On Thrilling the World

So I participated in Thrill the World on Saturday night, and I don't believe they know yet if we broke the world record...but I'm thinking probably yes! However, it was fun times! Group dancing while dressed like zombies? Yes please! My friend K and I went to the dance workshop on Friday night so we could learn the dance, and we got it pretty down pat. Although when we actually attempted to do it in a large group, it was significantly harder because some people didn't know what they were doing and it became slightly confusing. Also, there was this random small child behind me...not sure who she belonged to, but she was about two, and I almost ran into her like 12 times. It still went well though, there was 91 people registered and pretty much all of them were dressed up like zombies. We danced in a pavilion in a park which was definitely the perfect spot. It was freezing, so the roof of the pavilion blocked the wind a bit. Plus, the floor was wooden and it made the most awesome clomping noise when people starting dancing in unison. So fun.

I think K and I did pretty well with our costumes. I found this scar putty stuff that I was obsessed with, and it actually worked pretty well! We also bought this "tooth out" black wax stuff, but as you will probably be able to tell from the pictures, it wasn't so great. I definitely spit it out after it being there for half an hour.

And besides all the fun-ness, this was a great way to raise money for charity! It was an all around win.

We had one reporter take our picture, and he was like "pretend you are strangling her!"...which I did, but I did so while hysterically laughing, so we'll see if that makes it to print. I couldn't keep a straight scary face to save my life. We also told the reporter to put our ages as "392" and "396", but he wasn't haven't it. Oh reporters with no sense of humour. Anyways! Oh, and I also randomly won a Michael Jackson cd...not too sure why, but some girl just came up to me, and was like "here you go!"

I can't believe I'm actually posting these on here!



Not sure what this pose was...I believe I am trying to look scary though!



After getting ready! Happy zombies!



Mid dance.

I'm definitely going to do it again next year! Fun fun.

Broadway Baby

I've been a big fan of musicals ever since I can remember...a big fan. I know the words to a disturbing number of showtunes and I have been lucky enough to see my fair share of musical productions. I think perhaps I love them so much is because really, what's not to love about a world where people sing all the time? I wish!

Growing up, various musical soundtracks were on constant rotation in my house. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Greatest Hits, Les Mis, Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat...basically, the soundtrack of my youth is the soundtracks of these musicals (with a little Elton John, Bette Midler, Jive Bunny and Celine Dion thrown in). My love of musicals basically started in womb and just grew from there.

The very first real musical I remember seeing was Phantom of the Opera when it was playing in Toronto. Talk about magical! I'm pretty sure I was frightening during the whole thing, but still, magical. And oh, the first time I got to go to New York City (a place that continues to hold my heart), and go see a musical on Broadway? Complete dream come true. And not only was it a Broadway play, but it was this Broadway play:



New York City + Broadway + actually getting to meet Bernadette Peters? I could have died right then and there. I bought the Annie Get Your Gun soundtrack, and I tortured my parents with it for months afterwards. "I wanna wedding in a big church, with bridesmaids and flower girls...". LOVE.

Since that initial trip, I've been back to New York a couple of times, and seen several more Broadway plays. It never gets less exciting, and I don't think it ever will. Toronto also has tons of good musicals, and I go whenever I possibly can. Something about seeing a musical in New York though, it just makes it that much more special. It's New York! It's where it all started!

I've seen so many musicals in my life now, that I seriously probably could not even remember them all if I tried. Favourites include: Wicked, Rent, Les Mis, The Colour Purple and Annie Get Your Gun. We are going back to NYC in December and I am already ridiculously excited. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE New York? I want to marry New York City.

The other day, the fam and I went to see:



It was really good. Funnily enough, I had no idea what any of the characters were saying throughout the entire play, but I still really enjoyed it. They all had really thick Caribbean accents and there was lots of Jamaican slang happening. I spent a lot of time being confused. Entertained, but confused.

I know a lot of people think musicals are cheesy, and I wouldn't disagree with that. A lot of them are pure cheese, but that what makes them so great. It's a happy, singing world, and I like to live there sometimes. Okay, I wouldn't want to live in Les Mis cause I would probably get shot, but I would love to live in a world where people sing what they are feeling, because not only would it be hilarious, it would be amazing. Let's face it, the world would be a MUCH happier place if people randomly sang and danced in unison more often.

See exhibits
a: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k
b: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM
c: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je1KOcBYGjM&feature=related