A Daily Dose of Kelli O'Hara: Daily Inspiration

Playbill presents Kelli O'Hara rapping and singing an operetta in one video at the Hamilton Lottery Pre-Show....

5 Ways to Make Your Backpack Lighter

As a highschooler I witness and experience everyday, the pains of mine, and other's, massive backpacks. It is an epidemic. Now this does not apply to everyone, for there are those who go with the "well I will just find a way to stuff it all in this stylish purse" attempt, or there are the one's who just magically don't have an incredible amount of stuff to lug around like I do. By the end of the day, coming home from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn, I will be carrying not only five notebooks, six folders, a couple of books and a couple of binders, but dance shoes, voice music, scripts and sometimes even a whole textbook! So what can one do to cure this epidemic of strain on poor teenager's back's? Well, here are some ideas:

                                                                                   flowersandgardeners.com

1. Condense several subjects into only one notebook. 
Why carry around all the extra paper? You would be surprised how much weight blank paper can add up to. Use cute markings and flags to seperate subjects and voila! This is a very organized way to lighten up the load and in the end saves you money because there is less of a chance notebooks will end up only being half used when you are finished.

2. Create a central small pouch or purse to store the most important items. 
Now this is mainly an organizational tip but it can help you rethink what you really need in your backpack at all times. You can pick either a really small pouch or a large one, depending on your needs. I personally have a large Sportsac zipper pouch that I use to put my keys in, my phone, wallet and other essentials. This also helps me know exactly where everything is when I need it.

3. Get rid of the extra pencils. 
Now this is a great idea if you are like me. I LOVE cool pencils and pens and always think I need every single one at school with me all the time. But the truth is, I don't. Pencils and pens can add up to a lot of weight and you really only need a couple basics with you per day. I recommend limiting yourself to two mechanical pencils, one non mechanical, one blue pen, one black pen, one other color pen and two different colored highlighters. This is really all you need! I know, it's hard believe!

4. Empty it out! 
Now not all teachers may be okay with this idea, so check with your teachers first, but I find that it is a great saver of weight to empty out loose sheets/ handouts every two weeks. Usually, for my teachers, sheets from more than two weeks ago are not going to be used again, unless you are studying for an exam or the teacher specifies other wise. Another way to do this is empty out your folders every time you have a test. This is especially great for someone who, in their classes, always starts a new unit after each test.

5. What type of binder do you use? 
Now there are many types of binders out there but some are a lot lighter than others! The brand that is very popular right now is the Staples Better View Binders, the one's with hard covers. These however are very heavy due to the super sturdiness of the front and back. Now these do hold up pretty well but is that really worth killing your back? I recommend the kind that have thin plastic flexible fronts and backs. Most of them will last a school year and they are much lighter.

Hope these ideas are helpful and will help you lighten the load on your back!

Bruschetta; Life is Good with a Little Baguette and Basil

Today I made a very quick and easy recipe with my friends. It is called Bruschetta. It is a fabulous appetizer and snack that, in my opinion, combines some of the most delicious ingredients together into a bitesize piece of amazingness! 

     Ingredients: 

• One Large Baguette (or really any crunchy on outside, soft in middle bread) 
• Cherry tomatoes 
• Chopped Basil and Full Leaf (for garnish)
• Butter (or ghee, which is clarified butter and is considered a dairy substitute)
• Parmigiana cheese 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Finely Diced Garlic 

1. First cut the Baguette into slices at a slight diagonal angle, so to make even slices. 
2. Then melt a little bit of butter in a pan/skillet and tilt to spread. 
3. Take each slice of bread and gently dip in olive oil and then place in pan. 
4. Let the bread get nice and toasty and make sure it is not soggy then flip to other side. 
5. Chop the cherry tomatoes into either quarters or halves and put in bowl. 
6. Drizzle a little olive oil into the bowl and coat tomatoes. 
7. Then add the finely chopped garlic to the bowl and mix. 
8. Then add the chopped basil and repeat again. Then add salt and pepper to your liking. 
9. Next coat every nicely toasted piece of baguette with the tomatoes, garlic and basil. 
10. Then to finish it off shave Parmigiana cheese on top and some basil leaves, for garnish! 

   And VOILA!

Enjoy! 

Side Show; A Musical Treasure to Be Remembered

There is no other show anything like what Side Show was, on Broadway right now. It is a fantastic show that tells the true, heartbreaking story of how two conjoined twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton, rise from sideshow performers to one of the top Vaudevillian acts of that time. The show had amazing production qualities, very talented actors in the cast, and an A- list production team. So why did it have an early closing on January 4th? There are several reasons.

First, the St. James Theater, where the show was playing, has been looking for a profitable, hit show to come through its doors for a while. Darren Bagert, one of the producers of Side Show, stated; “We were persuaded to post a notice prematurely, in the middle of a holiday season ticket upswing,” noting that box office sales had recently improved slightly. “If there weren’t another show clawing at the door, I think we’d still be at the theater,” (The New York Times). It is quite sad this wonderful show could not contend with the deadly combination of slow but steady ticket sales and another show ready to take the stage.

Secondly, it also could have been that the hard subject matter- conjoined twins and other “freaks”- was not appealing to tourists and theater goers. In the New York Times article the show’s creative supervisor Jack Tantleff talked about how “When it comes to musicals, if the perception — not the reality, but the perception — is that this will be challenging for me to sit through, it seems to hugely affect ticket sales, [1]” Bagert also related the show to the box office difficulties of “The Scottsboro Boys” (which dealt with racism) and “Parade” (anti-Semitism). As he points out, the data from all three musicals show a turn off for theater goers when it comes to the perception that the subject matter is too difficult to sit through. When I saw the show on Friday night the whole orchestra was filled, though it seemed a good portion of the audience consisted of  theater “geeks” who might have had the chance to see the original production in 1997. Those who did see that production however would of been surprised to see that the show has been changed drastically since the original production. This change could be a possible third reason the show might of needed to close early. The changes were made in order to rework the musical under the leadership of the new director Bill Condon, a successful film director known for the movie Dreamgirls (2006). It was through Dreamgirls that Condon met composer Henry Krieger, who did the music for Dreamgirls and Side Show. According to the writers at least 60 percent of the material in the show was changed. According to most reviews these changes were overall a beneficial thing but some of the people who saw the original production might not have wanted to see the new production because of the changes. The president of Jujamcyn, the landlord of the St. James theater, Jordan Roth, said in a statement to the New York Times; “It’s heartbreaking that despite the magnificence of this production and its rave reviews, that sales were not definitive.” And he is right.

I thought it was definitely a show that deserved more than what it has received. First of all, the two leads, Emily Padgett (Daisy) and Erin Davie (Violet), were no less than extraordinary. Their emotional power and connection to one another on stage was incredible. They made you fight for them the whole show, wanting them to find happiness and acceptance in the world. The plot is based on the true lives of the twins, who were born in 1908 and died in 1969. It is a very emotional story and contains many symbolic themes that make you leave with a full heart and compassion, something that many shows on Broadway fail to do. Also the production qualities of the show were magical, with amazing lighting design (Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer) and some really beautiful songs such as the second act ballad “I Will Never Leave You.” (Henry Krieger and Bill Russell). Overall, it was a fantastic production and Broadway has lost a true gem of musical theater.

“Something Rotten”, a new musical comedy, is reported to show at the St. James theater next. ♫

_____________________________________________________________________

[1] quote and resource taken from New York Times article; “Theater Owner Pushes ‘Side Show’ to Close” By Patrick Healy, published Dec. 12, 2014.

Movie Review: Philomena... A Sure Cry and A Sure Smile

Yesterday on my day off from school, after my voice lesson, my parents and I went to see the movie Philomena (Directed By Stephen Fears).  It stars Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. It is based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by journalist Martin Sixsmith. It is about the true story of an Irish mother named Philomena Lee's 50-year-long search for her son, whom she was forced to give up for adoption at the abbey where she stayed after her affair. It then tells of Martin Sixsmith, who is a journalist, reporting her story and helping her to track down her son. This eventually lands them in America and brings an interesting turn of events. It includes touching themes of love, family, faith and separation. 

The movie starts out making you think you are watching the long lost son's life, but then you realize that it is actually the journalist (Steve Coogan) who just lost his job and is trying to find a new money making career. But at the same time you are following Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), who is an Irish mother keeping a deep secret of her lost son, who was put up for adoption. As you see both of these primary characters go into two different churches, it is so clear what their views on faith consist of. The way Stephen Fears shows us this with so little language is extraordinary. These two major characters are very different in terms of their views on life, their faith, personality and charisma. This creates some very funny and bittersweet moments between them.

I think the most emotional part in the movie (which made me cry a lot) was when you are watching Philomena as her younger self, played by Sophia Kennedy Clark, in the abbey. You watch her lose her son and you watch her suffer under the strict rules of the nuns running the abbey. You start to get so attached in this part of the film that it gives you a true empathetic feeling towards her older self. I also personally love how in this part of the film the camera smoothly flips to us seeing Philomena sitting thinking back to young Philomena. You begin to realize how privileged you are to be given such an accurate glimpse into this sweet woman's horrible past. The director does this several times in this movie, but only with Philomena, thus giving you a personal connection and sympathetic feeling towards her throughout the movie. 

Judi Dench is no doubt the stand out in this piece. She captures Philomena's memories as if they were her own and is so pure but simple in her acting performance. Ms. Dench is a true professional on the camera. She seems so comfortable that it makes you feel as if you were invited into the movie. At some points I totally forgot that I was even watching a movie, but felt that I was living the story. Ms. Dench also captures the funny and genius lines in this film. She inhabits Philomena's positive and amusing approach on life, gaining some laughs as she rambles on about the book she's reading or when digging in her bag to find Lemon Cremes and Tunes.
Steve Coogan does a very good job of playing off of her performance, as the somewhat nasty but intellectual journalist Martin Sixsmith. It is most certainly a very hard character to portray as we hardly know anything about his past, while we know so much about Philomena's, and because he is not the most likable character, while Philomena certainly is the one your cheering for. It is also a very hard task to top Ms. Dench's marvelous performance, which he did impressively get close to.

I felt very touched as I walked out of the theater. I was left feeling satisfied and comforted. I felt like I had taken a magnificent adventure down a beautiful road and I hope, and truly recommend, that you go take that adventure yourself.

Personal Recommendation Rating: 9/10

Philomena (2013)
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 98 Minutes

For More Information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431286/?licb=0.32048304192721844

Gluten Free... why?

The big phenomenon; Gluten Free!
I try to be Gluten Free and I always get asked why I am. I always answer; "because I have an intolerance." Which they usually accept as an answer. It is also though the question of Why Not? It is so much easier these days to be gluten free for many reasons. The biggest one being the fact that because the audience for gluten- free products is growing bigger, more products and substitutes for wheat and other sources of gluten are emerging now, more than ever. There are whole companies that are devoted entirely to gluten free bake goods and products. My favorite being Udi's. They have great gluten free bread, muffins, bagels and more! They taste so much like regular bake goods that is so easy to satisfy cravings for bake goods with Udi's. Udi's is only one of hundreds of gluten free brands.
But why not just eat regular not gluten free stuff? Why do so many claim it is healthier? Because it is healthier!!! I found even though I get some gluten free bread and some muffins every once in a while I still am eating less bake goods. Less bake goods means less sugar, calories, carbs and unhealthy ingredients. Bake goods are one of the main ways people develop obesity.
I have found personally that when I am eating gluten free I have more energy during the day. This would make sense of course because carbohydrates make you really energized but then lets you crash and become suddenly tired. Other foods that have more protein in them will energize you but not let you crash. Lots of empty carbs are just not good for you. Also I have found that I eat less sugar when I am gluten free. Which probably also has to do with the reduced amount of bake goods. Also a lot of candies, ice creams, and other desserts have Gluten.
So overall the question is more "why not?" than "why would I?". Gluten Free is the next phenomenon for a good reason.

How to Make the Most Delicious Peanut Butter and Chocolate Concoction Ever.....

I know... that is a really long title but every word of it is true! I was thinking earlier about what I should post next and I thought, "Why not a recipe!" But I don't cook much. If I do it is throwing together a salad or frying a cheesy corn tortilla in a pan. I want to cook more though! I just don't have the time. So I try to find recipes that are delicious but quick. This is one of my favorites:
It is called a Homemade Reese's Bar. It consists of crushed graham crackers, peanut butter, melted butter, melted chocolate chips and lots of sugar! You just layer it all in a pie pan and stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours. It comes out cold and rich and with intense flavors of the best combination ever existed; Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

For a Recipe follow the link: Recipe That Is Similar to Mine  *

*Just note that if you want to hurry the process of making them chill I would put them in the freezer.