16 Most Influential Albums

I just did this on Facebook - it's one of those chain survey things you pass around - and thought it would make a good blog post. :)

This is an intimidating one!!!! Almost impossible!

Think of 16 albums, CDs, LPs (if you're over 35) that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wasu, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Then when you finish, tag 16 others, including moi. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!

... in no particular order:

Heather's 16 Albums

Some of these are cheesy and silly but they are honest answers. Albums that changed me. Not necessarily Top 16 of all time. Some I haven't listened to in years! It was hard not to put down what you *should* have been influenced by (some cool punk or jazz of some such crap) and what you were *really* influenced by. :)

1 - International Pop Overthrow - Material Issue
They will always be my favorite band of all time. My father gave me a sampler they gave out with Guitar Magazine and I was instantly in love. I will always miss this band.

2 - Hangin' Tough - New Kids On The Block
After a summer of my cousins Jennifer and Starr, and my friend Lori, playing it over and over I found an obsession to last me a lifetime.

3 - Labyrinth Soundtrack - David Bowie
I went to see Labyrinth in the movie theater, not truly aware of who David Bowie was, fully aware that I loved the Muppets and all things Henson. When Bowie appeared as Jareth my jaw was on the floor, Who is THAT? As a Bowie fan I could have put down Hunky Dory or something. But if I'm being honest, "Underground" and "As The World Falls Down" influenced me way more than "Queen Bitch" or "Life On Mars".

4 - Janis (Soundtrack) - Janis Joplin
If I was cool I'd write "Pearl" or something. But, as is the case with most of my music, my Dad introduced me to Janis Joplin by renting "Janis" from Videobusters, the documentary film about her that was released shortly after her death. I played the soundtrack non-stop and eventually collected everything she ever recorded.

5 - Help - The Beatles
Continuing with the same theme - now as I write this maybe my Dad had a campaign to make sure I knew good music - my Dad rented Help! I liked the Beatles but after seeing them in this crazy spy-hemed comedy/musical movie I loved them. As you should!

6 - Aspects of Love - Original London Cast Recording
I had seen other shows before Aspects but this was the one that gave me my love of theater, particularly musicals. I mailed away for the libretto and sang along to every word.

These two came after...
7 - Rent - Original Broadway Cast Recording
The first time I played this I hadn't seen the show. I was working at Grass Records as an intern and an advance copy came in the mail. I put it on and was instantly teased so I shut it off. But I took it home and bought a ticket shortly after. I stopped counting how many times I'd seen Rent after 25.

8 - Les Miz - Original Broadway Cast Recording
This was a high school thing. (Mike Johnson? Jessie?) We played it non-stop, acted it out, what dorks we were! But I am still in love with this show. Hello! Terrence Mann as Javert? Friggin amazing.

9 - Exile In Guyville - Liz Phair
OK so this may be a "cool" answer. Something that someone was a teenage girl in the 90s should list but it's true. SHe sang about stuff I didn't exactly "get" yet but thought I did or pretended I did. And she didn't have a particularly good voice but I loved it anyway, maybe because she sounded just like a normal person.

10 - She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper
I was 7 when this album came out. Who was cooler than Cyndi Lauper? A girl from Queens who had half her head shaved the rest sticking out in crazy colors? Singing her ass off? I wanted to be her. I passed around a poll in elementary school that said "Who's Better Cyndi or Madonna?" And you had to write your name under either Cyndi or Madonna column to cast your vote. When Madonna started to pick up votes I ended the poll and wrote my name under Cyndi. She beat Madonna by my one vote.

11 - Hey Babe - Juliana Hatfield
There are a few people on this list that know how nutty about Juliana Hatfield I was (Gaspar, Rey, Domenique, Daryl." One of the people on this list called her Basketball Head! I won't say who.) She was the whole reason I ever interned at Mammoth - which in turn changed my life.

Two vinyl records that I first remember owning that I played on my Fisher Price record player until my parents' ears bled:
12 - The Muppet Show - original soundtrack to the TV show
13 - Sesame Street Gold

14 - War - U2
My father loves u2. He went to see them on this tour. I was too little to go. He called me from a pay phone inbetween the show and the encore to tell me about it. They are still one of my favorite bands.

15 - The Monkees - The Monkees
Those who know me from childhood know that the Monkees were an early obsession of mine. They made a comeback in 1986 - their 20th anniversary. WOR Channel 9 started rerunning the entire series that summer. My parents taped every single episode for me on our brand new VCR. I went to see them in concert like a million times. I met all four of them (even Mike Nesmith who wouldn't tour with them and had become a country music guy and TV producer.) Whenever I got grounded the first thing my parents took away was my Monkees stuff because I loved them so much. Still do. :)

16 - Another Love Song - The Frames
This was their first record. And definitely not their best when you compare them to the brilliant band they have become. I am one of the few who got into them because Glen Hansard was in The Commitments and I collected every project from every cast member. The Frames is probably my favorite band that is still active and making music. They make music that punches me in the gut with their awesomeness every time.

RENT - One Last Time

Last night, my friend PJ and I saw RENT for the very last time on Broadway. We, along with many of our fellow theater geek friends, have been big fans of this show for the last 12 years. From it's high points - it's amazing first season with the original cast, subsequent reunions, cast members like Sherie Rene Scott, Norbert Leo Butz, Neil Patrick Harris, national tours etc - to some low points - Scary Spice anyone? :) But no matter the cast changes or what was going on in the world, RENT was always there.

But as of September 7th it won't be. That will be the date of RENT's final performance. This is obviously an impossible show to get into, no tickets etc. And the final week is going to be nutty as it approaches quickly. So PJ and I decided to go last night and bid our farewell quietly.

The absolute highlight for me was Will Chase (Lennon, High Fidelity, Aida, Full Monty) who is the current Roger. My friend Meredith and I did standing room to see him during his first stint as Roger a few years ago. And just as he was then, he remains one of my favorite Rogers (Adam Pascal will always claim #1.) He is such a great singer that he often outshone his fellow castmembers. His "One Song Glory" is the only one that comes close to Adam's! I know it's terrible to compare the two but it just can't be helped.

Another highlight was Tracie Thoms as Joanne. While the RENT movie was being filmed I had the opportunity to meet Tracie Thoms a few times. She was always very sweet and sounded great!  She was one of the few actors in the movie that was not an original cast member reprising a role. In fact she had been auditioning to play Joanne on Broadway for years but had never gotten the part. Now not only does she hold the honor of being the Joanne preserved on film forever, she is also Broadway's final Joanne. And she seems to be savoring every moment.

Yet another highlight was Eden Espinosa as Maureen. Eden, who was also in the ill-fated Bway show Brooklyn (and was the only good thing about that show), and in Wicked as Elphaba, has a rabid Broadway fanbase. Girls screamed when she appeared on stage. I have seen her in both of her previous shows and she has a vocal range to rival just about anyone else. This is cliche but I think at her highest note she really can shatter glass. Now not only did she sing the hell out the role but she made it entirely her own. She wasn't doing an Idina Menzel impersonation (which she also did not do in Wicked). And she was hilarious. "Over The Moon" is a tough song to sell and she was fantastic.

Most pleasant surprise was Adam Kantor as Mark. Adam graduated last year from Northwestern University. He has appeared in a few shows there and, well, that's about it! This seems to be not only his Broadway debut but his first professional theater job as well. It was a stroke of genius to put a total newcomer in this role at the end of its run. It shows how this show has grown and evolved and remained relevant. And that it continued to give new actors their first jobs and seasoned actors a place to come home to. *sigh*

It was weird to think that all the significant moments of the show would be the last times we'd see them performed at the Nederlander. During Over The Moon I said to PJ "You have to moo. It's the last time!" And then as "Season of Love" began PJ  said "Awww last time!"  Hard to believe that we'll never see those songs and all those tiny little moments we love about RENT performed on Broadway again.

To pull a lyric from the show and end this post like the cheeseball I am - "I can't believe this is goodbye."

The Tony Awards!

The Tony Awards take place this Sunday. Woo hoo! My favorite musical of the season, In The Heights, is up for more awards than any other show - 13! I really believe they are going to win Best Musical, Best Score, and hopefully Lin Miranda, Olga Merediz and Robin DeJesus will win acting Tonys.

In addition, the original cast of RENT will be reuniting and performing to commerate the show's final season.

I can't wait!

Welcome Home Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp!

I just got home from seeing Rent now starring original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp! I went with Mom to see their return to the show and ... well ... WOW! I mean W O W !!!!!! I know I am about as articulate as a teeneybopper but - WOW! No exaggeration - and I know I tend to be pretty enthusiastic about things I love, particularly theater, especially when Rent is involved, and even more especially when Adam Pascal is involved - this was one of the most most special evenings of theater I have ever experienced.

The atmosphere was electric. To see Adam and Anthony once again in the roles they originated was truly a gift. I don't know if ever seeing the show again can match this. They are both on fire and played their parts as if they never left yet with a completely new energy. They were both so in the moment. During "Halloween B" and "Goodbye Love" Adam was even crying. During "Rent" and "La Vie Boheme" I thought they were going to blow the roof off the place. It was just amazing. The entire cast is really in top form. I haven't seen Rent in this kind of shape in years. It reminded me so much of seeing it back when it first opened.

I haven't been writing much and I am so overwhelmed by what amazing night this has been that I'm not very articulate right now. Just go see it. They are only in the show for a limited run. See it see it see it!

http://www.siteforrent.com/