Or why I need to stop saying such foolish things. By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer)
While out for drinks the other night with a friend, the topic came around to some new musicals coming around. One or both us thought {insert whatever show YOU feel here} sounded like a terrible idea for a musical. My friend then asked, “Well, let’s think of some musicals that sound like terrible ideas but are actually good.” My first thought was Sunday in the Park with George (“Artists singing about art. And there's pointillism. Kill me now.”). My friend mentioned Sweeney Todd (“This barber kills people above a pie shop, and they bake the bodies into the pies. And there’s singing.”). Once we got through a decent amount of Sondheim’s repertoire, we finished out drinks and moved on to other topics.
But it got me thinking: what are some good musicals that are birthed from weird/delusional/mad ideas? I posed the question to my Facebook friends, and here is what people came up with.
Annie
A musical based off the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie”. Why?
1776
As former Crazytown writer Gregory Jacobs-Roseman put it: “A musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence? That'll have 'em rolling in the aisles.”
Lucy is a filmmaker with a creative eye and genuine voice. She has a variety of content on her channel, including a sporadic series called 168 Hours, where she films a week of her life and pieces it together in a long form vlog.
Below is one of my favorites from her - a beautiful film about her sister’s life with ADHD:
Probably the most high profile YouTuber on this list, Emma has done it all.She’s made music, performed sketches, and done general talk-to-camera videos. My favorite thing she does is sketch.She has a very dry sense of humor, and it comes across in hilarious ways.
For example, this is how dating social media would go:
Chloe has been filming things on her channel for years. She’s an actor and an artist, and she loves her cat.Recently, she’s received a lot of recognition for her artwork, which involves portraiture with... interesting facial features. She’s currently working on a year long project called Little Moments. By putting up a monthly video celebrating the “little moments” that might otherwise be forgotten, she hopes to creatively archive 2016.
Akilah works as a host and an actor for a number of outlets (check out her hosting the Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum for Fusion). On her own channel, she has a lot of great sketches and great collaborations.
For Black History Month, she has made this brilliance:
Happy viewing!
RACHEL JAMESis a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer. EMAIL HER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
RACHEL JAMESis a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer. EMAIL HER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
It might be because there is no clearcut winner in either party, but usually that would intrigue me. Instead, it has made me want to shut down all social media and throw my television out the window. If it wasn't for books, podcasts, and the beautiful advertisement for the NHS known as Call the Midwife, I would've given up all hope that there was a world outside this election cycle.
However, this doesn't mean I'm not voting. I feel really passionate about this, and I feel like most others are on board. While a bunch of friends are arguing over Bernie v. Hillary, and others are unfriending Trump supporters, most everyone agrees that we all need to vote.
As a reminder, here's a little post I wrote back in 2012 (how have I been writing for Crazytown for THAT LONG?). It mattered to me then - it matters to me now.
And, remember, if you need to register to vote, click here.
After dealing with the second largest storm in New York history this weekend, a friend reminded me of the Ogden Nash piece, “Winter Morning Poem”.
Winter is the king of showmen Turning tree stumps into snow men And houses into birthday cakes And spreading sugar over lakes Smooth and clean and frosty white The world looks good enough to bite That’s the season to be young Catching snowflakes on your tongue Snow is snowy when it’s snowing I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going
It’s that last line I’d like to talk about. Everyone always wants to talk about how beautiful it is when it snows. But it’s the days and weeks after that make winter awful. Especially in New York. Here are the tips to make it better.
Get some vitamin D
I know. I want to punch her, too. But I think she's on to something. Image via.
As soon as it’s safe, go outside and get some fresh air. Even if it’s just a step outside for you to go “Fuck this!” and run back to your comforter. You need sunlight. Your computer screen is not going to prevent rickets.
Layers
Nothing to see here...Why are still looking? Image via.
When you do go on this magical journey outside, remember that temperature can go from 5 to 50 in the course of a day. Mother Nature is a cruel mistress, especially with climate change. Know that what you left in the house in this morning will probably have life mess it up by the end of the day.
You know what’s the best? When the snow starts to melt, becomes slush, and then it rains. You know what makes it even better? If, after that rain, the temperature drops dramatically and freezes everything - making New York into the most twisted ice skating rink ever. You know what would make all that worse? Falling on your ass because you were rushing. ON ICE. Give yourself extra time to get places. You’re a grown up. You can do it.
I didn't want to do this. Sorry... By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer)
I know it’s only January, but I am already so sick of the presidential election. I feel like there have already been hundreds of debates, and caucuses are still not for a few more weeks. Everyone is already dividing on social media, and I’m sure everyone had delightful discussions around their holiday tables last month.
One person I’ve been refusing to talk about is Donald Trump.He’s a dick.He always has been one, and he always will be.He is a fame hungry jackass, and the media is giving all the attention to him that he so gratefully wants.So I was surprised this week to see that the British parliament actually had a debate on Monday about whether or not to ban him from the UK for hate speech. He’s an idiot, and it was made quite aware by the genial quips that MPs came up with.
"Can I not suggest that this is about buffoonery? And ultimately buffoonery should not be met with the blunt instrument of a ban, but with the classic British response of ridicule."I couldn’t agree more.
RACHEL JAMESis a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer. EMAIL HER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
Or what David Bowie taught me, in hindsight, about sharing your light with the dark. By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer)
Hello from London! I’m currently here on vacation with some friends, and generally have a grand time of things. But with all the sight seeing and overall merriment, we had an odd start to the trip.
When we landed Monday morning and found out about David Bowie’s passing while waiting in passport control, it came as a shock.Were we really that jetlagged? Is this some kind of gag that British TV is putting on? No, this is the BBC. Crap. It’s true.
That night, a gathering of people corralled in Brixton, just south west of where we’re staying (and where David Bowie was born), and sang their hearts out in grief.
So while the trip has been very successful and full of joy and new experiences, there has been this weird feeling in the air of loss. Part of it, I think, was that I just saw Lazarus back in November. I remember having such confusing feelings about the piece, although I was very glad I had seen it. Now, of course, it all makes sense. While it’s overarching themes are death, grief, and mortality (or immortality, as is the case with the character, Newton), it’s now so specifically a piece about saying goodbye. Of course, that is how the piece will be remembered now. With the finality of something like death, a definitive ending, everything that comes before it suddenly becomes very clear and focused.
And while David Bowie is going to be remembered for his music and his image, you can’t escape the theatricality of his art. He put on a show. And the idea of the show got me thinking about the balance between performer and audience: the ones onstage, in the light, and the ones in the audience, in the dark. The idea that in the darkness, the light on stage will somehow bring out some truth in humanity. In the dark, the audience can feel safe feeling their true feelings, while the creators on stage are exposed.
So I’m seeing a load of theatre today. And I want to try and create more. Not just staring at my computer screen, but actually sharing things with people. The vulnerability of sharing your truth with people is terrifying, but, ultimately, isn’t that what makes life beautiful?
Later this week, we’re going to experience Lumiere London, and Caitlin Moran tweeted this about the occasion:
It's Lumiere London this week. If they can quickly make a huge Bowie made of light, and project it into the sky, the city will ROAR.
Ziggy Stardust lighting up the night sky. What a glorious sendoff that would be.
RACHEL JAMESis a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer. EMAIL HER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
You all know about SERIAL. Here are some ones you might not know about. By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer)
By tradition, the last post of the year on Crazytown is oftentimes a "best of" list. While I love consuming these lists, actually making them is a tad more tedious. What do I write about? How many things should I talk about? Should I rank them? Was the dress black/blue or white/gold?So many questions!
Because of the crazy weather we've been having in New York recently (global warming is real, y'all), I've been leaving my house early so that I can walk to work. I find it not only accomplishes my goal to be more active, but it gives me an opportunity to listen to my favorite podcasts. And thus, we have this year's list!
Some of these I've mentioned in previous posts, and some were brand new to me this year. Regardless, these are the podcasts that I immediately hit play when they appear in my subscription queue. Let's begin!
Chris Coltrane and Lolitics
Chris Coltrane is a wonderful political comedian working out of London. He hosts a monthly show called Lolitics, where different comedians can try out new bits and/or try out bits that are more political than they would normally do. He used to release recordings every few months of the entire show (which could sometimes be almost two hours long). However, he has switched to the format of releasing about 30 minutes of material every month (or sometimes twice a month), and I think it's brilliant! Because it is contemporary, I like listening to it as soon as it comes out. With all the absolutely bonkers stuff going on in the world, it's nice to be able to laugh at it. And Chris, along with his guests, can make you do just that.
The Read
Every week, I cannot WAIT to hear from Kid Fury and Crissle, the hosts of The Read. Each show is set up into three parts. The first part is an overview of various news stories from the previous week. The second part is advice to letters from viewers. And the third part is "The Read", where Kid Fury and Crissle each read someone or something that just needs to be done. If you take anything away from this list, the one thing you need to do is begin listening to The Read immediately.
Scottee is a London based artist I've been a fan of for quite awhile. He tends to do some weird stuff with performance and art. I even have a piece of his hanging above the toilet in my bathroom.
Yes, this hangs in my home. You are all welcome. Image via Scottee's website.
This video is just the latest installment in the journey that is Scottee. It's hilarious and irreverent, and then it turns to make you perk up and pay attention. It give me hope that we can all be better humans soon.
Happy Thursday!
RACHEL JAMESis a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer. EMAIL HER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
Recent Comments