wonderful. 

In the morning, my mom and her boyfriend made us a huge breakfast and it was so yummy and fun. I ended up having a blast and I am glad some good came out of it. I just wish in the future, that I can pull myself out faster. But that's a life process so I'll just take it one day at a time. 

So. Life lessons from Leah: Sometimes life sucks, but maybe you only choose to see it that way. Try to have fun, I guess. 

xoxoleah

a generation lost in space.

My generation is so weird. It sometimes depresses me. We are such a technology-driven group, so obsessed with connecting and capturing everything that we often miss out on the real life connecting and appreciating. I am not some old-fashioned purist who abhors all things modern and mainstream--my home page on Safari is Facebook. And I am obviously not one of the brainless followers of trends and fads who just wants and takes without independent thought. I am just me, happy for all the technological advances in our world, yet sad for the future of the human race. 

Woah, I did not mean to get this heavy and philosophical in paragraph one. I guess one of the main reasons I am writing this, is that I want to write down how I have been feeling so I can force myself to think about it through writing. 

The main topic dominating my brain waves lately is friendship. There are a few subcategories that are traversing the folds of my brain right now. 

First: Old Friends. There are a ton of old friends that I used to be superbly close to that I have completely lost touch with. I think about them a lot and sometimes I try to reconnect, but there is this boundary that is so hard to breach. If anyone I used to know is reading this, don't hesitate to reach out! I am always open to rekindling the fire. Or creating it, if need be. 

Second: Current Friends. I have been feeling a lot of friction with some of my friends lately. Especially the ones my age. Most of them are seniors right now, and even if they aren't, everyone is super busy with school. I need to get me some unschooled friends! I try so hard to connect with my friends and hang out with them but it's so hard to make it happen by myself. 

Third: New Friends. I have been really wanting to make new connections lately. I have a few people that I am just starting to get to know, but I really want to bypass all the early stuff and get to the deep conversations and strong bond. Like, I have this one friend who I love dearly and I really want to connect to her on a deeper level, and I feel like I share my good moments and problems with her and she seems to consider me a good friend also, yet whenever something seems wrong and I try to get her to open up, she dismisses me. I just want to help her! I hope one day we can cross that frontier and share souls. Maybe I just hope for way too much from friendships. But my friendships are so important to me and I am really looking to create more of those in my life and deepen the ones I already have. How do I do that? I guess that is sort of a rhetorical question... But if anyone has some brilliant words of wisdom, I am all ears.

xoxoleah 

p.s. the title is a lyric from American Pie by Don McLean. One of my all-time, never-wavering, forever-and-ever favorite songs. 

what am i even saying?

I've been in a weird rut lately. I feel like I am just coasting and living my life. There's a lot of good in that, but also I feel unsettled. I really wanna do something but the endless possibilities are so daunting that I usually end up doing nothing. 

Also, I just really miss my friends. I feel like I am in an endless cycle of reaching out and saying "I miss you" and then nothing happens. (the cycle comes from both sides) I don't understand how two people (or five, or twenty) who want to see each other just can't seem to make it happen. That's life I guess. It's weird cause the majority of my friends are seniors and going through the whole college process right now. I can't even imagine what they're going through. I get stressed just hearing about it from them. It's also an interesting case study on human nature to compare them all. They all have such different responses and courses of action. I wonder how I would be? I guess I might find out soon. 

I've been really immersed in college lately. Let me clarify. It's just kinda everywhere I turn. I already mentioned my friends with the applying. My other friend Allison is a freshman at CSU Long Beach. I went to visit her yesterday and I saw a little show that she was assistant stage managing. It was a lot of fun. The campus is really nice. Also, my sister is living with us and she just graduated so I've been hanging out with her and her college friends a lot. Getting a taste of the college social scene. And on our road trip last week, we visited Sarah's high school friend at UC Davis and that was fun also.

At this point in my life, I would definitely like to go to college. It seems like a lot of fun, and it's a great place to develop yourself safely and try a taste of everything. Also there are so many awesome opportunities in college that I can't wait to take advantage of. 

But back to me feeling unsettled. I feel like in a weird transitory stage of waiting for something to happen. But nothing is gonna happen unless I make it happen. I'm constantly thinking about what to do. I really have loved traveling. Immersing in a new culture and place is such an amazing learning experience. I am so grateful that I have had the freedom to do that and I can't wait to do more. 

I really want to spend an extended amount of time in New York. That city just flows in my blood. I feel the need to be there all day, every day. I get tweets from Playbill and Broadway.com sent to my phone and it's almost depressing because I wanna be there for ALL of it. I am trying to plan a trip there in early November. I have been talking to a lot of people about opportunities in the entertainment world. I figure that if I cast my net wide enough, I am bound to catch some fish. I already have a bunch of people who are connected and interesting and I have been talking to them. 

I also really want to explore Europe. I have never been to the UK and I reeeeeally wanna go to London slash all over. My ideal plan would be two weeks in London at a homestay, two weeks in Paris with my family, and maybe a week or two in Italy or Spain or Germany. That just seems so awesome, I can't even imagine the glory that would be possible. Ahhh I love travel!

I feel pretty unmotivated today, but if I don't post this now, I never will. So bear with me, folks! I'll get back in the rhythm soon. 

xoxoleah