Hairspray Live Announcement

NBC just announced that their next live musical is going to be Hairspray. I am extremely excited for this because Hairspray is one of my favorite musicals. Though I love the cast of the movie and thought the casting choices were absolutely perfect, I do have some ideas in mind on who should fill these roles once again.

I hope they do what they did with their live production of The Wiz in which they cast an unknown for the lead and allow celebrities or well-known names to fill the rest of the roles. From what I’ve read, it seems like I’m going to get my wish. I saw that they are doing open casting for Tracy, which is wonderful news. In the movie version, they did a nationwide search for the perfect Tracy and they found her in Nikki Blonsky, who was working at a Coldstone Creamery at the time. I really enjoy when big productions like this get unknowns for their leads because you don’t know what you’re in store for and it also is a wonderful way to put these unknown names out into the world so casting directors can see their talent.

I personally am not sure who I would want in every role. I haven’t sat down to think of a dream cast or anything like that. Live musicals like this are something that you should just allow to happen and wait to see if the cast that is chosen delivers a solid performance or not.

One role, in particular, that I completely have my sights set on is Velma Von Tussle. Christine Baranski has to play her, she has to. If you’ve seen the movie adaption of Into the Woods, you can clearly see how Christine’s portrayal of Cinderella’s Stepmother has some great similarities to Velma and I love when Christine gets to play a villain with great style. A lot of people watch these live musicals, so this would be a great opportunity to get Christine out there to those who don’t know her and how brilliantly talented she is. I’m also hoping this production exposes Hairspray to people who haven’t seen it before.

The role I have the most concern about is Edna. If you don’t know, Edna is Tracy’s voluptuous mother who is usually played by a male actor. I love John Travolta as Edna in the movie and I think he did a wonderful job in creating this very feminine persona for her. I just hope they can get someone to fill these big shoes well.  

Thoughts on the Hunger Games Dolls by Mattel

As an avid doll collector and huge fan of The Hunger Games, you can’t imagine my level of excitement when Mattel released a Katniss Everdeen Collector Barbie. To my disappointment, Katniss was the only character to be reimagined in doll form from the first installment. Nevertheless, I was very excited to get this doll and she is now a great addition in my collection. I really like how they dressed her in her arena attire, including the iconic Mockingjay pin. This was the most logical outfit to dress her in, considering the whole movie is about Katniss’ journey into the Hunger Games. The only criticism I have about this doll is the fact that she looks nothing like Jennifer Lawrence. She looks like any normal Barbie decided to go as Katniss for Halloween. Other than that, I think she’s a wonderful collector’s item.

I’m incredibly grateful that Mattel decided to make more dolls for Catching Fire. With this round, they released another Katniss, Peeta Mellark, Effie Trinket, and FInnick Odair. One huge improvement with this set is that Katniss actually looks like Jennifer Lawrence this time around. I think this is a very interesting set. I was excited to finally have a Peeta, and following the trend started by the first Katniss doll, he and Katniss are sporting their arena wetsuits. They look great and they display very nicely next to each other. The doll I was most excited for was Effie. If any character was deserving of a doll, it’s Effie. Despite my excitement, she’s the one I have the most problems with. For one thing, she’s the only doll in the line with no articulation. This is frustrating to someone like me who likes to take pictures of my dolls in different poses. The only reason I can think for this choice is because Effie is basically Capitol Barbie. She’s always in heels, wears extravagant fashions, and is always cheery. This Effie doll has the classic rubber legs with bend and snap knees with a face that looks nothing like Elizabeth Banks and just like a simple fashion Barbie. I’m also not very happy with the outfit choice. I do love the outfit she’s in (the cast has dubbed this particular outfit as “gorilla arms”), but there are other Effie outfits that I like a whole lot more. I wish she would’ve been dressed in the butterfly dress from the Reaping scene. I may have my problems with her, but I’m still very happy to have her. The last doll in this set is Finnick. I love Finnick, don’t get me wrong, but I thought this was kind of an off choice. Since they made an Effie, I would’ve hoped Haymitch would be included as well. That wasn’t the case. I want a Haymitch doll badly, but I don’t think an official one will be made. Instead of just making Finnick, a whole set of the tribute alliance would’ve been great, but I’m still happy with what they did make. These are my favorite dolls in the collection.

They did not make a set of dolls for Mockingjay: Part 1, but did for Mockingjay: Part 2. This makes sense, there’s three books so three versions of Katniss is more than appropriate. This set includes Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. It’s interesting that they waiting until the last movie to introduce the love triangle together. These dolls look fantastic and are relatively screen-accurate. They’re a great addition to the collection.  

Though I’m very happy that these dolls are articulated, except for poor Effie, part of me wishes that they would’ve waited to make these. Now that the Made To Move Barbies are out, I see a lot of wasted potential. I did a little test to see if the Made To Move Barbie could hold Katniss’ bow the proper way and it turns out she can. It’s pretty sad when Katniss Everdeen can’t even hold her bow properly and a random Barbie can. I know the Hunger Games dolls were created with the intent that they stay in their boxes, since they are Black Label Collector dolls, but I have never been one to keep a doll in its box. 

The Good Wife 7x18 "Unmanned" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

Some really great things happened in this episode, I’m not going to lie. After this episode, I think the show is finally going in the direction that I want it to. Whenever Diane and Alicia are working together in court, I’m happy. They have a great dynamic and I think that dynamic will be explored even more in the coming episodes. I’ve said it before, but I really want Diane and Alicia to partner and run their own firm. They would be great together.

It was wonderful to see Anna Camp back as Caitlyn after not being on the show for over four years. It’s crazy to think she hasn’t been back since season three. I was also very excited to see Leslie Odom Jr. joining the cast for this episode. Because the show films in New York, there’s always guest stars coming on when they get some free time from Broadway. I love Leslie as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. I think it’s interesting that Leslie was the guest star instead of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius mind that created Hamilton, because he has openly expressed on Twitter that he would love to guest star. Leslie was not the first Hamilton alum to appear on the show. Jonathan Groff and Renée Elise Goldsberry, who had a recurring role in the earlier seasons as Geneva Pine, have appeared even before Hamilton debuted.

I was expecting there to be a throw down between Jason and Peter judging by the promo pics, but that wasn’t quite the case. Peter did get extremely ticked upon finding Jason in his boxers in Alicia’s apartment, but Jason handled it very well and left knowing he was in the wrong by being in this affair. The greatest part of the episode was something I had been waiting for since season one, Alicia finally told Peter she wants a divorce. THANK YOU, WRITERS! I know Alicia had two wonderful kids with Peter, but she never looked truly happy when she was with Peter. Alicia looks happy when she’s with Jason. I was smiling so much when she practically jumped into his arms. I hope they get a happy ending.

Nothing against Cary, but I’m happy that he decided to quit. That’s just one step closer to that Lockhart/Florrick (well, soon to be Cavanaugh again) firm that I want to badly. I hope he does great things with his life and can learn to move on. This was such a satisfying episode. If Judge Abernathy and Kurt were also in this episode, it would’ve been practically perfect. Luckily, the Kurt episode will soon be available to myself and many other fans who have been anxiously awaiting his return. The downside is we still have to wait anxiously because there’s a two week hiatus. 

Have We Seen the Last of Katniss Everdeen?

If companies get ahold of a successful product, they’re not going to want to let go of it any time soon. For Lionsgate, they have done pretty well for themselves by taking on The Hunger Games franchise. Whether you believe they split the last book into two movies for the sake of getting as much content in as possible or not, you can’t deny that they did it to cash in. This franchise is huge and has become a household name. Just because all of the movies have been made and there’s really no reason for expansion, I have a sneaking suspicion that Lionsgate will be releasing more films into the franchise.

These could be a multitude of things. Prequels, sequels, fleshing out other characters, you name it. I personally would love to see the 50^th Quarter Quell, or Haymitch’s Hunger Games, on the big screen. I was disappointed that this was left out of Catching Fire because it would’ve let those who haven’t read the books get to know why Haymitch is the way he is. I don’t think they’ll dedicate a whole movie to one character’s backstory, but it is an interesting idea.

If I could have my choice to another film in the franchise, I would want a sequel. A true sequel, picking right back up where we left off in Mockingjay Part 2. I would love it to backtrack a bit to delve in more to the events before the epilogue and then tie the epilogue in later on. A couple things that bothered me about Mockingjay Part 1 were that we weren’t told what Katniss and Peeta named their children or why Effie was not in the Victors Village with the rest of them in District 12. That kiss between Haymitch and Effie wasn’t just some kiss, it was love. I get that Effie still has ties to the Capitol, but she loves her team. Effie has cried multiple times about having to say goodbye to the kids, so I would think she would want to be with them. My ideal sequel would be the life of Katniss, Peeta, Effie, and Haymitch after they’ve settled down after the rebellion. I’m curious to know if Effie would ever give up her Capitol style or if Haymitch will stay sober for good. I want to know what kind of parents Katniss and Peeta are and how life is for them after they know they don’t have to worry about President Snow anymore. To an audience who prefers action, the sequel I want would probably come off as boring to them, but that’s okay with me. I just want to see these characters that I love so dearly finally get a life of peace, the life that they all deserve. 

Butterflies

One of the most famous scenes from Corpse Bride is when Emily is transformed into a huge formation of butterflies. So, what does this have to do with Effie from The Hunger Games trilogy? Well, nothing, but the symbolism of butterflies does.

In Corpse Bride, the butterflies symbolize Emily’s soul being set free and is a beautiful final goodbye to Victor and Victoria. In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Effie wears a headpiece and dress that are composed of monarch butterflies (lovingly known by fans as the Butterfly Dress). I’ve always seen this outfit as a gorgeous addition to the wide array of looks that Effie has worn throughout the films (and it has since become my favorite Effie look from the four films), but something clicked with me upon viewing Catching Fire not too long ago. This outfit is only worn in one scene, the Reaping. As the story goes, this Reaping was only a drawing from the existing pool of Victors from previous years of the Hunger Games. So, for Effie, this meant definitely sending Katniss back into the arena and either Peeta or Haymitch along with her. By the end of it all, Katniss and Peeta were reaped again and were left with the possibility that they may not make it out alive this time around. Background aside, why did this dress suddenly mean so much more to me? It’s all because it made me think of Emily. The butterflies are a symbol of freedom and farewell. Of course, the Reaping was not the last time Effie would see Katniss and Peeta before the Quarter Quell, but it was the last time they would see their loved ones and Effie felt greatly to blame for that. Katniss didn’t even get a proper goodbye like Emily did.

In nature, butterflies don’t start out as beautiful, winged creatures, they have to go through metamorphosis. They start out as caterpillars and, when the time is right, they form a chrysalis around themselves and go through the natural change of becoming a butterfly. Before Katniss and Peeta’s first Games, Effie is a caterpillar. She has been born into an unknown habitat, the Capitol. She strives to be like the others of her kind and adapt to their lifestyle. This is why Effie seems so outlandish when we first meet her. She’s a caterpillar, a naïve mind who is oblivious to the true dangers in life. What she doesn’t know is that her own habitat, her home, is her greatest danger. There are many other species, the other Districts, that would love to devour her.

When Katniss and Peeta enter the Games, Effie forms her chrysalis. She remains in this chrysalis well throughout the Victory Tour. She soon comes to grips with the events of Catching Fire and that is why Effie has been dubbed as the character with the most development in this film. Catching Fire is Effie’s metamorphosis. When she’s at the Reaping, in the Butterfly Dress, she finally hatches and becomes a butterfly. Effie realizes her perfect Capitol isn’t so perfect. She cares so much about these kids, it’s evident by the tears streaming down her face as she pulls out the names. Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch get her to realize just how dangerous the world really is, just as a butterfly would as it takes its first flight.  

The Good Wife 7x17 "Shoot" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

The beginning of this episode caught me completely off-guard. If you hadn’t been aware that you were watching The Good Wife, you wouldn’t have known. It looked like a completely different show. I thought it was cute, super loving and protective dad loves his daughter unconditionally –cute. It was adorable to see the daughter going to her first prom with a guy that she clearly really liked. I thought, wow, what a cute opening. That was until a bullet came flying through the front window of the house straight through the daughter’s throat. Oh, I was horribly wrong. I had no idea who these characters were, but this opening scene still brought tears to my eyes.

I was hyped for this episode, so hyped. I got myself all hyped up for nothing. I thought this was going to be the episode where Alicia finally agrees to partner with Diane and they being their wonderful reign of the legal empire in Chicago together. That didn’t happen, but we got to see Diane with a martini in her hand once again! That's always a wonderful sight on the eyes. I also thought this episode was going to bring the long awaited return of Kurt McVeigh, Diane’s husband. Mini rant time, sorry. This episode was about a gun store, gun control, and was called ”Shoot”, so how could it not be the Kurt episode? He’s a ballistics expert! This made me so mad. He’s been in two episodes with gun-related titles, “Bang” and “Silver Bullet” and I thought they would return to that with this episode. Since he is a ballistics expert, every episode that he’s been in has mentioned guns. I repeat, how could this not have been the Kurt episode? All of my predictions for this episode were wrong, it’s such a disappointing feeling.

Over the last few episodes, I’ve taken a liking to Jason. I got so worried when Alicia saw him kissing that other girl, which we later learned was his old friend and not another lover. I was relieved to hear this because I really didn’t want to hate Jason again right after accepting him. Alicia just looks so genuinely happy with him. Instead of Johnny and Finn in the past season, I wish Jason would’ve been there. I would’ve liked to get to know him more and to see if his relationship with Alicia would last this long. I just hate when good storylines are rushed (or completely washed over *cough* Kurt and Diane *cough*) All I want is for Alicia to finally divorce Peter. It’s long overdue and needs to happen as soon as possible. There’s no spark there anymore, at all. 

Adaptations

This post is about something that I’ve been thinking about lately. When books are adapted into movies, there is always a fear that changes will take place. This certainly happened with The Hunger Games movie adaptations.

Throughout reading the books, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were my favorite characters. This mentality stayed with me as I went into the first movie. They have remained, throughout the four movies, characters that I absolutely love, but I don’t think I’d consider them my favorite characters anymore. That spot now belongs to Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket. Why? How can a mentality change so drastically like that? It’s solely due to the changes that took place from book to movie.

I read the books during 7^th and 8^th grade, so of course I gravitated towards the female protagonist who was close to my age. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t love Katniss anymore. I love her so much and she is still one of my favorite female characters ever. I just have a greater appreciation for Effie now. Talk about character development! In the books, Effie really never became humanized. She was always just a product of the Capitol who just happened to be connected to the one girl who challenged everything she ever knew. I never really thought of anything more of her than that. That all changed after I saw the movies, all thanks to Elizabeth Banks.

This mentality change for me is all because of the incredible depth that Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson have brought to these characters. I can’t imagine what these films would be like had they not been cast in these roles. I usually don’t like huge changes when things get adapted, but Effie’s inclusion and her relationship with Haymitch were fantastic strays from the source material that actually made sense. Had the writers stayed completely faithful and basically cut Effie from the last two movies all together, it would’ve been a huge disservice to the audience. Elizabeth had been able to get inside of the head of this nutty character and strip her down to someone who is both likeable and human who feels real emotion. Book Effie is a Capitol Barbie, unrealistic and fake. Movie Effie is so real and you root for her. The thing that really makes these two my favorites is their screen-only relationship. Never in the books did those two ever flirt with each other because they were always bickering. When you really pay attention, they flirt so much in the movies. It all leads up to the kiss in the 4^th installment that leaves fans like me wanting more. The fact that the kiss was improvised, mostly by Woody, proves that these actors care about these characters and are ambitious enough to explore things that the audience never saw coming. For a couple that was never even meant to be a couple, they have become one of my favorite couples of all time. It’s just fascinating to me how influential visual representation can be. 

Thoughts on Season 1 of Fuller House

Warning, spoilers. Though, I’m sure you’ve heard plenty plot points about this show already. But, I digress. I loved Fuller House!

I had my doubts when this series was announced. I was really hoping they wouldn’t lose the integrity of the original. Not that Full House was a remarkable or deeply moving show, but it holds a very special place in the hearts of millions, including mine. I can genuinely say that this sequel greatly fulfilled my nostalgic needs.

I loved the pilot, it was wonderful. I enjoyed the transition from the old theme song and the original opening credits to the new cover of the theme and paralleling opening credits 29 years later. I was so happy to see all of the returning cast (unfortunately, no Olsen twins). Though I was sad that Michelle was absent from this sequel, I loved what was created because of their absence. The shade thrown at Mary Kate and Ashley for not returning was hysterical. I usually hate when movies or TV shows have their characters break the fourth wall (for those who don’t know, this means when the characters speak directly to the camera to speak to the audience). Here, they had the entire main cast look directly at the camera for a good 30 seconds, acknowledging the situation. This show is also very self-aware. I laughed so hard when Kimmy (whom was probably my favorite character on the show) made the comment about how it’s no wonder that Olsen twins don’t need to act anymore considering that their fashion line is incredibly expensive.

I was quite surprised with just how many references to real life and the outside careers of the cast there were. It’s a bit strange that they aren’t treating it like a universe of its own, but it’s funny nonetheless. I don’t understand why people are complaining about how campy this show is. Have you not watched the original? The original is so much a camp-fest and always have to have a group hug and a moral. The continuing campiness didn’t bother me at all. I actually really appreciated it.

As for the new characters, I also had my doubts. It took me a little bit for them to grow on me, but I did really like them by the end, especially Max. I thought Fernando was sort of a weird introduction. He really reminded me of Esteban from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. He was comical and it was interesting to see him bounce off of Kimmy. As the show went on, the kids were developed fairly well and I did enjoy seeing them interact with everyone else. I wish I wouldn’t have binged all 13 episodes in one day. It left me with nothing to look forward to, but I couldn’t stop watching! I’m so happy that it got renewed for a second season and I look forward to seeing what’s next. 

The Good Wife 7x16 "Hearing" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

It’s amazing how your opinion on something can change so rapidly. I went into this episode with dread considering that all the promos showed was Jason and Alicia. I was also upset with the advertising for this episode. Since it was the 150^th episode of the series, special ads were made. Thing is, all the wrong characters were being displayed. Of course there was Alicia, but also Jason, Eli, and Ruth. No sign of Diane or Cary. I’m still pretty disappointed with the way they’ve treated Diane and Cary, two characters that have been at the core of the show since the very beginning.

After the beginning sequence, I felt very conflicted. For the first time, I thought Alicia and Jason were cute. This was shocking to me that I was thinking this. I’ve gone this whole season not liking Jason and suddenly he’s really growing on me. I thought it was adorable to see them kissing in the shower, sharing junk food, and to see Alicia cuddling up next to Jason and laying on his chest. I never did like when Alicia was with Will, or the many other guys for that matter, so I’m not really bothered by the fact that she’s seeing Jason now. I’ve don’t think I’ve ever seen Alicia as happy with as she is with Jason.

I loved the return of Veronica and Owen. I’ve always enjoyed these two. “Come in, we have bagels!” had me laughing even after the episode ended. I also laughed a lot at the almost instant liking Veronica took to Jason. It was a lot of fun to see. I was quite surprised at the amount of times I laughed during this episode. Several instances included; Eli’s crusade to listen to the court through the vent in the handicapped bathroom, Mike Tascioni and his beloved service animal (emotional support Chihuahua) Tom, and just Alicia and Jason’s overall antics trying to keep their relationship under the radar.

My favorite part of the episode, and my favorite episode of the season, was the sudden luncheon between Diane and Alicia. I have so desperately wished, wanted, and hoped that Diane and Alicia would team up and start their own firm. So, seeing Diane praise Alicia’s growth and offer her the opportunity to partner really got to me. I actually teared up because of how sincere Diane was being with her. This is of course not the first time that these two have been in negotiations, the other time being talks of merging firms after Will’s death, but this was the first time Diane has offered to partner and start a female run firm. I’m sincerely hoping that Alicia takes Diane up on her offer so they can rule Chicago together with their trusty ballistics expert and investigator.