that girl allison

Last Tuesday, I went with a friend to see a developmental reading of a new musical with music  and lyrics by Bruce Hornsby titled ‘Stranger.’ It was originally given a reading at the Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk, Virginia last year and is currently “aiming” for Broadway. Stranger is about a small southern town and what happens when a “stranger” with an unknown profession moves into town.

The cast was quiet large for a reading (15 actors) but they were all very talented, especially Lisa Brescia and Lance Guest. Additional lyrics were written by Chip deMatteo and the book was written by Clay McLeod Chapman. The story, which was a PSA against drunk driving and not talking to strangers, as well as one about a father who can’t move past his brother’s death (which was due to a car accident he caused), is nauseatingly simple, and cliche.  The star of this show is the music. The music is great, hummable, well-written.  

John Rando (Urinetown) made the pacing nearly perfect with his appropriate direction and it’s always fun to watch Kimberly Grigsby musical direct. 

Although I don’t see Stranger having a life on Broadway, it’s always fun to watch a new musical in it’s early stages. For me, at least. 

Do you see Jennifer Lawrence’s face? That was exactly the look I had on my face after I left the preview screening of The Hunger Games at the Regal in Union Square tonight. Shock, disbelief, no words. I still don’t really have the words to do this now, but I’m afraid if I don’t that I’ll forget some semi-important aspect by tomorrow.  It was a trade screening for employees of Scholastic (no screaming tweens - score!). I know someone associated with Scholastic who didn’t want their passes, and I was more than happy to take them off his hands when he offered them to me. 

I read this trilogy last year and I will admit that I almost put the first one down before I even started it. It was about a futuristic society? Meh. Sounded too Harry Potter-esque for me. I was never a fan of the Harry Potter or Twilight series so I was a bit skeptical of this at first. Luckily, I gave the books a chance and they were incredible. Once I heard they were making the movie for the first book, I started counting down the days to the release.  Director Gary Ross showed up before the screening, said hello, and took a few questions. I don’t remember what the questions were because the anticipation was swirling around inside me like a shark ready to bite when the lights went down. And now this is the part where I try to speak articulately about the movie adaptation of a book I loved so much…

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