I like to pronounce it 'thee-ay-tor'

...theatre, that is.

I went up to visit my parents this weekend, and Friday evening, my mom and I went to the William Saroyan Theatre where the national touring company of Wicked (a New? Musical) is making a brief stop. This was my second time seeing Wicked, but before I talk too much about the show I'm going to be a snob and do a little rant on theatre etiquette. My first complaint is how people were dressed...yes, it is just Fresno, but I have always upheld that, whether it is community theatre or a professional show, people should dress for theatre. I'm not expecting ball gowns and tuxedos...but please no Uggs, flip-flops, t-shirts, sweat-shirts, shorts or ripped jeans. And when they say 'turn your cell phones off' turn them OFF, not just to silent. (I can't even count how many people I saw on their phones at intermission, because your email and Facebook are too important not to be checked for the duration of a three hour show). And for goodness sake, arrive on time. The people sitting to my left didn't come until 'The Wizard and I' was almost over, and of course they caused a disruption because their seats were in the middle of the row! If I ran a theatre, any guests that aren't in their seats by curtain would have to wait in the lobby until intermission.

Okay I'm done.

Wicked was INCREDIBLE!! Anne Brummel's Elphaba was perfect! And although I wasn't sold on Natalie Daradich's G(a)linda right away, she grew on me and ended up nailing it! The thing that I think surprised me the most was how small the cast was at the curtain call. The monkeys, students, Emerald Citizens and 'Ozians'are all portrayed by the same 15 people (who must undergo some serisouly complicated costume/make-up/wig changes several times throughout the show) but you don't really realize that until they take their bows.

The cast was so talented and the sets were just incredible. I truly think I could sit through this show every night of my life and get something different out of it!

Plus, I got another mug to add to my collection!!

Be True to Your School

I went to college at California Lutheran University, and I loved it. I had experiences at CLU that I wouldn't have had anywhere else. I can talk anyone's ear off about how much I loved my time there. It wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but the good times far outweighed the bad. If you ask me about CLU, I will be more than happy to answer your questions with glowing honesty. The professors were amazing, and there were a few that I went out of my way to be sure I had a second (and sometimes, third) time.
I made amazing friends at CLU. I received a great education at CLU. I got involved in campus ministry at CLU. I lived on campus for 4 years at CLU. If it wasn't such an ugly color combination I would proudly profess that I bleed violet and gold (which translates into purple and yellow, which translates to gross). If my mascot weren't an adjective, I'd be proud to say that I am (a) Regal. If our NCAA bracket weren't division...40, I'd proudly cheer on our teams. Heck, I'm proud anyway. I love my school. I also love that they use nearly any excuse to give away free stuff. T-shirts mostly. I have probably a month's worth of CLU shirts.
But this month isn't 'shirt shots' (possible theme for next month though). When I graduated I was given what I am going to call an 'alumni starter kit'. It had a license plate frame (which is on my car), a 'class of 2008' water glass, and the obligatory 'take this to your office so everyone knows where you went to school/brag about your alma mater' mug. I love my school. I love mugs. My school loves giving away free stuff. Win-Win-Win!
Except I don't have to brag about my alma mater at work. CLU does that for me. Working at a Lutheran church, we get so many 'hey the students in your congregation should go here' brochures. Plus, my boss's oldest daughter goes there anyway.

That being said, I slept horribly last night, so I'm going to take a nap now.