logblog

Yesterday has come and gone. I am quite a bit poorer money-wise, and yet I feel so much richer for owning these wonderful things.

I can only give a glowing review to 30 Rock Season 2. After all, having already seen Season 2 when it aired on television, I can tell you they really upped their game after completing their first successful season. The plots are crazier, the characters are funnier, and it’s all-in-all a better show. (That being said, I would highly recommend re-visiting Season 1, because it is also hilarious.) The DVD set doesn’t fail either. Unlike the last release, Season 2 features several attractive bonus features, such as a live-at-the-improv benefit performance of “Secrets and Lies,” several audio commentaries, and the table read for season finale “Cooter.” It also has backstage footage from when Tina Fey hosted SNL and a post-Emmy awards interview with some of the cast and creators of 30 Rock. Overall, a HIGHLY recommended DVD set.

I haven’t watched all of Sleeping Beauty yet, but I can tell you that it looks astonishingly beautiful. Blu-Ray is just such a fantastic format for animation, be it computer or hand drawn. If you don’t believe me, pick up the Blu-Ray and compare it with the included DVD. You will be SHOCKED. It also is chock-full of bonus features that I look forward to delving into.

I can’t say much for The Wordy Shipmates yet. I haven’t had a chance to listen to it much, but the little part that I did I enjoyed. Sarah Vowell is awesome, so my anticipatory review is that it’s amazing, interesting, and hilarious.

In other news, Into the Woods is almost ready to open this Friday! I started rehearsing with the orchestra over the weekend. They’re sounding great! We got new costumes last night, which is fantastic because before we had been using literally in-the-plastic-bag Halloween costumes for everything. The joys of community theatre, eh? Listen, I’m not complaining. Oddly enough, only a few of the cheapie costumes looked terrible. Hopefully by Friday we’ll have most of our kinks out, making us ready to give a wonderful weekend of performances.

Hey everyone! So as you may have noticed, I’ve moved my blog from my personal domain (LoganCulwell.com if you feel like visiting) to right here on Blogspot. I think it will be easier for me to keep it updated and it really makes no difference to anyone else, so I’ll stop talking about it.

Note that I created a poll to see if the name of this new blog is too stupid for words. If you get a chance, go vote on it!

Now on to why I’m actually writing this post. I’m currently in the second week of rehearsals for “Into the Woods,” a musical I’m music directing at the Sooner Theatre. It’s pretty exciting because it marks my music direction debut. Well, I’ve music directed a lot before, but this is my first time working with adults in a production that I didn’t put together myself. That’s an accomplishment, right?

It’s been going pretty darn well. The cast is super talented and eager to work with me even on the nit-picky details that I care way too much about. I’m getting a nice little orchestra (Violin, Cello, Trumpet, French Horn, Flute and me on Piano/Synthesizer) and I’ve been working for several weeks on re-arrangeing Jonathan Tunick’s lovely orchestration to suit our players. It’s a shame we don’t get to use the whole set, but we don’t have the space nor the funding. The thing I really love about the orchestration when used in full, however, is how Tunick didn’t have a TON of instruments to work with, but he also didn’t try to make it sound like he did. What he created was a wonderful chamber orchestra with lots of color and, most importantly, it doesn’t sound puney or fake. He also had a wonderful wonderful Sondheim score to start with, and that certainly helps.

Well, that’s all for now folks. Until next time!