Awkward "Jenna Lives" AND "Queen Bee-atches" : AKA: Shit goes down!

So I stayed up WAY too late last night. Having been on vaca last week and nomading at the parental where family time is expected I am about 2 weeks behind on my TV. I know I know, I too am ashamed of myself.

So last night, I decided to catch up on MTV's Awkward, seeing as MTV decided to be evil and temporarily take eps down off their web site, I scurried to watch last week's ep on demand, Fios is a beautiful thing people, and the pulled out the lap top to watch this week's offering.

First up was last weeks, "Jenna Lives", and shit goes down. Jenna sees Matty walking into school with some girl and assumes that this is his new girlfriend. She starts to worry that her suicide stigma is following her around and that maybe THAT is the reason Matty is reluctant to be with her. Which leads her into so crazy awkward behavior. Her attempt to tell Matty that she's "normal" in the lunch like was cringe worthy brilliant.

She has a freak out scene over Kyle, who she believes is a her stalker due to fact that she sees him EVERYWHERE, and he's sporting a "Jenna Lives" t-shirt. He attempts to explain it away, claiming that "Jenna Lives" is the name of his band and  that he is always around because he is an office aide. Her "attacking" of another student lands her in detention with Jake and Matty's mystery gal. Turns out Olivia is really nice, and despite her heartbreak over Matty, Jenna actually likes her.

In Jenna's moment of inner torment,who is there with a cold drink and an attempt to comfort her? Why Jake, of course. She confides in him about the boy she likes, who has a girlfriend and doesn't want to be with her, and refuses to tell him who it is. Clearly this is going to lead to trouble, delicious trouble.

So after detention, Jake approaches Jenna again, telling her he's thought about it and any guy would be lucky to date her, and that he's sure if this guy didn't have a girlfriend he'd be all over her. Gee, wonder who he is talking about...Jenna appreciates the encouragement, and they seal it with an awkward hug. That's when it happens. JAKE LAYS ONE ON HER! Now I know I am not the only lady who sqwee-ed with joy here, and let us not forget, though she didn't address it and basically bolted, Jenna DID kiss him back.

YES! (Photo Credit: MTV.Com)

Anyway at the end of the episode Jenna discovers that Olivia is actually dating Matty's older brother. Guess that means McKibben boys suck at dating, it's also a little weird that the brothers are seeing girls who look similar...also in a fun twist, although Jenna is wrong about Matty, she was spot on with Kyle, who really is stalking her...though she doesn't know it.

So now on to episode six, "Queen Bee-atches". We open with Jenna and her mom attempting to join, the Knick Knackers, which is some oober snobby charity group. Jenna of course wants no part in it, but for her mother it means the chance to be popular, so she goes along with it. Jenna soon realizes the event is being held in the lair of her arch enemy, Sadie, who's mother is the Knick Knacker President. Jenna comes into possession of Sadie's Food Journal, and decides, though she sympathizes with her issues to take back the power!

I really liked that they actually addressed Sadie's struggle with her weight. They're really trying to add more and more layers to each character effectively making them "real". It's nice to see that dispite being popular and feared by all Sadie's life isn't perfect, and the reason she's so mean is because she is so unhappy.

While serving cocktails at the event, Jake spazzs when he sees Jenna, still a reeling form the smooch. Matty notices and Jake confesses to his friend what happened...of course Matty doesn't like this at all.  In an attempt to down play the situation, since technically he's still dating Lissa, Jake keeps the details vague...further sending Matty into a panic that maybe Jenna has dismissed him....which she basically should. He made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want a relationship with her, why shouldn't she go for someone who might? Team Jake!

Matty's response to Jake's confession was priceless, coming up with all sorts of reasons why Jake shouldn't talk to Jenna about it, and then the mad scramble to text her first.

The race is on! (Photo credit: MTV.com)

But having dealt with Sadie, Jenna finally understands the brilliance of having the power, and isn't gonna let Matty get it back that easily. Way to go Jenna.

Once again I finished the episode craving more, mad props to MTV for an inventive relatable scripted show. I am SO excited they were already picked up for a second season. Also series creator Lauren Iungerichtold TvLine that by the end of the season, the infamous letter writer will be revealed..my current votes are for Kyle or in a surprise twist either Ming or Tamara. Also she promises by episode 12 we will know who Jenna ends up with....let the count down begin...

RENT Off Broadway: AKA: Proof You Can't Go Back

Every so often in life, something comes along that you really connect with, be it a movie, a song, a tv show, a piece of theatre, it appears at a time in your life and is exactly what you need. For me it happened during the summer after my junior year of high school, the something was the Broadway Production of Rent.

I'm not entirely sure of what it was that drew me in so deeply, but I loved not only the show, but the people. It was a community, in fact to this day I am still in contact with several people I met through the show, more so than people I grew up with, including my best friend, who if not for this shared love, we probably never would have met.

July 2002

I never really liked the term "RENT Head", it has always held a negative connotation in my mind, but I, and my little group of friends, clearly spent way more time than a normal person outside that neon green theatre. It was a common meeting place for us, even if we were going out somewhere else.

There was one summer where I would get out of work early and having time to kill would go sit under the big cast poster at the theatre, usually writing something in the journal I carried around everywhere. I didn't really care who came by, and I didn't go out of my way to stop any cast members coming in, it was just a place to be. I felt safe there, it was a home a way from home, the closest thing I had to a Cheers, a place where everybody knows your name, I guess.

 

September 200

When the show closed on Broadway back on September 7th, 2008, I along with many of the people I had come to know and love, were there, coming to say "Goodbye, Love" one last time. I was sad to see it end, but I personally looked at it as closing a chapter of my life. A crazy, fun amazing chapter at that.


So why have I bored you all with the trip down memory lane? Well, Monday night I sucked it up and went to see the current Off Broadway production of RENT at New World Stages. I figure before giving my opinion of the new production, it's only fair to let you know where I'm coming from...

Last Show, 2nd Row Center

I had a few friends who had gone to see it around opening and invited me along, but I had held off because the ticket price was too high. I had no intention of spending more money to see it Off Broadway then I had ever spent to see it on.

The show itself felt VERY different from the original, to me at least. The original production was very minimalist, where as this incarnation, has TONS of multimedia elements and props. In a way it felt much less intimate to me, and FAR more sexual. Roger and Mimi alternately looked as they were going to rape one another,  and Contact made me feel as though I was about to watch porn.

I missed the tenderness of the original, a perfect example of this was during "I'll Cover You" in the first act. In the original, as Collins and Angel are confessing their feelings for one another, they are constantly touching each other...not in a sexual manner but in the way that when you fall for someone all you want to do is to be near them, to hold them, eventually leading up in the culmination of their first kiss. This new version had them running around set, climbing on things, and it gave the appearance more of them singing at each other as opposed to to each other.

Michael McElroy & Justin Johnston

Although they upped the prop usage, they took away things that I always thought were important, prime example being that in this new version, Collins did not have his coat in "I'll Cover You Reprise". In the Broadway version, he would clutch the coat tightly in his arms as he sang, Angel had bout the coat for him and it was all he had left of his love. They also added Angel perched above the cast during that song, which I thought took away from the fact he was gone.

Mark's camera was a newer one from the Broadway days, which allowed them to do some cool media effects with it, however it also meant he carried it around for most of the show in a satchel, or man purse. My favorite Marks on Broadway had always been the one who constantly had their camera out. Filming all sorts of goings on. Mark after all is the narrator, he even occasionally speaks in narration, "Mimi still loves Roger, is Roger really jealous or afraid that Mimi's weak." Having the camera packed away most of the time took away that aspect of his personality.

The addition/removal of certain lines, threw me a bit for a loop, as did the changing of the ensemble tracks, but I don't supposed the casual theatre goer would notice or care.  I HATE the whole Greek chorus effect they added to the Eulogies. It's creepy having that many people  I wasn't a fan of some of the costumes either, Angel's in particular. They made him look less feminine and more like Miss J from America's Next Top Model, which I think alienates the character a bit.  Roger looked as though he was wearing leggings the whole show...le sigh I missed the plaid pants...

Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich/New York Times

Adam Chanler-Berat played an adorable, stoner Mark, and too me was the stand out of the show. "What You Own came off as Mark's song, with Roger merely being there. That song also featured the one bit of new choreography I really liked. Where Roger and Mark are in this spinning box/cage and Mark reaches up and Roger reaches down and there hands are almost touching. I know that sounds really weird, but if you were to watch the show, you'd totally get it.

Matt Shingledecker as Roger isn't really my first choice, or 41st choice for that matter. And I DEFINITELY could have lived without EVER seeing Arianda Fernandez as Mimi again. I had seen her on tour several years back, and had successfully repressed her performance from my mind, the min she opened her mouth in "Light My Candle" it all came flooding back, like my own personal Nam... Her voice isn't made to sing those notes, and she doesn't seem to have much of a belt voice either...

MJ Rodriguez as Angel

Ephraim Sykes, as Benny made my heart happy. I'm the weird girl, who has thought way further into Benny's character than most, and for the first time since I last saw Stu James in the role on Broadway, did I actually feel for Benny. 

I liked M J Rodriguez as Angel, however found myself to distracted by the hideodious costume to really enjoy his performance. I mean what was that? A coat? A Scarf? A Cape?

Annaleigh Ashford made a cute Maureen. She definitely played her more on the kooky side, which I appreciate.


The rest of the cast was good, but none of them particularly stood out in my mind. The staging seemed to busy to me, everything seemed more about making money off the flashy new effects than the actual heart and soul of the show which is the characters and their relationships. 


So there you have it, my slightly biased impression of the new production. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it is a bad production, it's just that for me, it no longer holds the same magic it did for me before. I know that there are people who will see this production, and feel what I felt for the original, and think this version is "Better" and that's great, that's fine, that's how it should be. 

Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich/New York Times

Family Vaca 2011.....

I know I'm about a weeks behind on Alphas and Awkward, but thankfully they have been DVR-ed and so I will be partaking in those later tonight. The reason I'm so far behind would be for the first time, since I was a teenager, I participated in a Family Vacation.

It's been a few years since I've taken an actual vacation, even longer than since I've had a family vaca. The boy was of course invited to come along, but being as he is spending this week in Las Vegas with his boys, getting two weeks off in a row was not an option.

Further proof that I am ruined by pop culture, I have always thought that working at a beach resort for the summer must be. Part of me thinks this comes from watching WAY too much Saved By The Bell as a child. I mean come on, didn't we all want to work at The Malibu Sands? Speaking of which..I am DEVASTATED that Busted Tees discontinued this:

Please bring it back...

Seriously though, has anyone ever worked at a summer resort? Is it fantastic fun, I mean I know not everyone is nice, and happy but there must be some sort of comeradery among the staff, right? Please let me know if I'm wrong here....

Anyway, I guess I've always romaticized, the idea, though I have come to the sad realization that I am too old for any sort of thing. Too old (and unavailable for that matter) to have a summer romance, a la Grease or Dirty Dancing. More examples of how pop culture has warped my little mind. I'm lucky enough to have the type of face that doesn't age all that much, in fact how old people think I am depends on who I'm with. When I am out with my parents I often get mistakened for late teens, on my own I usually get about 23, and with my niece, well I don't want to think about how old people think I am with her, as I am often mistaken for her mother.

I spent most of the week with my niece trailing at my heels, since I've moved off LI and she doesn't get to see me as often, she decided to spend as much time as she possibly could with me. An adorable concept and I do adore her, but it served as further proof that I am not at a point in my life where I want to have my own at this point in my life. Still, the impromptu Phineas & Ferb sing-a-longs did make me smile.

This week reminded me how important it is to actually take vacations. I very rarely do, and that's a mistake. It was so nice to just relax, well as much as one can relax with children around. I managed to get a bit of a tan, well not tan for normal people, but for me. I'm at least 3 shades less Casper then normal. I also got a bunch of shopping done...not good for my wallet, but good for the soul. 

Tonight I am catching up on what's been going on while I'm away, then hopefully catch up on some of my tv, before going to bed. Exciting I know.

MTV's Awkward: AKA: My [Not So] Secret Shame

I admit it...I'm mildly in love with MTV's new show Awkward. My first introduction to the show was while it was casting, and still called That Girl, we had a few clients come in to read for it. I thought the sides were pretty funny, and ferreted out the full script to take a look at. Written in the vein as Easy A, and Mean Girls, both of which I adore I was actually amused by it.

The show is about Jenna Hamilton, a overlooked high schooler who on the last day of camp, looses her V-Card to popular Jock, Matty McKibben, who only after their "passionate bumping of uglies" tells her no one can know he likes her. Ouch. This and a very nasty "Care-frontation" letter that Jenna receives as she gets home, leads her to type (a little dramatically) in her blog Invisible Girl Daily (yep the blog is real-ish) that "Sometimes being a teenager makes you want to die." She then has a very Final Destination type accident, which leads everyone to believe she tried to commit suicide. The show follows Jenna's awkward rise to recognition, as narrated by her blog.

To be honest though, I had forgotten all about it, till the day after the first episode aired and I came across a random review of it. Recognizing the storyline I quickly went over to MTV.com to check it out. For those of you who haven't seen it yet go: MTV's Awkward.


They make some interesting choices, popular girl Sadie, who is also Jenna's  arch nemeses, is a larger girl. It's nice to see that not all bitches are skinny, it's also interesting to have the show's "Queen Bee" not be comfortable in her own skin, in nearly ever episode there is some reference to Sadie being uncomfortable at her present weight.

Nikki DeLoach as Jenna's mom, makes me giggle, oh Angela Malloy, how far you've come from Emerald Cove.

The show airs Tuesday nights at 11pm, but each episode is also up on MTV's website by the next day. Each episode is 22 mins, which makes it a quick and easy watch.  Somehow, I have found myself completely drawn in. I literally look forward to each new episode. I have formulate strong opinions about the characters, the largest of which is: Why the hell hasn't Jenna stopped obsessing over Matty long enough to see that Jake is the real catch?! If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, watch the episodes and then come back and tell me you don't agree....you can't....

Seriously...

Alphas "Never Let Me Go" : AKA: Your Love is My Drug...

So each week we seem to focus on a certain team member, allowing us to better get to know them. First it was Hicks, then Rosen and last week we got to see Gary. This week the focus was every one's favorite walking crime lab, Rachel.

The episode opens with Rachel coming back from a date. Side note: we get to see Nina's SWEET apartment, Best. Power. Ever. The date seems to have gone really well, and it looks like little Rachel is about to get some action...but apparently the kiss overwhelms her senses and she FREAKS, and kicks the poor confused guy out. Suddenly Rachel is feeling very Rogue-ish to me, the isolated I can't physically connect with anyone, without the whole sucking out other peoples lives/powers bit. I do wonder though, why she seems to have no problem with casual touch then?

Anyway, The team receives official badges from Agent Sullivan to aid them in their investigations, just in time too because there have been several mysterious deaths in the town of Fenton, PA. And so the hunt for this weeks Alpha begins....

Turns out all the internal melting is a symptom of withdrawal of the love of the mother of a boy, Chris Elkhart, who committed suicide after being picked on while trying to join the football team. Ms. Elkhart is now on the path to avenge her son's death, by addicting all those who knew about her son's bullying to her love, then pulling away, which causes the internal meltdown. Rachel, looking for someone to connect with, although she has brutally rebuffed the efforts of both Dr. Rosen and Nina to get her to open up, finds herself drawn to and ultimately becoming "addicted" to Ms. Elkhart, putting her in a very dangerous position.

For those of you who watch Warehouse 13, Lindsay Wagner reprised her role as Dr. Vanessa Calder, and managed to play a key role in figuring out the ailment effecting the town. Yeay for crossover.

As for the rest of our heroes. Hick, was his awesome Hicks-ie self, being the first, as usual to realize that Rachel was in danger. Gary's stealing of the bully's jacket and constant presenting of the badge made him his usual lovable self. Nina proved once again why she's better than a badge and Bill well, Bill ran fast.

This weeks alpha has the power to use there love as a drug to others, and of course now I can't get that Ke$ha song out of my head. While she used this power for evil, think of how AMAZING this power could be if used for good.  The withdrawal symptoms only occurred when the Alpha verbally assaulted the victim, claiming no longer to love them and often times wishing them dead. Yet even before becoming "addicted" Rachel seemed drawn to this Alpha, comforted by her. This was especially interesting seeing as Rachel has refused to open up to anyone on the team about what she is going through, including Dr. Rosen. Think of how useful a power like this could be in getting people to open up? If used for good of course.

It was nice to see a bit more of Rachel, and I'm hoping since her near death experience she'll open up a bit more.

Next up "Bill & Gary's Excellent Adventure." Words can not express how excited I am to see this episode. Plus looks like we're gonna get some Nina/Hicks action...yes please.

Lindsay Wagner guesting as Dr.Vanessa Calder

Top Five: Female TV Characters I'd Want to Be Best Friends With

So today is the anniversary of the day two of my very best friends were brought into the world. Happy Birthday to my Andi & Amy!!!! While these lovely ladies both rock Hardcore, it got me thinking which TV (female) characters which make awesome besties. So here in no particular order are my top five:

Angela Montenegro

1)  Angela Montenegro - Bones - beautiful, smart, creative & artistic Angela is an awesome friend to have. She has a huge heart, and would do anything for her friends. Remember the time she helped Zack get a perminant job at the Smithstonian by giving him a make over? Or the countless times she's explained to Brennen how nonsquints do/interpert things? Always patient and understanding she'd be the perfect person to go to for advice. Plus she's not afraid to be herself and believes in love in all forms. Oh and she has a rockstar father. Bonus.

Abby Sciuto

2) Abby Sciuto - NCIS - a happy goth, what's not to love? Always full of smiles & good cheer, Abby is awesome. She is a loyal loving friend, who has been know to go upstairs and refuse to leave the pen till her friends come back from a dangerous mission. She's also willing to do anything to help a friend, like the time she got McGee to place a call in MTAC to allow her friend's nephew to see his mom on Christmas. Plus I knda LOVE her style and that she isn't affraid to express herself.

Kaylee Frye

3) Kaylee Frye - Firefly - by now you're probably sensing a theme...what can I say I like people who are their own individuals, & very cheerful. Kaylee is definately her own person. She's not afraid to be exactly who she is. She is a sweet, loving bit of sunshine on Serenity. She's the one persin who plays with River, & she dreams of simple things like going to a ball in a pretty dress. She's always there to offer a smile & kind word. Plus a best friend with tech skills is just awesome.

Lisa Turtle

4) Lisa Turtle - Saved By The Bell - going a little old school on this one, but seriously, who didn't want Lisa as their best friend. She was smart, sassy and had fantastic fashion sense, well at least for the '90's. She would tell you exactly how it was, and gave excelent advice. She was after all the best advice giver on the Teen Line. Lisa was always there to help her friends our even with the most hairbrained of schemes. She also is responcable for saying one of my fave lines of dialogue ever: "You can't give me pop corn & say no butter!" Seriously, how could you NOT want her as a friend?

Vanessa Doofenschmirtz

5) Vanessa Doofenschmirtz - Phineas & Ferb - Ok, so she's got a evil scientist father, kick ass clothing, she sings AND knows Perry the Platypus....get better? Don't think so!

BONES "The Daredevil in the Mold": AKA: Why I Hate Hannah Burely...

So while I was flipping through the channels and stopped on a rerun of Bones. It was only 1/2 way into the episode that I realized which one it was.

The one where Hannah rips Booth's heart out & stomps it to pieces. Which causes me to HATE her for all time. Sorry, Katheryn Winnick, but no matter what you do in your career in the future, you will forever be that bitch who broke Angel's heart. Please note I LOVE David Boreanaz WAY more as Booth then I ever did as Angel, but he will always be Angel to me.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying a woman, or man, HAS to get married. If that isn't what you want that's perfectly fine, however Hannah went about it the completely wrong way. Her excuse was about how she always told him she "wasn't the marrying kind" and he just must not have been listening, is made invalid by her previous actions. She had also told Booth she would never leave the war zone to work as a correspondent stateside and yet she did exactly that. If she was willing to do that to be with him, wouldn't it be possible she also changed her mind about marriage? To make matters worse her suggestion that they "just go back" and pretend it never happened is almost insulting. He's supposed to just forget that she stomped on his heart and that she doesn't see a real permanent future with him?

Booth's speech about why do no women want what I have to offer, breaks my heart EVERY TIME. Everyone, at some point in their lives has felt hurt and unwanted. It such a well written dialogue, and David Boreanaz, delivers it beautifully. You can almost see his the moment his heart shatters into a million pieces.

Even watching the episode for the third time, even knowing what was coming, the scene still stung. Points to the writers for such an epic scene, and reminding me once again how much I love these characters and this show.

Seriously, worst mistake you ever made Hannah....