BYU's Phantom of the Opera

BYU recently put on The Phantom of the Opera and I was lucky enough to get a ticket before it sold out. I had never seen The Phantom live before, so it was a really amazing experience and the production was put together really well. My favorite scene was the opening scene when they uncovered the chandelier with the organ playing the phantom theme. They rigged the chandelier so that it slowly rose from the ground and came to hang directly over the audience in the center of the de Jong hall. As the chandelier made it’s way to the ceiling, the cloth covering the theater on stage fell off piece by piece in the foggy, flashing light, creating a really cool effect of rippling cloth in the air.

It’s amazing to see how producers can affect the audience by using scenes like this. It was exciting to be a part of the audience as this scene took place and I don’t think I could have left the theater hall at that moment if I had to. I think it was just the combination of the music that we all know so well, the visual affect of the rippling cloth and the beautiful theater behind it, the adrenaline of going to the show, and, of course, the excitement at knowing what is coming next. It was basically just an amazing experience.

The Forgotten Queen

So it’s about time that I post about a book. I loved reading all growing up, but over the past couple of years I’ve had less time to read and started watching more TV in my reading withdrawals. However, I read a really good book over Christmas break that I am still getting over. It’s called The Forgotten Queen and, strangely enough, was written by my mom (it sounds a little weird, I know, but she is a really great writer!).

The story throws a creative twist on King Arthur’s downfall by turning Avalon (the resting place of Arthur) into a character. In the book, Avalon is Arthur’s safe haven after his bad marriage with Guinevere. While Arthur’s fate is already set in motion, he is able to experience happiness for a short time with his new queen before his death. (SPOILER ALERT) After Arthur’s death, Avalon gives birth to his son, who she names Arthur, and raises him in secrecy to keep him safe. When Arthur turns 16, she takes him to the past King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, which is struck in stone. Basically, Arthur pulls the sword from the stone and becomes the King Arthur that all of the happy legends are based off of.

I loved this book because of the family themes in the book. I am just gonna admit it… I cried a lot! I felt so attached to the characters and experiencing their lives was a bittersweet experience. In case anyone is curious, the book is probably going to be released in February on Amazon, kindle, and nook. 

White Collar

My husband and I really enjoy White Collar. I think that part of the reason that I like it so much is because I know it’s a show that we can both appreciate. There’s action for my husband, drama for me, and intrigue for both of us. I also like that this show seems to focus on family issues, especially in the newer seasons. For example, the forth and current season (which resumed last night after a six-month hiatus. So excited about that!) is focused on finding one of the main character’s dad, who disappeared when the character was 3 years old. This picture is of the character wearing his dad's police hat before his dad disappeared.

I also enjoy the relationship that one of the main characters has with his wife. To me, this couple is an example of a model couple and I have actually found myself thinking “how would Elizabeth handle this situation?” on occasion (this is totally an example of the Info Processing Model in action, I know… But it’s improving my behavior so that’s good!). I like to tell myself that these nice themes cancel out some of the violent aspects of the show, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way. Here is a picture of my "model couple" in action :)

Merlin

So most of you probably haven’t heard of Merlin, and if you have you probably think it’s a little weird. But for some reason I just LOVE it! Ok, well I shouldn’t say “for some reason” because I really do know the reasons. I like to watch this series is because it is entertaining, because I feel like I have a relationship with the characters, and because this show seems to share my sense of humor. Curiosity also really draws me in when the plot gets a little intense. And, of course, the secret identity thing gets me every time. In addition to all of these reasons, I like this show because the characters seem so much more real than those on the more dramatic shows (sorry, but I really can’t stand reality TV. It’s SO fake!). There are a few cheesy things in Merlin, like the dragon, but the story and the relationship between the characters are totally worth it.

Anyhow, so the season just started airing in the U.S. three weeks ago and I just watched the third episode last night. It was so good! I can’t tell you the plot because it would sound a little weird out of context. As far as the potential effects go, this show probably gets me a little too attached to the characters, and also puts me about 1400 years behind the times. But at least it's clean, right?

Gilmore Girls

I’ve never considered myself to be the blogging type, but this semester I am taking a media class and am required to post twice a week about the media I view. I’ll probably make blatant attempts to be witty as I learn the art of blogging, but what can I say? It’s been a while since I’ve tried to write anything other than college papers. Anyhow, the important thing is that, hopefully, we will both become more active consumers of the media through this blog.

I feel like I my first post should be about Gilmore Girls, since I’ve probably had more exposure to that show than to any other show. I bought the entire series in Junior High (my collection reflects a lot of babysitting…) and have watched the entire series multiple times over the years. I am currently going through the series for probably the fifth time and I just started the seventh and final season.

Despite the fact that I remember every episode and have a significant portion of the lines memorized, I still feel driven to continue on to the next episode. I think the reason for this is partially because I know that things are either going to get better for the characters, or continue to be great, or because I know something bad is coming up and I just can’t stay in happy land while the characters continue to their doom (okay that is pretty dramatic…. This is a chick flick, after all). However, I think the more significant reason that I continue to watch this show is because the characters are good friends that keep me company while I am home alone (which is pretty often). I know the show well enough that I can eat lunch and do a little homework while it is on, but at the same time enjoy the characters’ personalities and their relationship with each other and with me.

I consider the characters to be good friends, and to be honest, I feel a little strange when other people say that exact same thing about this characters. It’s as if the characters are my friends and they can’t possibly be friends with you too because they’ve never mentioned being friends with you, and I would know if they had mentioned it! See, it just gets me riled up…. But, deep down, I really do know that this is just a parasocial relationship. It just takes me a minute to remember it sometimes. And then some therapy…. Anyhow, here’s a picture of these girls:

(Don’t they look happy? And cute? Can you see why I want to be friends with them?)