The King and I Review

Hello everyone! It’s Evan and I’ve returned with another blog post for you all, this one being a review of The King and I.

On December 30, 2017, I saw a performance of The King and I starring Laura Michelle Kelly as Anna Leonowens and Jose Llana as The King of Siam. This show blew me away. I went in knowing only a few songs and the others really surprised me, but let’s get to the review!

The King and I tells the story of a widowed English schoolteacher (Laura Michelle Kelly) who, along with her young son Louis (Rhyees Stump) travel to Siam to teach The King’s (Jose Llana) many children, but Anna and The King form a tedious relationship.

To begin—Laura Michelle Kelly’s performance in this show is outstanding. It’s honest and kind and I think everyone could find something to love about it. Her voice is also GORGEOUS! Her rendition of Hello Young

Lovers is so beautiful and it touched my heart. She and Jose Llana had great chemistry! The audience could really tell that they enjoyed performing together and seeing them together was unlike any performance I’ve ever seen.

The show itself blew me away as well. The orchestrations and the choreography were huge stand outs. The book is incredible. There were so many American jokes that I, and the rest of the audience were near crying due to how funny they were, and Jose had great comedic timing and really used his jokes to the fullest. The music in this show is absolutely gorgeous, every song was so ravigant and the music is EXQUISITE. I fell in love with every character and I didn’t want the show to end.

There is not a bad thing to say about this show, it was phenomenal! I give it 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage!

~ Evan

RENT Live Dream Cast

Hello everyone, it’s Evan and I’ve returned with another blog post for you all, this one being my dream casting for FOX’s 2019 live musical event, RENT! I hope you all enjoy!

As many of you know, FOX and NBC have been broadcasting live productions of musicals such as The Sound of Music, The Wiz, Hairspray, and Grease. I love

these productions because they 
incorporate Broadway stars and mainstream artists which is a great way to get new audiences into musical theatre. I hope you’ll enjoy my dream cast of RENT. 

Ben Platt as Mark

I along with many other people, would love to see Ben’s take as Mark Cohen. I think he has the PERFECT voice and he clearly has the acting chops. Ben’s father is producing this event, so it would be super cool to see them work on a project together. He recently won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen. Ben has also appeared in The Book of Mormon and Pitch Perfect.


Brendon Urie as Roger

Over the past several months, I’ve become a big Panic! at the Disco fan and I love Brendon Urie’s voice, and I think he would be a great fit for Roger! Brendon made his Broadway debut this summer as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots and he gathered rave reviews. I think he would be a brilliant fit for Roger because I think his voice fits the character, and I feel as if Roger himself, would listen to Panic! at the Disco. 

Camila Mendes as Mimi

I think Camila Mendes would be a great pick for Mimi because she can not only act, but she’s proven on multiple occasions that she can sing, and I think her voice is extremely fitting for Mimi. Camila is currently playing Veronica Lodge on Riverdale and I think her character is very similar to Mimi, mostly due to their attitude and their demanding flair. Camila has actually sung Out Tonight on Riverdale and I thought it was a brilliant performance.

Todrick Hall as Angel

I think Todrick would be a great Angel! He has lots of musical theatre experience, and he has a FANTASTIC voice. He recently appeared as Lola in Kinky Boots and he is currently starring as Billy Flynn in Chicago. He has also appeared in numerous shows at community and regional theatres. Todrick has lots of experience with drag, which is crucial to a role like Angel, so I think he would be a great choice!

Amber Riley as Joanne

I think Amber Riley would be a GREAT choice for Joanne because, she's a radiant performer, and I think her voice is perfect for the role. She showcased her stellar voice on Glee and she recently won an Olivier Award for her performance as Effie White in Dreamgirls. She and Lea Michele have even performed Take Me or Leave Me on Glee!

Lea Michele as Maureen

I think that Lea Michele would be a PHENOMENAL Maureen. She is a brilliant performer and she has a gorgeous voice. She has lots of musical theatre credits such as Les Miserables and Spring Awakening. She is best known for her performance on Glee as Rachel Berry, where she has sung many showtunes, including Take Me or Leave Me!

Post your RENT Live dream cast in the comment box below. Happy Holidays everyone! Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage.

~ Evan

Appreciate your crew!

Hello everyone! It’s Evan and I’ve returned with another blog post for you all. This one is about the magical people who help bring shows to life, THE CREW!

The crew plays an essential role in bringing shows to life. They do extraordinary things like creating set pieces, designing costumes, timing sound effects, making sure actors get into costumes in a limited amount of time and so much more behind the curtain. I PERSONALLY think crew members don't get enough recognition. I think that they have an incredibly hard job and they are a prime part of how shows get to the stage. I was watching videos on YouTube and it

really struck me how important crew members are. At the 2015 Tony Awards, the cast of The King and I performed a medley of Getting to Know You, Something Wonderful, and Shall We Dance. Kelli O'Hara has a quick change in which she had to change from her schoolteacher outfit to her grand ballroom out. This video showed how the costume crew quickly helped Kelli into her second costume and I was stunned. Kelli couldn't have done this by herself and it hit me that while actors and actresses put on a great performance, they couldn't do it without the crew members. So, to any crew members reading this, thank you so much. We actors couldn't do it without you.

I hope you got to learn about what happens behind the curtain. Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage! 

~ Evan

Noah Galvin in Dear Evan Hansen

Hello everyone! It's Evan and I've returned to share another blog post with you all, this one being about Noah Galvin.

Recently, Ben Platt played his final

Laura Dreyfuss, Noah Galvin

performance in Dear Evan Hansen and Noah Galvin was cast as his replacement. This has sparked controversy in the Broadway community because Noah has said some problematic things in an interview with Vulture. While I do think that some of the things he said in that interview were uncalled for, I do think that everyone deserves a second chance, which is something that Dear Evan Hansen teaches. Noah has apologized for the things that he has said which should make up for the offense he's caused. It's one thing to not say anything at all and it's another thing to take responsibility for the things you've done, which is something that Noah has bravely done. While I haven't seen Noah perform in the show, I did see his performance on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I thought he was great. He has a great voice and it's so fitting for Evan Hansen. While it's okay to dislike Noah as a person, it's not okay to create hate accounts towards him on social media because of his performance. Saying that "you miss Ben Platt" or that "the casting directors could have done better" is not a reason to spread hate towards Noah. In fact, not only is that something Dear Evan Hansen shines a light on, but you shouldn't spread hate towards him at all, just keep your negative opinions to yourself.

To the people who are spreading hate towards Noah, I hope that you learned something from reading this. Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage! 

~ Evan

My Masterclass Experience

Hello everyone! It's Evan and I've returned with another blog post for you all! This one being about my first experience at a masterclass.

Last week, I attended my first masterclass with Mamie Parris, who is currently playing Grizabella in CATS. It was AMAZING! Mamie was so helpful and kind and I learned so many things that will help me enhance my performances. One of the main subjects we discussed was delivering a stand out performance, and one of the key things to doing to so is before you're about to perform a song, have A SHOCK and realize how and what you're feeling and fight the urge to apologize for it. It really enhances your acting in songs and it really makes you feel even more connected to your song as well. We also talked about showing honesty and vulnerability when you're performing. You really have to find those things in your song because are the things that really connect you with your character, the way that you represent your vulnerability and your honesty to yourself. REPLICATING YOUR FEELINGS IS SO IMPORTANT!


We also discussed many tips and tricks to do while singing. One thing that I really was surprised by is that when you raise your head while you sing, it looks as if you're TELLING a story, while if you keep your head at a 90° angle, it looks as if you're TALKING in a sense, which is typically the goal. One key factor that EVERYONE should know is that SPECIFICITY AND ENVIRONMENT ARE YOUR FRIENDS. Being specific in your songs is GOOD, be as SPECIFIC AS YOU CAN. It really enhances your performing to an extraordinary level. When you're performing or rehearsing in a new space, use it to your advantage. You can learn so many new things just from being in a new place and you should really keep that in mind.

Overall, I really hope that reading this has helped you learn some new things like Mamie did towards me at the masterclass. Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage! 

~ Evan

The 2017-2018 Broadway Season!

Hello all, it's Evan and I'm back with another weekly blog post for you all! This one being about the new 2018-2017 Broadway season! Many new shows have opened and are scheduled to be opening soon and I'm so excited to talk about them!

All of the plays and musicals in this season are 1984, Angels in America, The Band's Visit, Carousel, The Children, Children of a Lesser God, Escape to Margaritaville, Farinelli and the King, Frozen, Gettin' the Band Together, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I and II, The Iceman Cometh, Junk, Latin History for Morons, Lobby Hero, M. Butterfly, Mean Girls, Meteor Shower, Michael Moore: The Terms of My Surrender, The Minutes, My Fair Lady, Once on this Island, The Parisian Woman, Prince of Broadway, Rocktopia, Saint Joan, SpongeBob Squarepants, Three Tall Women, and Time and the Conways.

The shows that I'm really looking forward to are The Band's Visit, Carousel, Escape to Margaritaville, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts l and ll, Mean Girls, Meteor Shower, Once on this Island, and SpongeBob SquarePants! I've heard rave reviews about The Band's Visit, and I've heard that it has a lot of Tony Award potential! I love Carousel and I'm SUPER

excited to see Jessie Mueller as Julie Jordan, I loved her in Waitress and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Like anyone in the 21st century, I LOVE Mean Girls! It's such a cult film and there's so many funny one-liners! I can't wait to see what the cast brings to the show, and I can't wait to hear some songs as well! I'm a huge fan of Steve Martin's writing and I love Laura Benanti and Amy Schumer, so I'm really excited for Meteor Shower, I see Tony Award potential for Best Play! I haven't seen Once on this Island, but I've heard that it's a great show! I love Lea Salonga and Quentin Earl Darrington and I can't wait to see what they bring to the show! Finally, there's SpongeBob SquarePants. I have mixed feelings on this show. I thought it was OKAY during its out of town run in Chicago, but I think the script needs many improvements before it comes to Broadway. On the other hand, I love music and the cast and I can't wait to see what's in store!

Thank you so much for reading, feel free to share your feedback with me in the Google Form under the follower section! Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage!

~ Evan

Sounds like a blog post!

Hello friends, it's Evan and I'm back with another blog post for you all, this one being about the book Sounds Like Me: My Life (so far) in Song by Sara Bareilles. I know this doesn't have much to do with Broadway or musical theatre, but I LOVE Sara Bareilles and I love her work.

To jump right in, Sara Bareilles has really written something amazing with this book. I got to learn so much about her back story, her family, her inspiration

behind some of her songs, and so many other things that I've been wondering. She dives deep into so many emotional topics and there is so much depth and honesty in this book. This is definitely one of my favorite books of all time and I definitely plan on re-reading it many times! I recommend reading it with the audio book because Sara reads it and it feels like having a conversation with your best friend! This book has changed me as a performer AND as a human being, so tell all of your friends about Sounds Like Me: My Life (so far) in Song by Sara Bareilles!

Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage!

~ Evan

Sugar, blogging, flour!

Hello my lovely friends, it's Evan and I'm back with another blog post for you all! I'm sorry for the long gap, I've been really busy with school and I've had a bit of writers block. I'll try to have a new blog poat out every other week! Today, I'm going to blog about one of my favorite musicals, Waitress!

On the official Waitress website, the synopsis reads
"Inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, WAITRESS tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life."

SPOILERS BELOW!

I don't really want to build up to anything, so I'm just going to jump right into what I want to say. First, I think there were some odd things to Jenna and Dr. Pomatter's relationship. I know that Jenna was dealing with Earl and his abuse at home, which I think led to the affair, while Dr. Pomatter had a few things that were left unmentioned in the show. One of those things being, what was it like with his wife Francine? Did he love her? Did he need her? Did she need him? The only time Francine is shown in the show is after Jenna gives birth to her baby, Lulu, and Francine introduces herself, but THAT'S IT. All you could see from Francine was a young and attractive female who is clearly successful. But what I want to know is, Was Dr. Pomatter unhappy? Why did he go through with the affair AND why did he continue it?

The next thing that I want to talk about is the relationship between Jenna and Earl. As shown in the show, Earl is an abusive husband. He doesn't treat Jenna kindly and he's completely oblivious to what she's feeling. Every time Earl enters a scene, you can see genuine fear in Jenna's eyes, she's clearly terrified of him But, I really want to know, what caused Earl to go downhill. I feel as if Jenna and Earl really were in love and that they could've had a great relationship together. It's heavily shown and implied in the show that Earl is a big drinker, so I think this could be the problem, but I think there's more to it.

I think that's all that I wanted to say.. I just wish that Waitress should have dug deeper into the relationships with the characters. I'd love to know your thoughts on this, so please comment on what you think about the characters and feelings of Waitress. Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage!

~ Evan

Keep the drama out of Drama

Hello everyone, I've returned yet again, with another blog post, this one being about all that's been going on in the Broadway community lately, mainly being in the show, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

Mandy Patinkin, Oak Oanadowan

On July 26, 2017, it was announced that Broadway superstar, Mandy Patinkin would take over the role of Pierre making Okieriete "Oak" Oanodowan, the current Pierre, finish his run a few weeks short. Then, a few days later on July 28, 2017, Mandy Patinkin announced in a statement to The New York Times that he had withdrawn from the show. That statement being, 
“My understanding of the show’s request that I step into the show is not as it has been portrayed and I would never accept a role knowing it would harm another actor,” Mr. Patinkin said. “I hear what members of the community have said and I agree with them. I am a huge fan of Oak and I will, therefore, not be appearing in the show.” Oak also stated in an Instagram post, that he would not be returning to the show.

When it was announced that Mandy Patinkin was replacing Oak, outrage throughout the Broadway community spread like wildfire. Many said that Oak was fired, many accused it of being racism, and I personally, think it was neither of those accusations. What I think was the case of this, is that the show was on the brink of closing, which was actually said on Twitter by the show's creator,

Dave Malloy. So I think, while they were doing what doing what was best for their show, I think Oak should've finished his run before Mandy was put into the show, it's only fair, but they tried to do what they could to save their show. Many people were sending Mandy rude tweets and messages, which I think was rude and uncalled for. Nobody deserves that. 

On August 8, 2017, it was announced that the show would close on September 3, 2017. I saw this coming. The show wasn't selling well, and as Dave Malloy, said, they were in the brink of closing. I think that if some people weren't rude to Mandy, the show would be fine, and it be running successfully. I guess that's all I have to say, just a PSA: Please, don't be rude to others if things don't go the way that YOU

wanted them to, you have no idea how they could make someone feel, and what could come of it. Thank You.

My opinions on Hello, Dolly!

Hello everyone, I've returned with yet, another blog post, this one about Hello, Dolly!

On the official Playbill website, the synopsis reads, "A meddlesome matchmaker brings together the young clerk of a wealthy Yonkers merchant and his assistant with a widowed milliner and her assistant, while making sure she herself gets to marry the merchant, in Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart's musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker."

Hello, Dolly! Playbill

This revival of Hello, Dolly! stars Bette Midler as the title character, Dolly Gallagher Levi, which her performance earned her a Best Lead Actress in a Musical Tony Award for. Other Tony Award nominees are David Hyde Pierce (Best Leading Actor in a Musical nomination for his performance as Horace Vandergelder), Gavin Creel (Best Featured Actor in a Musical win for his performance as Cornelius Hackl), and Kate Baldwin (Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination for her performance as Irene Malloy).

While, I have not seen the revival live, I have seen the revival live, I have seen the original 1969 film with Barbra Streisand and I have watched the bootleg of the revival. I 
thought the production was phenomenal. The set, the music, the costumes, and the atmosphere and vibes that I were getting from the show just put me in a good mood. The cast had so much energy and enthusiasm, and you could really tell that they all enjoyed performing with each other.

Taylor Trensch, Bette Midler, Gavin Creel

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the show, mostly due to the Tony Awards, and I'm going to give my opinions on that. Many people are saying that it did not deserve to win Best Revival of a Musical. I have only seen two of the nominees, Falsettos and Hello, Dolly!, so I cannot speak for Miss Saigon. I've heard many people saying that Hello, Dolly! did not deserve any Tony Awards, but that is their opinion, so I'm not going to bash it. But what really bothers me, is when

people will pick on the people who won the awards when someone who they wanted to win, didn't win. They have no control of winning, it's all up to the Tony voters. Now, for the infamous Bette Midler speech, I don't have a problem with it. If anything, I think it was very nice of her to go overtime. She was showing her appreciation for all the people who helped bring Hello, Dolly! back to life. When she had a longer speech than everyone else, did it affect anyone negatively? I think not, so I'd stop complaining and bashing Bette Midler. I personally think that Hello, Dolly deserved every Tony Award that it got, it's a spectacular show and I love everything about it. 

Well, that's it for now, I just wanted to get some of my feelings out haha! Thank you so much for reading, keep conquering the stage!

~ Evan

Why everyone needs to see Falsettos..

Hello, my friends! I have returned again to bring another blog post to you all!

Last night, on July 25, 2017, I saw Falsettos at my local movie theatre and I'm going to tell you all why you need to see this show, because it's so important, especially because of all the bad things going on right now.

On the official Falsettos website, the sypnosis reads "Falsettos is a hilarious and poignant look at a modern family revolving around the life of a gay man Marvin, his wife, his lover, his soon‑to‑be‑bar‑mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. Originally created under the specter of the AIDS crisis, this timely musical about middle‑class family dynamics manages to remain buoyant and satirically perceptive even as it moves towards its heartbreaking conclusion." So, that should give you a good visual of what the show is like.

After seeing this show, it really connected with me. This show shows that, each and every character is not perfect, but that they can still be loved. It shows to cherish the time that you have with people, because when you realize how much they impact you and how much you love each other, they could be gone. By the end of the show, you could hear the sniffles throughout the theatre, and you could hear all the people talking about how it touched them, and it was so beautiful to watch what musical theatre can do.

Brandon Uranowitz as Mendel

Someone who was a huge standout to me, was Brandon Uranowitz, who played Mendel. He put so much of himself into his character, and you could tell that everyone else who was performing really enjoyed being around him, because he was so quirky and witty, and I really think he deserved his Tony nomination. 

So, please, go see this show, take your friends, take your parents, take somebody with you, so that this show can impact them as well. If you'd like to buy tickets to Falsettos, then click this to see showtimes and theatres near you. Thank you so much for reading for reading, and keep conquering the stage!

~ Evan

The Company of Falsettos

Jellicles can and Jellicles did!

Hello, my friends! I have returned with a brand new blog post because people actually enjoy mine, haha!

On March 5th, 2017, I saw my first ever live Broadway and I'm going to share my thoughts in a review for you all, but before I get started with that, I have a small story to tell!

For Christmas last year, my mother surprised me with a trip to New York City and tickets to a Broadway performance of CATS! I was bawling because it was completely unexpected and it was the greatest gift I had ever received.

Flash forward 3 and a half months later and it was finally time for our trip to see CATS at the Neil Simon Theatre on March 5th! When I first walked into the theatre, my jaw dropped to the floor because the set was so spectacular! It was like walking into an actual junkyard, minus the smell and actual junk, haha! 

I was so excited for the show to start and when I heard the pre-show announcement, I knew that I was about to have the best experience of my life! Hearing the overture live and getting to see the cats run into the audience running in the audience was so amazing and I'll never forget it. The applause for the overture was wild and it gave me so much energy, the conductor and the band are so phenomenal, they deserve so much more credit and recognition! I went into the show knowing only the classic songs like Jellicle Song for Jellicle Cats and Memory!

I think that the show overall was phenomenal and that Andy Blankenbuehler did a fantastic job with choreographing! It reminded me of the 80's and I think that's something that all productions of CATS strive to do, so kudos to Andy! 

Someone who was a huge stand out to me, was the outstanding Mamie Parris, who played Grizabella! She put so much heart and emotion into her portrayal and when she sang Memory, not only was I in tears, when she rose up and sang the "Touch me!" line, it sent chills down my spine, and it was a performance that I'll never forget.

Overall, I think this was the best show I have ever seen. There's so much talent in this cast, the set is phenomenal, it was an amazing theatre experience! If you didn't enjoy CATS before, give this revival a chance, it will probably change your mind. I'm giving this show 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ! Thank you for reading, I'll catch you in the Heavyside Layer!

 ~ Evan

Well, this is me..

Hi there! My name is Evan, 
I'm from Arkansas, but I'm currently living in Texas,
I'm an aspiring Broadway performer,
and I love musical theatre!

I think what got me into theatre was when I saw the touring production of Hairspray in third grade.. I remember really wanting to see a local production of Suessical, but unfortunately, I couldn't and I HAD to go see Hairspray with my grandparents.. I went in with negative hopes because I didn't get to see the show I wanted, but I actually really enjoyed the show.. I remember constantly listening to You Can't Stop the Beat and I eventually started watching lots of the classic movie musicals like A Chorus Line, Singin' in the Rain, She Loves Me, etc. But later on, I got into other things, and pushed musical theatre to the side.

A few years later, I got back on the musical train because my mother took me to see the amazing touring production of WICKED. That's when it clicked in my head, "OMG, this is the job for you, Evan.. Musical theatre is perfect for someone like you!" 

Well, that's my quirky musical nerd side of me, let's move on to some fun facts!

• I am a pescatarian
• I support PETA
• I have a fan mail sending addiction
• I have awful pollen allergies in the spring
• I wear socks to sleep

Well, that's all for me, I guess I'll move into why I made this blog. 
When I started sending fan mail, I noticed that there weren't many videos or blogs on helping others send fan mail to Broadway shows/stars, so I wanted to help expand that, and that is why you have the blog before you! 😊

Finally, I think that's all there is to know! I'm going to strive for 1-3 blog posts a week! Thank you for reading and I hope that I can help you out in the future! Keep conquering the stage! 

~ Evan