Saturday, February 22, 2014

Nostalgia Nook: The Lovers Part III

We press on with our month of love with an iconic couple who aren’t human. They’re mice!

I’m sure that was a dead giveaway, even if you didn’t read the preview last week. Yes, we’re discussing Minnie and Mickey Mouse this week.

Hey there, hi there, ho there…SPOILERS!

The story of how Mickey Mouse came to be is legendary. For those who don’t know, here’s a rundown: Walt Disney had just lost his cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit due to contractual wording. He was on a train, heading home to an uncertain future. And he started doodling. He created a little mouse he wanted to name “Mortimer.” But his wife Lillian convinced him to call the mouse “Mickey” and a star was born!

Mickey delighted audiences worldwide. And he gained friends. Donald Duck. Goofy. He gained enemies. Like Peg Leg Pete. Yes, he started out as a villain. And Mickey got a love interest—Minnie Mouse. He tried to woo her though he faced competition from Mortimer Mouse (seems Walt never gave up his penchant for the name). But Mickey ultimately emerged the victor, especially as Mortimer was a bit on the slimy side and Mickey is our hero.

Minnie and Mickey have lasted over the years, supporting each other. How many people have gotten married with Groom!Mickey and Bride!Minnie cake toppers? Or worn those hats in the parks? Or seen something like “I’ll be the Mickey to your Minnie”?

Why do we like this couple so much? Perhaps it is because Mickey is the Everyman in mouse form. And Minnie is an Everywoman. They are perfect together! And they give us hope, much like Cory and Topanga from last week. They are two halves of a whole. Mickey has been her knight in shining armor. He’s been her shoulder to lean on. Isn’t that what we want?

So I hope you’ve found the Mickey to your Minnie (or vice versa). Or that you will.

Next week: Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Nostalgia Nook: The Lovers Part II

Cory and Topanga.

Topanga and Cory.

Any 90s kid knows those names. They are probably in some ways the ideal we hold our romances to.

So, let’s go back to when a boy meets SPOILERS!

Friday, February 14, 2014

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella: I Can Be Whatever I Want to Be

Okay, who remembers the version of “Cinderella” starring Brandy and Whitney Huston? Because I thought that version was amazing. Well-acted, well-sung and one I’d watch again and again. Which I did, during the last snow storm—it was on Ovation. And it was timely. Because I went to go see the show on Broadway that Friday with my parents.

And with today being Valentine’s Day, I thought today would be an excellent day to post this review.



So, impossible things (and SPOILERS!) are happening every day.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Nostalgia Nook: The Lovers Part I

L’amour.

It’s all around us now that February is upon us and the Super Bowl is over. Time to bunker down and wait for shamrocks, leprechauns and people shouting “Erin Go Bragh” without knowing what it means if you’re not in a romantic mood.

I may not have a Valentine this year, but I’m a hopeless romantic. So I’m going to discuss all the characters I’ve shipped over the years. And we’re starting with one of the earliest ships I can remember having:

Tommy and Kimberly from the Power Rangers!