Musicals On My Mind

Fresh from the mind-blowing and astounding performances in the film adaptation of Les Miserables, I have been thoroughly enjoying the resurgence of film musicals.

If there is an alternate universe, I would probably be Cameron McIntosh’s sidekick as he spins out musicals after musicals. Who am I kidding, I will probably fight tooth and nail to be the ultimate diva on stage and film.

LES MISERABLES (2012 film adaptation)

As a fan of musicals, I have waited long for this film adaptation, and it's worth the wait. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway both deliver Oscar-worthy performances. Colm Wilkinson, the original Jean Valjean (the original 24601), was featured in a surprise turn as the bishop.

My favorite songs are: "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Empty Chairs". And yes, I cried at almost every other song. :)

Anne Hathaway was mesmerizing as she filled the screen and reached out to the audience with a visceral and raw rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream.” She was not just a movie star just acting a part. Her hair badly shorn, her dress tattered and grimy, and her face splotchy… she was a mother bemoaning her fate and her lost dreams. She was Fantine, a woman beaten down, all alone, in despair. I believed her.



I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted.

This is a precious find. This is a video of an actual stage production of Lea Salonga as Fantine on her deathbed. A tear or two? No, I shed a bucketful of tears.



If only Lea Salonga have sung Eponine's "On My Own", the movie would have been perfect.





MARY POPPINS (1964)

My Auntie Sol had introduced me to Mary Poppins. I remember her singing along to Julie Andrews as our favorite nanny dispensed her medicine with a sweet song and a little magic. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!





SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

Every child should see this movie of Maria and the Von Trapp family. High up in the mountains of Austria, the free-spirited Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, er, Maria brought music and happiness to the children.

One of these days, I will travel to the Austrian Alps, because of my determination (misguided it may be) to open my arms wide and sing the title song at the top of my voice. I promise to warn anyone within a hundred mile radius.

The musical contains many popular songs, including "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", "Do-Re-Mi", "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", and "The Lonely Goatherd".



Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things




CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968)



“Truly scrumptious as a cherry peach parfait”

Who would think that Ian Fleming of James Bond fame would write this engaging musical about a flying car with characters named as Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious?

This video was a great baby-sitter for my son Jordan. At two years old, he managed to actually sit still for almost two hours so that I could do some household chores. I must confess that most times I sat by his side and sang along with him.

Great news that this movie is being remade by the British.



SINGING IN THE RAIN(1952)



Just to clarify, this was before my time. But after I saw the movie for the first time, I had seriously entertained the thought of being a tap dancer, maybe a female Gene Kelly or Donald O'Connor. Damn knees.



GREASE (1978)



This was John Travolta at his cutest. And here’s a group of friends who tried hard to sing like Sandy and the girls.

MISS SAIGON

The musical about an American GI and a doomed bargirl in war-ravaged Vietnam catapulted Lea Salonga to the international stage. According to Playbill, "Miss Saigon is still the eleventh longest-running Broadway musical in musical theatre history."



All is right in the world. The Heat is On. The helicopter is bearing down on stage. After Les Mis, Miss Saigon is coming on film.

A New Year

The new year is a gift waiting to be unwrapped. Another year to make good of God's gift of life. Another chance to fulfill the promise of our potential to be the best of what we can be.

The past year 2012 had given me so much more that I can ever ask for, but I am so secure in my faith in God that there will be more blessings ahead.

The gift is waiting. Welcome 2013.

Happy New Year everyone. Manigong Bagong Taon.

GUILTY PLEASURES , Part 2: Maxine, Movies, Musicals, ABBA, Fifty Shades

I am as guilty as everybody else. I proclaim my preference for things that may be considered campy, embarrassing, and unsophisticated by some misguided souls.

The guilt is not from liking them, but in that perverse pleasure of adding color and uniqueness to my otherwise ordinary and strait-laced life. Somehow there is humor in shattering people's expectations as they realize that there are more to you than meets the eye. Life becomes more interesting when you do things outside the box.

Hahaha, I am a paradox. Layers of contradictions, some kind of a biological puzzle. I am thirty shades of surprises. I am me.


THESE ARE MY GUILTY PLEASURES:


1. MAXINE- that crabby character from the Hallmark cards, who says what she wants when she wants. At this time in my life, I still have to filter my words and refrain from rolling my eyes at some absurd people, lest I offend someone. Or lose my job.

When the time is right, I want to be Nurse Maxine.

2. FAVORITE MOVIES- There are movies that just stay with you long after the credits had stopped rolling.

Airplane- was voted as the funniest movie of all time with three-laughs-a-minute rating, as per a recent survey by Love Film. This spoof disaster film starred Leslie Nielsen of the famed "I am serious and don't call me Shirley” quote.

Sleepless in Seattle- at least once a year, I watch this romantic comedy by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. When “Sam” talked about missing his departed wife, I joined the chorus of “Awwws” from the radio listeners. The movie sound track was terrific, even the song “Makin’ Whoopee”.





Big- another Tom Hank starrer. This is a feel-good family movie of a child who wanted to be a grown-up. And he ended up having fun with the piano at FAO Schwartz. Heart and Soul and Chopsticks.





Harry Potter- turned J.K. Rowling from a welfare mom to the richest woman in United Kingdom, even richer than the Queen. I am a bigger fan of the book, but the movies mesmerize me. Especially the scene when Neville Longbottom, who used to be bumbling and mediocre, turned into my new favorite when he decapitated the snake Nagini. That deserved my loud “YES” (and fist pump) at the theater which earned an embarrassed laugh from my son. Have I traumatized him for life?

3. MUSICALS- I have been very vocal about my unrealized dream as a singer. It started when I got hooked with musicals, whether on stage or in the movies. It’s like being transported in an alternate universe of songs.

Singing in the Rain always leaves a smile on my face. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor. Absolutely top-notch dancing with the milk rain and umbrella-twirling and upturned couches. Jean Hagen was hilarious as the shrill-voiced Lana Lamont.



Other favorites- Sound of Music, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon



4. ABBA, a Swedish pop group provided the background music to my high school and college years. The group had long disbanded, but their music stood the test of time, thankfully, with tribute bands and the musical and movie “Mamma Mia.”

"I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see."






5. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY JOKES-

Out of curiosity, to see what the hype is all about, I bought the book. Only Book 1; I don't have any interest in Books 2 and 3. Mommy-porn erotica does not appeal to me. Men with BDSM predilections scare me, even though Christian Grey is hot, hot, hot. (fans self)

What started as an e-book Twilight-based fan fiction by E.L. James became a run-away best-seller and spawned a whole industry of BDSM products and copycat books, and now a musical.

Critics bash the writing as "abysmal and sophomoric". My inner goddess says those critics are just jealous because E.L. James just got lucky and is now a very, very rich woman.

And that’s what I am impressed with. Every author dreams of hitting it big. Erika Leonard James certainly had a roller-coaster year, with a movie in the works.

I also love the jokes that came out of this book. I just get a perverse pleasure in seeing the shock on people's faces when I unleash my quirky sense of humor.

Overheard at the bookstore, two females in their 70s were discussing the merits of the book Fifty Shades. The ladies were nicely dressed and made-up, with bouffant blue-rinsed hair.
Lady#1: "This book reminds me of the good old days."
Lady #2: "Huh, speak for yourself. My playground is still active."
They both looked at me when I chuckled.
Me: "Good for you, lady."


Funny how you can get different reactions from the audience. We had a meeting one day with the ED leadership to discuss some changes in our electronic tracking board, with ten people in the room.
Chief: "We need to change the color of this new icon to gray."
MD: "Gray is boring."
Me: "There are fifty shades of gray."
Reactions (coughing, laughter, gasps of horror, surprise, confusion.)
Me: "Just kidding; just want to wake you up."



How can I hit it big when all I really want is to write innocent Harlequin-book romances?



PART 1- http://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-not-feeling-guilty-about-guilty.html
PART 3- https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2019/07/guilty-pleasures-part-3-audio-books.html

Funny Thanksgiving

On this Thanksgiving Day, especially after Hurricane Sandy, there is a need to give thanks for the simple things in life. For family and friends. For our health and safety. For everything else that God provides.

For those things that make us smile. And laugh out loud.

The irrepressible Maxine who says what she thinks. When I get to be her age, I will definitely relish doing exactly that, lol.

This is the real Norman Rockwell drawing-

And before we place the blame on the tryptophan for the "turkey coma", the culprit is really the serotonin effect of all the protein-fat combination or just the gluttonous excuse of the holiday. Or it could just be the alcohol. These poor turkeys don't have a chance.



This is the Brits' version of their Christmas turkey-



And this is why I don't even try to cook turkey. Hello Boston Market.



Addendum: Nov. 26, 2013

For the first time since 1888, the two holidays of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will converge. This marks the first joint celebration of the two holidays named THANKSGIVUKKAH. Enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

INC Giving for Hurricane Sandy Victims

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. (Proverbs 3:27)



Nov. 10, 2012- FAR ROCKAWAY, NEW YORK- -

Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc to New York and New Jersey last October 29. In its aftermath, a trail of staggering destruction of lives and properties brought the two states to a grinding halt.

Two weeks later, the recovery efforts were still on-going.

While others had quickly recovered, there were still parts in Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey still without electric power. No heat, no light, no homes; their lives completely unraveled by nature.

Today, November 10, our church, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) conducted relief efforts in Far Rockaway in Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaway peninsula and had gotten its name from the Native American Munsee language which means “place of sands”.

As with any disaster, there was a pervading atmosphere of gloom and devastation in the Rockaway area. Ruined cars were abandoned on the streets. Litters of debris were piled up in front of damaged houses. The street lights were still unlit. The boardwalk was swept away by the floods and the storm surge brought the coastal homes out to sea.

I got lost on my way to the distribution center in the park and found myself getting a first-hand look of what a disaster leaves behind. Driving through the shell of what once was a vibrant neighborhood, I felt a lump in my throat. So sad to see damaged possessions on the front yards. On the sidewalks was a lifetime of treasured mementoes. Souvenirs of family times, memories reduced to water-soaked photo albums and water-logged furniture.

A burly man came out of one of the houses carrying a box of soiled clothes. I don’t know if it was his home, but he suddenly sat on the sidewalk and just burst into heart-wrenching sobs. He did not see me parked across the street as I tried to fire up my GPS. I wanted desperately to comfort him, but I did not want to intrude on his private moment so I could only listen silently as he tried to compose himself.

But there was also a sense of hope and renewal. FEMA, NYPD, and other emergency personnel went about their tasks in helping the survivors rebuild their homes. And along the way, there were multitudes of make-shift distribution centers for relief goods and clothing, even some food courts in corner stands meant to serve both survivors and volunteers. Random acts of kindness everywhere.

Clean-up helpers tried to change the landscape of ruined homes and properties. Friends, family members and volunteers were sweeping the sand that the water had left behind. In every corner I passed, there was a bunch of people, young and old, cleaning up the streets; most of them not even part of an organized group but just a group of people from out of town armed with mops and brooms. Strangers helping during a time of need.

The spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in New York City. The Church of Christ’s (Iglesia ni Cristo) relief distribution through the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation was an absolute success. It was a massive show of solidarity to a call to help.

The spirit of brotherhood among the church members was evident as everybody pitched in to usher our guests to the tables where the ministers and other brethren distributed the recovery tote bags.

Earlier, some of the members had knocked on doors around the area to notify the neighborhood of the donations. In the end, we even received additional boxes of relief donations from strangers.

It was a reality check for some of the church members to see suffering up close and personal. Far Rockaway was our Katrina. Disasters exposed our vulnerabilities and the poor and the underserved population suffered the most.

I have seen these sufferings in my ER. Our hospital in Brooklyn opened our doors to stranded victims from the calamity who were evacuated from the nursing homes and other hospitals brought down by power outage and flooding. We also received an influx of patients displaced from their homes; even patients who were dependent on medical equipment to survive. I was now in the very area from whence they came.

The victims of Hurricane Sandy still have a long road ahead of them, but they seem to appreciate any little help they got. Their faces lit up as they received the proffered tote bags from the ministers. Perhaps the gifts were just little tokens, but our efforts served its purpose: to show the community that we cared.

In the face of the challenges of their lives forever changed, the survivors cling to the hope that things will be better soon. Their resilience will be put to a test in the coming months.

I coaxed a smile from a three-year old girl who clung tightly to a stuffed toy that we retrieved from one of the boxes. Her older brother watched her while their mother stood patiently in line for diapers. That image is both heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time.





November 22, 2012- TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY-

Photo by Irene-Ayie Sanchez

What a wonderful testimony to God's loving mercy and powerful reach. At the crossroads of the road, in the middle of Times Square, the INC brethren descended to show their generosity, as well as to proclaim their faith.

In a sea of white, the red, white and green flags were raised in pride. This picture sent shivers down my spine. Glory be to God.

"The Philippines-based church's charitable arm, the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, made a total donation of $150,000 to the New York City Police Foundation, the FDNY Foundation, Bellevue Hospital Center and Coney Island Hospital - all of which were adversely affected by the huge storm." http://www.marketwatch.com/story/philippines-based-megachurch-rallies-in-times-square-for-superstorm-sandy-relief-2012-11-21

The Cyber-bullying of Charice

There is no excuse for cyber-bullying. Especially if it is directed at someone who had struggled through a life of poverty and discrimination from her own people. Who had, time and time again, proclaimed the pride of her heritage even as she is celebrated outside her own country.

Charice had garnered the admiration of Oprah, Ellen, David Foster, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, and many more. Watch her on YouTube for her mind-blowing rendition of "All by Myself" and you should be amazed at the full standing ovation she received.

For making it through sheer determination despite her humble beginnings, she earned my respect. For always professing her love of country while facing her international audience, Charice earned my loyalty.

I was/ am still proud of her achievements. I was elated by the inroads she made on behalf of Filipino talents who dream of making it on the world stage. I was born and raised in the Philippines, so even after making the US my home for almost half of my life, I had always rooted for local artists who had succeeded to break the glass ceiling and to shatter expectations.

The competition for international attention is stiff; many had tried before her. Charice's successes are awe-inspiring and should be a source of national pride and respect. Just like Lea Salonga who continues to bring honor to the country.

Why the hate? What made her fair game? The bashing is vitriolic, cringe-worthy, and totally unnecessary. And sad.

Long before X-Factor Philippines, the local Twitter world had been abuzz with negative tweets about Charice, criticizing her unfairly about trivial things, from her looks to her accent to her sexuality, and even her love of her country. The microscope was upon her, ready to magnify the simplest indiscretion.

She had somehow become an easy target. Even at her most vulnerable, when her estranged father died, many questioned Charice's sudden change of heart. Her detractors did not show respect to a daughter who grieved for a reconciliation that never happened. I cringed at the lack of sympathy, at the utter disregard for common decency.

The local media had no problem portraying Charice in a most negative light, while at the same time fawning about the foreign artists who flock to the Philippines for adulation. Even her own godfather had used his mighty pen to accuse Charice of not being Filipino enough because of her Americanized accent and her colored hair.

How many of us had colored our hair? How many of us practiced our pronunciations? How many of us had copied American fashion, even Korean hair? How many of us bragged about our foreign-made bags, shoes, and clothes?

No wonder, Charice's own business manager, Courtney Blooding, a blonde American, questioned the support that Jessica Sanchez from American Idol received. For all intents and purposes, Jessica is an American who just happens to have Filipino blood. That Jessica loves her lumpia and pancit is well and good. I truly want her to succeed, she of the Filipino-Mexican-American pride.

But Ms. Blooding's statements had unleashed a torrent of denials, insults, of counter-arguments from the haters. They say that Ms. Blooding has no right to criticize her host country. She had offended the haters.

It needed a foreigner to ask a legit question. It was borne out of frustration. It exposes a fundamental wrong in our psyche. The truth hurts.

Of course, we can all like who we want. We are free to dislike anyone. But there is a huge difference in just stating a preference (or a non-preference) without being mean. Crossing the boundaries with disrespectful remarks and vicious lies should not be tolerated. Bullying is hurtful. Plain and simple.

But there is no excuse for cyberbullying; it is wrong (and criminal) at all levels to inflict hurtful and malicious insults through words. Just because you don't like how Charice transformed herself?

The tweets about Charice's physical appearance and actions had bordered on the ridiculous. Her transformation may not appeal to other people, but why can't she experiment with her look? How did the public claim the right to dictate what she should look like? It's her hair, it's her body. It's nobody else's business.

Charice is passionate about her team of singers at the recent X-Factor Philippines singing contest; if she cries, the haters call her dramatic. She had invested her emotions because she believed in her proteges. Damn if she does, damn if she doesn't.

Charice conducts herself with confidence, and she is perceived as "mayabang". She was supposed to remain meek and diffident.

Charice speaks English with a new accent. And why not? Does it mean that if she's in the Philippines, she can only speak with the Tagalog accent; and then she can easily switch to the American accent when she's out of the country? So, why is it that some Filipinos ignore many celebrities who speak English ALL the time, and yet, Charice is sent to the stake for the same transgression?

CRAB MENTALITY is the answer. INSECURITY may be another reason.

Crabs do not like others to succeed; they want everybody else to stay where they are. The claws come up, ready to pounce and punch holes in her balloon.

Insecure people could not believe that one of their own can actually be better than other people with fairer skin, mestiza looks, and taller stature. Did the years of foreign domination make some people forever mired in a mindset that only those with superior physical characteristics deserve to be idolized?

Is it against the law of nature that someone like Charice can actually be talented and worthy of emulation? Why can't we promote our own?

So, if the haters are not crabs or insecure, why do they bash Charice? There is no rhyme or reason in life sometimes, so maybe some people are born to hate. Maybe, some people are just shallow and superficial. Maybe, they just find joy in spreading their negative vibes. Maybe, they are just cruel.

But most of all, how can you really sleep at night when you intentionally defame or maliciously hurt somebody. just because you don't like him or her? How can one hide behind the excuse of freedom of expression; there is an inherent responsibility in the freedom of speech- that is, express yourself responsibly.

Cruel words leave a deep scar. It is so unnecessary. Why do it?



Addendum:



June 2, 2013- - Today, Charice had finally admitted a long-held secret. In the past year, rumors about her sexuality abounded, fueled by changes in her appearance that were considered too drastic by the public: boyish hair and clothes, and tattoos. On Philippine national tv, she faced her interviewer Boy Abunda and ended all speculations. She finally breathed a sigh of relief and admitted that she is a lesbian.

It may not have been a surprise to some who had witnessed her physical transformation from a sweet long-haired teenager to an adult who had freed herself from the constraints set by other people. And yet, it had sent the Twitter world on fire.

I was disappointed, yes, because I was afraid for her. Life was difficult enough before. If she had struggled through all the hatred and the bullying before, she probably would get more of the malicious, indignant, and self-righteous vitriols. In our society, there had always been intolerance for what was perceived as out of the norms. It was a courageous revelation. Charice bared her heart to the public, even asking forgiveness from those who were disappointed by her confession.

I am a Christian and my religion prohibits practicing homosexuality, but I firmly believe that God will be the final voice. I would never ever impose my religious beliefs on someone else. My spirituality does not interfere with my respect for every person's right to live the life they want it to be, as long as nobody gets physically hurt. To each his own.

Charice had spoken from her heart. It is her body, her life to live. Her sexuality did not diminish her talent. Let Charice be herself, once and for all.

The Survivor and the Rocker in Me

Excuse me, Marie Osmond. I'm not country but I'm more rock and roll. The Soft rock and roll, still with the head banging and the fist thumping, but no acid hard rock. More Journey and Eagle than Metallica and Kiss. There's actually more spice (and probably repressed rebellion) in me than what you'd expect.

Hey, I'm not always in the mood for Easy Listening; there's always a time and a mood for those melancholic melodies of the Carpenters and Aiza Seguerra.

But sometimes the mood calls for angst-relieving, blood-pumping, hey-what-are-you-looking-at, middle-finger-alternative and stress-reducing songs that are perfect entertainment for a solo drive with my Pilot along the highway. With no one to remind me that I'm out-of-tune.

I love rocking survival songs by women singers. I'm more Kelly Clarkson than soft bubble gum pop Taylor Swift. More Pink than Katie Perry.

Long after the tears had dried, long after the pain had gone, long after I have uncurled myself from a fetal position of feeling sorry for myself, I realize that I am much stronger because I have survived against all odds.

I am a survivor! And if I may say so, I rock!

Somewhere over the rainbow, there's an elf with an armful of my newest Nursing Vignettes book and my friends and co-workers are planning more book-signing events.

Beyond the dark clouds, there are thirty shades of the silver lining.

Behind the curtain, there's my son belting out "Amore" and "L-O-V-E" to a roomful of people who laughed good-naturedly when I blurted out "He's my son."

And at the end of the day, there is hope.



STRONGER- Kelly Clarkson





ROLLING IN THE DEEP- Adele





SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE- Kelly Clarkson- she's just fabulous!! All those angst!





FIGHTER- Christina Aguilera





SO WHAT?- Pink





I WILL SURVIVE- original by Gloria Gaynor, but like this version by Charice which she performed at the 8th Annual Woman's Day Red Dress Award in New York in Feb. 2011.





But there is another song that needs to be included. Lee Ann Womack is a country singer who crossed over to pop with this beautiful song. With the song in full blast, it can also be a rock song.

I HOPE YOU DANCE