A romp through the insanity patch!

This is your brain.



This is your brain on the musical of The Lion King.



Any questions? See below...

( The Lion King )

I feel like there was more I wanted to type on it, but I can't remember what it is, and I'm not feeling too hot at the moment, so I'll leave it at that. So there you have it!

A hard-bitten detective with a wicked sense of humor. An overprotective father whose daughter had the time of her life. A singing, dancing candlestick who invited the audience for a magical dinner. What do they all have in common?

Jerry Orbach.

Who, sadly, passed away of prostate cancer Tuesday night.

I wanted to commemorate this because Briscoe was one of my all-time favorite characters, and Orbach was one of my all-time favorite actors. It broke my heart when he left Law and Order, but I was thrilled to hear he was going to be in another series. I hadn't even known he was ill, so imagine my shock when my mother told me over dinner, "Oh, by the way, Jerry Orbach died." The words, "What the hell?" left my mouth.

I did a little reading on AOL News, and found out that not only was he one of my favorite TV characters, but he had originated or portrayed several Broadway personas that I know and love. He starred as the original Billy Flynn in "Chicago" in 1975, the role that Richard Gere would inherit in the (AWESOME) movie.

He also played Julian Marsh in "42nd Street" when it opened on Broadway in 1980--another perennial favorite at our house. Everytime we watch the movie, my sister walks around for weeks declaring that everything is 'grand.' He was one of Broadway's premiere song-and-dance men, and the marquis lights on Broadway will be dimmed for a minute tonight at curtain time in Orbach's memory.

But most of us probably knew him best as Detective Lenny Briscoe, the sharp-tongued detective who caught the bad guy and made us laugh while doing it. Or, perhaps, as a loveable candelabra named Lumiere, who sang and danced with a frustrated clock while cajoling the world to 'Be our guest.'

Hollywood and Broadway both lost a dear, talented friend last night, and he will be missed dearly. God speed, Jerry Orbach.


Try to remember the kind of September
when life was slow and oh, so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
when grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
when you were a tender and callow fellow,
Try to remember and if you remember, then follow

Try to remember when life was so tender
that no one wept except the willow
Try to remember when life was so tender that
dreams were kept beside your pillow
Try to remember when life was so tender that
love was an ember about to billow
Try to remember and if you remember, then follow

Deep in December it's nice to remember
altho you know the snow will follow
Deep in December it's nice to remember
without the hurt the heart is hollow
Deep in December it's nice to remember
the fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow
- "Try to Remember," from the Broadway show 'The Fantasticks'

The Tony's. The Academy Awards of Broadway. And, for a nerd like me, who adores Broadway musicals and soundtracks (some of you might know them as showtunes), it's a big deal.

Usually, my sister and I watch them together, but Arwen had to work tonight, so I took notes so I can report to her when she gets home (which, as I type this, should be at any time). We usually try to peg which will win, and this year...well, we weren't familiar with most of them, so we were kind of...off.

Have any of you ever read the book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire? Well, Stephen Schwartz took it, worked with it, and made it into a Broadway musical simply entitled "Wicked," starring Idina Menzel (the original Maureen, for those of you familiar with the musical RENT) as Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch), and Kristen Chenoweth as Galinda, who eventually become Glinda, the Good Witch. There's a quote in the book, something along the lines of, "Galinda reasoned that because she was beautiful, she was significant, though what exactly she signified, she hadn't quite figured out."

My sis got the soundtrack a few weeks ago, and it's been going on my Media Player ever since. I'm a devoted fan of the soundtrack, and I'm offically an Idina Menzel fan. So that was the show we were rooting for. It had a healthy chunk of nominations--which, in itself, is a nice honor.

Watched, enjoyed. Hugh Jackman hosted--he is NOT a bad-looking guy *grins* They performed my absolute favorite song from Wicked during the show--'Defying Gravity.' That is the most kick-ass song ever. I love it! It's so cool to see how it was staged.

Well, I'm pleased to say Wicked didn't walk away empty-handed. Three Tony's total. One for Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee), one for Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty--this one didn't surprise me at all)...and Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel. I was cheering...until my parents told me to be quiet.

Hugh Jackman won a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. I was happy. He's actually quite good--he made Sarah Jessica Parker get up on stage with him and do a lapdance. Her husband (the equally-famous Matthew Broderick) was M.I.A. I wonder if he was watching...heehee...

The musical that took Best Musical was called Avenue Q, and from the number they performed from it, I'd say it deserved to win. It was just so cute! They used puppets! *readers rolls their eyes* And the sample song they performed really says something about the show. The song was called 'It Sucks to Be Me.' Need I say more?

So now I'm just hanging out on the web, waiting for my sister to come home so I can fill her in. Working diligently on ficcage, since I seem to be riding the crest of a writing kick. Working on something for Kyte-chan's challenge. Should be nice and angsty ^_^

Luvs,
Candy-chan--I've got rhythm, I've got music...though I sadly lack a man...


Something has changed within me, something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game
Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap
It's time to try defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
And you can't pull me down
...
So if you care to find me, look to the Western sky
As someone told me lately, everyone deserves a chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free
To those who ground me, take a message back from me
Tell them how I am defying gravity
I'm flying high, defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody, in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down

- "Defying Gravity," from Wicked (not the entire song)