A melding of two loves--Broadway and movies--done right. I saw the midnight screening on opening day of HAIRSPRAY. It was a last minute decision. I had planned on seeing it Friday morning before work, but our boss gave us the day off at the last minute today so my plans changed. So I ran up to the Ziegfeld Theatre (where I saw CHICAGO, RENT, and DREAMGIRLS and really the only place in the city to see a movie musical) to grab tickets for me and Trisha.
So to kill time before the movie, I met up with Vanessa and Dee to cheer our friends on two teams playing each other. I had intended to just watch but one team was short a player so they asked me to play in my loose pants and sneakers. Not my normal play attire but I moved around well enough. It's always fun to play friends because we know each other's playing style and tend to play tougher because of that. We lost the first game but took the next two and had a good time. The sad part was in the second game was when I ripped my pants in between my legs, luckily I had a long shirt. We sat around in the gym to watch the next game and I basically cooled down.
So I met up with Trisha and we waited in line to go in for the movie. Thankfully it was not raining because we were standing outside. They were selling Tracy foam wigs for charity and Trisha bought one for me so it would go with the hardcover movie companion book I picked up earlier. We got into
our seats in a very spread out crowd in the theater which was great. From the first beats of the score, I had a smile on my face from ear to ear for the entire movie. I LOVED IT!!!! I've seen the musical on Broadway 33 times so far and fall in love with it every time. The movie captured the musical's enthusiasm and innocence and every actor was cast so well. John Travolta made the character of Edna Turnblad his own interpretation because to follow in the lines of the original's Divine and Broadway's Harvey Fierstein was a big task and surprisingly he shined in the movie. Truly he's a musicals man. I loved the homage to the original--John Waters, Jerry Stiller, and Ricki Lake--appearing in cameos. The breakout star is Tracy Turnblad herself, Nikki Blonsky, who captures the essence of Tracy as an eager teenager ready
to change the world and dance along the way. The movie changed a few plot points and dropped/added songs, but it still remained a solid replica of the Broadway version. Much like the Broadway version, it brings joy to my life--dancing, singing, and a message about equality--things I wish I had more of in my life. I'll be returning to see the movie just a few more times, I think, Duh!!
Well, last night's first league match of the summer season ended on a good note--we took all three games. Like I said before, we all wanted wanted a lower division because of the varied skills on the team and also to have fun. Again, we had a lot of fun and I did my usual crazy stuff on the court--cheers on the aces, a little dance step and turn on a good play, and basically a lot of giggles. Even when we were behind in score in all three games, we continued to play with zany comfort. But we know it's the first match and they may not always be like that yet it's a nice way to start the season.
After I went to the LEGALLY BLONDE CD signing at Virgin Megastore a little earli, tonight was a chance to chat over some amazing banana pudding at my friend Judy's restaurant on the Lower East Side called Tides, also the calamari awesome. There I met up with Dee, who has been a Brandeis regular for just about as long as I have been. I knew her on the court but did not get to know her as a friend until about a 
year and a half back. We've definitely seen our fair share of friends leave us and go to California, the most popular place. She's a New York native raised in Chinatown and still lives there. She has been my teacher in the world of Chinese cuisine because I'm still hesitant with most Asian foods but I'm steadily trying. We've been through a lot in the past but we still share a connection of slight bitchiness. She knows I'm one and I know she can be one if pushed. She is the same age as I am and she has realized through life lessons what she wants and what she can't stand. And believe me, she'll let you know too. We joke with each other about how old we are getting and yet we still remain active and try to keep up. Hey, we have to keep trying until we totally get wiped out.
Tomorrow a few of the volleyball crew will be venturing into New Jersey to go to Six Flags Great Adventure. My love for rollercoasters will be very evident and I can't wait.
Well last week was NY Urban League's playoff week. I knew a couple of teams that made into those slots so I checked out the action. On Wednesday, I knew two teams in the same co-ed division that competed in the semi-finals on adjacent courts. So I stood in between both courts as I looked funny as my head would go back and forth to both games like I was watching a tennis match. I get nervous in any close game situation, and I was a complete basketcase for both of those games but they made it into the finals. That meant that they would be playing each other and it was time to watch my friends compete. This definitely made it a more interesting match and they each took a game, fight for each point to the end. In the third deciding game, one team jumped ahead and it was hard for the other team to catch up. It was a well-played match.
Then on Thursday, a few of us cheered on our boys in the D2 men's playoffs. They took the first game with little problem, and by the second game, the other team took it a step up and captured that one. As they went into the third game, we knew they could take it if they just took it one point at a time. They bounced back from a small deficit and made it to match point (24-22). But in rally scoring each point matters and they weren't able to put the ball down for that one point and the other team scored 4 points in a row to take the match and advance to the finals. It was the end of their season and a damn good one.
Tonight I return to league play with a group of friends who wanted to have a "fun" team. I said okay and judging by the scrimmage we had the other night it's going to be a hilarious season. We have varied skills on the team so we wanted a lower division which we got. From a serve to a pass to a set, we will be the giggling hitting team.
our seats in a very spread out crowd in the theater which was great. From the first beats of the score, I had a smile on my face from ear to ear for the entire movie. I LOVED IT!!!! I've seen the musical on Broadway 33 times so far and fall in love with it every time. The movie captured the musical's enthusiasm and innocence and every actor was cast so well. John Travolta made the character of Edna Turnblad his own interpretation because to follow in the lines of the original's Divine and Broadway's Harvey Fierstein was a big task and surprisingly he shined in the movie. Truly he's a musicals man. I loved the homage to the original--John Waters, Jerry Stiller, and Ricki Lake--appearing in cameos. The breakout star is Tracy Turnblad herself, Nikki Blonsky, who captures the essence of Tracy as an eager teenager ready
to change the world and dance along the way. The movie changed a few plot points and dropped/added songs, but it still remained a solid replica of the Broadway version. Much like the Broadway version, it brings joy to my life--dancing, singing, and a message about equality--things I wish I had more of in my life. I'll be returning to see the movie just a few more times, I think, Duh!!
