Wednesday, November 26, 2014

This is Cade's Christmas List. I think Santa, his Elves, and his Reindeer will need to work quite a bit of overtime!


Monday, November 24, 2014

I missed Jake Gyllenhaal in his Broadway debut. I will not miss this opportunity to see him on stage.

This is a 13-week engagement. Previews begin on December 16 and the show opens January 13.

I WILL NOT miss him again!

Friday, November 07, 2014

A Night At The Movies, "Of Mice And Men"

Last night Chad and I headed to The Grand Theatre to see the Broadway production of Of Mice and Men that was filmed during their final performance. I was really bummed I missed it on Broadway, so this was a very nice means of seeing the show.

The set was absolutely outstanding, as were the lights. Ususally if I notice the lighting it doesn't bode well for the performances. This was not the case with this show at all. The entire production, from start to finish, was amazing and wonderful.

Chris O'Dowd received a Tony nomination and many other accolades for his rendition of Lenny, and deservedly so. He played Lenny with strength, vulnerability and precious heart. While Chad felt there were a few times Chris' accent bled through, I thought he was spot on.

I was pleasantly surprised by James Franco's performance. I really hate that his characterization of George didn't get the buzz that Chris' performance did. There were many times that as good as Chris was, James was even better. His George started out a bit too angry during the opening scene, but the deeper we got into the story, the more rounded his George became. He brought such glorious layers to George!

After seeing the production, I really do wish I had seen it in person. Still, I can console myself with the fact that seeing the movie version allowed for detailed close-ups that I would have missed on Broadway.

Sunday, November 02, 2014

A Book Report, "Dark Prayer"

Sometimes I get sucked in by a book's cover. Sometimes it's the book's description. For Dark Prayer it was both.
Eloise Blake is on the run from a life she can no longer remember. And from a killer who will stop at nothing, to protect a secret as old as time. From the award-winning author of SEASON OF THE WITCH, comes a thriller about memory, identity and the murderous consequences of a quest gone wrong.
On the cover it looks like two different people, and really it is. Jenilee Gray discovers startling news which triggers a fugue state. Now she is Eloise Blake. Eloise is an entirely different person that who she was when she was Jenilee. For me that was the most fascinating part of the story - memory manipulation. We are who we are due, in part, to our memories. If those memories are manipulated, can we become someone entirely different?

For me this was more of a psychologically exciting book than it was a thriller. The murder mystery wasn't all that interesting since one could figure out "whodunit" fairly early. Still it's a rich story and I'd love for Mostert to write a prequel or even a sequel to this.

(I received an advanced reader's copy of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Saturday, November 01, 2014

2014 Goals - October Update

Nothing new to report. Jeez...


See a minimum of 5 Broadway shows  (completed June)
  1. If/Then (June 12)
  2. B ullets Over Broadway (June 13)
  3. A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (June 14)
  4. Violet (June 14)
  5. Aladdin (June 15)
  6. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (June 15)
  7. Heathers: The Musical (June 16)
Read 60 books for my Goodreads 2014 Reading Challenge (completed August)

Read 3 books off the BBC Reading List
- Gah!

Attend 3 Festivals (completed July)
  1. North Carolina Wine Festival (May 24, Clemmons)
  2. North Carolina Blueberry Festival (June 21, Burgaw)
  3. North Carolina Blackberry Festival (July 12, Lenoir)
Travel somewhere I've never been
- I need to get hopping on this one.