The bad boy wins in the end...

Well, another cycle of "Project Runway" has come and gone. Congratulations to Jeffery Sebelia for getting through Angela and her mom, the "outsourcing" controversy, and Laurie in general.

I'm sorry for not commenting more on Project Runway throughout the season. With the plethora of blogs, both fan made and from the actual contestants, having me post about them would seem redundant. That, and I haven't been watching it as religiously as past seasons (well, actually, I don't watch anything except for the news, FoodTV, and "The Soup" on E! with local boy Joel McHale). This season didn't really have anyone to cheer for at the beginning. Season two had Nick, the lovable, yet at the same time, very dishy gay best friend that any hag would want as their fag. Season one had Austin, where you are always wondering if he will come out with more makeup than his model will. Season three had the bitchy (Angela and Laurie), the crazy (Vincent), the bad boy (Jeffery), the arrogant (Keith and Malan), and all the likable ones all took their sweet time to get face time with the camera, so they fell through the cracks (Alison and Michael). It was hard to root for someone at the beginning, but as the show progressed, Michael (I think due to him seeming like a nice guy that doesn't like confrontation, and that kick ass Pam Grier inspired fuchsia hot pants outfit) became a runaway fan favorite. Unfortunately, this didn't work in his favor.

I think Bravo didn't help in the over hyping of Michael, giving him the fan's choice award, having him show last, etc., etc. I think the pressure, and the fact that he doesn't technically do couture fashion, led to a very disappointing runway show. A lot of his stuff looked nice enough, if he was designing for Destiny's Child, Kelis, and Mary J. Blige for the BET Awards. But a lot of stuff looked too amateurish for Fashion Week. He actually showed two swimsuits!!! The white one was cool and interesting, but I swear I've seen Beyonce wearing the gold one in St. Tropez... But nothing beats the atrocity of that white outfit with gold sequined pockets. First of all, the pockets weren't even in the right place; they should be placed more over the breasts. But then putting gold sequins on them? Ugh! They might as well be Angela's crappy rosettes!

Laura, though able to make pretty dresses, rehashed everything that she has done before, only instead of a $50-$100 empire waisted, feathered, baby-doll dresses, we get a $8000 collection of lacy, empire wasted, feathered, baby-doll dresses. We knew it was coming, and that even though her tailoring is nearly impeccable, she will forever be stuck in the flapper girl 1920's when it comes to creative design. Her best dress was the one she put on her model, Camilla, which was lovely with it's slate grey color, and multicolored beating. Until you got to that goldenrod velvet belt. Leave that off, and you have a perfect cocktail dress that I would wear if I was six feet tall and weighed 115 pounds. Her worst outfit was that weird negligee dress. Was her model wearing leggings under that thing, made of black lace, a corset, and a white bra. A clear stinker if I ever saw one. It was neither attractive or sexy, and will make most men flaccid at the mere mention of it.


Uli, the South Beach loving German hippie child (as I like to call her), put out a lovely collection of re-hashes also. Everything she showed was done before, just in different crazily colored prints. What I loved about Uli is that she would often take the loudest, boldest print that you would think would never work on anybody, and somehow makes it work, and will even make the everyday woman go to her local J.C. Penny's and think, "You know what? I think I CAN pull off hot pink paisley!" Well, except for that odd Zebra striped, ready for open-heart surgery first outfit that is. Yuck! But she did have one of the most thrilling outfits of the whole group. The cute Tiger's Eye inspired dress that floated down the runway, that magically unraveled itself from it's flowy cocoon into a cute bikini. Yes, it's been done before, but not with such beauty. Too bad she lost (it was really down to the wire between her and Jeffery there for a moment), because I think her model Nazri was the best model, with all her afro goodness!


And now to Jeffery. I knew he would win because after you have excellent tailoring, you need to have a creative point of view and execution. Michael lost due to the execution and tailoring, Laura lost on the creativity, and Jeffery won out over Uli because he has that couture fashion forward sense, and looks to the past and future for inspiration, not get stuck in one era. He says that he was really inspired by Japan and it's ghost stories for his collection, and his collection was an excellent mix of punk aesthetics, balls out attitude, with a little bit of hirajuku girl tossed in for fun. I loved that cute green striped dress that his junkie...err...model wore. Each look was so different from the last that you couldn't wait for the next model to pop out. Uli, Laura, and Michael's shows seemed to whizz by too quickly, because many of thier looks were too similar, while Jeffery's show made me wish he could have churned out more stuff. Well, except for that blue dress that he made that looked like a bad Uli knock-off (the judges thought this too).

I just wish I could see what his mentorship with I.N.C. at Macy's will bee like. He seems so anti-mainstream that the thought of him working for them makes me giggle a little. He could be the next Alexander McQueen or John Galliano in a few more years, not a mainstream women's sports ware whore...

Anyways, best of luck to Jeffery!

Project Runaway

OK, I'm off to see which of the four remaining finalists, Jeffery (who probably will win), Laura (who's a crazy, pregnant b*#$h), Uli (who's a little too hippie child meets Germany), or Michael (who would have probably won if his final collection wasn't so "ghetto unfabulous") will win.

Auf Wiedersehen!

"Don't Cry For Me..."

So I finally revisit my old stomping grounds, The Village Theatre in Issaquah, yesterday. Just like old times... Almost everything is just like I remember, from the people out front (and in the back by the loading dock) smoking, to the crappy parking choices.

Anyways, I went with my sister so I can finally see one of my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, Evita (Sunset Boulevard is still my alltime favorite ALW show though). There are only a few musicals left that I haven't seen live that I really want to see, and Evita is right up there (along with Jesus Christ Superstar and Into The Woods), and I missed the Troika Entertainment tour that came through the Paramount Theatre a few years ago. And even though The Village Theatre is only a small(ish) community theatre, over the past few years, they have really tried to ramp up their professional image to put on some quality product.

On with the show...

The set, though it never really changed, was pretty functional. I was surprised that there wasn't more to the set, but the show does have to cover a period of 20 years and multiple locations. The costumes were serviceable, nothing too stand out, and I'm glad that they went with the iconic white strapless look for "Don't Cry For Me Argentina." That was the only quibble that I had with the movie version (though the movie version's dress would be more realistic for giving a speech on the Casa Rosada balcony.) But this is theatre fantasy!

On to the good, dishy stuff. Che, played here by Louis Hobson, was the most riveting of the cast members. Everyone always thinks that Che is a secondary part to Eva, but his part is very integral, almost like the Emcee in Cabaret. He was a find. I had this weird night where I had this dichotomy running through me if I should like him or not: should we sympathize with him and his plight for the poor working class, or should we hate him for his arrogance and his cynicism? He has a pretty good singing voice, only muddled in a few places (but it could also be the orchestra, enthusiastically directed by R.J. Tancioco, drowning him out, like it did with all the lead players at times). My only quibble with him is that he would sometimes put on a fake accent that was way too hammy and over the top. I don't know if that was a directing choice, or if he doesn't know how to handle accents well.

Eva, played that night by the understudy Kat Ramsburg, had a very nice singing voice. Unfortunately, she always had this slightly pissed off look on her face, especially during sequences where she was standing on stage while someone else was singing. Evita is a cold hearted bitch and ruthless, but probably not a complete sourpuss. There were a couple of moments when I notice her playing with her lipstick too much. You need more of that colorstay lipstick Eva! Also, though not a fault of the actress, she was a little too "zaftig" for me. I know I shouldn't take this into consideration, but it was a little distracting (especially in all those short sleeve or strapless gowns she had to wear, and in three scenes, being in nothing more than a slip of underwear). It took me out of the moment at times. I know this sounds really petty of me, but that was my impression, and I'm not saying that everyone would be thin and gorgeous (lord knows I'm not!), but the preconceived notion I have of my head of Evita was previously shaped by Patti LuPone< and Madonna. I wish that I could have seen Jennifer Paz (the Filipinolady seen with Che in the above picture) play the role also, but I don't think I can catch the show in time again to see it again.

The three other characters ranged from decent to over the top. Longtime Village Theatre player Eric Jensen was good in a thankless role of playing third wheel to the other characters as Juan Peron. Shanna Palmer, as Peron's Mistress, gets the even more unenviable task of being one of the only characters in musical history that I know of who's only job is to have five minutes of stage time and gets to sing her own solo song, only then to be never seen again. This character has always been weird to me; why they would set up a song to make you want to care for her character, that you shouldn't even invest time in caring about because she isn't even going to be around? I think the movie version made a wise choice to give this song to Evita so as to not waste a good song. So with 5 minutes of stage time, you would think you would want to give it your all to shine in the spotlight. Unfortunately, Shanna was pretty forgetful, and she was lost amongst all the background choreography (slow motion works fine for the movies and television, but it doesn't translate too well in live theatre, and was thusly very distracting). And finally, Michael Cimino as Migaldi was again over the top. Granted, he plays those characters often, and plays them very well (I loved his turn as the mad Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors a few seasons back), but there is a fine line... I think it would have been better if he toned it down just a little bit (along with his bad hair, or was that the point?)

The accompanying ensemble all did a fairly good job (although, a little sloppy with some of the dance moves at times), though after working on so many shows with Village Theatre, I recognize all of Director/Choreographer Steve Tomkins signature dance moves. If I really wanted to, I could probably re-create them all right here in my den, but then I would be subject to an embarrassing YouTube video of myself circling the internet. And the only thing I hate more than seeing someone else embarrass themselves, is embarrassing myself.

So anyway, if you like shows without a happy endings, about near tyrannical country leaders who are ruthless for power, and happen to be in Issaquah (until the 22nd of this month) or Everett (from October 27 through November 12), be sure to stop by the good ole VT! Tickets are available through thier website, or on Ticketmaster.

So anyway, all in all, a very good show. Next up in my musical theatre must see list is the 5th Avenue Theatre production of my favorite Stephen Sondheim show, Company.

"Oh my stars and garters!"

I think I must be the very last X-Men fan to have not seen X-Men: The Last Stand (a.k.a. X-men 3) yet. What a bad little fanboy I am!

So anyway, the other day, my sister and I sat down and watched the third installment in the comfort of our own home (well, at least the couch was somewhat comfy, the room was freezing cold). So armed with our Jamba Juices and a bowl of home made Chex Mix (basically, we only like the Chex cereal, the rye chips, and the seasonings, so there really is no reason to buy the premade bag mix since we pick out all the pretzles and stuff), off we traveled to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Warning: the following contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen it, please stop right now and rent/buy this movie.

I loved the opening, which is an X-Men fan's wet dream of what we wanted in the first couple of movies: heavy action, Wolverine being a smart ass, the return of Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), the return of Colossus (doing something more than just break through one measily wall), the Sentinel (albeit, just the head), the "Fastball Special," and the end to the sequence where we find out that it was the Danger Room! OK, so Ratner knows how to set up action sequences (just look at his past movies), but can he intermix this with quieter character moments? Well, no not really (the critics who reviewed the movie told me this months ago, but I needed to see it with my own eyes).

There were many opportunities for some great character moments. I liked that there was a triangle forming between Iceman, Rogue and Shadowcat (though I think that they should have kept in the kiss from the deleted scene), but there was so much happening in the rest of the movie, that poor Rogue was just a blip (and I still think that she shouldn't have gone through with the cure. It would have been more poignant if she still had her powers. She shouldn't actually even be in the school at the end without her powers...)

I'm glad that they got rid of Cyclops. He never really did anything in all three of the movies, and was a far cry from the "leader" that he is in the comic books. I'm glad that we didn't have to see him sulk over Jean Grey anymore than we had to. I hope you're happy over in Superman land! Of course, they never actually showed him dying on camera (like with Professor X), and you know what they say in comic book land, "a character never stays dead."

Wolverine was fine, but his characterization swayed a little too much, as seen in the scene where Rogue is leaving the mansion, and then in the scene where he gets Iceman, Colossus and Shadowcat to join in with them for the big fight (though judging from the deleted scene, I don't know what makes more sense for Wolvie).

I still don't like Halle Berry (Meow!)

I'm glad that Ratner was a fanboy and stuck in a bunch of other characters I thought would never see the light of day (though the trangendered looking person playing Arclight sure is scary). Quill was cool, Psylocke didn't show off her psychic blade (the totality of her mutant powers...blah, blah, blah), Callisto was cool (though I still don't know about giving her super-speed). Too bad all the cool secondary characters got killed.

Speaking of which, even though I knew it was coming (from reading spoilers on other pages), I was a little shocked when Professor X died.

Seeing Beast was pretty cool (Kelsey Grammer was perfect, just as Alan Cumming was perfect as Nightcrawler in the second film), and I wished there was more of him. In fact, there was a bunch of mutants I wish there was more of. The movie slowly became the Wolverine and Magneto show. The way the promos made it out, I though we were going to see a lot more of Angel and Rogue, but both go M.I.A. for most of the film.

I also couldn't help but think that in the final sequence, where Wolverine is making his way towards Jean, who is now engulfed with the effects of the Dark Phoenix and burning/disintergrating everything in sight (like Carrie to the nth degree), how come when even his flesh is starting to burn off, his pants still somehow remain unscathed? Wouldn't he be buck naked? Well, wouldn't he? I'm just asking...

Though for all the film's shortcomings, it actually made me want another sequel, and the way things ended, I think it does set the stage for another movie (espically the scene after the end credits). Too bad that it might be a few years before they get to it (since a Wolverine film is slated to go first). They better hurry. Ian McKellen isn't getting any younger!

"The day the music died..."

I just read in today's Seattle Times and Seattle Post Intelligencer that a long time favorite "hang" of mine, Tower Records in Seattle (and nationwide), is going out of business.

"Peter Gurfein, a lawyer representing the 46-year-old chain, said it will be sold for a total of $150 million, including the sale of various leases and properties. Gurfein said Great America plans to begin the liquidation and going-out-of-business sales today.

John Mittelstaedt, manager of the Tower store at Fifth Avenue North and Roy Street in Queen Anne, said all music will be marked down 10 percent, all books 20 percent and all magazines 30 percent. Tower's other store is at 4518 University Way Northeast." - Seattle P.I.

I can still remember when Tower first announced bankrupcy status all those years ago. They were still going to stay in business and sell me my music and DVDs. But there were some weird decisions made.

The Bellevue store first decided to move from it's old run down space to a new space at the Bellevue Galleria. It was nice, but the area was belagured with bad parking and too large a space. Then they reduced hours (they weren't even open until midnight on Mondays (going into Tuesdays) for new releases), and then they got rid of thier lower floor. Then they closed all together. Thus marked the end of a decent record shop in the Greater Eastside area. So off to Seattle I took my business.

The two other Tower stores in Western Washington also made moves, and while those have been more successful, I still wonder why a chain that was amidst a bankrupcy crisis was rennovating new spaces to move into.

I know I've been guilty of feeding the machiene that lead to Tower's demise (I've been buying a few singles here and there on iTunes, gotten a majority of CDs and DVDs from Best Buy and Target, and purchased import CDs from Amazon and Siren Discs), but nothing will really replace my experiences of browsing through aisles and aisles of CDs, not looking for anything in particular. Tower also kept a very good selection of Magazines and DVDs, and more recently, action figures.

Anyways, Tower Records will be dearly missed my my sister and I. We must now go on to support those smaller record and DVD stores like Easy Street and Silver Platters to keep those alive.

Are you ready?

Well, I guess the whole Madonna releasing "Jump" as her next single is going on full steam ahead.

A minute long snippet of the video has just leaked onto the internet.



It looks like a mixture between what she did for the song in her tour and her prior two videos (displacing herself from London to Japan this time).

On the plus side, the four videos from Madonna off of this album are the most cohesive, on the negative side, they are a tiny bit boring. The "Hung Up," "Sorry," and "Jump" trilogy all have Madonna in her own little room doing her thing, and her crunkers/dancers all out and about in the city doing thier thing. Edit both together and boom, a Madonna video.

I also haven't decided if I loke Madonna's wig in here. It does kinda fit the Japanese vibe though.

Unfortunately, what I was really looking forward to was the maxi-single release (with remixes and new unreleased track). That wasn't ready yet, and has thusly got pushed back another two weeks to October 24.

"Why do we crucify ourselves?"

Well, Madonna's recent Confessions World Tour has recently come to an end. So thus nears another end to another Madonna era. Who knows what's next for the mother of Re-Invention.

So I'm feeling a little nostalgic for my main girl. I have to bide my time until the single, "Jump," comes out in stores (supposedly it is supposed to arrive on October 10, but there has been no single cover leak yet on any of the Madonna Message Boards, so I don't know if we got delayed again. There are a few rumored track lists swirling about, with the most exciting track being "History," a new, unreleased song. Though I still would have liked the "Erotica (You Thrill Me)" Confessions Tour Version.)

Also rumored is the airing of the Confessions World Tour on NBC on November 22. Probably with some heavy editing. Someone over in England has started a MySpace page devoted to it (and already had 500+ friends!). Check it out at http://www.myspace.com/madonnacrucified. If this does happen (remember the CBS Re-Invention Tour fiasco?), I can't wait. Of course, I'm still waiting for Madonna's Virgin Tour, Blond Ambition Tour, and Re-Invention Tour to come out on DVD, so I won't hold my breath.

And since I'm feeling particularly nostalgic, here is a clip of one of my favorite iconic Madonna performances that all of Madonna's fans know about, but not many have actually seen, as it was for the "1995 Brit Awards" (England's equivalent of the Grammy's). I love the whole neglige with long extensions wind blown look, with the creepy yet hot looking twin dancers in the background. And I love the remix of the song. If only I could find this clip in high quality! (Edit, new working link has now been placed)