Review: Wheaton Drama’s It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Show

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Show: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE RADIO SHOW
Produced by: 		Location: Wheaton Drama
Director: Sean Ogren

Earlier in December of 2012, a friend of mine and I went to Wheaton Drama to see a bunch of our friends in the holiday radio show “It’s a Wonderful Life”. When I say “a bunch” I mean I knew a fair number of the case right of the bat… (I know that is considered par for the course for me). Anyway what is different about this particular radio show was the addition of a children’s dance troupe from Geneva.

Before I move on here were some first impressions:
Acting: like
Singing: like
Choreography: meh
Staging: like
Sound Effects: love

One of the first things I noticed is that while the audience was trickling into the theatre, various members of the cast were already fully in character, interacting with the audience. It was strange having this sense of being transported into a different decade completely and feeling a sense of being part of the live audience for such a production.

Off to the side of the stage was a couple of tables that were set up for what it would appear to be the “sound effects” guys for the production. Helmed by R J Ogren and Peter Lemongelli, I knew instinctively that we were in for a real treat.

The radio program was hosted by Randy Knott (also known as Count Carl-Magnus in VTG’s A Little Night Music) who was cracking jokes towards the audience and the sound effect guys. However, who really stole the pre-show was Steve Schroeder and his antics of dinging a bell and pointing randomly “and you get wings” *ding* “and you get wings” *ding* “and you get wings”… well you get the idea. That damn guy keeps stealing the show no matter where he is at… but I digress.

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UPDATE: New Tumblr!!!

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Ok… I didn’t do what I normally do in cases like this and claim my typical username early enough in the process. I simply didn’t feel the need. Ugh.

I looked up whomever has my usual username “marianya” and they aren’t even using it! Grrrr. Ah well, in the meantime my username out on Tumblr-land is “marianyaklis”.

Why “Klis”?
Because it is the surname I chose for myself way back in the stone ages of the internet when I picked up the pseudonym “Marianya”. “Klis” was a surname of a family from an old story idea I had back in grade school and it stuck to me ever since.

Why create a Tumblr blog?
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Reflection: End of Year 2012 – Homework

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Ah yes, New Years Resolution time. You know, that time of the year when one reflects on the previous year and see what has been accomplished on one’s resolution list and what one has accomplished unknowingly… and what one still needs to work on.

I don’t usually have a resolutions list… but rather a list of what I would want to do and what I did not want to do. Some small and minor and others major and life altering.

But why am I doing this? Because I find that (after talking to many of my friends) we often get caught up in the details in life that we forget just how much we have accomplished when we sit down and actually think about it. So in many ways this is my attempt to put things into perspective and see what have I accomplished no matter how small. Afterall, if we stress about the little things we forget about the big things and if we forget about the big things we lose track of what is really important in life.

So before I head into 2013… what have I completed in 2012? Better question: what would carry over into 2013 and what would not?
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Reflection: An Actor’s Life For Me (Part Time Anyway)

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It has been almost a year and a half since I step back onto the stage (in the matter of speaking) and decided to see if I could continue to be on stage as much as possible and for as long as I am able until I burn out.

As one would notice via my Thespian Page, I have been extremely busy in the second half of 2011 and throughout 2012. I have met plenty of new friends and acquaintances, found myself reanalyzing my beliefs and perspective with several groups and manage to integrate myself into others. All in all I do not have any regrets and in fact 2013 looks to be as busy if not busier on many levels.

Earlier in the year I posted a short list of musicals that I wanted to be a part of… it doesn’t matter the part. In that same post I mentioned that I don’t usually have a wish list of plays that I must be a part of, and that still stands true to an extent.
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Recipe: Vanilla Ice Cream with White Wine

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Earlier I posted a bit of my first impressions of a book called: Ice Cream Happy Hour 50 Boozy Treats You Spike, Freeze and Serve, it is through this recipe book that I decided to try my hand at using the alcohol at my place to make ice cream.

The first recipe in the book seemed fairly simple enough: “Vanilla with Brandy”, except I didn’t have brandy at my place. So I did what I always did best, I adapted, changed, and worked with what I had on hand.

First thing’s first… here is the original recipe:

So what did I change?
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Review: Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear’s Cinnamon Bear

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Show: THE CINNAMON BEAR
Produced by: Transco 		Location: Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear
Director: Ben Dooley

Just around the holiday season “Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear“ does a radio show and this past year is no different. In fact what was on hand in the repetoire of 2012 was a condensed version of The Cinnamon Bear… from what I understand there were 26 episodes of programming (or approximately five hours) to wade through and trim into a 90 minute live radio show. And did they succeed… Although I am not familiar with the original programming I thoroughly enjoyed what I was able to listen to in what was available.

According to the website:

Since 1938, Chicago families have gathered around the radio and delighted in the holiday adventures of Judy, Jimmy and the lovable Paddy O’Cinnamon as they traveled through the weird and wonderful Maybeland in search of their missing silver star to adorn their Christmas tree–the clock ticking as Christmas Day comes closer and closer. On their magical journey they meet all sorts of exciting characters. Some of them are friendly, like Queen Melissa, while others are not so nice, like the Wintergreen Witch. But all of them are memorable.

[…]

So join us as Judy and Jimmy discover their silver start is missing and they embark on their wondrous journey into Maybeland to bring it back. Along the way, we’ll meet the Crazy Quilt Dragon, Nicky Frudle, Jack Frost, and we’ll even head up to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus himself.
Fun for the whole family (perfect for children of all ages) here’s your chance to see and hear this show come to new life, packed with delightful music, wonderful characters, and exciting adventures that every child will enjoy.

But really what is there to say about it?
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Review: Les Miserables 2012 film

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lesmistheatreDuring Christmas Day my parents and I were part of the legions of people that went to see Les Miserables on the large silver screen.

Granted considering that it was Opening Day for the film the theatre was going to be jam packed with people that got there early enough to get the prime seats. So my parents and I ended up sitting third row from the front. Not terrible, but definitely not preferred.

So how to describe Les Miserables? Well for the non-musical non-drama people out there I would say it like this:

Les Miserables is about the Gladiator who spends almost two decades chasing Wolverine who in turn saves and becomes guardian to The White Queen’s daughter who is in the keeping of Borat and Bellatrix (who provide much of the film’s comedy relief and are apparently proficient at pickpocketing).

The Gladiator also has a bunch of college students that are trying to overthrow the monarchy and trying to cause another revolution… which doesn’t end well. Oh and a bunch of people die using the precursors to lightsabers and phasors.

To get you into the mood… here is something rather diverting from the Polish stage cast of Les Miserables:

Anyway… enough goofing around… for spoilers go beyond the break:

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Comparison: Les Miserables Complete Song List

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Since we were only given “Highlights Soundtrack“, most of the below is heavily borrowed from the Wikipedia articles of the film as well as the stage versions as a basis… notes are from memory.

Earlier I have posted a comparison article using strictly the Highlights Soundtrack… so the below is the expanded song list and any changes based from memory… which is getting flaky by the day. So do not take this as a total list, but it is close to complete as I am able to recall off-hand… at least until they release a complete film soundtrack (which I sincerely hope they do).

NOTE: Songs marked with an asterisk (*) have already been posted in my Comparison: Les Miserables Soundtrack post.

So below is a table of the breakdown and comparison of the song list between the stage and film versions of the Les Miserables musical… For a quick cheat sheet of the below list, go beyond the break (at the end of the table):

SONG TITLE STAGE SEQUENCE FILM SEQUENCE CHANGES NOTES
* Work Song 1 1 lyric changes Combined with “On Parole” and called “Look Down” in the “Highlights Soundtrack”
* On Parole 2 2 lyric changes Combined with “Work Song” and called “Look Down” in the “Highlights Soundtrack”
* Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven 3 3 none Called “The Bishop” in the “Highlights Soundtrack”
* What Have I Done 4 4 none Called “Valjean’s Soliloquy” in the “Highlights Soundtrack”
* At the End of the Day 5 5 none
* I Dreamed a Dream 6 8 none
Lovely Ladies 7 7 minor lyric changes
Fantine’s Arrest 8 9 none
The Runaway Cart 9 6 none
Who Am I? / The Trial 10 10 minor lyric changes
Come to Me (Fantine’s Death) 11 11 minor lyric changes
* The Confrontation 12 12 missing lyrics Valjean’s final overlapping lyrics with Javert and the lyrics that Valjean is singing to Fantine at the end are cut
* Castle on a Cloud 13 13 none
* Master of the House 14 14 lyric changes Introduction completely revised
The Bargain / The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery 15 15 minor lyric changes
* Suddenly — 16 New Song
Look Down 16 18 added lyrics Gavroche gets an additional verse
The Robbery 17 19 missing lyrics only the opening line, and Thenardier and Eponine’s lines were used
Javert’s Intervention 18 20 minor lyric change
* Stars 19 17 none
Eponine’s Errand 20 21 minor lyric change
* ABC Cafe / Red and Black 21 22 minor lyric change
Do You Hear the People Sing? 22 28 none
* Rue Plumet – In My Life 23 23 none Combined with “A Heart Full of Love” on the “Highlights Soundtrack”
A Heart Full of Love 24 24 none Combined with “Rue Plumet – In My Life” on the “Highlights Soundtrack”
The Attack on the Rue Plumet 25 25 minor lyric changes
* One Day More 26 27 none
Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones) 27 29 minor lyric changes
* On My Own 28 26 none
At the Barricade (Upon These Stones) 29 30 minor lyric changes
Javert’s Arrival 30 31 minor lyric changes and missing lyrics there were some lines that were cut and others changed
Little People 31 32 none
A Little Fall of Rain 32 34 none
Night of Anguish 33 35 none?
The First Attack 34 33 none?
* Drink with Me 35 36 none
* Bring Him Home 36 37 none
Dawn of Anguish 37 38 none?
The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche) 38 39 none
* The Final Battle 39 40 none
Dog Eats Dog (The Sewers) 40 — Cut Song
* Javert’s Suicide 41 41 none
Turning 42 42 missing lyrics only first verse used in the film
* Empty Chairs at Empty Tables 43 43 none
Every Day 44 44 added vocal part when song ends with the trio between Cosette, Marius and Valjean, in the film there is an added vocal part for Marius’ grandfather who is welcoming Marius home
Valjean’s Confession 45 45 none
Wedding Chorale 46 46 none
Beggars at the Feast 47 47 minor lyric changes
* Valjean’s Death 48 48 minor lyric changes Combined with “Do You Hear the People Sing? (Reprise) [Finale]” and called “Epilogue” on the “Highlights Soundtrack”
* Do You Hear the People Sing? (Reprise) [Finale] 49 49 none Combined with “Valjean’s Death” and called “Epilogue” on the “Highlights Soundtrack”

Alright are you as confused as I was? Well how about a quick cheat sheet of the major changes from the above list?
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Comparison: Les Miserables Highlights Soundtrack

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So there was a lot of speculation as to you which songs got cut, added, adjusted, revised, etc… So I figured that I would provide a quick and simple table to help you understand where the changes were made (if any)…

Keep in mind that I using the “Highlights Soundtrack” for comparison purposes that was released on the 21st of December… and all notes in regards to what was in the film is based off of what was from memory… since I saw this film on Christmas Day.

Later this week I will post a more complete list using the song list as shown on the Wikipedia page (once information can be confirmed)
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Review: Ice Cream Happy Hour

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Earlier this month I was talking to a friend of mine about my desire to make ice cream and she offered to loan me her ice cream machine indefinitely since she and her husband were not using it… ever. So naturally I decided “why not?” and borrowed the ice cream machine.

To test out the machine I tried a batch of a simple vanilla ice cream with chunks of chocolate and candy canes mixed in and had great success. So I decided that since I had so much alcohol at my place I needed to find ways to “get rid of” them without having to resort to either drinking, throwing a party, or giving them away. What was I left with was the idea of using them to cook with.

The idea came out like a bolt out of the blue… why not make boozy ice cream? It can’t be all that difficult and I am sure others have tried to figure out ways to make it work. So after some research online a young adult duo of Valerie Lum and Jenise Addison eventually authored a small recipe book called “Ice Cream Happy Hour: 50 Boozy Treats You Spike, Freeze and Serve”. BINGO!

I stumbled upon this duo via a post / article about them on Gizmodo which also featured a movie that gives a quick idea of what they did to create their boozy concoctions and also immediately I was sold. So I bought the book via Amazon.com and waited patiently for the book to arrive to create to give a recipe a try.

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Reflection: Christmas Truce 1914

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Typically I try not to preach, there are far too many of my friends, acquaintances, etc… and since I claim to be Switzerland more often than not, I keep out of most discussions dealing with politics and religion. But like all things there is typically an exception and this is one of those exceptions.

My family decided to go to a rather late evening mass for Christmas and I went with them, during the priest’s homily he talked about how was a bit of a history buff and proceeded to talk about the Christmas “truce” of 1914 that occurred in the trenches of World War I. You know the one where throughout most of Europe in the trenches of the war, the British and German troops (around Christmas Day) fraternized with one another to the point that there were a few groups that were playing football in “No Man’s Land”.

Being the curious skeptic that I was the moment that I went home I did some research online wondering if this could be true and wouldn’t you know it… it was… There are many articles and websites online like History.com that have given short summaries of what had happened in the trenches.

Some pages claim that this form of chivalry and fraternization is one of the last moments in history to have occurred on such a grand scale. Other sites have claimed that this occurred for week leading up to Christmas Day and quite possibly for a week there after leading into the New Year.

There have been reported cases of the swapping of gifts, singing Christmas caroles, and just some good natured camaraderie. So what happened?
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Entertainment: Christmas Carole Flash Mob

Over the past few years we have seen videos on YouTube of various Flash Mobs happening all over the world. The major one would the one done for commercial at a train station in Belguim to Julie Andrew’s rendition of Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music:

Searching online there have been other flash mobs of all kinds happening all over the place. Here are a few holiday ones:
First the Hallelujah Chorus

And here is a medley of various Christmas carols

So why am I going on about all this?
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Fleeting: Kickstarter Projects Backed

Personally I have backed twenty projects thus far… of the twenty, one got cancelled, another was unsuccessful and a third is currently in progress and will be until mid-January.

Of the seventeen that are left… I have seen the final products of five of them while others are either delayed or still in development. Below is a list of the final products / projects that I have received and how I have felt about them thus far in chronological order from the first project / product backed to the most recent:

MODEST MEDUSA SEASON 1
Modest Medusa is one of those web comics that I was introduced to by a friend and grew to not only love and enjoy but actively keeping up with to see more of. So when a Kickstarter was created so that Season 1 of the Modest Medusa web comic could be released in book form I just HAD to jump on it.

So what did I ended up going for?

A walk on role in an upcoming Modest Medusa strip. You’ll appear in at least one panel (and likely more) sometime during Modest Medusa Season 2. You may get a speaking role, or you may get killed by the Chainsaw Unicorn! You’ll receive the original black and white art for this strip after it’s published. You’ll also receive the previously mentioned rewards.

Damn right! Featured in a couple of panels was nice… quick, sweet and to the point… not to mention it caters to my semi-evil self. But what were the “previously mentioned rewards? Well they include:

  • A special Modest Medusa Season 1 print, created just for this kickstarter! This full color 11 x 17 print features all the characters and events from Season 1
  • A box of tasty Hostess Chocodiles (the Medusa’s favorite snack)
  • A hand colored Modest Medusa panel. Choose your favorite panel from any Modest Medusa strip and I’ll print it in black and white on high quality 5 x 6 bristol board and color it by hand using copic markers. A one of a kind piece of art
  • A copy of the Modest Medusa Season 1 book, signed by myself and my niece Marah. I’ll also do a little Medusa sketch on the title page!
  • A special Modest Medusa sticker set, featuring brand new art created just for this Kickstarter! Additionally your name will appear on the Thank You page in the book

Anyway… more about Modest Medusa in another post down the road… for now… onward!

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Entertainment: The Periodic Table

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Now there have been a lot of images and off shoots, songs and video about the periodic table. But what really brought me to creating this post was the following periodic table:
periodic-table-final-fantasy-characters

Granted there is a whole bunch of these all over the internet like the Harry Potter version:
pejao

And one of various Super Heroes (Heroines):
Periodic_Table_of_Superheroics_by_daerave

And of course the Hunger Games version of the periodic table:
Periodic-times-table-of-The-Hunger-Games-characters-peeta-mellark-30462820-1280-858

I am just a wee obsessed lately. 🙂 Blame the science / fantasy geek in me.

Entertainment: Tiny Houses / Cottages

At the moment I live in a cottage… a small one bedroom home with a great room, kitchen, bath and a little area in the back for the furnace and the washer/dryer. There is an attic and I have a backyard.

For a while I tickled with the idea of having a housewarming party, and in some ways I still am tickling with that idea, but I find I like the solitude and the idea that it is close yet far and away from everyone else I know. I have a little area in front for a small garden and it is close to everything I need to go to as well as walking distance to the train station.

If I was smart I would have bought a bike and just bike to work or to a friends’ place or what not… but that might be something for me to consider come the new year.

So why am I talking about where I live? Because I came across an article on Yahoo! about tiny homes and they featured a blog called Little Yellow Door which featured the creation, development and building of a tiny home by a young lady who at the beginning of her project had never lifted a tool in her life.
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