My FINAL blog

1) I believe that I have a respectful mind. I understand other people fairly well and I realize that we all have differences. Before judging one person for something, I realize where they are coming from. This helps me understand them, which in turn assists in me working well with many people. When I was younger, I thought for some reason that everyone in the world thought like me. Irrational? Yes. But I feel like I have lived a very very sheltered life, I have been surrounded by people who share the same beliefs as I do. It was not until this year that I fully understood that not two people are alike. We all come from different backgrounds and walks of life. Therefore, everyone has different personalities. After learning this important lesson, I think I have become more understanding of others.

2) Exhibit curiosity: I am a very curious person about everything. I always want to be "in the know." If I am confused or I don't understand a topic I try my very best to find as much information about it so I can be informed. I love learning new things and I feel like my sense of curiousity helps me discover new subjects. This is a useful skill that I feel as if will be beneficial next year as I take college level courses.
See other points of view: I have a lot of respect for other people's opinions and thoughts on a topic. I feel like by listening to different viewpoints, it helps me make a more informed and educated opinion. In order to see other points of view, I think it is also important to see where people are coming from that way I can understand it more fully.
Exhibit respect for other viewpoints: I think this point goes hand in hand with seeing other points of view. In order to see other viewpoints, I must also respect them. I cannot judge a person based on their opinion over a subject. In order to respect the viewpoint, I must respect the person. By executing this, I can become a more educated individual.

3) I feel like I have learned a lot after working on this blog assignment. Broadway theater has always been fascinating to me, so I was very excited to devote my whole blog to the prestigious Tony Awards. I learned so much more about Broadway musicals and the award process. I think it was very convenient that I started this blog a month before the Tony Award nominations were announced (which was a coincidence). Not only did I learn about my topic, but I also found out fairly quickly that blogging really isn't that hard. I must admit I wasn't looking forward to blogging, but in the end I found it rather enjoyable. I am glad Mrs. Sander introduced us to this other piece of technology! :)

Special Awards

In addition to the traditional Tony Awards, there are special recognition awards given.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a thespian that has excelled in theatrical productions throughout their life. This year playwright and director Sir Alan Ayckbourn and actress Marian Seldes.
The Isabella Stevenson Award is given to a member of the theater community for contributions to charitable organizations or volunteered help. This doesn't have to be related back to the theater community in any way. David Hyde Pierce will be awarded for his volunteered time and donations for the Alzheimer disease.
Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre recognizes different institutions and organizations that have significant achievements in the theater community. The Alliance of Resident Theatres New York, B.H. Barry, and Tom Viola will receive this special Tony Award.

Tony Award Nominations for 2010

It's that time of year again! The Tony Award Nominations were announced recently by Lea Michele and Jeff Daniels. Since there are just too many awards for me to list here, I decided to just include the most prestigious awards.

BEST MUSICAL:
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL:
Marina Draghici Fela!
Christine Jones American Idiot
Derek McLane Ragtime
Tim Shortall La Cage aux Folles

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:
Rob Ashford Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones Fela!
Lynne Page La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp Come Fly Away

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:

Kelsey Grammer La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah Fela!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:

Kate Baldwin Finian's Rainbow
Sherie Rene Scott Everyday Rapture
Montego Glover Memphis
Christiane Noll Ragtime
Catherine Zeta-Jones A Little Night Music

Tune in June 13th to see who takes home the most coveted of Tony Awards!

Leading Ladies

In order for a Broadway musical to be a success, there has to be at least one show-stopping leading lady. There are many notable leading ladies that have graced the Broadway stage, but here are just a few:

1) Julie Andrews- Her almost flawless voice has served her well for years. In fact, she has a four-octave range and perfect pitch, which is extremely rare. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical. Roles on Broadway include "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot." She made her big debut on Broadway at the young age of 19. She is probably most famous for her role as Maria in "The Sound of Music," even though she wasn't on Broadway for it. Her elegance, poise, and grace has lasted for decades.

2) Kristen Chenoweth- She is one of the more modern and well-known of Broadway stars today. Although Kristen Chenoweth is most known for her role as Glinda in the phenomenal musical "Wicked," she has done so much more. She has been involved on Broadway, television, and movies. She has a crystal clear soprano operatic voice. Kristen Chenoweth lights up the stage (or screen) and she is most definitely a show stopper. In "Wicked," Chenoweth had the ability to take a familiar character from the classic story of "The Wizard of Oz" and make it her own. She brought a whole new light to Glinda that the audience could only imagine.

3) Bernadette Peters- She has been nominated for eight Tony Awards, and she won two. Some of the Broadway musicals she has been apart of include "Into the Woods," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Gypsy." Her acting skills are impeccable, and her singing voice is even better. Peters is a chameleon and she can execute any part with ease.

Stephanie Mills - The Wiz On Broadway Home Live 1984

The Wiz

"The Wiz" is a soulful and funky adaptation of the classic musical "The Wizard of Oz." It is based off of the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.

"The Wiz" was introduced on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and others. Stephanie Mills, played the part of Dorothy in the Broadway production. Many believe that this musical spoke to the African-American community during the time.

In 1978, "The Wiz" was made into a movie starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow. There was much heated debate on whether the aged Diana Ross should be cast in replacement of the young and experienced actress Stephanie Mills. Ross put her foot down though and demanded to be cast.

Fast forward to 2009 and many producers took the step to make the revival of "The Wiz" (above). Ashanti, an R&B recording artist, starred in this new and improved version at "Encore! Summer Stars." Many theater buffs criticized Ashanti for her first big acting role. They thought her singing was fairly good, but her acting was atrocious. Although this revival only ran for a short time, it was still another wonderful adaptation of the classic "Wizard of Oz."

The Secret Garden

"The Secret Garden" has always been a favorite book for children everywhere. It was originally a book, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1909. Burnett told the timeless story of Mary Lennox. Mary lived in India with her English parents who were killed from the cholera outbreak. Now an orphan, Mary Lennox was sent to live with her Uncle Archibald in Yorkshire, England. There she learns of her late Aunt Lily's secret garden and decides to find the garden and take care of it. Along the way she makes new friends and ends up helping her uncle and Colin, her ill cousin.

This book was brought to life on Broadway on April 25, 1991. The musical won three Tony awards, including Best Actress, Best book, and Best Scenic Design. Daisy Eagan, won the Tony for Best Actress for her portayal of the innocent Mary Lennox.

The music in the show is dark and ghostly, but entrancing throughout. Some notable songs are "Lily's Eyes," "The Girl I Mean To Be," "Come to My Garden," and "How Could I Ever Know?"

"The Secret Garden" has timeless messages and it has the ability to captivate its audience. This is what has made "The Secret Garden" such a huge success.