Free Mini-Performance by the Cast of Shrek the Musical

FREE MINI-PERFORMANCE BY THE CAST OF
SHREK THE MUSICAL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 at 4 P.M.
      SOUTH COAST PLAZA

 

On Thursday, October 6 at 4 p.m., the public is invited to a free mini-performance by the cast of SHREK THE MUSICAL at South Coast Plaza on the ground level of Carousel Court. Cast members will sing a selection of songs from its fun and lively score. Following the performance, cast members will be available to sign autographs and meet audience members. There will also be ticket giveaways to see SHREK THE MUSICAL during its engagement at Segerstrom Center October 4 – 16.
 
SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage.                           

Wicked Conjures up a Magical Tale

A musical doesn't need a great score to connect deeply with audiences, but a good story is essential, and Wicked, which opened this week at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, flies high on that firm foundation.

With songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, the musical is based on the best-selling novel set in the same Land of Oz Dorothy and Toto visit and tells the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. They meet in college, where Glinda is madly popular and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding, they wind up roommates and, after an initial period of mutual loathing, begin to learn something about each other. Their lives continue to intersect through a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and convictions take them on widely different paths toward their iconic destinies. They are to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Watching their journey unfold makes for a spellbinding musical.

The first act is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz which we all know and love. The second act is a parallel narrative to that same world. The story of these two ladies is worth sitting through the almost three hour production, dotted with several memorable songs, which gives us tunes we’ll be humming around the house: “Popular”, sung with comedic prowess by Natalie Daradich as Glinda (Her lessons in popularity unfortunately reminded me of my blonde past, where hair flipping was as much a part of my college ensemble as penny loafers and madras shorts). Daradich gives a solid performance as Glinda, transforming from giddy school girl to a social media leader of Oz, who carries the weight of the green world’s seedy political secrets on her shoulders.

Anne Brummel, takes the audience on her journey of embracing her inner wickedness with an actor’s confidence intertwined with her character’s goodness, allowing the audience to empathize with the unusual heroine, Elphaba. Brummel’s singing is competent and her acting is what truly gives Wicked its wings.

Please note, Wicked is a dark musical, with lighting and set design emphasizing the ominous undercurrent of the show’s not so subtle socio-political commentary on the nature of good and evil. Oz is not a happy place, even though Glinda tries to convince herself and the citizens that they couldn’t be happier in Daradich’s sensitive rendition of “Thank Goodness”.

David Nathan Perlow is a smooth and likeable Fiyero, with silky strong vocals that could melt any witch’s heart. His boyish take on “Dancing Through Life” is charming, and he becomes a full fledged leading man in Act II as Fiyero matures into a man who finally knows what (and who) he wants.

Kids may not get the complexities of the plot, but they’ll love the spectacle. Set designer Eugene Lee brings Oz to life. A menacing iron dragon looms over the stage, with its claws open, and wings outstretched. When its eyes light up, and smoke billows from it, the audience of all ages is thrust into the world of Oz. A bubble brings Glinda to Munchkin Land, and then transforms into a giant pendulum. In “Defying Gravity,” as Elphaba ascends, it magically appears as though she is flying. And even though the audience knows that the Wizard’s mechanical head is only used to intimidate people, it is no less impressive.

There are some flaws in this wildly popular musical. The score is weak in multiple areas, and critics can nitpic if that’s their bag, but I’d rather celebrate the beauty Wicked has brought to American theatre. This musical truly does defy gravity.

# # #

Tickets to see WICKED are available now with a Broadway Series custom package. Single ticket prices start at $38.75. Tickets can be purchased online at SCFTA.org, by calling (714) 556-2787 and at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from March 9 – April 3 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time people who present themselves at the Segerstrom Center Box Office will have their names placed in a lottery drum and then 30 minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the Box Office, with a limit of two tickets per person.

this is a test so i can figure out how to fix the formatting on my blog. Hopefully this will help fix the problem and we can move on from here. thank you for your patience.

It’s an overcast morning in OC and I’m reminiscing about my summer fling. It was hot and brief and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.  As I mentioned at the onset of summer, this was the year of the staycation.  We did fun family things in Orange County with the goal of keeping the travel budget in tight rein, but when the time came for my 20 year old daughter to move into her very first apartment at Arizona State University, I knew I had to pack our bags to go witness such a momentous occasion - and help stock her fridge with groceries.  

August in Arizona is no day at the beach, so my trip planning needed an emergency ingredient to keep me from melting into the desert landscaping.  Enter my hero:  The Oasis Water Park at the Arizona Grand Resort.  This place was perfect. Minutes from campus, a newly redecorated family suite with living room,  comfy beds, bar area for my morning coffee and sunset cocktail…I was finally on a real live vacation!

Now don’t get me wrong - I really do love my OC, but I was ready to forget my faithful STAY for a fling with the VAY, baby. As i researched the best options, I found The Arizona Grand's PLAYcation, and jumped at the deal.

I ironed my cotton pool cover up, packed my sunscreen, floppy sun hat and all that goes with it, loaded up my son, his DS with his favorite Indian Jones Lego game and drove 6 hours through the desert to our destination, and let me tell you, after hours driving through 113 degree heat, seeing the Grand fountain as the sun was setting was a glorious welcome and sign that my driving was at an end.

Our room was a welcomed sight and after a good night’s sleep, we made a mad dash to The Oasis Water Park while we waited for Courtney to finish her college classes for the day. My favorite part of the water park is the Zuni River where you kick back in the cool waters, floating along under the shade of desert trees while listening music piped in throughout the water park. My son wasn’t thrilled with hanging with his ol’ mom on the river float:  I wanted to relax, float and talk while he wanted to use his inner tube as a race craft for weaving in & out of the crowed as he headed for some imaginary finish line. I nagged for a bit, then decided to be like the river and just go with the flow. Amazing that as soon as I did that and stopped demanding my son to stay with me, he suddenly wanted to be my floating companion. Lesson learned: go with the flow.

The majority of our Arizona Grand Itinerary consisted of : sun, sunscreen, visit from the drink lady, swim and repeat…add poolside munchies, and repeat. May I just say the poolside drink creations were a highlight?  Look how pretty my drink was:

I think it was called a Guppy Tank. Personally after one of these you won’t care what it’s called or what your boss’s name is or that he’s calling you on your cell phone.  I think that’s the perfect definition of a VAYcation.

Okay, so you know my favorite things were the Zuni River and relaxing in my floppy hat w/ Guppy Tank in hand.  My son’s favorite place in the park was the water slide tower. I was brave enough to do the twirly slide - once.  My son did the slides over and over and ..repeat - while mom sunned at the base of the slide’s pools.  And that was just day one. Check out my skilled video tape of the boy going down the big slide. I swear the sun was so bright I couldn’t see through my view finder - the Guppy Tank was not to blame.

That night we drove over to Courtney’s on campus apartment. Talk about luxury. Her apartment complex for ASU upper classmen is almost as luxurious as The AZ Grand.  My dorm never looked this good!

It can be a bit overwhelming to see your children begin new levels toward adulthood. Yes, I know she legally became an adult at age 18, but at 20, she's still my little girl I remember clutching the same teddy that now rests on her apartment bedspread.  She may stumble or falter as she experiences living on her own for the first time, but I have faith that she'll be the smart, strong, giving soul i've known all her life, who will pick a good path filled with new friends and experiences.    **dabs eyes w/ tissue**

We met her roommates then headed over to the big W for groceries and dorm room necessities (Van Morrison poster), then back to the Grand for the evening festivities. We missed the dancing girls (seriously) but we were in time for the best part:  movie night in the pool.  Get out your floaties and watch a family flick under the stars and in the water. We got to see Johnny Depp in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  Being in the water made his barnacle breath dad even creepier!

For those of you who are dying to know, the Grand Resort has an award winning golf course, new Tommy Bahamas inspired bar and restaurant, excellent gelato, gorgeous spa, gym and lap pool. I could just live there. And guess what: you can. Yep, they have villas for purchase. They’ve thought of everything.

When the Angels travel to AZ for spring training, guess where I’m wanna stay? Yep, the same place Scioscia stays.  The Arizona Grand. 

A big thank you to GM, Paul Gray, for giving my son a ride in your golf cart. 

We both got a kick out of the tour and we loved our resort PLAYcation deal.  My son is a certified Lego Maniac, so he’s chopping at the bit to be heading to San Diego's Lego Land in the near future.  Thank you for helping this mom stretch her family dollars.

The Grand Playcation package partners with the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, SEA LIFE™ Arizona Aquarium and LEGOLAND® California. (Over $375 in family attraction tickets included!) Offered for stays through December 1, 2010.