I was planning on putting on my rainbow hot pants and pink nipple tassels Sunday best today, but rain and papers (not at the same time) got in the way. Instead I've decided to celebrate this particular gay pride with a few videos by the hilarious Jeffery and Cole. This first one has been popping up all over the internet over the past few weeks, but if you haven't seen it, it's well worth the two minutes.
And for a little bonus footage: Jeffery and Bernadette Peters. I have no clue what is going on in this video, but it makes me giggle. Yes, I said giggle.
I must admit that I was hoping for a "Xanadu" upset at last Sunday's Tony Awards. It was hands down the funniest show I saw last season, and I was ecstatic to see it give the best performance of the broadcast. Special shout out for Dan Knechtges fantastic, goofy, and wonderfully musical choreography. Is it just me or did they make Cheyenne Jackson's shorts extra short and tight for the broadcast? I guess he's gotta hit those high notes somehow.
SWAMPED WITH A FRIEND IN TOWN, TWO COLLEGE COURSES, EDITING FOR ONE MAGAZINE AND WRITING FOR ANOTHER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT MIGHT BE A FEW DAYS! SORRY!
Back in 1997, right before Swedish pop producers took a teen girl named Britney Spears to the top of the charts, there was Robyn. Everything about the bleached blonde's success at the time (with a hit called "Show Me Love") screamed one hit wonder. After some rumored disputes with her label, she fell off the radar all together and started working on her followup, "Robyn," which just hit the States a few weeks ago.
Even after reading rave reviews for the album from all the top music critics, I shied away -- then I saw her perform on David Letterman.
From that moment on I was hooked. Always one to recommend music to my friends (obnoxious, I know), I haven't been able to stop raving about the album for the past three weeks. It's the perfect careless summer album which can be played all the way through (a rare feat for any pop album these days that seem to be a handful of great singles with a lot of buffer). The album leads off with "Konichiwa Bitches" and doesn't stop delighting from there. Check it out!
While I prepare my video blog about my New York funky-style tattoo, I thought I'd share this Saturday Night Live tutorial about New York funky-style. No! YES!
And just because I can't ever get enough of this BRILLIANT "Iran So Far" Digital Short...here it is.
After months of hearing about her from my friends, and watching her be ridiculous on YouTube, I finally had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Natalie Weiss at "Glory Days" last Sunday afternoon. She's a beauty in person, but my god does she just turn into something else entirely on stage?! This clip, which my friend Andrew just posted, takes her talent to a whole different level. Beautiful.
It's no secret that I absolutely love the new musical In the Heights. The show, which chronicles the lives of a group of Washington Heights residents over the course of a 4-day summer heatwave, is the most fun I've had at a new musical in recent memory.
Sure, the story is a glossy portrayal of a gritty neighborhood, but the music is infectious, and the cast blows the roof off the theater with each successive number. Since I've been sick I've had many conversations about how companies and shows can use the internet to market themselves in a creative way; what we have here is perhaps my favorite example of creative, and just plain adorable marketing using the power of YouTube.
(The writer and star of the show, Linn Manuel-Miranda, pulls out some vintage footage from his childhood. OH MY GOD. AMAZING.)
(Have you seen "High School Musical 2," and Zac Efron's incredible ridiculous power solo "Bet On It"? Here is Linn Manuel-Miranda's version. I love him even more now.)
Does something like this turn you on to see the show? Or does it make you run for the next show of Phantom? Did you NEED another reason to grab a ticket?
I don't know why I find this video of Jeffery Self's so hilarious, but I thought I'd share it with everyone. Perhaps it is the great timing between the two combined with the music which puts a smile on my face. Whatever it is, Pinkberry sure has a way of polarizing its patrons. Check out the short clip above.
Now is the time for me to apologize for the lack of posts over the past few days here on the "Rant." Between articles, friends in town, and a few other exciting developments (which I'll talk all about soon), it seems all but impossible to find the time to blog. That being said, I wanted to share a few videos I found this week which have been inspiring and hilarious, respectively.
First off is a beautiful piece I found of Trey McIntyre's (who I had the pleasure of working with on his first ABT ballet, Pretty Good Year, when I first joined the company) called Hymn. In addition to loving the movement, it looks like it was filmed in the White Oak dance studio, which brings back memories from one of the best months of my life.
Next is an example of the power of editing called "I'm F*cking Obama." If you haven't seen the original video (which this so perfectly spoofs) I recommend doing so here. I appreciate it more for the brilliance of the editing than all it says. I can't help but think this is yet another example of Clinton's gender getting taken advantage of; I doubt they'd ever take the time to do one of these if it was between Obama and Edwards right now. What do you think?
Last but not least, it's time for another round of "Where In The World Is Matthew Sandiego?!" I'm off to visit a friend this morning, can anyone guess where my travels will take me? In addition to gaining my respect, I'll let the winner propose a post about a topic of their choosing. What a prize, right?! Let the guessing begin...
I'm about a week behind in blogging my life...blame Sir Nicholas, who has been in town the past week keeping me company. We tried to win a few lottery tickets to the fantastic new show In the Heights yesterday, but were passed over in favor of screaming spring breakers collecting Playbills like trading cards. To fill the void of seeing the show, I've been watching this press clip repeatedly over the past week. Like I said before, it's not a perfect show, but it's the most fun I've had in a long time. GRAB TICKETS NOW! Here is a clip from the number "96,000" which takes place as news of a neighbors lottery win creates a frenzy in Washington Heights. LOVE IT! BUY TICKETS!
