In the Heights

Last night I was fortunate enough to be given two tickets to see the Tony Award Winning musical In the Heights at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, here in Dallas. I love musicals so I was super excited to see this play and the PAC is a beautiful venue. I always enjoy seeing performances here. In the Heights is part of the Lexus Broadway Series. One of the cool things about this series, is that if you own a Lexus, you get preferred parking and you get access to a Lexus Lounge with complimentary drinks and appetizers. (I took my friend Casey, who just happens to drive a Lexus...) My in laws have a subscription to the series as well (and as Lexus), so we have gone with them in the past to see a number of performances. They actually were there last night too, so we got to hang out with them in the lounge and enjoy a glass of wine and some hor'douvres, which was a nice surprise!

image {via}

Image {via}

In the Heights takes place in Washington Heights, NY, outside of New York City. It is about a group of hard working immigrants who are seeking a better life for theirself and their families and trying to find their place in their new home, their new country. The characters are young (except for Abuela, the neighborhood grandmother who everyone loves) and full of life. The songs are a mix of hip hop beat boxing and traditional singing. In addition to the wonderful songs, there was a lot of dancing. Salsa is their dance of choice and salsa they did! It was so fun watching the background dancers. They could really shake it! The story is an uplifting one and keeps you interested the entire time. You want to know how it works out! I definitely reccomend seeing this play. In the Heights is the winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album. It is worth checking out!

Image {via}

You can check out more info about the performance at the ATT&T Peforming Arts Center in Dallas here. If you are in another city, you can find information here.



I am heartbroken: Love Never Dies

I love the musical The Phantom of the Opera. I saw the off Broadway play for the first time when I was in 5th or 6th grade in San Antonio, Texas. We got the CDs and I listened to them constantly, memorizing every word. I even got a t-shirt and a Phantom mask. Yes, I did!  I have probably seen the live show 6 times over the years as well as the 2004 movie version. I have annoyed my family many times with my reenactments. This past fall was the 25th Anniversary of the play and there was a special performance televised live from The Royal Albert Hall in London, England. My mom and I saw it and it was wonderful. It was so great seeing the actual play, but up close on a huge screen.

 The original Phantom, Michael Crawford, and Christine, Sarah Brightman {via}

I would have loved to see the original! The music just takes me in and as it does to Christine in the play, entrances you for the entire time. "The music of the night" gives me chills. So when my mom and I were seeing The Vow a couple of weeks ago, there was a an advertisement of a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies. We knew we had to go see it! It was shot live from the Capitol Theater in Sydney, Australia. 

Spoiler Alert: If you don't want to know what happens, stop reading!

So Love Never Dies, is set in 1905, 10 years after the fire at the Paris Opera House, that the Phantom was supposedly killed in. Well, he escaped to New York City, Coney Island specifically, along with Madame Giry and her daughter, Meg. In Coney Island, he can run a "freak show" opera house and blend in with all the others. Word comes that Christine and Raoul, who have a child together, are coming to perform at another opera house in the city. They had to come because Raoul, who has become a drunk, has tons of gambling debts that they must pay off. It is obvious the love they once shared is no longer there. The Phantom of course is behind Christine coming to America and he finds her and persuades her to sing once more for him. Raoul thinks that Christine, who he knows has always loved the Phantom, will leave him if he sings for him and does not want her to. During this time, the Phantom has also discovered that he is really the father of Christine's son, Gustave, who is exactly ten years old. Raoul is in such a dark (drunk) place, that he makes a deal with the Phantom that if Christine sings, he can have her, and if she does not, the Phantom will pay off all of this gambling debts. Madame Giry and Meg have gotten wind of this as well and fear that their ten years of service to the Phantom is all going to be for nothing if Christine comes back in the picture. They are distraught, especially Meg, who had hopes of becoming the leading lady and making it big. Christine ends up singing the latest song by the Phantom "Love Never Dies". Raoul realizes he has lost Christine and leaves the side stage to go back to Europe. Christine and the Phantom reunite and kiss after the performance. Yay! All the sudden, Christine remembers that Gustave was waiting in the wings for her and they go to find him, but cannot. They suspect Raoul, but it was not him. They turn to blame Madame Giry, but it not her either. MEG! It is Meg! Meg has a thing for swimming in the ocean, so the rush to the water and find her dragging Gustave on a bridge, with the plan to drown them both. The Phantom talks her into giving Gustave back, but then Meg pulls out a gun on herself! The Phantom talks her down and as she is lowering the gun, it goes off and are you ready for it?? She shoots Christine!! As Christine is dying in the Phantom's arms, she tells her son who his real father is. Christine dies. The Phantom is beside himself, about to jump off the bridge to this death as well. As he is looking over the edge, Gustave comes and places a hand on his back, showing his love and acceptance of his real father. They embrace and the show is over.

Now guys, I was BAWLING as soon as Christine got shot! Crying like a little baby in the middle of the theater. I could not believe my heroine, the beautiful soprano, Christine, who I have known for all these years, dead, as soon as she and her true love are together. I turned to my mom when I could speak, and said "I am pissed." I keep saying it is not fair. It is not fair! I know it is a musical, but this play is in my heart, and I am just heartbroken for the Phantom! (Yes, I know it is a play. I am going to talk like these are real people for a minute. I promise I am not a crazy!) The poor Phantom, disfigured and tortured all of his life, living alone, found his true love and acceptance in Christine. They were going to be together with their son. And now it is over. I just could cry forever for him. I am happy he has his son, but he needs Christine and her voice to live. I got in my car and busted out my Phantom CDs and had a little singing/crying session all the way home to remember and mourn Christine. I got home and cried more to Eric. {What is wrong with me??} He of course told me it was a musical and pointed out that wasn't the Phantom a bad guy who killed people? Well, yes, but that is because they tortured him! It is not fair!

I know all the great love stories end tragically, but I didn't want this one to. I wanted them to live happily ever after. If you have a chance to see these plays live (or even the movie versions), I highly recommend them. And it is true, my love for The Phantom will never die....