Lily Hammer's Blog (10)

An Authors Note: Two Points

1.)  Elton John is a genius.

2.)  That is all.

And now, a letter from Amneris to Aida.

Dearest Aida,

            It has now been fifteen years since you and Radames passed.  Though perhaps it’s a bit poetic to say, “passed.”  I did send you to death after all.  But I truly didn’t want to, I promise!  It was the law, and what Daddy says, goes.  But anyway, I hope you two are doing well.  I don’t quite…

Glitter and pink,

Feathers and lights,

Oh what do you think,

Could be on this night?

What else but a drag show?!

The wigs are a plenty.

The rhinestones, they glisten

And sparkle like pennies.

Once a movie,

And now put to stage

Priscilla’s a show

To last through the ages.

Somewhat of a cult crowd,

Enthusiastic, for sure.

Their ages varied,

With outfits…

Frank Abagnale Junior,

A con man perhaps?

Left home at sixteen,

And forged many checks

A pilot once,

A doctor, then lawyer

His careers changed often,

Unknown to employers

A good-looking boy,

Charming in fashion

His falsetto, though wavered

Was truly impassioned

Frank’s girl Brenda

Had quite lovely pipes

Her song had me weeping

A love of the winsome…

Beauty and the Beast: A Show to Forget

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast opened Tuesday, October 16 at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis. If you were born after 1991, and had a relatively normal American childhood filled with Disney movies, then you’ve probably seen the classic film and know the story. The story follows a young woman named Belle, played by Hilary Maiberger, in a “poor, provincial town” in France. Her father,…

The music of our parents is usually music that we young folks aren’t so fond of. However, the music of ABBA has always been a band that captures my heart as well as my ears, and I was looking forward to seeing Mamma Mia, a jukebox musical commemorating the band’s songs. And as soon as I heard Sophie’s (played by Chloe Tucker) first note, I was still convinced I’d be a fan of the show.

As I mentioned before, Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical, which means that it’s basically…

It’s that heart pounding, gut-wrenching, mind blowing music you hear. It’s loud and raw, and makes you want to dance. Or it’s soft and honest, reminding you of your hometown. Usually, you’d experience these things at something called a concert—not a Broadway musical. Million Dollar Quartet is jukebox musical that tends to come off as a rockabilly-country-folk concert. The show is set at Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Johnny Cash,…

Strobe lights, fog, and guitar riffs filled the Orpheum theatre on opening night of American Idiot, a jukebox musical commemorating the music of Greenday. Though the term “jukebox musical” is an accurate description of this show, it is often thought of in a negative light, with songs thrown…

Recreating something so spectacular is a tall order. There’s always the worry that people will like the original better, or that they’ll disagree with what was cut and added. It’s difficult to follow such an acclaimed performance, trying to stay true to what people know, while still managing to make it fresh.…

            Have you ever seen a show that just goes on and on and on? One that seems like it will never end? You keep checking your watch thinking, “how much longer am I going to have to endure this?” When I found out that Les Miserables was a three-hour show, I became extremely worried. I was an audience member who was familiar with the music, but I didn’t know the story too well. I don’t have a very long attention span, so Les Mis' didn’t look too…

“Has everyone gotten some drinks? Some alcohol? Good. Because the show sucks unless you’re tanked,” says Lily White, the warm-up drag queen for La Cage Aux Folles. She couldn’t be more wrong. The show was great. Flamboyant, fabulous, loud, exuberant, and most of all: gay. Being a fan of all things theatrical and loud, I was immediately drawn to the bright pink curtains that backed the stage, the boas, and dresses that the drag queens sported.…