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It's been a good mail week. We got our new shirts. I got a sensational prize (the love is free and the freeway's long) and some great-lookin' books from Colleen. (Yes, Colleen has started a blog. FINALLY. Hooray!) (Read more of Colleen's excellent writing here.) I let the dogs to run loose in the yard for the first time in more than four weeks when I got home from work on Wednesday afternoon, and it was a beautiful sight. Zuko just spazzed around clumsily as usual and peed on everything he could, but Daisy sprinted, Daisy flew. Daisy rolled and scratched her back in the grass for a solid ten minutes. She would lie down, writhe around in glee, and then run to another patch of grass and start all over again. The yard, she is a mess from all of the hurricane mayhem and tractors running through it and such, but the dogs are happy. I just bought Wickett's Remedy by Myla Goldberg. I've been waiting to read it since June, when I saw her read from it on Booknotes early one morning and knew I would have to read it. I read her Bee Season and liked it but did not love it and knew I wanted to revisit it but can't find it so I guess I lent it to someone. I heard her on NPR yesterday tell again the story of her research for the book. She was trying to find information on naval prisoners circa 1918 and couldn't find anything at the NY Public Library, so the reference librarian told her to check the row of manuals with copies of the old card catalogue files, and she found one little card that ended up being a newspaper put together by actual naval prisoners at the time, so it was like she was reading their diaries. I love that story and can't wait to read the book. I do so enjoy Chris Crutcher's censorship smackdowns. I really liked Everwood's season premiere. This show rarely disappoints me, and I love it for that. I alternated between loving and hating Amy's new haircut. I think the Bright/Hannah story promises to be nothing short of awesome, and I'm glad that Nina wants to stay with Jake, even though by the look on his face when he watched her dance with Andy, he might not be sticking around for too long. Ephram's hair was atrocious and terrifying, but I'm glad he's back. I love Veronica Mars and will continue to watch it even though the premiere gave me a big headache and I don't see her falling for Duncan again for one tiny instant until she just wants her life to be boring now after all of the drama and trauma. Logan continues to fascinate. I think Weevil got his teeth capped. But Everwood is the only show, now that Joan of Arcadia is gone, that really gets me right in the ticker. Okay, so here are my thoughts on the Rent movie soundtrack so far. My little brother warned me that Adam Pascal's voice sounded funny, and it occurred to me as I listened in horror as the CD began that he just sounds castrated. It's like all of the growl in the lower registers of his voice has disappeared. It was very disturbing. By "Light My Candle," I was starting to sing along in spite of myself, and by "Another Day," forget it. That's probably my favorite song in the whole show. By this one, he sounds somewhat normal again, and I was relieved. I could not wipe the grin off of my face. I felt like a huge dork, grinning and singing in my car on the way to work, but I couldn't help it. I've always thought that Taye Diggs sounded so tame on the OBC recording compared to the way he sang onstage, and I'm glad that he seems to have unleashed a lot more of his vocal stylings and energy on this CD. Anthony Rapp sounds great and exactly the same and like he's having a lot of fun. I loved his first "Halloween," and I love this one, too. And "What You Own" is great. God, "What You Own" is such an explosive moment in the play. It's like people are just ready to jump out of their seats at that part. At least Shelley and I were. I think we were probably clutching hands a little by that time, partly because it's such an energized song and partly probably because we wanted it to slow down and not almost be over. Anyway. I love Jesse L. Martin as Collins, and his "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" had me bawling in my seat along with everyone else in the theater, and he sounds good on this soundtrack, but it's almost like he crosses the line with his voice in this song to where it's just a little … too much. It's like, behold! Hear my deep melancholy wailings, and here are some more, and here I am, stretching the aforementioned wailings out within an inch of their lives! It pains me to say this, because I cannot see anyone else in the world as Collins and he brings so much grace and heart to this role, but I wish they'd had him rein it in a little bit. His voice is awesome but pushing it this hard is almost show-offy. I'm sorry! But it's true. (Jesse, I love you! Call me.) As for Rosario Dawson, I am conflicted. Sometimes her voice has a really easy, pleasing tone, and I think that lends a lot of authenticity to the more vulnerable side of Mimi, and I know that Daphne Rubin-Vega could not have pulled off playing a nineteen-year-old girl at this point, and Rosario's voice definitely goes down a lot smoother, if you will. (Nothing against Daphne Rubin-Vega -- I thought she was amazing in this part … but she and her crazy boobs are kind of scaring me lately.) But sometimes I think it lacks the verve to really carry off this role. She definitely sounds like an amateur singer compared to the rest of them. Which isn't bad, necessarily, because I think her voice is kind of soft and pretty and she has some nice expressive little touches. Overall, I like her. Plus, she's really pretty and is going out with Smith Jared, for God's sake, and she just seems like a nice person. And you know what? I think she pulls off "Out Tonight," which must not be an easy task. So, thumbs up to Rosario. She is a very different Mimi from Daphne Rubin-Vega's, but she's good. Adam Pascal's voice, really, is kind of all over the place. Sometimes it sounds rugged and fierce like before, but sometimes he just sounds like a bit of a ninny or like his balls are in a vise. It is bizarre. Not that I think I'll be able to take him seriously with that hair. (I'll never understand why he couldn't sport the cute short hair he used to have (and now has again). WHY? It's strange to hear Idina Menzel in this role again after becoming so immersed in her voice in the Elphaba role. I haven't listened to "Over the Moon" yet, but she sure sounds awesome in "Take Me or Leave Me," as does the new Joanne, Tracie Thoms. Wilson Jermaine Heredia sounds much the same and basically sounds fantastic. "Mimi still loves you" instead of "Mimi still loves Roger" makes me giggle very hard -- just the way Anthony Rapp sings it is kind of hilarious. Where in the hell is the "and it's beginning to snow" song, one of my favorites? And I guess putting "Contact" in, given the orgy aspect, might have kept the families away over the holidays. My little brother misses the tune-ups a lot. The orchestration and arrangements definitely sound great, and all of the "group sings" are nicely done and well produced. I need to give it more attention to really suss out how I feel about it, but I'm impressed upon first listen. In conclusion, in order to show no disrespect toward the late, brilliant Jonathan Larson, let us not even speak of "Love Heals."
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© Copyright 2005 elb |
I bought one of Jette's shirts. Don't you want to? Colleen's wish lists for kids displaced by Hurricane Katrina: games and books. Thanks, Colleen. |
