A Spoonful of Sugar

I headed into Mary Poppins, at the Cadillac Palace, with bitter, bitter thoughts. While I like the movie, it’s a little too sugary-sweet for my taste, and really, who’s going to be a better Mary Poppins than Julie freaking Andrews?

Two hours and forty-five minutes of song, dance, and FLYING later, I’m a convert. My skeptical side was won over.

While my favorite songs (Step in Time, Feed the Birds, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious) are all still there, Cameron Mackintosh has brought this musical beyond sugar and given it some substance. Sticking closer to the book, than Disney’s original movie, the plot is a little deeper and even a little darker. Characters are a little less one-dimensional, audiences learn why George Banks, the strict, stoic pop of Jane and Michael, is so hard on his children, and Mrs. Banks, is given a bit of history herself (though I do have some complaints about that storyline). In addition, Jane and Michael are just plain brattier.

This new take is what saves Mary Poppins from becoming a typical movie-turned-musical. (Dirty Dancing producers PLEASE take note.) The stage show is not a regurgitation of the movie with some extra songs thrown in. Instead, audiences are given something new (and arguably better) than the movie they know and love.

I was also thrilled to death to see a huge chorus who fill the stage as Londoners, magical-marble statues, chimney-sweeps, and stars (as in the sky, not celebrities). In a sense, Mary Poppins is going to back to the traditional, Rogers and Hammerstein musical, and truly, I have no objections. The costumes are fantastic and the set is truly amazing. From the Banks’ house which opens and closes like a doll house, to the oppressive bank where George spends his days, the set is fairy tale, but not cartoonish. Truly a perfect blend for this magical show.

The show is scheduled to run through May 17, though I wonder whether it will be extended at least once until June at least. Seems like a perfect pull for all the families of tourists this summer. Tickets are $30 to $90 (I would stick to the mezzanine for this one, you want to see Mary fly don’t you?) and available at Ticketmaster.

Best SNL Opener EVER

From The Field Museum Archives

The caption to this photo says "6 men on West steps, one holding small cat." I absolutely love it. There's an entire library of archived images on the Illinois Digital Archives site. Awesome.

Why I want to get married

Before you freak and say "oh great, another 20-something girl desperately seeking marriage," hear me out. I WANT THE PRESENTS.

Specifically, the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. In lime green please.
It's kind of a ridiculous purchase for someone living alone to have, so I'm thinking a wedding is the perfect way to get it. Gotta love registering for gifts. I see myself spending weekends in the kitchen baking cakes, trying new recipes, and hosting dinner parties prepared with my beautiful mixer.

I'm thinking I may just get a boy on the street and ask him to marry me. We can register for all the things we both want, then go our separate ways.

Carrying the Banner

I first discovered Newsies when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, and my mom let me choose the movie to rent on some Friday night. It was the beginning of multiple obsessions: Christian Bale, catchy song and dance numbers, and unions. :)

In a moment of nostalgia I put it in my Netflix queue, and just watched it tonight. Truly, it's just as good as it was way back in 1992. I definitely still know all the moves to "Seize the Day" from my jr. high show choir days. Awesome.

I was surprised to see that this was one of Disney's lowest grossing films. Everyone I know loves it, but hey, we were kids, and suckers for a song and dance. The whole Broadway Disney crew needs to get working on a live action version to open about 10-15 years from now. I guarantee every person my age will totally take their kids to see it, just to relive their childhood. It'd make a killing.

My New Favorite Chicken

Those that know me, know that I'm kind of one of those girls who finds a recipe and sticks with it forever. I eat my mom's "Italian chicken" at least once every two weeks, usually once a week. It's not that I don't like new food, it's just that when you're cooking for one, doing fat camp (my secret code for Weight Watchers), and on a tight budget, it's a giant pain in the ass to make an entire dish, find out you don't like it or end up having to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until you're sick of it.

That being said, I was trolling fat camp boards the other day and found a recipe that's crazy yummy and beyond easy.

Ladies and Gents, Diet Coke Chicken:
chicken breast
1/2 cup Diet Coke
1/2 cup ketchup

Brown the chicken in a skillet coated with Pam. Mix ketchup and Diet Coke in bowl until smooth. Place chicken in deep baking dish and pour mixture over chicken. (Make sure your baking dish is small enough that the mixture will cover the chicken) Place in preheated oven at 375 and bake for 45-60 minutes. Let stand for five minutes then serve.

Very delicious--a tangy sweetness and very low in points too!

I'm too old for this shit!

Oh, Danny Glover. Truer words were never spoken. This past weekend I made the trek back to my college to see some old friends and "celebrate." While it was undeniably a good time, I realized that I am beyond past my college years. It's been 2 years since I was a student, and apparently I aged more in those two years than I have in my entire life.

It's weird when you realize a part of your life is truly gone. There have been times since graduation that I've thought how great it would be to back in school, but this weekend, I realized that there's no way I could ever go back. While it makes me sad to realize that an era is officially over, I'm also pretty happy. I don't think I ever want to get to a point in my life when I go "Oh XYZ were the best days of my life." I feel like that is a pretty depressing thought. I'm 24 and if I'd already peaked, what would I have to look forward to?

Once again, a musical sums up my life perfectly. Avenue Q's song I Wish I Could Go Back to College has been in my head for awhile now, and I finally found the original cast singing it on Regis and Kelly. It's a crazy shitty version seeing that someone literally taped the tv screen AND the pianist fucked up and skipped 4 bars in the beginning, but at least it's something.

Pachelbel Rant

I've seen this a million times and I don't care. It's still the funniest thing ever.