Celtic Thunder: Mythology

St. Patrick’s Day has passed, so let’s celebrate belatedly with the latest Celtic Thunder offering!

**Note: I ordered through Amazon, so I did not get the deluxe set: IE both CDs and both DVDs. Hopefully Sharon later releases these separately for those who chose to order the way I did.**

Mythology is thrilling.

Nostalgia Nook: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Sing!

Many involved in the entertainment industry are trained to be triple threats—actors, singers and dancers. And if they aren’t, they are expected to be. It was no different with the Olsen twins. They apparently did stage shows and made a video of just them singing. And did we eat it up? You bet we did.
I’d put a spoiler tag but it’s a series of music videos. No need for spoilers there.

Their first song is “I am the Cute One.” It’s a sweet number where the twins argue they are the “cute one” and the other is “just my sister.” But the main thrust is just them dressing up in adorable outfits. Which little girls envied, trust me.

Fame: New vs. Old

I apologize to Doug Walker for taking his Nostalgia Critic idea. But I watched the 2009 update of the movie “Fame” and had to use it.

(FAME! I’m gonna reach the SPOILERS!)

Heritage

St. Patrick’s Day may be a week away, but it’s time to get our Irish on. The other day, I got Celtic Thunder’s latest CD/DVD—Heritage!

To be fair, you may recall that “Heritage” was the first part of the Celtic Thunder show I saw in October. I couldn’t really give it a proper review as I barely knew all the songs in the show. Also, there are a few songs that aren’t on the show but on the CD that I’ll cover as well.

To Dream the Impossible Dream…

Last week on Glee: Rachel lost her voice! Kurt tried to be straight!

Will goes to the Principal’s office and is introduced to Neil Patrick Harris (Brian Ryan). NPH and Will went to school together. We flashback to Glee way back then, with NPH singing “Daydream Believer” and he does magic! Like Barney! NPH says they may cut the Glee club because of budget worries. NPH was in Glee, he did shows and the cruise ship circuit. But he became a has-been, met Jesus—his social worker, turned his life around, and now runs a support group. We see Brenda (Molly Shannon) who turned to drugs after a bad audition. NPH says “Show choir kills.” NPH just wants to talk to the kids and the Principal forces him to. NPH tells the kids to write down their biggest dreams. He rips out Artie’s and throws it out. He tells them they will never happen and will never leave their town. As he mentions show biz dreams, Rachel and Kurt share a look. NPH uses Will as an example. NPH makes Tina cry! Will throws him out but not before NPH threatens to cut the Glee club.

In the library, Tina helps Artie get a book. He says he’s now considering a career behind the camera. She saw Artie’s dream—“dancer.” Tina tells Artie they should do an assignment on their own since Will was distracted by the awesomeness that is NPH to assign them one. And it’ll include dancing! Speaking of dancing, we see Rachel in the ballet studio. Jesse’s back! And talking to her! Rachel wants to play Evita, Funny Girl and Laurie from Oklahoma! She was practicing Laurie’s Dream Ballet. Jesse tells Rachel her performance of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” is an inevitability. They are back together again! He asks her what her dream is, what’s missing. Rachel says her mom. She doesn’t need to meet her, but just wants to know her name. The Dads never told her and Rachel never asked them. But Jesse pushes her to find her mom.

We see Tina and Artie practicing. Tina is very good a tap. He asks for some crutches he borrowed from a kid with cerebal palsy. He can stand up and then drags himself a few feet before falling. Artie kicks Tina out. Meanwhile, Will finds NPH, who is taking stock of Home Ec supplies. Will wants to convince NPH he’s wrong about Glee, take him out for a beer. For old time’s sake. NPH considers this. Can they go to New York to visit MacLaren’s? Can Brian Ryan be Barney’s doppelganger?

Rachel whispers that she found her mother in the library. She believes her mother is Patti Lupone. Rachel tracks Lupone’s movements in 1994 to discover she was in Ohio. Jesse is able to shoot it down so Rachel asks if he wants to hear how Bernadette Peters is her mother. Jesse asks why she’s scared and Rachel reveals her fathers’ kept everything about her. Jesse knows they have a starting point.

NPH and Will bond over beers. NPH says Terri was the one that got away. Will reveals they got married and divorced. You dodged a bullet there, NPH. Will credits Glee as giving him the strength and drive to get out of the marriage and something to live for. He fortune cookies about expressing yourself through Glee and NPH admits he’s living a lie. He misses performing. He sneaks off to see Broadway shows and a box of Playbills hidden, like porn. If this was Barney, it would be porn disguised as a box of Playbills. Will starts Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” and sings along. NPH joins in. Can we bring NPH back to Broadway? Please? Will tells NPH they are both trying out for a production of Les Mis.

Twilight. Blah.

Artie rolls along as Tina runs up alongside him. She apologizes, he apologizes. He says he’s hopeless, Tina doesn’t agree. She’s done research. She tells him not to give up on his dream. Aww. They kiss as the sun shines behind them and it’s sweet.

Rachel brings up several boxes to investigate. She finds her baby teeth, Jesse finds her sonogram, Rachel finds her first singing trophy. Jesse is surprised it was when she was 8 months old. As Rachel is distracted, Jesse takes out a tape from his pocket. It says “From Mother to Daughter.” He tries to play it but Rachel freaks out. We cut from that to a woman singing “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity. Will meets with NPH. Both are trying out for Jean Valjean, first with “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha but now with Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” They argue until the director tells them to sing it together. And they do. They prance around what I assume will be the barricade scene and kill the song. The director rushes out.

Artie and Tina go shopping where Artie bought tap shoes. She goes to get pretzels but needs to leave him there. He says his doctor has started him on the therapy Tina suggested. He says they’re working, stands up and starts dancing. About time that got Kevin McHale out of that chair. He sings and dances to the “Safety Dance” in a mall. Is this a tribute to all the flash mobs Glee’s promotion teams sent out? They even have people taping it! It is a tribute to all the flash mobs! Wait, did I see Mercedes in one scene? The song ends and Artie’s in his chair, alone, as Tina gives him a pretzel. He says he’s going to dance someday.

NPH meets with Sue, saying he is going to be in Les Mis next month. He tells Sue that the Cheerios’ budget is crazy. NPH brings out research showing that the arts helps intellect while Sue argues that the country is obese and that sports help with teamwork and confidence. NPH is turned on, as is Sue. Even though he is still cutting half her budget.

What would Barney say?

Jesse runs in the rain to a car where Idina is waiting. He tells her he gave her the tape but she won’t listen to it. Jesse asks why she just doesn’t walk up to her and say, “Hi, I’m your mom.” A million fans are now screaming “I KNEW IT!” at their TV. She said she answered the ad, hoping to go to New York to become an actress. She never held Rachel and that’s her one regret. She signed a contract not to have any contact with her until she’s 18 but if she hears the tape, Rachel will try to find her.

Artie goes to speak to Emma to get therapy to adjust to his life walking. She tries to let him down gently, saying he may not walk for a long time. She agrees to let him see her once a week for a while. He leaves without Tina’s research. NPH announces that the arts matter and he gives him jackets, dance wear and sheet music from every Broadway show ever. Sue comes to congratulate the boys—Will got the role of Valjean while NPH is just a townsman. NPH reverses everything he just said and cuts the program.

NPH practices his one line, saying he is saving the kids from becoming bitter. Because cutting the one thing they have is taken from there. He tells NPH that these kids were labeled from the moment they entered the building. But he sees beyond that and sees stars. When stars die, they become black holes that suck everything. He tells NPH he’s creating thirteen black holes by cutting Glee. Will also gives up his role and lets NPH play Jean Valjean to remember what the arts can do for a person. NPH agrees to the swap and to not cut the Glee club. NPH ambushes the director.

Rachel goes home and Jesse plays the tape. And we here Idina Menzel’s voice start singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis. We cut to her singing it on a stark stage. Rachel joins her. This is slightly meta because Lea did play Young Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Mis. They slightly rewrote the song so that it’s not about a guy who left her, but her mother. At least it’s still keeping with the song’s theme. Aretha Franklin’s version? Completely missed the mark. She made it a “I will survive” song that it isn’t. The song ends as we see Idina in her car, rain beating against the window and Rachel crying in her room.

Tina and Artie talk. He pulls out of the routine. He fortune cookies he needs to focus on dreams he can make come true. Tina asks him to at least sing the song. Will announces Glee is saved. Puck asks if he died but NPH was going to be distracted by his lead role of Les Mis. He says he’s trading his one dream for their thirteen ones. Her dance partner is Mike, one of the other football players we never really see. Artie sings the song, “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” You should hear Miss Piggy’s rendition in MuppetVision down in Disney. Tina and Mike dance. Quinn offers support as they dance and Artie sings.

Next week: The Lady Gaga episode. And Finn moving in with Kurt.

That was legend…NPH was great, but when isn’t he? Even in the How I Met Your Mother episodes where Barney merely puts in an appearance. He and Matthew Morrison were great playing old rivals who could be friends, if they wanted to. Or weren’t so competitive. And I’m glad Idina is really Rachel’s mother and this isn’t really some ploy to bring down New Directions like I worried it was when Jesse first took out the tape. And everyone had been commenting on the similarities between Lea Michele and Idina Menzel before Idina was even cast! Also good character development for Tina and Archie. Now, we need to bring on some of Matthew Morrison’s Broadway co-stars. Marissa Jaret Winokur, Harvey Fierstein, Laura Bell Bundy, and/or Kerry Butler from “Hairspray” or Victoria Clarke and/or Kelli O’Hara from “Light in the Piazza.”

Also, today, the third Glee CD was released! I need to go order it and I encourage everyone else to do so as well. And yes, it is available for download on iTunes.

Quote of the Episode:

“I sound like someone put tap shoes on a horse and then shot it.” –Artie

The Superbowl Shuffle

“Single Ladies” play while Kurt dances with back up dancers. He imitates Beyonce’s music video. He has a sequined glove. Mike O’Malley is his dad? Awesome. He asks what his son is playing and Kurt lies that it is what the jocks wear to practice. Tina and…Britt…lie that he is on the football team. The kicker. Dad buys it. And asks to get a ticket.

Will helps Terri through Lamaze. Kendra, her sister, berates him. Calls him too nice. Terri tries to avoid Will touching her stomach and pretends to have a craving. She confesses to her sister that she’s not pregnant. Kendra convinces her sister to remain deceptive. It’ll help the marriage, she claims.

Will spots Emma and Coach eating together, tries to avoid them but they are the best option in the teacher’s room. Emma talks about the evening news. We zoom to the news where they introduce Jane, who has her own segment. She talks about how caning works. She wants to bring it back. Will is surprised that she got her own segment. Jane says it’s because she’s a local celebrity. And says the overnights were through the roof about her segment. She insults Emma, Coach and Will before leaving for an interview.

Glee time! Will surprises Rachel by giving “Tonight” to Tina. She reminds him that she claimed anything from “West Side Story” at the age of one, talking about Natalie Wood. Umm, Rachel, you do know that Natalie Wood didn’t sing Maria in the movie right? That it was Marni Nixon, singing voice to the famous? When Will says that others need their time to shine and that Tina is keeping the role, Rachel storms out. Glee is apparently used to her diva tantrums.

Meanwhile, Kurt asks Finn for help.

Football practice. Finn gets Kurt a try out. Jock mocks Finn. Coach yells at his kicker and demotes him to water boy. Ouch. Kurt runs up and says that he is “audition for the part of kicker.” Coach allows him and Kurt dances on the field to “Single Ladies.” He kicks and scores. Everyone is surprised. Coach is thrilled. Meanwhile, Jane gets hate mail about her pro-littering stance. The station manager reminds Sue she is famous because she’s a champion. And he’s heard that her cheerleaders are defecting to show choir. Jane needs to win another championship to keep her status.

In other news, Prissy is pregnant. Apparently, Finn’s driving trauma isn’t working on calming little Finn down. He learns this in Prissy’s hot tub, even as she yells, “Think of the mail! Think of the mail!” And apparently, she’s now pregnant. And Finn’s stupid enough to believe he could impregnate her in the hot tub. He probably also believes you can get herpes from a public toilet.

Jane goes to visit Sandy, who has a doll collection. Creepy. He serves her tea and bemoans his life. Jane offers him control of the arts program. Turns out, she has blackmail on Principal Figgins. They focus on Glee and Rachel. They tempt her with Cabaret and Celine Dion. She performs “Taking Chances” and Sandy gives her Sally. She’s excited. Rachel, you do know that Sally is supposed to be a B-rate singer, right?

Will flips out and goes to tell Rachel he needs her. She thinks Will hates her. He tells her he is trying to make everyone work as hard as her. It’s Sandy v. Will while Rachel asks why he hurts her to make other feel good. He asks her to come to Glee rehearsal before she leaves.

Tina sings “Tonight.” She’s very good. Tina needed a spotlight song. Tina critiques herself but Will gives her a pep talk. She offers the song to Rachel. Finn cries into Will’s shoulder. They go for food and discuss Prissy’s pregnancy. He doesn’t like the future he sees now. Finn says he needs a football scholarship. But the team sucks. So he wants Will to teach the football team how to dance. It’ll help the team win while recruiting new guys to Glee.

Will tells Terri about Prissy. She gets an idea. You know where this is going if you’ve ever watched a soap opera.

Nigel Barker in a camera commercial with Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake!

Jock is not happy with learning how to dance. Coach supports it. Pride was lost when they lost to the school for the deaf. Will and Kurt lead the guys through the choreography. Coach ends practice. When Jock says Finn is in love with Kurt, Finn spills about Prissy. Turns out Prissy and Jock slept together. Still can’t believe Finn believed the “I got pregnant because of your sperm in the hot tub” myth. Prissy runs crying in the rain to her car, where Terri is waiting. She gives Prissy neo-natal vitamins. Prissy is confused.

Football game. Emma cleans a seat before Will takes it. The school needs a new version of the National Anthem. Jock uses “gay” a lot and the team is unsure of the dancing. They get creamed. Mike O’Malley shows up. Kurt’s excited. Fourth quarter. Finn calls a time out. He tells the team to do the dancing. Jock agrees after silencing a heckler from the opposing team with the information he had sex with the player’s mother. “Single Ladies” plays, throwing off the defense. Offense starts to dance. Mike can’t believe what he’s seeing. Finn makes his play. Touchdown! Emma and Will have a Moment. Game is tied, Kurt needs to kick the conversion to win. The crowd is hushed. He dances, he kicks and scores! Go Kurt! He’s a hero. Prissy kisses Finn while Jock looks downtrodden.

Mike tells Kurt he’s proud of him. Looks like Mom is dead. Poor Kurt. Kurt comes out to his father, who says he’s known since Kurt was three. And yay, supportive dad. That’s refreshing and sweet.

At school, Finn gives Prissy his old baby blanket. He promises to be a good father. Jock mocks Prissy’s weight, Finn stands up for her and Jock backs down. Three football players (including Jock) join Glee. Will lets Tina keep “Tonight.” Rachel quits Glee for Cabaret full time. Jane tells everyone to act like they are being cheered.

Next week: CHENO!

Quote of the episode: “If I was out to get you, I’d have you pickled in a mason jar on my shelf by now.” –Jane to Will

Enjoy the Kurt/football/dancing storyline? Seeing how the Terri/Prissy’s pregnancy storyline will play out already?

I Have Confidence!

Last week on Glee: Terri learns she isn’t pregnant but doesn’t tell Will. Glee performs a raunchy song at a school assembly. Emma begins dating Coach while Finn and Rachel share a passionate kiss. Prissy Cheerleader and her friends join Glee in hopes of getting Finn back and destroying Glee.

Will’s parents come over for—holy crap, Will’s dad is Victor Garber! And his mom is Debra Monk! Will spills about the non-baby, scaring Terri. She shows mom-in-law the nursery while Dad apologizes for being a lousy dad. He talks about being a lawyer—nod to Eli Stone?—but went into insurance instead. He tells Will to find some courage. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s theme!

At school, Glee doesn’t like Will’s choreography. Prissy and Friend trick Rachel into mentioning a professional choreographer. Prissy asks Will if he ever performed again after school. And we’re back to Will’s courage question as he blathers on in Emma’s office. He asks about her date with Coach. She says great rather quickly. They flash to the teachers’ lounge to celebrate shop teacher Henri’s birthday. Henri is depressed because his dependency on OTC drugs caused him to lose his thumbs. After a lovely round of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” Will gets an idea.

He forms the Acafellas. Will, Henri, Coach and Howard (Terri’s coworker) sing hip hop acapella. Meanwhile, Terri increases her marriage’s sex life but fails to get pregnant. Will thinks it’s about his new confidence and being in a boy band—a nod to LMNT?

Will begins missing Glee practices. Rachel makes him cookies to apologize about her comments. He says they can hire Dakota Stanley and thanks her. Rachel and Finn worry about Will while Prissy gets Dakota. Rachel and Finn talk about their kiss and relationship status. Rachel flips out on him and Finn is so confused.

Prissy and Friend report to Jane. She’s happy to hear about Will’s distraction. Prissy thinks Dakota will cause the Glee kids to quit. Mercedes and Kurt talk about kissing. He tells her of Glee’s standing then invites her to the mall. Prissy and Friend try to help Mercedes “get” Kurt. Wrong first victim, girls. Mercedes can break you.

Acafellas perform “Poison.” They get applause and Emma remembers to cheer for Coach. Debra and Victor are there, selling CDs. Principal Figgins invites Will to perform at the PTA to keep the parents happy after the announcement the children will be eating prison food. Sandy, though, wants in and dangles Josh Groban in front of the Acafellas.

Glee visits a rival squad and are warned away from Dakota. The group performs “Mercy.” Dakota turns Glee down, saying he works for $8,000.

Hey was that Ben in the Audi commercial?

Will and Coach work on dance moves. Howard quits while Coach worries about Emma possibly breaking up with him. She says Henri downed 6 bottles of cough syrup and now is going to rehab. Emma encourages Will. Finn says he is quitting Glee too. Will says he hasn’t quit and encourages Finn to stay. He also asks about Acafellas. Finn’s football buddy offers to join the group—for the cougars. Coach threatens him and then welcomes him.

Will works with Finn and Jock. He tells them to work the hips and swing bats. It works. Rachel and Tina give Mercendes a “gayvention.” She is still in denial and bemoans their social status. Mercedes is happy with Kurt. The cheerleaders help Glee with their car wash fundraiser. Jane and Emma banter while Kurt tells Mercedes he is in love with someone else. He means Finn, but Mercedes sees Rachel. Finn lies that that’s who he meant. Mercedes breaks Kurt’s window and performs with the cheerleaders. She is AMAZING! Kurt flips but feels bad when Mercedes tells him he broke her heart.

Glee gets Dakota, who gives them personalized menus. He then kicks Mercedes and Artie out, tells Rachel to get a nose job and calls Finn “Frankenteen.” The original Glee quits before Rachel reminds them of people who were different but succeeded (like Barbara Streisand. Come on, they had to mention her at least once). She rallies Glee and fires Dakota. At the performance, Finn thanks Will as Sandy says Josh Groban is in the audience. Acafellas perform. Terri loves watching Will, even if they are singing Color Me Badd. They get a standing ovation. Wow, they got Josh Groban. He brings his security and gives Sandy a restraining order. He loved the show anyway.

Terri apologizes to Will and praises him and Acafellas. Victor asks if anyone has seen Debra. Turns out Josh likes cougars as well. He liquors Debra up. Seems Acafellas are over, but Will still has his confidence. Victor is going to go to law school—shout out to Legally Blonde as well? Mercedes apologizes to Kurt, who admits he’s gay. Anyone surprised? Course not. He’s a walking stereotype, writers. She tells him to be himself but he doesn’t have confidence. Dakota’s gone, Will’s back and Jane tells Prissy and Friend they smell of failure. She revokes their tanning privileges.

All’s well in Glee.

Let's Talk About Sex

Welcome to the world of “Glee”! For those of you who missed the premiere episode last May, here’s a recap: Teacher Will Schuster decides to rejuvenate the school’s glee club and bring back the heyday from his time in the club. He gains a few new recruits: diva Mercedes, leading-lady-in-training Rachel, the stereotypical musical nerd Kurt, wheelchair-bound Artie, and shy Tina. Will eventually recruits football star Finn and gains support from smitten school counselor Emma. Standing in the club’s way is the school cheerleading squad, nationally known and the queen bees of the school, and their domineering coach.

The second episode opens as Will pulls into the lot to be attacked by Rachel, wielding song choices. He spots the other members of Glee with Kurt ending up in the dumpster once Will’s gone. Will runs into Emma as a prissy cheerleader tells him to go see her coach—the awesome Jane Lynch. She wants the program to fail and has even done her research. Turns out, the current roster falls six short of the requirement to make Regionals (Okay, according to Jane, it would be six-and-a-half as she counts the wheelchair kid as a half). She tells him to kill the club and work as her assistant. He politely declines.

Meanwhile, Rachel overhears Finn and Prissy Cheerleader (AKA Quinn) argue about him being in Glee. She tries to persuade him with a promise of second base but fails. She warns Rachel to stay away from her man. Rachel tells her she has other suitors and this point is accentuated by…facefulls of slushies. This cuts to a half-hearted rendition of “Le Freak Chic.” The gang protests the song choice but Will says they’ll be performing Friday and can’t get something new. With groans, Glee continues.

In the world outside of school, Will and Terri try to find a new house now they have a baby on the way. Her sister encourages the couple to buy a new house in her subdivision as her unruly kids run amok. Will knows he they can barely afford but he caves, voicing over he knows he needs extra income now.

But first—more Glee! He gives the gang a new song—Kayne’s “Gold Digger.” Will and Mercedes rock the song. Later, though, Emma finds Rachel trying to throw up. She brings Rachel back to her office where Rachel swears off bulimia but confesses she likes someone. She asks Emma if ever loved someone so much she locked herself in somewhere and just listened to sad music. With a glance to Will and a curt “no,” we zoom to Emma locked in her car, pouring rain pounding on the windows, mascara running down her face as she sings “All by Myself.” She counsels Rachel to find some common ground with her crush and a connection will follow.

We next see Rachel with Finn, Will and Jane in Principal Figgins’ office. Jane caught them doing something horrible—they were making copies of a Glee flyer ON THE CHEERLEADERS’ COPIER! The horror! Will offers to have them pay the cheerleaders back for the 17 copies they made. Principal Figgins likes this idea. Finn and Rachel get a warning while Jane gets clean up duty. Will tells the two not to put up the flyers and to suck it up regarding the song choice. Rachel tries to get closer to Finn, but he says he has Celibacy Club. Terri and Will take a bath but Terri flips out about their financial situation and wanting her dream home. This prompts Will to offer to be the janitor in wake of school cut backs.

Rachel joins the Celibacy Club, which Finn joined to get Prissy Cheerleader to break her vow. The guys talk about coming too soon and we see Finn’s traumatic driver’s ed experience. As they make out using balloons, Rachel flips out. She drops a bombshell: Girls want sex just as much as guys. The guys are floored and I’m sure Lea Michele feels like she’s back in “Spring Awakening.” After school, Emma discovers Will’s new side job. She promises to keep his secret and offers to help. Will asks Emma about her impulsive need to clean everything. She admits it is from a childhood experience at a dairy farm when her brother pushed her into a pile of manure. Will tries to help her but they have A Moment, so she leaves.

Rachel calls a meeting of Glee Club sans Will and says they will give the students what they want: Sex.

Cue the assembly where the gang performs Salt-n-Pepa’s “Push It.” The cheerleaders are scandalized but Principal Figgins taps along. Will’s stunned but the students love it. Jane drags Principal Figgins and Will into his office. Jane wants Will to resign and Glee Club to be disbanded. Principal Figgins refuses, saying Glee is talented. But he does have a list of approved songs. He also cuts Jane’s budget for new costumes for Glee. Will scolds Rachel for her tactics. Lea Michele’s teary face brings us to commercials.

Emma polishes off each grape before she eats it as she tries to dissuade the coach, who is smitten with her. He warns her away from married men and tells her she can’t do better than him. In other romance news, Rachel runs scales with Finn. They stop for food and Finn confesses he wants to be as good as her. They have several Moments before she gives him permission to kiss her. He does but as he gets excited, his traumatic driving experience pops up. He flees.

Terri goes to get a baby check-up. Except there’s no baby. The doctor thinks she wants a baby so much, she’s mimicking the symptoms.

The cheerleaders try out for Glee, Prissy wanting to be near Finn. Jane is surprised but Prissy explains why. Jane makes them her spies, charging them to bring Glee down. Across the school, Emma cleans the water fountain while Will offers antibacterial wipes. Emma says she has a date while sad music plays. At home, Terri surprised Will with dinner and candlelight. He says he is doing this for her and the “little guy or gal.” Terri lies that it’s a “little guy.” She agrees to give up the dream home and tells Will to drop the side job.

Rachel is brokenhearted to learn Prissy is getting her solo. Will apologizes for his behavior and says he forgot that Glee Club is about having fun. Rachel lets this pass before asking to use the gym. Lea Michele then delivers an amazing rendition of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow,” saying good-bye to her relationship with Finn. They will be releasing a soundtrack, right?

Yes, it’s on iTunes! Laptop, don’t fail me now!

Tune in next week! 

Colonial Christmas

I know Christmas was over a month away but allow me to turn back the clock for a bit. The date will now be December 26, 2008 and you are coming with me on my Christmas vacation in Williamsburg, VA.

Cue the colonial music.

Some of you may remember my blog posts about our trip to Boston. In them, I described a game we played on our way up, guessing how many license plates we would see.  We settled in my mom’s mini-van and got ready to play the game. However, we got a bit sidetracked. My mom commented on how one never really sees car shells anymore and how much room ours gave us on family vacations. Not five minutes after this conversation we counted three cars with car shells on the opposite side in almost a row. After that, we started counting car shells—and they had to be shells, not boxes/bags tied to the roof—on the way down.

By the time we got to Williamsburg at nearly 6:30 PM, we counted over 150 car shells.

We checked into the Quality Inn Colony near the Visitor’s Center and whoever was in there before us was very cold. Our two rooms were sweltering hot and we had to lower the heat. We left the rooms to cool down, rushing over to Williamsburg as we had tickets for the 7:30 PM performance of “Carols at the Courthouse.” The courthouse was awash in candlelight as the quintet sang some of the popular Christmas carols of the 18^th century. One of the singers filled the times not spent singing with historical information about how Colonial Americans would’ve celebrated Christmas.

Christmas wasn’t a big day for revelry—the people usually went to church and then stayed home with family for a large meal. The following twelve days were a time of parties, merry-making and gifts, usually on Boxing Day. This day, following Christmas, got its name from the tradition of the master of a household bequeathing boxes of gold coins to his servants for a year of good work. The last night, the famous Twelfth Night, was the biggest night for revelry and unlike previous nights, the children were allowed to stay up late and join the festivities.

After the singing was finished, we returned to our hotel. Unfortunately, it had not cooled down enough and both my father and I were in for a night of sweating, tossing and turning.

After the rough night (and a quick stop at a local K-Mart for new sneakers and some snacks, among other things), we returned to Colonial Williamsburg in time to see the famous fife and drum core come up the Duke of Gloucester Street. We just had time to see them before hurrying to the Lumber House for our 1:30 PM tour of Williamsburg’s Christmas decorations.

While our guide explained outside decorations such as we do now were not tradition in the 18^th century, a compromise had to be reached with the residents who still resided in some of the historical houses during the early years of the operation. They decorated their houses with items that would be found in the 18^th century—fruit, evergreen, etc. Houses deemed the best are given awards. While the tour started out well enough, it soon got boring seeing fruit over and over. Our tour guide also did not do a good job holding our attention either and by the time we got to the other end of the Duke of Gloucester Street, we noticed our group was considerably smaller than the one that gathered on the Palace Green.

We departed the tour and went to get a snack at the Raleigh Bakery, located just behind the Raleigh Tavern. The line is worth the wait to the goodies sold inside. I prefer a chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of ginger ale. My sister usually gets an apple and a bottle of root beer while my mother absolutely loves their corn bread. I’ve also heard a few compliments of their apple pasties as well. It’s good for a mid-afternoon snack and won’t hurt your wallet as a mid-afternoon snack in Disney would.

As we munched on our treats, we sat back to watch a performance of “Revolutionary City.” Crazy Annie provided commentary between speeches by Lord Dunmore, Patrick Henry, John and Peyton Randolph. They discussed the dissolution of the House of Burgesses as well as the Battle of Lexington and Concord. As Crazy Annie brought everyone to view a copy of Lord Dunmore’s announcement to slaves, we continued on to the visitor’s center for our viewing of Williamsburg: A Patriot’s Tale, the longest running movie in motion picture history. If you go to Williamsburg, see this movie at least once. It’ll give you a great understanding of the city’s importance and let little kids feel excited when they recognize the buildings.

After a dinner at Cracker Barrel, Official Eating Place of the Brims on Vacation, we returned to the historic area for our evening programs. My sister wanted to see “Crime and Punishment” and we got tickets for the 7:15 tour. We met three different people who were involved in the Williamsburg legal scene. The first was of Jack Scratch, a rather overzealous undersheriff who liked his job a bit too much. Today, he would probably fail the psychological test. He talked about some punishments criminals might have been given, like having their ear nicked while in the stocks. After we left him, we saw another creepy fellow—an indentured servant working for the sheriff. He spoke about the courts giving people a second chance but branding their crimes into their palm—“T” for thief or “M” for murder. He showed us his brand, telling us he was accused of stealing though he protested his innocence. We left him and went to the actual gaol to visit a deranged woman who told us her tale of woe. She had been an orphan of England, accused of stealing and sent to America. There, she worked as an indentured servant and caught the eye of her master. In the classic story, he led her to believe they could be together if his wife was out of the picture. So, she killed her and was hanged for it. She kept calling out for her young daughter until she remembered she was dead. However, I’m surprised they picked an older woman to portray the ghost as the woman was most likely considerably younger.

After the tour was over, we hurried across the historic area for our 8:45 PM tour—Christmastide at Home. Our tour started on the Palace Green, heading toward a kitchen attached to the Governor’s Palace. Two servants from the 1760s discussed Christmas traditions such as Boxing Day and the Lord of Misrule (a servant appointed as lord over the twelve night festivities). We moved to a stable to see two soldiers discussing Christmas 1776, including their frustrations over how the war was going (Of course, history buffs know George Washington would make his famous attack on the British that night). They discussed their own traditions at Christmas before firing off shots to welcome the holiday.  As the shots rang out, we next saw a scene from the early 1800s depicting the first Christmas tree. We finished in 1944, where a mother explained to her daughter the reason for Williamsburg’s tradition. It was a lovely tour and very informative.

Just a side note: While the Williamsburg people will tell you the Tucker-St. George house was the location of the first Christmas tree, there is proof the tree was in America before the 19^th century. The Pennsylvania Dutch brought the tradition with them as they settled here and there are accounts of the Hessian soldiers decorating trees during the American Revolution.

Sunday was a free day—we have relatives in the area and thought we might visit them that day. Unfortunately, they didn’t return our messages and we were unable to reach them in person, so we went to church with the day wide open. But when we left Mass, we were dismayed to find one of our tires had gone flat. Unable to leave the parking lot, my mother called AAA. Since we belong to the New York branch, that’s the number we called but they helpfully transferred us to the Virginia branch. A tow truck came and after a bit of a search, the donut was put on our car. He gave us the name of a place where we could get our tire fixed which ended up being located right across from our hotel! So, thanks to the tow truck man and AAA. Fortunately, the temps that day hit a high of 75 degrees, so we weren’t so upset about sitting in our car with the windows down.

We stopped for a late lunch at Pizza Uno’s, served by the cheerful Dr. Bill who answered our questions about his education. We decided to go to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor’s Center and do our souvenir shopping. The gift store is split in two. On one side is the store full of the little odds and ends—T-shirts, dolls, drums, etc—and the other side has the book store, complete with music and video items. I picked up a book on ghosts in Williamsburg while my mother picked up the colonial caroler’s CD and the orientation movie on DVD. We sent my sister to check the programs for that night and we decided to go wait for the illuminations of the taverns.

We chose a spot right next to the stage outside Raleigh’s Tavern, where some scenes of “Revolutionary City” are performed. After helping a family move the benches around so they could view the Duke of Gloucester Street better, we were dismayed to suddenly feel rain. We decided to stick it out though and I’m glad we did. The event started with the fife and drum corps parading down until they reached the first tavern. A narrator came on over the PA system to explain the history of each tavern. A small band of militia fired guns as each lamp was lit. The fife and drum corps would start up again and march to the next tavern. We soon found we picked a great spot as we had front row seats for the last performance of the corps and had our own personal heater when they lit the lamps outside the Raleigh. We were dry before we ever returned to our car.

The entire trip, my sister was craving chocolate covered strawberries from Wyeth candy shop. We finally got into the store on Monday—the map said the store was open from 9 to 9, but when we went at 8 PM Saturday night, the store was closed. Unfortunately, strawberries were not in season. So she settled on a chocolate covered apple while I downed another ginger ale (I love the brand they serve in Williamsburg!). I enjoyed my drink; she didn’t particularly care for her apple. She chucked it and we headed back to the main historic area.

We sat down outside the Mary Stith house, where the program I wanted to see would happen. Due to the crowds, you had to get to a program at least an hour in advance. So, what else is there to do? Chat up the people standing there with you! Particularly as Monday was not as balmy as Sunday, we needed body heat. We met a nice family from Florida and the hour flew by.

The program was called “Theater and the Road to Revolution.” The history of theater in the American colonies was explained. An excerpt from a popular colonial play was performed and we were requested to act like a colonial audience: if we liked something, cheer. If we hated something, boo. And if we wanted to see something again, yell “Encore!” The performers graciously obliged us to do-overs of some demanding scenes. Next an excerpt of George Washington’s favorite play, Cato, was performed. Washington himself ordered the play performed at Valley Forge. Congress, having outlawed theater in a show of support with New England and a measure against frivolity, ordered him to never do that again. The program ended with a stroll down memory lane for me. An excerpt from “The Contrast” by Royall Tyler, the first truly American play, was read. It was the first play I read in my American Drama class.

By the way, Congress’ law outlawing theater was never repealed.

We needed to pick up our new tire so we grabbed a quick lunch of McDonald’s before returning to the hotel. After some resting, we returned to Cracker Barrel for a light dinner—this time, I just had a tossed salad. We paid for our favorite nighttime activity—a ghost tour—this night but had about an hour and a half to kill. We settled outside the King’s Arm Inn, though sadly there wasn’t a fire burning behind us like the night before at the Raleigh. We saw a few tours go ahead of us and heard the story of Irma, a manager at the King’s Arm who also lived in an upstairs room. She died there but still demands respect. So, employees say “Good morning, Irma” and “Good night, Irma” so as not to invoke her wrath. We figured we sat there so long that when we went to check in, we said good night to Irma as well.

Kelly led our tour, where she started with the ghost of former tavern owner who still haunts his tavern. He has even messed with her—unlocking the bathroom door. Next she moved onto two ghosts most people don’t expect to see in Williamsburg—Civil War era ones. Williamsburg was the site of a battle during the war and has its share of 19^th century ghosts. We continued on—there was a ghost a tour guide told his group to ignore, creepy sounds in the Capitol, etc. I’d go more into the ghost stories, but if I did, why would you go on it? I suggest you do. The guides are Williamsburg employees who have had encounters and share entertaining stories.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. We cleaned out the rooms and went back to the historic area for one more go-round, like our Walt Disney World last call. We went back to the courthouse for a final program: Order in the Court. We sat in on the recreation of an actual trial, which was about a Baptist minister accused of disturbing the peace and preaching in a non-sanctioned place.  After the program ended, we made one last stop at the Raleigh Bakery to load up for the ride home. This time though we tried the tavern rolls (AKA unsalted pretzels) and my sister and I agreed next time, we’re bringing something to dip them in. So with one final sip of ginger ale and a quick stop at the ladies room, we left.

So it was back to reality via 301, which my grandparents used to drive to South Carolina. And as the temperature on my mother’s car dropped from 60s to 30s, we returned to New Year to ring in 2009!

Goodness Makes the Badness Go Away

It is a rule of television: If you are a popular cartoon, you will inevitably get your own Christmas special.

And thus is true of The Smurfs. You know--those loveable blue creatures that are only three apples high. And they celebrate Christmas too. In fact, in the middle of their Christmas preparation, they find two children stranded in the snowy woods. Their uncle is a powerful lord and their grandfather is hurt. The Smurfs care for the children as a powerful warlock seeks revenge on their uncle. He uses Gargamel as a pawn, but in the end, the Smurfs' goodness saves the day!

It is a cute story, if a bit predictable. The best part has to be the little boy mistaking Papa Smurf as Santa Claus. Though it is a bit easy to do so--he has a long white beard and wears red. The trouble comes with the fact that Santa isn't three apples tall nor blue. The special also shows even Gargamel knows when the line has been crossed though he was probably acting more to save himself than following his conscious.

And it has to achieve a new level of cheese with the Smurfs' Christmas song: "Goodness makes the badness go away. Goodness makes the badness go away. Badness can't start if there's goodness in your heart. Goodness makes the badness go away." I am sure people familiar with this type of storyline knows how this song gets used. But it is catchy and you will find yourself humming it. All day long.

So for introducing a song more sugar-filled than "it's a small world" but for bringing Christmas cheer to the Smurfs, I award this special four candy canes out of five.

I Wish You Well

Academy Award-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix has announced he will retire from acting after his next movie. He wishes to focus on a singing career, an ambition born from playing Johnny Cash in the biopic "Walk the Line," a role which earned him his second Academy Award nomination. (His first was for "Gladiator"). Good luck with the new career!

Also, actor David Tennant has announced he will be leaving popular British sci-fi show "Doctor Who" in 2010. Tennant has played the tenth incarnation of the time-traveling alien since 2005, taking over for Christopher Eccleston. There will not be a proper series (or season, in American terms) in 2009 due to Tennant's involvement with the Royal Shakespeare company. To accomodate for this, the BBC ordered four specials to be made which will be broadcast throughout 2009 and 2010. When the fifth series/season resumes, creator/producer Russell T. Davies will also be replaced as head writer by Steven Moffatt.

Tennant has been one of my favorite aspects of Doctor Who though I do agree it is time for him to move on. Perhaps though, neither he nor Eccleston will object to a special with whoever the new Doctor is--a la "The Two Doctors" or "The Five Doctors" from the original series. It will be interesting to see how the regeneration occurs...

And of course, who will play Eleven? Any ideas?

Also, Happy Halloween! I'm still waiting for a good ghost story...

Dreaming My Christmas Dreams Early

I know it's a bit early to honestly be thinking about Christmas (though ads for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular are running), but I have been. For some reason, I cannot get in the Halloween spirit. Sure, I have a party already lined up and am costume-shopping, but my iTunes library is set to only play Christmas music. I've been having Christmas-related dreams. And I have be waiting for the release of this: Carols for a Cure Vol. 10.

This CD is made every year by cast members in running shows on Broadway to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA). I first heard about Carols for a Cure about two years ago, when I began lurking around BroadwayWorld's message boards. Last year, toward the end of October, I went to Legally Blonde for the second time (Side note: The musical does close this coming Sunday, October 19th, so if you can get to the Palace Theatre to see it, I encourage you to). As the busy holiday tourist season starts, BCEFA has a collection at the end of shows. They also sell the CDs then as well, so I bought one.

The CD contains a mixture of traditional carols (such as Xanadu's Kerry Butler singing a beautiful "Away in a Manager"), to redone carols (The Little Mermaid's "Joy to the World"), to new songs (Avenue Q's "At the North Pole Global Warming Surfing Party"). It soon became one of my favorite CDs and I had to try hard not to listen to the CD before Halloween was over (Alright, so I've had this "Getting into the Christmas spirit early" problem for a few years). Though I retired all my Christmas songs in January, I would still listen to some of the carols from this CD from time to time.

The tenth volume's track list looks quite promising and I hope it lives up to how wonderful I found the ninth volume. I would encourage anyone looking for a good Christmas CD and/or who loves Broadway musicals to buy this CD. All the proceeds go to a good cause and you get some wonderful music. All ten volumes are available, but I would say get the 10th volume as it also includes songs from the previous CDs.

RIP

This has been one sad weekend for the entertainment world. Today, Isaac Hayes suddenly died. I enjoyed his voice, both speaking and singing. And who now doesn't have "Theme from Shaft" now stuck in their head?

And yesterday, comedian Bernie Mac died from complications due to pneumonia. I've had pneumonia many times over my 22 years on this earth and it's quite haunting to see it take someone. I didn't watch the "Bernic Mac Show" but I loved his performance as Bosley in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." He was a great follow-up to Bill Murray in the original.

The trails these men blazed in their respective fields will never be forgotten. And future generations will always be grateful to them.

I hate to remain a bit morbid, but they say death comes in threes. Who's next?