Countdown to 2023: 2022 Theater

Two women, smiling, standing on either side of a poster for The Skin of Our Teeth

Last year I saw 36 showsThis year I also saw 36, so the same as last year’s drop. 22 of those were in person, 2 outdoors. While I did see more in person shows than streaming this year, I was very thankful for the opportunities to watch streaming shows.

I performed/read in the 3 Thornton Wilder Society readings. 1 show was connected to an article I wrote, although I did not know it at the time. I watched 3 operas (last year it was 7).

I have highlighted my favorites, although it’s kind of arbitrary, everything felt equally good this year. And after the favorites is the HUGE list of everything I saw. Then, I have listed some fun panels, exhibits, and events I also attended this year.

Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New Year 2022!

It’s a bit late into the new year, but I finally have time to update and I wanted to highlight some cool things I did at the end of 2021. I’m looking forward to more cool things in the new year!

Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Countdown to 2022: 2021 Books

Last year, I read 11 books! This year I read 10. I just made my usual goal of 10 books per year. I also listened to a lot of podcast and have started including those at the end of this list.

2021 Books
Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Countdown to 2022: 2021 TV

Disclaimer: I only rank shows that I watch and I’m not a TV critic. Also, there are some spoilers. Read at your own risk…

Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Countdown to 2022: 2021 Movies

Sisters with Transistors

Last year I saw 29 movies, the first year I combined movies watched at home in my total. This year I saw 0 movies in the theater because of Covid, 7 new movies and older movies streaming from movie theaters, and 24 older movies streaming, all for a total of 31 movies!

Continue reading
Posted in Film | Leave a comment

Countdown to 2022: 2021 Theater

The Alcestiad on Roosevelt Island’s Four Freedom’s Park

Last year I saw 87 showsThis year I saw 36. 4 of those were in person outdoors (one an outdoor screening of an opera). Last year I watched 65 streaming shows. I’m not sure why that slowed down this year. Maybe there were fewer of them. Maybe I got tired of watching so many. Maybe I had less time. Indoor theater did come back in the fall, but I didn’t go to it. There was a lot I wanted to see, though.

Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

THE QUESTIONS I NEVER ASKED SONDHEIM

In 2007, in my second year of grad school at NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, my class had a program with Stephen Sondheim at the Dramatists Guild. I don’t really remember much from this talk except Sondheim said the word “kerfuffle” and I found it amusing enough to write in my notes. But in preparation for the talk, the teacher organizing it had us submit questions that he would then combine to form the more general topic questions he asked at the talk.

I took this opportunity to write out every question I had for Sondheim thus far. They are very specific and I was annoyed that I couldn’t ask him each one directly, although I understand why things were done the way they were, I guess…. I don’t know why I never had the desire to try to ask him these questions myself, especially after learning that he responded to letters. I’ll have to go over this with my therapist next week. But here are the questions I wrote in 2007 and never directly asked Sondheim.

Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

WATCHING SONDHEIM WATCHING SONDHEIM

One of my experiences with Sondheim, which I wrote about immediately after it happened, and I’m glad I did. I think it’s probably similar to many people’s experiences seeing him in the theater, but at 22 I felt like it was really special. And it was to me.

January 30, 2005

In third grade I could recite the entirety of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods and did so for my family on several occasions.  In high school I discovered his Sunday in the Park with George, and suddenly the stage was a portal into aspects of myself, revealed through art. One by one I discovered each of his shows – Merrily We Roll Along, Follies, A Little Night Music.

Finally, at age 22, I was seeing Pacific Overtures for the first time, but the mundane start to the day belied what was ahead for me.

Continue reading
Posted in theater | Leave a comment

New Recording of “I Wish I Could Want” Featuring Sarah Aili

I am so thrilled that one of my singer-songwriter and musical theater faves Sarah Aili recorded the song “I Wish I Could Want,” which I wrote with Gaby Alter for my one-woman show Not Coming Back a few years ago.

Link to “I Wish I Could Want” on Sound Cloud.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Countdown to 2021: 2020 TV

Disclaimer: I only rank shows that I watch and I’m not a TV critic. Also, there are some spoilers. Read at your own risk…

Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment