Long time, no blog

Hey cyberspace,

University's kinda like a bubble, sorry I haven't written in forever.
We're nearly half way through second semester already and school will be coming to a close.
Next year is already on the horizon, and it might bring some huge changes and it might not...
I've decided to do what I chickened out of last year and audition for the musical theatre program at Sheridan.
A lot of my friends have had this moment over the past couple of months where they realize they are in the right program at the right school....I never had that. A similar moment happened outside of the program during a showcase I did called One Song Glory '09 I held my own with people who had been doing musical theatre since they were little and were in high school and college for musical theatre, and I was fairly good at it. I thought I'd share some feedback that I got send after everything was over. You cyberspace are the first people to see this other than my family.
Dan Rutzen was the musical director for our section. He was great to work with and a fantastic musician. Ashlie Corcoran was our director for my featured number (On My Way from Violet the Musical). Tamara was one of the producers of the show, who actually introduced me to the program (I knew her from working with the Guilty Ones Toronto last year)
Here it is:

Dan Rutzen: Caitlin surprised me with her hard work. In a large group number, I had originally ridden her off to the back of the chorus. She absolutely proved me wrong by being fully prepared on her part, energetic in her delivery and great to work with in rehearsal. I see potential in her Soprano voice and I hope she continues training her voice.


Ashlie Corcoran: Caitlin, you’ve got a lovely quality as a performer. Thank you for all of your professionalism, imagination and energy working on “On My Way.” It was a pleasure directing you.

Tamara: Caitlin, it was great having you in the show this year! I love how much you love musical theatre - it makes me happy :) Keep up the training. Your alto voice is so beautiful and shocked me when I first heard it - so I'd suggest if you're auditioning and such, use songs that show off your alto range; but when training as Dan said, keep working on opening up your higher register. Fantastic job; please keep in touch and let me know if you have any questions/concerns, need advice, what not! Take care.


So that was nice to get. I've been trying to get a full video of the two songs I was in, but so far no luck. One of the other members of my group did post some of it, mostly her solo lines. You can hear me at two parts, 1:02 (the high person) and at 3:54 (please ignore the bum note, it was rehearsal and the person that is singing that part hadn't released that wasn't the note.



So that was crazy awesome fun....
For Christmas I got Vocal Lessons :) Musical Theatre one, not normal ones. I have my third lesson on Thursday. I really like my teacher and I think she gets my voice perfectly. She might have a bit more confidence in my abilities then I do but....
At the moment I'm working on a song called "Goodbye Little Dream, Goodbye" from Anything Goes. She's also given me the sheet music for "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret for now. I think was talked about later looking at "Unusual Way" from Nine and "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma
So I think from others I've done before I'll find two contrasting songs to do.

Then there's the monologue part of the audition. Luckily a monologue is the big assignment of the acting class I'm in. We had to pick three monologues to hand in to our teacher and he will then choose one of them for us to work on. I had a hard time choosing them as I'm not the most familiar with plays, something I'm planing on fixing soon. I handed in Val's monologue from A Chorus Line, the 'Night Flight to San Francisco' monologue from Angels in America, and a monologue from a play I found called Defying Gravity
The dance portion I can't really do anything about, but I think I can keep up. The last dance audition I did okay at and was able to pick up the steps.

There really was a point to this entry when i started.....but now i can't remember what it was....

I bring you.....the video/song/show I'm currently got on replay
Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party.
(The Andrew Lippa part is important as there are two musicals that premiered the same year and are basically the same plot. Andrew Lippa's is just better in my opinion. (Seriously wanna start a fight in a crowd of hare-core musical theatre fans? Ask which is better) I think Andrew Lippa's is better, but to be far I haven't looked into LaChiusa's as much.
Premiered off-Broadway in 1999, it starred Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Brian D'arcy James, and Julia Murney. Powerhouse cast featuring future broadway staples Jennifer Cody and Steven Pasquale in the ensamble.
Being back in '99 the footage isn't the best, and I do try not to post bootlegs** but it's all we have.
My three favourite songs from the production:
Maybe I Like It This Way/What is it About Her



Brian D'Arcy James is arguably one of the best singers on broadway at the moment if not the best. Go on, youtube him, the man's brilliant. Paired with Julia's wonderful counter melody...gold.

The Life of the Party



Idina Menzel in her prime. Before Wicked damaged her voice. Look at her she's brilliant, I kinda miss this Idina Menzel. Still, excited for her to be on Glee.

Make Me Happy *spoilers in the last 10 seconds*



How the hell can they sing that well while fighting over a gun and all that jazz? props to them...


Well that's all for now....
till next time..

** a note on bootlegs. I do try not to post or watch (though I fail at it) bootlegs that people put up on youtube of shows that are currently open on broadway or anywhere else. Those actors are working their butts of every night to preform and we should respect that, try and go see these shows. This is not to says that actors in shows that have closed didn't work very hard but that bootleg is now the only way to preserve was a kick-ass job they did, especially if they were a replacement and no official recording was ever made. That's why I don't mind posting them, actor's equity doesn't seem to have a problem with those ones either. Something that recently got my attention, because an actor had been talking about how upset they were that it was on youtube is when people post scenes from shows like Hair and Spring Awakening that have nudity in them. I've been trying to report ones on youtube that I've found like that in the past couple of days since I heard about it. That's got to be a shock going online and seeing yourself naked on youtube.