I have been remiss in my duties and for that, my most devoted reader, I apologize. In my last blog I promised a write-up of my then upcoming whirlwind weekend of theatre, and that weekend has come and gone with no write-up. But, a whirlwind weekend it was!
I'll start off with NYU Steinhardt's new production of the enigma known as Leonard Bernstein's Candide. It is known as "Leonard Bernstein's Candide" because his score for the musical (first billed as a "comic operetta") is the only element that has remained in the several productions that have felt the hands of Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, Felicia Bernstein, John LaTouche, Richard Wilbur, Hugh Wheeler, Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, John Caird and Lonny Price. The only other name that seems to come with every production is that of the novella's original author, Voltaire, and even he disappears sometimes. We can add to that list of names William Wesbrooks, who directed the production I saw down on West 4th Street at the Frederick Loewe Theatre.
This production, as Lonny Price's recent concert production did, forsook the trappings of time and place with the addition of more modern-day elements in production and costuming (including a sling-shot in the opening scene). However, where Price's production mixed the old with the new in an odd no-man's-land, Wesbrooks made it clear that his production took place in the here and now. While this goes along with Voltaire's original intent of current social satire, one wonders how strong the similarities truly are if we need to be shown them (and it brings to mind Lillian Hellman's blatant use of the Spanish Inquisition to represent the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in her original 1956 production).
Still, the productionproved a rousing one with many stand-out performances. Starting with that glorious Overture marvelously conducted by Michael Ricciardone and played by an onstage orchestra of 32 pieces (oh, that NYU might loan some of its musicians to the Roundabout Theatre Company) the evening proved to be one of extremely high energy. Crystal Mosser's manic performance of the other most-famous piece of music in the show, "Glitter and Be Gay" received one of the longest ovations I've had the pleasure of participating in.
The problems of Candide often lie in the second act once the characters and complications have been established, yet more misfortune must befall our hero before the conclusion. This production, I'm sorry to say, was unable to escape these problems. Starting off with a somewhat misplaced "Paris Waltz" (here labeled as "The Governor's Waltz") the second act of this show ran into more confusion than is perhaps necessary for Candide (including a new scene set in Cuba, credited to a dead Hugh Wheeler).
However, as with most productions of Candide (including Hal Prince's opera house production, the war-horse that this new production is based on) it is the performances and the music that carry the show. Marvin Avila was beautifully stylized with a voice that bathed the audience in innocence as the title character. Ms. Mosser's Cunegonde was a refreshing change from the mostly doe-eyed ingenues I've seen play the role, giving her bi-polar nature a much richer form with heavy accent of the depressive side. (Though, given the modern setting of the show, one wonders why Dr. Pangloss didn't give her a Prozac and tell her to shut up.) And to Dr. Pangloss. Paul Sandberg gave a fine performance as both Dr. Voltaire (of the realism camp) and Dr. Pangloss (of the optimism camp--this production omitted, as many do, the third philosopher Martin of the pessimism camp). The finest performance of the evening, however, belonged to Katharine Heaton as Cunegonde's faithful servant, the one-buttocked Old Lady. Ms. Heaton has a rich mezzo voice and spot-on comic timing. One rarely finds the combination of a well-trained opera singer and a true comedienne, and we often settle for one or the other with this role.
All-in-all, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre, and I cried--as I do--during the finale, "Make Our Garden Grow." It should be noted that the children sitting with the family next to me also seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. Bravo, NYU.
On to the other evening of theatre (actually going in reverse order). Are there seriously those of you who read this blog who have yet to attend a Five Flights show? Get on their mailing list, because you are missing delightful and insightful new theatre.
The newest installment from this exciting company derived from the idea that it is impossible to utilize super-heroes in live theatre. The effects ("woosh," "crunch," and "blammo," for example) are too necessary and only work on the page or the screen. So, Will Lacker set out to create a super hero drama in which the "boom"s and the "blast"s happen off-stage, while the drama unfolds onstage.
The result was The Custodian, the story of a janitor who--tired of cleaning up after super heroes--takes matters into his own hands. Eryck Tait is the title character who offers a surprisingly honest arc from beginning to end, surprising only considering the zany antics going on around him. His roommate Remy (Nick Hepsoe) plays video games all day and night, girlfriend (ex-girlfriend?) Wanda (Carlyn Kautz) is shacking up with Remy's childhood buddy Fing (Adam Delia) and there's a hostage super hero sidekick (Steve Yates) in his living room.
Early on, the play seems to take place in Manhattan as we know it. The trials and tribulations of the characters are familiar to us. The only things that seem out of place are the earthquakes (we'll later find out that those are caused by The Incredible Hulk). However, Lacker quickly employs the use of The Professor (Kacy Rice), a British know-it-all who pops up to explain the more archaic details of the story, to push the play from quirky to out-right ridiculous. Ms. Rice also appeared as a TV news anchor and a radio DJ, offering glimpses of life outside the apartment. (In other news, Ms. Rice's 21st birthday happened to land on the night of the performance I attended. Happy Birthday, Kacy!)
The ridiculous nature of the play and the honesty with which it was presented was truly a new great feat hurdled by the Five Flights Theater Company. And, true to Lacker's intent, there was only one special effect in the show (it could either be described as a "splat" or a "sploosh," or perhaps a combination thereof).
The best of all possible weekends spent with the best of all possible shows.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I Get a Tap Out of Wallkill HS
I have another whirlwind weekend of theatre coming up, and I’ll be sure to be back here with information on what’s certain to be an entertaining and thought provoking couple of shows (including NYU Steinhart’s production of the Leonard Bernstein classic Candide and a new play by bourgeoning pioneers Five Flights Theatre Company). Still, I’d be remiss if I left out the show I saw last weekend at Wallkill High School in upstate New York.
Now, I don’t have any real connection to Wallkill or its students. I’m not from the town, I didn’t attend or work at the school and I did not know anyone in their production of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. Well, that last part isn’t completely true: my brother, Paul, was the choreographer for this production, which is what brought me to Wallkill in the first place. But I did not feel any real responsibility to the players or staff going in.
Coming out, however, I had a huge grin on my face, the kind that comes from eating something really sticky and sweet or from seeing pure shameless musical comedy. For those of you who don’t know, Anything Goes is one of those pre-Oklahoma musicals that seldom pretends to have much of a plot, and even more seldom that the songs have anything to do with the plot (as a matter of fact, the only plot driven song in the show—an ode to Public Enemy #1—is hardly a minute long). It’s a vehicle for big voices, show-stopping numbers, great comic timing and tapping. Lots and lots of tapping.
To see these young performers dancing their feet off you’d never guess that all but a small handful had never taken a tap lesson before. Perhaps this is nothing more than a vain testament to the talent of the choreographer, my brother. But I truly think that there is little that could have gotten those kids tapping as they were (four of the girls did wings!) if the students themselves did not have the talent to learn and perfect those steps in the few months’ time they had to rehearse.
I must commend director Liz Bailey on her crisp and sophisticated staging of show, and for her educationally sound and experience-savvy policy of employing understudies for all of the major roles. The night I attended, the actress playing Reno Sweeney was too ill to perform. Elise Macur, her understudy, went on at the very last minute (I get the impression she was still zipping up as the overture played) and gave a solid performance in a demanding role made famous by the likes of Ethel Merman and Patti LuPone.
Additional kudos is owed to John Dunigan as Moonface Martin, Public Enemy #13, who managed to steal almost every scene he was in from everyone except for Abe Bliden who managed to hold his own in the role of Sir Evelyn Oakley. Crooners Sara Lobdell and Tyler Keeno, in the roles of the lovers hope Harcourt and Billy Crocker, leant just the right amount of gravity to their renditions of Porter favorites “It’s De-Lovely” and “All Through the Night.”
Good job, Wallkill HS. You’re the top!
Now, I don’t have any real connection to Wallkill or its students. I’m not from the town, I didn’t attend or work at the school and I did not know anyone in their production of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. Well, that last part isn’t completely true: my brother, Paul, was the choreographer for this production, which is what brought me to Wallkill in the first place. But I did not feel any real responsibility to the players or staff going in.
Coming out, however, I had a huge grin on my face, the kind that comes from eating something really sticky and sweet or from seeing pure shameless musical comedy. For those of you who don’t know, Anything Goes is one of those pre-Oklahoma musicals that seldom pretends to have much of a plot, and even more seldom that the songs have anything to do with the plot (as a matter of fact, the only plot driven song in the show—an ode to Public Enemy #1—is hardly a minute long). It’s a vehicle for big voices, show-stopping numbers, great comic timing and tapping. Lots and lots of tapping.
To see these young performers dancing their feet off you’d never guess that all but a small handful had never taken a tap lesson before. Perhaps this is nothing more than a vain testament to the talent of the choreographer, my brother. But I truly think that there is little that could have gotten those kids tapping as they were (four of the girls did wings!) if the students themselves did not have the talent to learn and perfect those steps in the few months’ time they had to rehearse.
I must commend director Liz Bailey on her crisp and sophisticated staging of show, and for her educationally sound and experience-savvy policy of employing understudies for all of the major roles. The night I attended, the actress playing Reno Sweeney was too ill to perform. Elise Macur, her understudy, went on at the very last minute (I get the impression she was still zipping up as the overture played) and gave a solid performance in a demanding role made famous by the likes of Ethel Merman and Patti LuPone.
Additional kudos is owed to John Dunigan as Moonface Martin, Public Enemy #13, who managed to steal almost every scene he was in from everyone except for Abe Bliden who managed to hold his own in the role of Sir Evelyn Oakley. Crooners Sara Lobdell and Tyler Keeno, in the roles of the lovers hope Harcourt and Billy Crocker, leant just the right amount of gravity to their renditions of Porter favorites “It’s De-Lovely” and “All Through the Night.”
Good job, Wallkill HS. You’re the top!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Secretary of the Arts
In light of my New Year's blog post, I felt it was necessary to post this: http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html
This is an online petition for our new President, Barack Obama, to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. This is something we've needed for a long time, and in the current financial climate, the arts are getting struck harder than before. Arts education programs in schools are being cut like never before and the new voices of the arts are finding it even harder to make themselves heard. We need the help wherever we can get it. The exciting part of this news is that so far there are 221565 signatures on the petition. I also read an article stating that a new petition has recently been formed against the appointment of a Secretary of the Arts. As of the writing of the article, that petition has six signatures. I think we all feel the way poster #221517, Laura Hope-Gill, feels: "It's time."
Expect new posts in the very near future, and as usual if you know of any exciting new theatre happening in the New York area, please let me know! feel free to comment here or drop me an e-mai: rigano.reviews@gmail.com.
This is an online petition for our new President, Barack Obama, to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. This is something we've needed for a long time, and in the current financial climate, the arts are getting struck harder than before. Arts education programs in schools are being cut like never before and the new voices of the arts are finding it even harder to make themselves heard. We need the help wherever we can get it. The exciting part of this news is that so far there are 221565 signatures on the petition. I also read an article stating that a new petition has recently been formed against the appointment of a Secretary of the Arts. As of the writing of the article, that petition has six signatures. I think we all feel the way poster #221517, Laura Hope-Gill, feels: "It's time."
Expect new posts in the very near future, and as usual if you know of any exciting new theatre happening in the New York area, please let me know! feel free to comment here or drop me an e-mai: rigano.reviews@gmail.com.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Drawn to Mary Fishburne
This proved to be a fantastic and charming opening for a fantastic and charming show. First of all, Ms. Fishburne is a delight. She brings an air of Southern charm combined with New York know-how, a stunning mix, to this performance. This is most apparent in her performance of the Alan Menken song "Pink Fish," a song about a Southern girl in New York discovering bagels and lox.
The other thing she and writer/director Jeffrey Sweet brought to the evening was a sense of sincerity. This was not a gimmick show. While they gave us the requisite jokes comparing Ms. Fishburne to the likes of Minnie Mouse and Olive Oil, she also brought a grounding--dare I say it?--third dimension to the material.
With material ranging from silver-screen Disney to classic television and back, the show, accompanied by the amazing Rick Hip-Flores, married whimsy to true human (or in some cases, animal) emotions for a beautiful show. Kudos to producer Jeff Landsman (of the York Theatre's Developmental Reading Series) for finding these artists and bringing them together.
In attendance the night that I saw the show was the daughter of legendary cartoon composer Sammy Timberg (of the Popeye opening number), who was there to see her father's material celebrated. We chatted beforehand and she asked me if I was Mary's boyfriend. I thought to myself after seeing the show, I should just lied and said "Yes!"
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Happy New Year, all! I hope you all had sufficiently raucous December 31st celebrations. Mine were filled with theoretical discussions of theatre while making brand new friends (I kid you not).
I've got a few things to cram into this post. The first is a very belated review of a production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown that I saw at Marymount Manhattan College. Directed by Jesse Marchese, this production utilized--in many ways--found objects representing the scenery and props dictated by the script, much the way the original Off-Broadway production did. Jesse's theory, he told me, was that kids can make a performance space out of anything. His production certainly proved that point. Rather than recreating the 'Peanuts' characters of the cartoons, as the most recent Broadway revival did, this production--staged in a non-traditional space--gave the impression of kids putting on a show in their backyard.
The performances astounded me. As a teacher of young people (a number of my students came to see the show with me!) I've seen several children perform material from Charlie Brown. But there's something so thrilling about adults letting themselves go and embodying these small children with these big ideas. The best example of this would have to be Katie Hutchison's Sally Brown, characterized in equal parts by her capriciousness and her precosiousness. Austin Wolf was delightful as the put-upon title character, his optimism all but forcing you to root for him throughout the whole show. It was a joy to watch Melissa Benoist (who I named last year's break-out performance of the year) lose herself in the egomaniacal Lucy VanPelt, and even more a joy to hear her sing. The necessary air of maturity and sophistication was supplied by Kevin O'Malley who portrayed a Snoopy that one might find more suited to sipping martinis with the likes of Noel Coward or Alexander Wollcott than hanging out with that round-headed boy.
Overall, the production was a delight and my students from The Children's Acting Academy had a wonderful time. I hope to post photos from the production as soon as I can.
On a more serious note, New York is currently recovering from The Great Broadway Massacre of 2009, a day that will go down in infamy as that day that saw the simultaneous closing of nine Broadway shows (and put a number of friends of mine out of work). January 4, 2009, left a staggering number of Broadway houses dark, and while new shows are coming in, they're going much more swiftly. It could be argued that some of the shows that have left my friends on unemployment (Hairspray, for example) have stayed their welcome and met with a timely demise, while others (Spring Awakening, anyone?) were more difficult to fathom.
In any event, right now more than ever in recent memory, we need to support the arts however we can. We need to go to Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, tours, regional theatre, community theatre. We need to show our solidarity for the up-and-coming talent out there. The arts have never been an easy field to break into. But due to the current recession, performers, writers, creators of all kind are finding that there are fewer and fewer venues for their voices to be heard.
So, here's my New Year's resolution: I will go to see as many performances [especially of new talent] as my wallet will allow [comps are always welcome] and I will spread the word right here.
Here's how you can do your part: PLEASE let me know of shows that you or your friends are doing so that I can plug them and review them. And please, pass this blog on to your friends so that the word can spread even faster. Let's join forces to support the insane amount of talent that is out there all over the country waiting to be heard!
On that note, I have a few things to plug. First: the insanely talented Mary Fishburne will be performing in her new cabaret Drawn to You, featuring music from some of her favorite cartoons. The show opens December 7 (TOMORROW) and runs until December 11. It's sure to be a sensational evening, and you're sure to hear more about it from me.
I also have to give a shout-out and a big Thank You to The Fabulous Jennifer Wren (that's her full name) who hosts the bi-monthly open-mic/cabaret Big Night Out. Jenny is a big part of the coallition to give new voices a chance to be heard. Every other Thursday at their new home at Dillon's Lounge, she and Musical Genius Bill Zeffiro (that's his full name) can be found hamming it up and allowing others to do so, as well.
That having been said, I have a belated Christmas/New Year gift for you all. On December 17th, Jenny and Bill hosted a Holiday Extravaganza, and I was honored to be among the truly amazing composers and performers. Here is a video of me singing my song "(Let's Go) Under the Mistletoe."
I've got a few things to cram into this post. The first is a very belated review of a production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown that I saw at Marymount Manhattan College. Directed by Jesse Marchese, this production utilized--in many ways--found objects representing the scenery and props dictated by the script, much the way the original Off-Broadway production did. Jesse's theory, he told me, was that kids can make a performance space out of anything. His production certainly proved that point. Rather than recreating the 'Peanuts' characters of the cartoons, as the most recent Broadway revival did, this production--staged in a non-traditional space--gave the impression of kids putting on a show in their backyard.
The performances astounded me. As a teacher of young people (a number of my students came to see the show with me!) I've seen several children perform material from Charlie Brown. But there's something so thrilling about adults letting themselves go and embodying these small children with these big ideas. The best example of this would have to be Katie Hutchison's Sally Brown, characterized in equal parts by her capriciousness and her precosiousness. Austin Wolf was delightful as the put-upon title character, his optimism all but forcing you to root for him throughout the whole show. It was a joy to watch Melissa Benoist (who I named last year's break-out performance of the year) lose herself in the egomaniacal Lucy VanPelt, and even more a joy to hear her sing. The necessary air of maturity and sophistication was supplied by Kevin O'Malley who portrayed a Snoopy that one might find more suited to sipping martinis with the likes of Noel Coward or Alexander Wollcott than hanging out with that round-headed boy.
Overall, the production was a delight and my students from The Children's Acting Academy had a wonderful time. I hope to post photos from the production as soon as I can.
On a more serious note, New York is currently recovering from The Great Broadway Massacre of 2009, a day that will go down in infamy as that day that saw the simultaneous closing of nine Broadway shows (and put a number of friends of mine out of work). January 4, 2009, left a staggering number of Broadway houses dark, and while new shows are coming in, they're going much more swiftly. It could be argued that some of the shows that have left my friends on unemployment (Hairspray, for example) have stayed their welcome and met with a timely demise, while others (Spring Awakening, anyone?) were more difficult to fathom.
In any event, right now more than ever in recent memory, we need to support the arts however we can. We need to go to Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, tours, regional theatre, community theatre. We need to show our solidarity for the up-and-coming talent out there. The arts have never been an easy field to break into. But due to the current recession, performers, writers, creators of all kind are finding that there are fewer and fewer venues for their voices to be heard.
So, here's my New Year's resolution: I will go to see as many performances [especially of new talent] as my wallet will allow [comps are always welcome] and I will spread the word right here.
Here's how you can do your part: PLEASE let me know of shows that you or your friends are doing so that I can plug them and review them. And please, pass this blog on to your friends so that the word can spread even faster. Let's join forces to support the insane amount of talent that is out there all over the country waiting to be heard!
On that note, I have a few things to plug. First: the insanely talented Mary Fishburne will be performing in her new cabaret Drawn to You, featuring music from some of her favorite cartoons. The show opens December 7 (TOMORROW) and runs until December 11. It's sure to be a sensational evening, and you're sure to hear more about it from me.
I also have to give a shout-out and a big Thank You to The Fabulous Jennifer Wren (that's her full name) who hosts the bi-monthly open-mic/cabaret Big Night Out. Jenny is a big part of the coallition to give new voices a chance to be heard. Every other Thursday at their new home at Dillon's Lounge, she and Musical Genius Bill Zeffiro (that's his full name) can be found hamming it up and allowing others to do so, as well.
That having been said, I have a belated Christmas/New Year gift for you all. On December 17th, Jenny and Bill hosted a Holiday Extravaganza, and I was honored to be among the truly amazing composers and performers. Here is a video of me singing my song "(Let's Go) Under the Mistletoe."
Monday, October 6, 2008
'What a Life' Transcends
Laurel Casillo, Steve Yates and Sara Lukasiewicz in What a Life.There's no doubt that the most transformative performance in The Five Flights Theater Company's debut production of Don't Step on the Cracks was Laurel Casillo as the aging 'Nanny' in a sketch by Adam Delia. Casillo and Delia have teamed up to expand this character and explore her life in their new play What a Life, which premiered this weekend in a production by The Five Flights Theater Company.
Under Delia's direction, and with Casillo as the star, Nanny (who has been named 'Lucy') reaches new heights as a theatrical character. She is a tour-de-force, ripe for any actress with the chops to handle her. And this actress has. If Casillo transformed herself for Don't Step, she transcends in this performance. Here, we follow Lucy from age 6 to 94, and Casillo is believeable all the way up.
Special attention must also be paid to the task placed on the shoulders of Steve Yates in the role of Anthony, Lucy's grandson and currently the only constant in her life. Yates provides the lens through which we view Lucy--that which much be broken down so we can see everything she really is and was. He gives a sensitive, powerful and most importantly honest performance.
With such detailed attention given to Lucy and Anthony, the rest of the characters (skillfully played by Sara Lukasiewicz and Eryck Tait) are sometimes given a short shrift in terms of development. Still, there is always an air of humanity and truth about the play. Lukasiewicz and Tait give nuanced and varied, often chameleon-esque, performances. They seem to shed their own skins for those of the characters, especially when they swap genders as Lucy's comical neighbors in her nursing home.
Lukasiewicz is strongest--not surprisingly--in the role given the most stage time, that of Susan, Lucy's daughter, who we follow through her life with her mother. Her initial appearance is reminiscent of Marisa Tomei's performance in My Cousin Vinny but the more we watch, the more we see both the pain and love that exist in her life. Tait pulls off the delicate dichotomy of Frank, Lucy's ne'er-do-well husband. In his few scenes with the character we see his obvious charm, his troublesome behavior and his undying love for his wife.
If a few Italian phrases get garbled, it can be forgiven. If there are a few cheesy epithets (such as the repeated "Sometimes life hands you a different kind of fairy tale") it can be chalked up to the era the characters come from. If the final scene gets a little too sappy a little too fast (the sudden onslaught of "I love you"s does seem a little gushy), the play still earns its final moment. I was forwarned that this production would be unlike anything I'd seen from Five Flights, but I was not warned that the play would have the entire audience in tears by the end.
The production, aptly stage managed by Will Lacker, is as graceful, poignant, nostalgic and filled with yearning as an old Italian love song. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes open for future productions of this play. It comes chock-full with something for everyone from age 6 to 94.
Laurel Casillo and Eryck Tait in What a Life.'What a Life' is no longer running. For more information on The Flive Flights Theater Company and future Five Flights productions, visit www.fiveflightstheatercompany.org.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Juneau: the musical?
This is not a political blog, it's a theatrical blog... so I'll try to keep this entry as much about theatre as I possibly can.
If someone were to write a play about Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin announcing that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, I wonder if it would be a tragedy or a comedy. Sarah Palin is an advocate of 'abstinence-only' education. For those of you unaware, this means teaching students that abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancy and not teaching them about other forms of birth control. Our play already has dramatic irony, in that Bristol Palin has proven that teens who are taught to abstain from sex will have sex anyway. And, our play may also have a happy ending, as Sarah Palin has announced that Bristol plans to keep the baby and marry the child's father. This upholds strong family morals (despite one small indiscretion), though given the media attention thrust upon her by her mother's political campaigning, it's rather tragic that Bristol and her boyfriend seem to have no real choice in the matter. But this brings about more irony, as 'choice' was never something that Republicans have been fond of.
I cannot tell the outcome of this play at this date. I suppose we shall have to wait until November to see. But, luckily for those of you who can't wait, there is a musical on Broadway that might satiate your need for closure on this matter. Spring Awakening is a show that deals with a teenage girl who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after the adults in her life refuse to give her the necessary information about the facts of life... but I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen it.
Edit: Okay, now it has to get blatantly political. In re-reading this entry, I realize that it can come across as mean-spirited, which was not my intent. I feel for Bristol Palin, especially given the sudden media attention she's getting during what is, no doubt, a trying time for her. This entry was in no way intended to be an attack on her or her privacy. And I most certainly do not wish on her the fate of the character of Wendla from Spring Awakening. In light of recent developments, I wish to state that I agree with Senator Barack Obama that families of the candidates should be off-limits politically. However, I regard this event and how the GOP has spun it as a result of Sarah Palin's politics, and those are under scrutiny at the moment.
Second edit: Now, several months, several SNL sketches and one election after the Palin debacle, we have a new president in office and his VP is not Sarah Palin. This was written very early in the campaign, just after Senator John McCain chose Palin as his running mate, when it seemed that everyone was looking for some way to nail this inexperienced pageant princess. She very quickly proved to us that we did not need to turn to teen pregnancies to find faults in her campaign. She did that all on her own. If this post weren't so darn clever (if I do say so myself) I'd just delete it.
If someone were to write a play about Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin announcing that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, I wonder if it would be a tragedy or a comedy. Sarah Palin is an advocate of 'abstinence-only' education. For those of you unaware, this means teaching students that abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancy and not teaching them about other forms of birth control. Our play already has dramatic irony, in that Bristol Palin has proven that teens who are taught to abstain from sex will have sex anyway. And, our play may also have a happy ending, as Sarah Palin has announced that Bristol plans to keep the baby and marry the child's father. This upholds strong family morals (despite one small indiscretion), though given the media attention thrust upon her by her mother's political campaigning, it's rather tragic that Bristol and her boyfriend seem to have no real choice in the matter. But this brings about more irony, as 'choice' was never something that Republicans have been fond of.
I cannot tell the outcome of this play at this date. I suppose we shall have to wait until November to see. But, luckily for those of you who can't wait, there is a musical on Broadway that might satiate your need for closure on this matter. Spring Awakening is a show that deals with a teenage girl who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after the adults in her life refuse to give her the necessary information about the facts of life... but I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen it.
Edit: Okay, now it has to get blatantly political. In re-reading this entry, I realize that it can come across as mean-spirited, which was not my intent. I feel for Bristol Palin, especially given the sudden media attention she's getting during what is, no doubt, a trying time for her. This entry was in no way intended to be an attack on her or her privacy. And I most certainly do not wish on her the fate of the character of Wendla from Spring Awakening. In light of recent developments, I wish to state that I agree with Senator Barack Obama that families of the candidates should be off-limits politically. However, I regard this event and how the GOP has spun it as a result of Sarah Palin's politics, and those are under scrutiny at the moment.
Second edit: Now, several months, several SNL sketches and one election after the Palin debacle, we have a new president in office and his VP is not Sarah Palin. This was written very early in the campaign, just after Senator John McCain chose Palin as his running mate, when it seemed that everyone was looking for some way to nail this inexperienced pageant princess. She very quickly proved to us that we did not need to turn to teen pregnancies to find faults in her campaign. She did that all on her own. If this post weren't so darn clever (if I do say so myself) I'd just delete it.
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