Who Am I- Outside of Musicals

To several people, they might think I am just this musical theatre fanatic. However, that is so far from the truth. What exactly makes me who I am outside of the musical theatre world?

1. I am hardworking and determined
2. My favorite color is pink
3. I have a strong spirit
4. I love to volunteer
5. I love contemporary christian music just as much as I love musicals
6. I am a bookworm- lover of classics and fantasies
7. I am a Sociology Major with two minors (Spanish Cultural Studies and Theater)
8. I love coloring
9. I am a mountain person- just love being around nature and hiking
10. I am actually in the middle of becoming an author- 3 ideas being worked on right now
11. I live in Charlotte, NC- ever since 2002
12. I actually have been abroad three times: France, Costa Rica, and England
13. I collect snow-globes
14. I have visited 18 states (which includes the one I live in), and been to Washington D.C.
15. I know how to play piano

So you see that humans are not just one thing. Several things makes us who we are- our family, our schools, and friends among other things.

There is a reason why the best characters in any kind of storytelling are complex. Humans are complex so to us those characters are well “human”. The are the characters who deal with conflict, meaning they will show both positive and negative emotions. These are the characters whose backstory is part of why they are complex. Due to being complex, they can be interpreted in many ways- that leads to seeing multiple portrayals of the same character (that is why I tend to combine portrayals).

When You live and grew up in North Carolina

I grew up in North Carolina. When you live in North Carolina:

1. You rely on Broadway tours
2. You have strange weather-as in Fall does not always feel like it and so on or it feels like multiple seasons in one week or one day
3. You can go to both beaches and mountains: Crowder’s, Grandfather, South, and Sugar- those are mountains I have been to (there are others- just examples)
4. You have amazing places to visit- examples: Asheville, Charlotte, Blowing Rock
5. Independent Bookstores exist

What do you find interesting about where you live or rather odd?

Happy Father’s Day

Today is Father’s Day. This post will bring up loving fathers- my father and musical theatre fathers.

I love my dad. We have had created many wonderful adventures together, and some have been shared with my mom and sister. Just like I love my dad, he loves me. At Kanuga Parish Weekends, the two of us have been the hiking leaders. We once had a date to the theater to see Wicked- that was my 3rd time, and I wanted to go to give my dad a chance to see it, but he still gave me the better seat. There was a time my family went to Kanuga for Thanksgiving, and he helped me make a hiking stick. He was among the 72 pilgrims on the Bristol Pilgrimage- that is a lot of pilgrims (which includes the choir). Memories are shared with my family with Kanuga and Bristol (as you can see), but also in Florida and Missouri and other states- family memories.

What about the musical theatre dads? Are there loving dads there? MAJOR SPOILERS

Valjean- whenever I think of dads in musical theatre, my mind hops to Jean Valjean. He had to became a dad in the most unexpected of ways. He adopted Cosette out of compassion to her mother (it was promise he made to Fantine). He promised to Fantine on her deathbed that he would take care of Cosette. Cosette was horribly abused- she needed someone like Valjean in her life. Valjean kept his promise to Fantine- he raised her even though that would not be easy- he was an ex-convict.

Jean Valjean and Young Cosette

Mufasa- another incredible father. He is father to Simba. Not only is he an incredible father, but an incredible King, but that time was short-lived thanks to his jealous brother, Scar, who killed him. Mufasa taught Simba life lessons that were important and how to be a good king.

Maurice- everyone in the town calls him crazy, but Belle never saw her father this way. Maurice loved his daughter a lot. He wanted to protect her- he didn’t want to lose her. Yes, I can understand why people of that town would call him crazy- after all raving about a beast and winter in summer-that is unlikely, but it is true what he saw. He wanted people to help him after Belle was taken prisoner. He was a little overprotective-yes, but he just wanted her safe.

Maurice and Belle

What other musical theatre fathers do you love?

Dear High School Self (Years 2008-2012): What If…….

Dear High School Self,

I thought of something on Sunday. Sunday was the Tonys, and Hadestown, a myth musical swept the Tonys. It made me think of the time when I studied mythology in tenth grade (2009-2010). Mythology was one of my favorite units in literature. I always loved mythology. It was something I loved since childhood. The gods, the goddesses, the quests, the beasts, and the universe was fascinating: I don’t what it was about it that I loved. I remember reading Illiad and Odyssey- I know it wasn’t the full version, but I still read them, but I did fall in love with both of them. I remember at the end of the unit, we had to dress up as one of the gods and goddesses. I got to dress up as Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

What really came to mind when Hadestown swept the Tonys had to do with a “what if” category. You do know you were extremely close-minded to tragedies, but your older self, as in your present self would have told you that you shouldn’t have done that. What if in high school, in literature, you were required to read a tragic myth. Would you have learned to love tragedies earlier than you currently do? I am saying that because you have loved mythology since you were a kid. There would be part of that word, “tragic myth” that might have made you want to give it a chance- the word “myth” is in there. You know what exists in myths- things that you love in mythology would have existed. I am just wondering. Would things have been different if you were required to read a “tragic myth?” I think that would have been the case- after all, you would have loved seeing all of the elements of a myth being in there despite it being tragic.

What I Love about Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas. Christmas is my favorite holiday. What makes me love Christmas Eve? There is a reason why? It does make you excited about the next day. Part of the reason comes from the 10:45 p.m. Candlelight service.

The Candlelight Service is more than a regular church service. In a typical service, you hear just the organ. In the Candlelight Service, they bring in a trumpet and a string section. It makes it more beautiful. At the beginning of the service, the congregation are all handed candles, which are used for a future part of the service. During “Silent Night”, the lights are dimmed, and the candles we were given are helped lit by the acolytes, and the congregation helps lit the parishioners candles, who are next to us. So we sing “Silent Night” with those candles lit. It is quite a beautiful service. Since it starts at 10:45, we leave the service on Christmas.

This year, I am going to the Candlelight Service.