Well... this really stinks. Earlier today, I found out that the event I was really looking forward to going to in April was cancelled. I literally went online to purchase our tickets, and I couldn't. It took me a few minutes of research to discover that the entire second half of the US tour was cancelled without any reason.
This is really Pooh-py. Yes, the "traveling Broadway show" that I referred to in my Upcoming Adventures post was the Winnie the Pooh musical stage adaptation.
I found out about it a few months ago when I was scrolling through Instagram. I don't do that as often as I used to, so it was lucky that I even found out about it. When I first saw it, the show was still in New York. Eliot and I tried everything in our power to get down there, but it just didn't work out. I've been praying for months that it would travel the US, and I was so excited when they finally announced they were doing a tour!
I've had the Boston date of the show circled for months. It was only when we started to plan our weekend down in Boston for early April that I realized it was also going to Nashua. Not only did the Nashua dates work better for us, but they had way better seats still available, and it was supposed to be there on April 6th (Nana's birthday) and April 7th! It was too good to be true, and I knew Eliot, Jeremy and I had to go.
The first half of the tour has traveled around the country, without any problems that I'm aware of. Then, they suddenly took the entire second half of their US tour off of the website. You can't get tickets, they're refunding people who already bought them, and they didn't say anything about why it happened. The only thing I can think of, is they were suddenly able to go take the tour overseas to the UK and Ireland, so they cancelled this half of the US Tour and that they'll reschedule it when they're done.
And I really, really, really hope that I'm right. I was so looking forward to this show. It's looked so cute from everything that I've seen online. I really want to see it live.
The puppets in the production are absolutely adorable. I've already fallen head over heels for them. And the actors that have brought them to life seem perfect for each of their roles. I've seen a few short snippets and they've only made me want to see more.
And the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet plushies... you guys know how much of a weakness Eliot and I have for plush friends. I've enjoyed watching the special plush that they made for the show on their adventures in the cities they've stopped in. From riding on the subway in New York City, to visiting skyscrapers, to dining in a famous Chicago retro diner... it looks like they have had some fun moments!
So for now, we say goodbye to our friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. I hope it's so long for now, but we'll see you again soon. I'm still hopeful that our friends will return to the US to finish their tour, and that they'll be coming to a city near us soon. °o°
Hi friends! Happy Friday! Today, I'm back today with another quick fun find video from YouTube. Earlier today, Disney released a video of some of the Disney on Broadway stars singing "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman in honor of Pride Month.
I mentioned last month how much I loved The Greatest Showman when I shared a video of some of the Disney Broadway stars singing "A Million Dreams". I love that this movie is technically part of Disney now that they own 21st Century Fox. The movie already reminded me a lot of Walt Disney and I think this is the perfect match!
I think this is the perfect song with the perfect message to release during Pride! I love how Disney is promoting everyone to be "authentically you" in it's message.
I have enjoyed this video so much! I love how they used the Aladdin theater as the backdrop for the music video. Eliot and I saw Aladdin on Broadway back in 2018 and it was so much fun! The set is gorgeous and the theater is beautiful. Plus, these Disney on Broadway stars completely nailed it! They sound amazing. I only wish the video had said which Disney musicals they were a part of!
Eliot's and my trip to California is creeping up on us and it will be here before we know it! (Three weeks from today will be our first day in California!!!) I'm still freaking out a little bit about how much stuff we have to get done between now and when we leave, but whenever I remember how much fun we're going to have, that calms me down.
Today, I thought that I'd tell you more about the final weekend of our California trip. It's the final piece of the equation. I've already shared that we're going to a few Sharks games, spending four days Disneyland, and going to the Disney Princess Concert. But what I haven't told you are what else we're doing our last two days.
Ahh!!! I can hardly contain my excitement... one month from today, Eliot and I will be going to see Hamilton in LA!!! Then, the following day, we're going to see Wicked!
I've never seen either show live on stage so both of these shows are going to be a real treat! As you know, I've seen the Disney+ video of Hamilton a few times and I was completely floored. I can't wait to experience the show live! I'm so excited! Plus, I've never actually seen Wicked even though I know some of the songs from it. I'm excited to see this too and I've heard many wonderful things about it!
Eliot's Mom Nori told us about Wicked a few weeks ago and the plan was always to see that. Then, when we were sitting down to finalize the details of our trip, Eliot happened to see that Hamilton was playing that weekend too. I would prefer to see Hamilton, while Wicked is Eliot's favorite musical- so we compromised to do both.
Our plans for Saturday are to go to Downtown Disney and the Anaheim GardenWalk on Saturday during the morning and early afternoon. We're hoping to check out a few of our favorite Disney stores like WonderGround, the Dress Shop, and World of Disney. There are also a few places we want to check out at the GardenWalk since it's right near our hotel for this trip and the D23 Expo.
Later in the day, we'll drive up to LA and Hollywood Boulevard to the theater where Hamilton is playing. Eliot and I are hoping to get these a little early so we have time to check out the Funko store which is right near there, as well as the Disney Studio Store right next to the El Capitan Theater! Eliot and I went to the Disney Studio Store a few years ago to check it out and get some ice cream. We'd both love to go back again!
On Sunday, we're going to be driving up to the theater where Wicked is playing from the San Diego area and Nori's condo. We're seeing the matinee performance at 1 pm so Eliot and I will have time to ride with his family back down to catch our 11:30 pm red-eye flight from San Diego to Boston.
I'm sure that it's going to be a whirlwind weekend, but I am so excited to be getting back to the theater. Eliot and I both love going to see shows and we're definitely looking forward to seeing some of our favorite Broadway shows on this trip! Plus, all of the venues that we're going to require proof of vaccination (as well as face masks I believe) so we feel pretty confident and safe that we're making educated decisions.
So, there you have it. During our California trip, Eliot and I will be going to two San Jose Sharks hockey games, the Disney Princess Concert, Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney, Hollywood Boulevard, Hamilton and Wicked.
It's going to be tons of fun and crazy busy, but it's also music to my ears!!! °o°
Simone Biles once said, “surround yourself with the dreamers, the doers, the believers and thinkers; but most of all surround, yourself with those who will see greatness within you even when you don’t see it yourself.” For years, I have been in awe of Simone, her greatness and all of the incredible things she has achieved in gymnastics. I never thought I would ever be able to see her perform in person, but that changed one week ago when Eliot and I were surrounded by a bunch of amazing female athletes...
As I mentioned the other day, Eliot and I were in Massachusetts last Sunday. Our trip to Salem was definitely part of the plan, but the main reason we went down on that particular day was that we had tickets to an event in Boston. For months, I have been following Simone Biles and her Gold Over America Tour (G.O.A.T.) The last stop of the country-wide tour was Sunday night, when the show rolled into Boston.
I had asked my parents back in September (on our Virginia trip) if they would buy me tickets for my birthday. They usually purchase tickets for Jeremy and Dad to go see a Celtics game together, and I really wanted to do this. Friday night, Eliot and I picked out our tickets, purchased them, and made our weekend plans. I was so excited!
After our adventure in Salem ended, Eliot and I got on the highway and I drove south towards Boston. We made a quick stop at our old stomping grounds, the Woburn Chipotle for dinner, before driving the rest of the way into the city. We arrived a few minutes past 6, right on schedule, and showed the TD Garden attendant our pre-paid parking ticket. Then, we followed the rest of the cars down into the parking garage.
By the time Eliot and I got into the elevator, I could barely contain my excitement... and I wasn't alone. There were tons of excited little girls running all over the place. As we got into the line to enter the arena, I also noticed a few other groups of adults. While the show was more geared towards younger, aspiring gymnasts, people of all ages were excited to see what our USA Gymnastics Team could do!
The Gold Over America Tour was a celebration of powerful female athletes who are not only representing the sport of gymnastics, but also inspiring the next generation of female athletes. The show focuses on your power, voice and inner strength, as well as the power of us when we all unite and support each other. The show was high energy and filled with amazing athletic skills as well as a look at some of the girls' personal journeys. The Gold Over America Tour has been traveling across the US for the past two months, with the girls traveling on giant tour busses as they make each stop.
The thing I was looking forward to the most about the show was seeing our Olympic Gymnastics Team members. Most of the girls we saw in Tokyo were in the show including Simone Biles, Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner. (Suni Lee was missing but she's been busy with Dancing with the Stars.) In addition to those ladies, Laurie Hernandez from the 2016 Rio Olympics was also in the show along with many other elite gymnasts who have competed at world events.
Eliot and I both really enjoyed the show. The girls showcasing their gymnastics skills was incredible. I loved watching them perform right in front of us. It's amazing how high they fly off of the bars- which was the apparatus right in front of our section. Eliot and I were only 9 rows up in the stands, so all of the performers felt pretty close. I was also a fan of the catchy, upbeat music and the girls' numerous costume changes. (I think my favorite outfits were the sparkling Wonder Woman leotards!)
I loved the meaning of the show. Some of the graphics on the screen were glittery and youthful including emojis and an almost diary feel. You could tell that they were focusing on the younger audience, but I appreciated the girl power and message of bringing each other up. I hope the messages of the show sticks with the younger girls... especially the fact that there's gold in all of us.
There were also a few deeper moments in the show. I like how Simone performed a number about her anxiety and what happened in Tokyo. You may recall, I was so proud of Simone in Tokyo and how she focused on her mental health. She danced on the floor with a bunch of the dancers who were wearing hoodies with the text "your anxiety is lying to you" on the back. It was a really powerful moment and she showed that it's ok to focus on your mental health as part of your overall health.
Another powerful moment was when Katelyn Ohashi slowly walked around the floor while a pre-recorded spoken word performance of a letter she wrote her younger self played over the loud speaker. The letter speaks of the physical and mental toll her gymnastics career took on her. After that, some of the other girls watched a montage of their careers play on the big screen while Coldplay's "Fix You" played.
Ironically, one of the best parts of the entire show actually wasn't planned. The second half of our show was a little out of order. The speaker system was having problems and we ended up having an extended intermission. When the intermission started to drag on, Laurie Hernandez came out to entertain the crowd. Not even a minute later, a few of the other girls ran out to accompany her. As time moved on, more of the girls came out to join until all of them were on the floor in a fully lit stadium.
They ended up doing a "stick it" skills circle where they did different skills and if you didn't stick the landing you were out. It was really fun to see all of the girls in a more natural setting. You really got to see their personalities shine. The dancers couldn't do all of the gymnastics moves, but they still attempted them and made everyone laugh and smile. I think that was my favorite part. The girls were all having a bunch of fun even though they weren't sure what was happening and they were in the middle of an arena full of people waiting for the technical difficulties to be worked out. They made the best of a bad situation, while having fun and cheering each other on.
After the show, the girls all took their final bows and some of the crew came out to give them all bouquets of flowers. It was emotional since this show was the last moments in some of their careers. The young women on tour were 18 to 32, and some were retiring after this. (MyKayla Skinner broke down during the show while announcing that she was retiring.) A lot of the girls were taking photos with each other on the stage. Some of the girls also had family and friends in the stands. Security was tight, but they did let some of them down to see the girls. (Eliot and I were pretty sure that Simone's Mom was sitting opposite us since she went to see her after the show.)
Once we left the arena, we stayed to get some merchandise. The line was so long, and since it was the last stop on tour, we had no idea what they would have left. I always collect programs from shows that I go to, but they didn't have one for this. I wanted to get a tour shirt, but they didn't have any adult sizes left. They sold out of the white and gold goat plush I was planning to get a few people ahead of us. Instead, I bought a long sleeve shirt with the gymnastics moves Simone does. It was bright and colorful, and I did like it. Eliot and I also got a tour magnet that had a photo of the girls on it. Then, I left the arena completely exhausted, but very inspired.
After that, we headed back to the car, hopped in and made our way out of Boston. We made a quick stop at the McDonald's in Woburn for drinks, and then drove back home to Maine. Once we crossed the border into Maine, Eliot took over driving because I was too tired and I didn't think it was safe for me to keep driving. But we had so much fun in Salem and at the show, as exhausted as I was, it was totally worth it.
"At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day." - Simone Biles
Thank you to Simone, Grace, Jordan, Jade, MyKayla, Laurie and all of the other gymnasts, dancers, and people who put this tour together. Eliot and I both had so much fun watching your incredible skills in person... it was a very good day. °o°
As expected, I've had a busy week of cleaning and organizing the house. My current "go-to" soundtrack when I have a lot of projects to work on is still Hamilton. Ever since I first watched it almost a year ago, it's my favorite get stuff done soundtrack. Not only is the music upbeat and catchy, but the Broadway musical is long enough to get about two and a half hours of cleaning done while listening to the 46 tracks.
Since I've been on a Hamilton kick, I thought I'd share a Fun Find Friday of another Disney Hamilton mash-up. (You can watch more Disney Hamilton Crossovers here.)
Today's video is from impressionist, vocalist and YouTube sensation, Brian Hull. (I shared a few of his other videos back in May of 2016, which you can see here.) In this cover video, he's told the story of Walt Disney, but with Hamilton style.
I thought this video and mash-up was really creative and fun! I love how the lyrics of the song tells Walt's story just like the first song of the musical introduces the viewer to Alexander Hamilton. Plus, Brian even had the Walt Disney Family Museum fact check the lyrics to make sure that it was historically accurate! How cool is that?
I'm so glad that I unexpectedly stumbled across this a few weeks ago when I was on YouTube looking for something else. I was really impressed with it so I immediately saved it to share! I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I did!°o°
It's been one month since Eliot and I first watched Hamilton to finish our at home 4th of July celebrations. Since then, I've watched the movie again twice. I've also listened to the entire soundtrack a bunch of times. At this point, it's my go to music if I'm cleaning or organizing the house. It's also perfect to crank up and lose myself while working on mouse ears. I think it's safe to say that the musical is now a personal favorite of mine.
I, like many others who love Hamilton, also love Disney. With the addition of Hamilton to the Disney+ family, many people have also made Hamilton and Disney mash ups. A search of "Hamilton Disney" on Etsy will produce a bunch of shirts, stickers, mouse ears, and more with quotes from the musical and our favorite characters. I'm definitely going to be getting a few of them to rock the next time I'm at Walt Disney World!
Of course, the music itself also presents another fun way to mash up Disney and Hamilton. I've come across a few things that I couldn't help but share. The most ambitious project I've seen thus far are these two videos of the entire first and second acts of the Hamilton musical- but performed by the Muppets. On Youtube, voice impressionist Ricky Downs III has re-created the entire musical, complete with commentary by our favorite Muppet critics: Statler and Waldorf.
The cast includes Kermit as Alexander Hamilton, Miss Piggy as Eliza, Gonzo as Aaron Burr, Sam Eagle as George Washington, Fozzie Bear as "Marquis de LaFozette" and many more of our favorite Muppet friends. Some of the characters even switch for the second act of the play, just like in the real version of Hamilton! (You can read more about Act 1 here and Act 2 here.) I haven't had a chance to listen to all of the videos yet, but it's definitely on my to do list!
My personal favorite crossover (so far) is this video parody brought to us by King George if he owned Disney. It's the perfect Hamilton Disney crossover and I found myself laughing each time I've watched it. Of course, we'll be back... even when you raise the ticket prices to remind us of your love.
If you love Disney, the Muppets, and Hamilton, you have to check these out. I'm sure you'll get a big chuckle out of them- just like I did! °o°
It's been 10 days since Eliot and I joined everyone in the phenomenon of the Hamilton musical. Like many others, we flocked to Disney+ to experience the film version of the theatrical musical the weekend it was released. Late in the evening on the 4th of July, we finally sat down to watch... and I was completely captivated for 2.5 hours. Wow. Brilliant. Amazing. Incredible. Thought Provoking. Ear-wormy. Just... WOW.
I can't believe that Eliot and I didn't see it sooner. Now, I really wish that we'd seen it live on Broadway. I know that someday we will be able to see it live... when the world is right side up again. And I very much look forward to that day. Going into watching Hamilton, I didn't know the music. All I knew about the music was that it was a lot of rap and hip hop and that it might be hard to follow along and catch everything. But everyone was obsessed with the soundtrack, so I knew it would be good. I also knew the musical was about founding father Alexander Hamilton. I knew everyone who had seen it live thought it was amazing... and that's all I had to go on.
I specifically didn't listen to the soundtrack because I didn't want to ruin anything for myself. I don't regret this decision. While there were a few places that I didn't catch what was being said the first time, I quickly committed some of the more popular songs to memory after one viewing. I listened to the soundtrack and watched the movie again on Monday the 6th while Eliot was at work. The Hamilton soundtrack has been my go-to playlist since Eliot and I first watched it on July 4th. Now, even more of the songs are stuck in my head on repeat.
I haven't watched it for a third time... yet. Eliot's sister Elissa is here with us for the week, so if we have time, she and I might watch it one afternoon while he's at work. If we don't watch it, I'll definitely be putting it on again next week after she leaves. Ever since I watched Hamilton, I can't get enough of it. At this point, Facebook knows about my obsession because it keeps suggesting articles and videos about the history, cast, and story behind the making of the hit musical. Videos of the cast performing outside of their Broadway theater also keep popping up. I'm not complaining.
I knew when I settled into the couch and we first saw the stage that I was going to be hooked. The seemingly simple stage design transported me back to revolutionary times. They used simple, historically accurate props, keeping the viewers main focus on the cast, choreography and most importantly- the music. The stage also had a rotating platform or turntable. It was used to help move the story along and it brought so much life to the performance. Finally, I was excited to see more staircases on wheels- much like I the ones in "Frozen Live at the Hyperion" at California Adventure.
The costumes were also historically appropriate. At first glance, they didn't seem very important but you could easily tell the main cast members apart because of their costumes. The simple costumes the ensemble members wore made it easy for them to change into different characters- like Revolutionary or British soldiers... depending on where you were in the story. You could also see how Hamilton grew in importance (and presumably also in wealth) based on his clothing. It seems so simple, and yet, the clothing choices were also subtly helping to move the story along. Another aspect that I was impressed with was the choreography. I had no idea what to expect but it blew me away. I loved the way it brought the story to life. The ensemble's dancing was flawless. The dance style was mostly dictated by the music... and the two were seamless. The stage turntable and choreography worked together harmoniously as well. I was so impressed by how well it all came together visually.
Which brings me to the cast of Hamilton... the original Broadway cast of Hamilton was perfection. Each of the cast members were perfect for their role. I completely believed each of them was the character they were portraying and that I had magically gone back in time to witness the founding of our country firsthand. The casts' voices, acting, dancing... everything just blew me away. I was also impressed to see such a diverse cast. I didn't know that Hamilton was known for how it cast African-Americans, Latinos and Asians in the roles of the white Founding Fathers and their female counterparts. I thought this was brilliant, and it seemed especially relevant that Hamilton was released on Disney+ right now with everything happening in our country.
The story and writing was what impressed me most. I've since read that it took 5 years for Lin-Manuel Miranda to write all of Hamilton. It doesn't surprise me. It was amazing and I'm sure it took a lot of time to get it perfect. The storyline was pretty historically factual, with a few things added to help with the storyline, and a few things taken out because you can't fit everything from history into a 2.5 hour musical. The craziest part of all of this is that almost the entire 2.5 hour musical is music. The entire show is told through the music. If you listen to the soundtrack, it's 2 hours and 23 minutes long- that's most of the show. One song flows seamlessly into the next. The music styles might be different, but they all fit together perfectly. Some of the songs at the end echo parts of previous songs. In the end, the entire soundtrack of 46 songs fits together in a gift wrapped box of perfection.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is brilliant I've always admired his work, but now I can fully attest to his absolute brilliance. I should have known that he'd completely blow me away. I was very impressed with the Moana soundtrack. I can't wait to see what he does for the live action The Little Mermaid music. (I hope he continues working with Disney!) The Hamilton movie has found a perfect home on Disney+. Disney and Pixar are known for their incredible storytelling- and this fits that model. The amount of details that make the Hamilton story come alive make me feel like it's a live action Disney movie. You can feel the love, time and care that was put into creating it. Disney and Pixar are also known for hiding Easter eggs in their movies, and Hamilton has many little things to look for when you watch it over and over. (I'm going to have to look into these each time I watch the movie to see if I can spot them!)
Long story short, Hamilton was incredible. The easiest way to explain it is that, "it's the story of America then, told by America now," as stated by Thomas Kail, the director of Hamilton. If you like American history, musical theater, amazing costuming, dynamic choreography and marvelous performers- you have to see it. Even if you aren't sure if you'll like it, it's worth taking 2.5 hours of your life to watch it and find out. If you haven't seen Hamilton yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. If you don't have Disney+, go get the free trial. You need to be in the room where it happened. °o°
As you know from last week's Fun Find Friday, Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular took the stage one final time this past Sunday. The show was a personal favorite of mine, and I'm sad to see it leave California Adventure.
Growing up, Aladdin was my favorite Disney movie. Jeremy and I loved it and would watch it, and the television series, all the time. He loved the Genie. I wanted to be princess Jasmine for the longest time. In fact, when our elementary school did a Disney themed spring concert, Nana made me a purple Jasmine dress to wear!
I remember getting together with my cousins on my Mom's side and we would do skits and plays for our family. Aladdin was favorite and I remember three different times we "performed" it for them. I was always Jasmine. Jeremy was always Genie. Come to think of it, Aladdin is probably the reason tigers were my favorite animal growing up.
I think it's safe to say that Aladdin had a big impact on my childhood. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to the musical theater show. I've only seen it live three times, but I really enjoyed it. The costumes, set design and music was all amazing, but it was the cast that made it memorable. Genie's jokes, their passion. It made the show what it was. It was special. If you were not able to see it in person, here's the final performance as today's Fun Find Friday.
I'm very sad that it's over, but I'm thankful I was able to see the last half of the second to last performance via Periscope on Sunday. Since then, Eliot found this video of the final performance and he sent it to me. Those of you who haven't seen it wouldn't know, but they changed a few of the lines. One that really stuck out to me was Genie on the stairway yelling "one last time!" (He usually throws out a joke at that point.)
However, it's the ending that really got me. Genie changed his lines a little to say, "I'm free! Thank you Al. Thank you everybody. Come on Carpet, let's go home." Thank you to the entire cast and crew of Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular for making it a magical experience. I'm so thankful I was able to see the show a few times in person. It was truly memorable. I hope that Frozen can live up to the hype. Queen Elsa certainly has some big shoes to fill! In the meantime, I guess this gives Eliot and I an excuse to go to New York City to see Aladdin on Broadway! °o°
As many of you probably know, Disney's Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular is taking it's final bow this weekend at California Adventure theme park. The 45 minute musical production has been around for about 13 years. It premiered at the Hyperion Theater on January 16, 2003. It's filled the 2,000 seat theater many times over the years. It's final production is this Sunday the 10th, before it permanently closes on January 11th.
I loved the Aladdin musical from the second I saw it. In fact, it's one of the things I remembered most vividly from my first trip to Disneyland in 2009. Ironically, we were actually at Disneyland this past September when it was officially announced that the show would be closing to make room for a Frozen musical. Elissa was so upset that she watched the show three times in a row the following day.
One of the best parts of the show were the Genie's jokes. Not only were they hilarious, but they were witty and up to date with current events from our news and culture. I recently discovered the Theme Park Extravaganza channel on Youtube. They took videos of the live Aladdin show and edited Genie's jokes from the past few months so I wanted to share them with you for today's fun find.
Note: Please use caution when/if showing your children these videos. Some of these jokes are more for adults than kids. They'll probably be over their heads. Don't fret, there are always plenty of children in the audience; I just want to give you a heads up!
These were some of the jokes we heard while we were at Disneyland in September.
Genie is always so over the top. It's hilarious! "Superstar!"
Of course, there's a few Kardasian jokes. And you can't forget the hashtags.
And Eliot's family enjoyed the ones poking fun of my beloved New England Patriots.
No selfie sticks!!! Don't forget the dress- black and blue or white and gold.
There were One Direction, Abercrombie and Fitch, Justin Beiber, Twitter, and Facebook jokes. I'd have to say that the Disney themed ones were my favorite though!
This was definitely a wonderful show. I'm glad someone took video of all the jokes from Genie so they'll always live on. Thank you Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular for all of the memories over the past 13 years! You'll always be a prince to me! °o°
