burnt peeta

NEXT TO NORMAL #__

If you want to know how many times I’ve seen the show, you can find my last post and do the math :)

So yeah my bff Hannah and I went to the matinee last Sunday in San Diego. Not the greatest idea since Hannah really wanted to meet Alice, but we couldn’t really go any other day and couldn’t go at night since finals week started the next day. We bought out tickets the morning before the show and had balcony seats. We were in the front row of the “balcony” which is the back half of the mezzanine and our view was pretty great. I felt like the Balboa Theater was like 20x smaller than the Ahmanson, but that’s probably because I either sat in the orchestra or the balcony (3rd floor, guys) there. And there were only three seats in our row because they split the section to make room for the entrance which comes up from underneath. So we had a mini row to ourselves. And oddly enough the tow rows behind us were also empty (three seats wide, people moved up after intermission).

So yeah I was really happy to get my first N2N playbill since CTG made their own programs in LA. Lame that they don’t have the cast’s headshots, though. I was like “We’re gonna steal a whole stack of playbills” and we ended up not and we just got like two each but Hannah gave me her extra one that wasn’t signed…

I spent like ALL OF MY MONEY and got the hoodie and the tour shirt (one I could WEAR) and a keychain which I probably won’t use (don’t judge). The merch lady kinda remembered me and we talked briefly about how this was our last time seeing the show and she asked if we were gonna go up to San Francisco and I’m just like ;_;

I can’t remember much since it was almost a week ago, but whatever. I do think that I was able to enjoy the show more than I’ve ever been able to (tie with my front row seat in LA…).

(Not So) Random Notes:

• I was basically just freaking our during JAD because it was dawning on me that it was the last time that I’d hear that some. Same with EE, but after that I kinda got over it.
• After all of the Curt hate on Tumblr last week, I kinda understood where everyone is coming from, but still you guys can all calm down -.- I already told someone on here that, no, he isn’t Aaron or Kyle vocally, but seriously he does a fine job. Whiny voice, yeah, but we’ll live. Comparisons never help.
• Seriously for like EVERY SINGLE JOKE in the whole show, the audience took like THREE SECONDS to process it, and THEN laugh and I was just like -___-.
• (Going out of order here) when Dan is explaining to Natalie what ECT is, Alice LAUGHED and it was so funny! (you can barely hear it, but should I…?)
• Alice’s voice sounded more tired and worn out than I had heard it at any other show. Concerns me a little but I mean we’ve all kinda gotten over that.
• Asa has been struggling pretty badly. For the the last few shows I went to in LA, he would slip into his falsetto for many notes or crack (like at the end of A Promise [like every time]). This time, he just used his falsetto for quite a few notes. Hope he can hold out.
• Didn’t really notice as many new things (lol should I have?).
• Alice changed up the choreography during Psychopharmacologist when she’s dancing around him and he’s standing still. Kinda cute.
• Curt did the Kyle Dean note. Didn’t falter. I just feel weird because I felt like I didn’t like his voice as much but it’s weird cause it’s just cause everyone’s been hating, but he really isn’t bad at all.. (don’t judge based on that San Diego TV promo!!).
• Seems like Preston finally reliably raises the roof when he says “tomorrow’s the dance”.
• OH I can’t remember which song this happened during (but I think it was HCIEF), but there was like a flash of light! Hannah thought someone took a picture but I swear to god I saw the source of the light on the third level, so did like one of the strobe lights go off…?
• OH RIGHT I had always seen Emma do one of two things for the “I mean, PORTLAND!” line, and she did something new this time! It’s what I picture as a more standard delivery of the line. She just like waved her hands like “ooooh portland -.-“, but she usually does the rock sign or whatever she did before that (I can’t remember..).
• During IGBG Reprise, both of the “What was his name?”s were really quiet.
• Alice rushed the intro to Why Stay. Like REALLY RUSHED. Like the whole “So steadfast and stolid and stoic and solid” was less than two seconds.
• Preston didn’t make Hey #3 all funny/adorable (which is totally fine).
• THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE SHOW AND THE AUDIENCE CLAPPED AFTER HEY#3 (how depressing is THAT?) and I got all excited cause they always do on Broadway from what I hear and they never have when I’ve gone.
• Was kind of out of it during Light cause I was kind of freaking out.
• So besides Just Another Day, I pretty much cried at all the regular moments. Not cried, but teared up. So JAD just cause it was my last, IMTM, HNH, IDAD, Light in the Dark, HCIEF, Maybe, So Anyway, and every song for the rest of the show.

Stagedooring: So yeah there were actually a lot of people, and the door just opens to the sidewalk which is a pain for everyone. Emma signed for a few but then ran away, and I wanted her to sign my playbill but oh well… Missed Preston because I got Jeremy (needed him for my poster) and they both left (to go eat..?). Got Asa, then people were waiting for Alice and Curt, but people left pretty quickly. There was a group of maybe like 10 ish that waited forEVER. Of course the two people I needed for my poster didn’t come out but oh well D:

After everyone left (we were basically the last ones to stick around..) we went to find a bathroom, and then we came back to check the door one last time and ran into Preston in the mall -.- It was extremely awkward cause he obviously saw that we saw the show and I don’t remember but I think I said “hi” but I’m not sure.. and he was just like “hey how are ya!” and we just walked past. Hannah thought he remembered us but I don’t think he did. (but he said “hey again!” like every other time I stagedoored -.-). Should’ve asked him to sign my playbill but it didn’t really occur to me.

So i feel very fortunate that I had at least one perfect stagedoor experience, and the higher powers did me a favor by making me forget to buy a program the first time I went. (if you actually read this, this was my 6th time going). Also, I can’t even express how happy I am that I have a tour shirt that I can actually wear (only some of my friends know what that means…). So yeah. Looks like it’s goodbye but I actually feel very fulfilled as I write this.

May or may not edit this if I remember anything of significance. More for me, though.

Yeah. I’m in San Diego. I’m about to watch a musical. Not going to elaborate :)

I’m gonna cry D: LAST TIME EVER.

“I have thousands of self-portraits. It’s this thing I do, it’s like, this obsession of mine, fetish, or whatever you wanna call it. And uhh.. I can’t believe I just outed myself.”

“This morning, I stuck my face in some ice.”

NEXT TO NORMAL #5

GOODBYE FOREVER. MY LIFE IS OVER. Just kidding. (or am I?)

So yeah.

DECEMBER 30, 2010

So my bff Hannah came with me again. My Christmas present was a front row ticket (sorry, but.. :O fuck yeah) and she got a $20 ticket up in the balcony. SORRY. I didn’t stop apologizing -.- but whatevs she wanted to stagedoor. So basically, this was the last time I’m ever gonna see the show (but I might have to stagedoor MORE ON THAT LATER). My neck hurts from looking up so often but IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

We got Carl’s Jr. on the way up because I wasn’t terribly hungry and didn’t want to eat like a full meal. We got there kinda early and hung out in the car and went in blah blah. I had to BRING my huge poster and CD in because the escalators are one way and they switch after the show so it’s a pain to go down and back up after the show. So yeah me and Hannah split and I went down to the front and this old man next to me see my poster and is like “Are you a groupie?” and I said something along the lines of “Oh idk if I’d call myself that..” and he was like “no you are” and I was like “ok..”. So basically, he’s seen the show a bazillion times in NYC and here (He said he went to EVERY SINGLE PREVIEW. That’s like a week of shows). It was so funny because we were talking about the OBC and the current BC and the touring cast and he was like “oh mai gawwd the guy playing gabe rn” and I was like -_- i know his name mr. so I was like “Yeah Kyle Dean” and he’s like on my gawwd he’s gorgeous and I’m like -_______- And yeah he’s telling me all this shit about how he’s seen Matthew Morrison catching N2N here a couple times (??).

Then he starts talking to me about COLLEGE after I told him I was a senior and I was like NO because if you don’t know, I’m still finishing my apps. So yeah and he said the audiences have been getting a lot better (and they have, louder laughter, etc etc). So yeah then the show started. Random notes later.

THEN during intermission I met Hannah on one of the middle floors and Hannah sees this girl come out from the mezzanine and she was all dressed up like not theater dressed up but like yeah and then it was fucking NAYA RIVERA so we saw her go in the bathroom and totally creeped around and we each got a pic with her!! That’s coming as soon as I photoshop it :)

Went back in, show was amazing, random notes, then stagedoor:

Random Notes:

• First off, don’t nail me for not noticing things until now.
• It’s crazy that I keep noticing more and more things. It was inevitable sitting in the front row because I can’t ignore what’s going on on the first floor of the set even when the action is elsewhere.
• Pretty sure I saw up Alice’s dress/skirt/gown like five times -.-
• I like actually heard THEM SINGING and not like just the speakers (the speakers in the front are really quiet). I could see them spit every 5 seconds, too.
• So yeah. Books next to the chair include: The Testament, Visions of Paradise, something about architects “housing themselves”??, another book on like building “wonders” or something. Yeah. Creepin’
• Didn’t know Alice for like the first half of SATIG. It was kind of weird because I could hear her and she’s in Curt’s arms and like Emma is singing a floor up.
• Alice said “That’ll teach you for taking a whole 10 minutes”.
• Preston changed a few things up. Nothing extremely noteworthy.
• Started noticing how early they put props up in the back.
• Asa cleans everything up and Alice does like nothing LOL.
• I could smell the smoke from the candles :O
• It was really creepily haunting to watch Alice during ‘He’s Not Here’ because she’s like crying but it’s weird like she seriously seems crazy (groundbreaking, I know).
• She cried through like all of YDK and IATO. Yeah. Sorry, just couldn’t see from my other seats.
• I never noticed how much Curt smiles during so many scenes.
• Yeah he nailed the Kyle Dean note. Phew.
• Asa resorted to his falsetto on many occassions, including that SAME note at the end of ‘A Promise’, and he still started to crack in his falsetto. So strange. He hits so many higher notes.
• I NEVER noticed how Curt and Dr. are saying OW over and over during WIWH.
• The music box is green on the bottom. lol. And I could totally see all the little prongs that hold the pieces together after he throws it.
• I could’ve sworn Dan used a towel in previous shows. It was a sponge. I’m probably wrong. Hey, I haven’t seen it THAT many times.
• Why does Curt’s shirt say “Overlook Hospital” on it during DISTM?
• Emma acted extra pissy during BTB which was funny. She did the rock sign Portland again.
• Preston did this adorable thing with the word “dance” in Hey.
• Never noticed that he sets the ticket down beside her o_O
• Asa was totally crying really quietly during HCIEF.
• Curt struggles with the beginning of the reprise of ‘I’m Alive’ like every time. It sounds fine, but idk, just can’t hit the notes as clearly as we’re all used to.
• Emma has been amazing during Maybe the past two times I went. She didn’t as emotional the first few times.
• Does anyone else think Asa should work on his sobs :x
• Yeah totally teared up during Light. During the curtain call Asa’s head was like two feet from mine -.-
• Yeah for some reason I always get the most chills during the reprise of IATO. It was so funny because Curt’s face squished up against Asa’s shoulder and he looked ridiculous but then he moved lol.

SORRY THESE WERE ALL OUT OF ORDER. JUST DIDN’T WANT TO FORGET ANYTHING SO I TYPED EM AS THEY CAME. I probably have more that I’ll edit in for my personal reasons lolwutnevermind.

STAGEDOORING: So last time, it was pouring. This time, IT WAS COLD AS FUUUU. My hands were legitimately in PAIN, and I was shivering. It was soooo windy. I didn’t get any pictures, but Hannah did and her hair and Emma’s hair were like ridiculous in the wind lol. Only Emma, Preston, and Asa came out. Caitlin and [that guy who u/s for Gabe and Henry] came out and I was like hmm but then they were gone before I did anything. I would feel bad since it’s not like I’ve seen them on. Curt came out and RAN to a Jeep that had JUST pulled up along the curb. Hannah was pissed. He was wearing those huge, dark rimmed glasses that Asian people can never wear. They didn’t really say that Alice was gone, but they kind of did, and everyone left. So my huge poster is missing two autographs. Which is why I need to stagedoor. It’s like, a partially completely autographed poster isn’t as great as a blank poster -.- THAT’S JUST ME. DON’T HATE.

Also, Preston was like “Nice to meet you” to Hannah, and then he turns to me and goes, “And good to see you again!” and I go -_______- and Hannah laughs after he leaves.

Here’s where I’ll draw the line. I’m too crazy. But yeah totes (I hate that word) need to stagedoor in SD. EVEN THOUGH I’M NEVER ALLOWED TO SEE THE SHOW AGAIN OR “WASTE” GAS ON IT says my parents.

Got Taco Bell on the way home because I have to work on college supplements, but I overestimated my hunger. My second burrito is sitting in front of me and I’m gonna puke.

Yeah you can see my seat for tonight’s show in this picture. Fuuuuuuu. GOODBYE FOREVER. (Photo by Curt Hansen)

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING HER PLAY DIANA.

I don’t even know what to think. Bitch seems fierce, though. Though she’s Asian. Doesn’t seem like it would work. BUT ALICE SHOULD NOT GET SICK, EVER. (THOUGH EMMA HUNTON COULD TOTALLY PASS AS A MIXED BABY LOL).

BY THE WAY, I wish I could see Caitlin Kinnunen as Natalie for some reason. Want to see more Natalies.

NEXT TO NORMAL #4

I see that the opening statement of my last post was slightly premature:

DECEMBER 21, 2010

Ok so for this show my and my bff Hannah had the advance hot tickets which are the two seats on each side of the orchestra and we were in row J on the very right AND HOLY SHIT OUR SEATS WERE LIKE AMAZING only because I’ve only sat so far away. I was like I can’t believe I paid the same amount for balcony seats. You can see all their faces and facial expressions and it made it that much more exciting. I have a shitload of random notes that I will NEVER REMEMBER so I’m listening to the entire OBCR to try and remember them all.

We ate at Quiznos before heading up, and we left a little before 6 and still got there early even after hitting traffic. We took a few pictures and went inside and right before the show started. I went to pee, and as I walked into the bathrom, LO AND BEHOLD, right in front of me, coming OUT of the restroom was fucking GEORGE TAKEI. You know.. from Star Trek. I only know him from Heroes where he was Hiro’s dad and I stopped and stared at him for a second and he totally saw me but I was just caught off guard. He was sitting a few row up in the middle (we were all the way on the right) and I didn’t catch him again (he totally ran away during intermission and after the show). So yeah that’s that.

So anything I have to say about the show will be redundant except for the notes that follow. Here’s to hoping that I remember most of them.

(Ok I just checked, and the guy with George was his husband)

Random Notes:

• Emma Hunton changed the delivery of EVEN MORE LINES this time. I’ll touch on specifics later. Only have this at the beginning because it was at the beginning of the last one.
• Alice sounded clearer in general, and more on key. The clearer part may be because we were close to the main speakers at the front.
• We had an awesome audience. More responsive than most, laughing at moments that are actually supposed to be funny.
• I never realized that the cast actually cleans up after messy numbers. Like I never noticed Asa sweeping up the breadcrumbs during ‘Everything Else’ or picking up the silverware after ‘I Am The One’. Guess they do a good job shifting our focus during scenes.
• Ummm did Curt/Gabe always wear glasses during ‘My Psychopharmacologist and I’?? I never remember him doing so. He probably did, though.
• During the same song, is ONLY Natalie supposed to say the “headaches and tremors and nightmares and seizures” part? Thought it was her and Alice but I think it might have been just Emma this time. OR MAYBE I’M CRAZY.
• For some reason, this was the first show I consciously realized that they speed up the piano intro to ‘I Miss The Mountains’. Keep in mind that I’ve never seen the show live until this production.
• Alice’s part in ‘Superboy and the Invisible Girl’ was really clear this time.
• It was hard to hear Emma at the beginning of said song again.
• Curt nailed the Kyle Dean note at the end of ‘I’m Alive’ which relieved me.
• Emma screamed REALLY LOUD during said song. I was like whoa.
• I loved seeing my phone’s wallpaper at the end of said song.
• I’m gonna cut in just to show some appreciation for Asa’s clear enunciation and technical skill.
• Last time I went, the harmonies during ‘Catch Me I’m Falling’ were totally mistimed, as in they weren’t in unison. They were almost flawless this time.
• After ‘There’s A World’, is the light supposed to be on Diana or Gabe??
• During ‘Didn’t I See This Movie’, I saw Curt grinning for like half of it which amused me. I don’t think it was as much in character as it was just like watching Alice. Can’t say for sure because it makes sense for Gabe to be smiling.
• Right before ‘A Light In The Dark’, Alice totally like scratched her back and I thought it was gonna be all awkward but she made it seem all weird and slightly manic.
• Brand new delivery of “I mean, Portland” from Emma. Wasn’t sure how to interpret and it wasn’t received as well by the audience. Almost looked like she did the rock sign and was like “Portlaaand” like in a rocker voice NEVERMIND I HAVE NO IDEA. Ok yeah.
• Asa’s “Yay, hooray!” annoys me lol.
• NOTE: I need to rewatch the Off-Broadway version that’s online because parts of ‘Better Than Before’ were spoken and it’s so different!
• During ‘Hey #2’ Preston like raised the roof when he was talking about the dance and the audience like roared in laughter and it was kind of adorable.
• Dr. Madden’s part in ‘You Don’t Know (Reprise)’ is totally too low for Jeremy. Hard to hear him, but props to him for hitting the notes like flawlessly.
• Alice didn’t do the “get your hands off me” after ‘How Could I Ever Forget’.
• I also never noticed Gabe reaching toward Dan when he explains what happened.
• When Alice asked about Gabe after said song (don’t want to spoil anything, I probably already have, but still), she made the first time she asked much more intense than the second (basically in reverse). Interesting.
• Asa didn’t slip into his falsetto for that note he struggles with at the end of ‘A Promise’. Unfortunately, his voice started to crack. I was just like aww. It’s strange because it’s not like really high either and he hits it comfortably elsewhere.
• I decided that ‘I’m Alive (Reprise)’ is one of my favorite moments in the entire show.
• Alice was fantastic during ‘The Break’ this time. She enunciated extremely well and was on key (should I be concerned that I have to note when she IS on key?).
• Just popped into my head, but Curt’s voice is like Kyle’s in the sense that it’s not as smooth but it doesn’t have that whiny quality and it closer to Aaron’s in that sense.
• Jeremy needs to speak up during ‘Make Up Your Mind (Reprise)’. I know him being all quiet fits but still it’s really hard to understand.
• Emma cried SO MUCH during ‘Maybe’ it was crazy!! She was so much more emotional than I had ever seen! I don’t like the angst she brings to Natalie’s first lines in that song just ‘cause it seems like a bit much.
• At previous shows, audiences would sometimes laugh when Preston would say “You look like a star” cause he would pronounce “star” in a way that’s like awkward and adorable. He did that this time and people laughed.
• I also decided that ‘I Am The One (Reprise)’ is my other favorite moment in the show. I think more than when they reprise ‘I’m Alive’.
• So for some reason, it sounded like Asa was doing the higher harmony (and Curt doing the lower) during said song. I would think it’s like way above his range, so I’m probably COMPLETELY WRONG, so nevermind. This makes no sense whatsoever.
• I absolutely LOVE the marching drum beat or whatever they do during said song. Wish it was like that on the damn OBCR. Damn.
• I feel like Natalie and Henry’s part in ‘Light’ is so rushed. And cheesy.
• I ALWAYS GET CHILLS. UNNNNNNG.

I can’t even fathom how they are going to cut down the score for a movie. STILL, I REALLY WANT A MOVIE. Oh stop you crazies. I don’t want KATE FUCKING WINSLET playing Diana. No.

STAGEDOORING: It was definitely still raining after the show. Hannah wasn’t feeling stagedooring and it wouldn’t make any sense to. But when we drove away, we saw people waiting with umbrellas. RIDIC.

On the way home, I hydroplaned (aquaplaned?) MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. So freaky on the freeway. Also hydroplaned for like 5 seconds on this street near my house where the entire right side of the road was covered with water. Picked up In-N-Out on the way home. Had to open the window in the pouring rain to order, pay, and pick up my food. They would have a full length line at midnight in the pouring rain.

My trash from eating is sitting right in front of me as I type this. LATER GAIZ