FLAILAGE: so many fandoms, so little time
Work, fortunately, has gone a little quieter in the last few days - though not quiet enough to keep me away from the office tomorrow, after brunch with a friend. Sigh. But it did mean I allowed myself to get up at 3pm this afternoon (a trend on Saturdays, apparently), and went out to watch La Vie En Rose, which was much love - I want more Edith Piaf music than I can shake a stick at, so I'm heading HMV-wards tomorrow. :)
In the meantime! I was deciding between working on fic and flailing, and decided I'd better get cracking on the fandom meme started by lissie_pissie that I've been intending to do for the last two weeks. Sigh. RL's a bitch, what can I say. And in drawing up my list of fandoms, I realised I have far too many to do them all justice. So I'm narrowing this down to just TV and music fandoms - my celebrity, movie and book loves will have to wait 'til another post, I guess. If I ever get around to it!
For each person/show you've really fangirled, try to find whatever it is that made you fall in love with them. Made you see them differently than you had before... like a switch had been flicked somewhere. ;) If it's a video, see if youtube has it, if it was an amazing picture or quote, upload it and post it. Whatever it was - share it. Post your "catalysts" as I like to call them in a new post in your journal.
TV FANDOMS - in vaguely chronological order
I've watched MANY shows and been briefly obsessed with others (Murphy Brown, Picket Fences, Sports Night, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Bones) but the ones below are the ones that have, on various occasions and occasionally for years, turned me into complete puddles of mush.
The X-Files
Memento Mori (4x15)
Curses. Cannot. Find. A. Proper. Clip. of the Memento Mori hug in the hallway. asdjskljdladsja! This one is nonsensically out-of-sync and includes the cut kiss (which I love but felt was just icing on the cake - this is already a scene of simply immense win and the forehead kiss is enough).
Anyway. TXF - love of a lifetime, my first introduction to online fandom, which still remains the be-all and end-all of fandom. I had consciously never allowed myself to get into the show, as I didn't think it'd be my thing. (I'm ridiculously scared of even cheesy horror movies.) But I think I was casually watching Season 4, here and there, and happened to watch Memento Mori one night. I FAIL as a shipper, because it wasn't the hug and the immense amounts of love that drew me in, but Gillian Anderson's incredible acting. She broke my heart, I swear, in this scene, and after that I braved the creepy-crawlies on the show for her. Of course, it wasn't long before I started shipping and then that was the end of that. Fic-writing and much flailage ensued.
Frasier
Ham Radio (4x18)
I've loved this show from the beginning - a ridiculously smart American comedy with, like, irony and everything, that also had one of the best casts ever. I was obsessed with this show particularly in its third (MOON DANCE) and fourth seasons (HAM RADIO), and my love for David Hyde Pierce and Niles Crane has never been extinguished. Probably the moment that sealed my love for the show happened sometime in the pilot episode; it's one of those times when there wasn't a single moment I can pinpoint as to when I fell hard for this show. The clip I've selected is from my favourite episode of all time, the insanely hilarious Ham Radio. Watching DHP/Niles play six characters on a radio play, in rapid succession, pretty much made my LIFE at that point.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
It May Look Like A Walnut, part 1 (season 2)
It's kind of hard to place this show in terms of WHEN exactly I was obsessed with it, because I caught it late late one night when I was channel-surfing when visiting my friend in the US over the Christmas holidays. I was hooked on it instantly, the few episodes I saw, and stayed up to all manner of hours during the vac to watch as much as I could. I remembered this burning passion, and only years later, when I was home again after university, did I buy all the box sets. And boy am I glad I did. One of the funniest and most romantic sitcoms ever, featuring the ridiculously charming and rubbery Dick Van Dyke (SO MUCH CRUSH, OMG) and the incredibly adorable Mary Tyler Moore. Singing, dancing, bantering and gah, shippiness built into the entire show. LOVE. Walnut is a strange episode, and a funny one, though not one of the best - but quite groundbreaking for its time. I can't find my personal favourite on Youtube, which is The Attempted Marriage, when Rob explains - in flashback - how he tried to marry Laura and failed miserably too many times to count...
West Wing
Six Meetings Before Lunch (1x18)
Oh god. This show just completely blew my mind and took over my entire world the first moment I saw it. I loved it insanely within the first ten minutes, I think, and just couldn't get enough of the characters, the issues, the intelligence and OMG THE BANTER. I wanted to be these people, because I envied them their incredible sense of purpose and love for their jobs and their country. Plus, when you have a cast so unbelievably perfect for their roles? I mean, Allison Janney? Richard Schiff? Brad Whitford? Martin Sheen? Stockard Channing? (I SHOULD STOP NOW, Y/Y?) No particular moment hooked me, it was everything. So the moment I've chosen is just epic: CJ's performance of the Jackal. Man. Who else exudes ridiculous amounts of cool in this way?? "Are you talking to me during 'The Jackal'? Never talk to me during 'The Jackal'."
Gilmore Girls
Luke/Lorelai moments from Season 1
Gah. Another show that grabbed me by the gut - by the heart, in this instance - and kept me in its grip until it all went downhill in Season Six. I haven't seen the last season, but the love I had for the first few burned bright and strong. Plus, Luke/Lorelai? OMG: OTP. The clips in the video are all fabulous ("dance, burger boy, dance!"), though the music linking each scene is annoying. The scene I remember most? The very last scene in this clip: that little flicker of something between them as the entire town pounded on the door of Luke's diner...
House
Detox (1x11)
I loved Hugh Laurie before the show, and loved the show before I shipped. But loving it was an organic process - I remember asking my sister, who spammed the entire first season before I did, how the show was at various points of her marathon viewing. At the beginning, she said it was okay, towards the middle that it was getting better, and at the end, one of the best shows she had EVER seen. Good thing I listened to her. I had the same thought process, as the show got better and more involving as it went along. The moment that sealed the deal for me? Happened in Detox - sure, House's detox was the result of a stupid bet, but the angst and pain that Hugh brought to the moment pictured? Simply astounded me. I have fangirled him ever since, and fandom flailing has only increased after I fell for Lisa Cuddy/Edelstein (also an organic process that snuck up on me until suddenly I had TURNED GAY without realising it, lol) and started shipping...
Pushing Daisies
Pie-lette (1x01), part 1
This show had me from the word GO. I can't pick a favourite scene - except maybe Olive's plaintive rendition of Hopelessly Devoted For You (referenced later so not used here) - but the moment it began, with its rich, quirky voiceover, incredibly Burtonesque aesthetic and excellent cast (LEE PACE HAI, although the rest are just fabulous), not to mention an audaciously daring core concept and a tongue-in-cheek insistence on always doing the unexpected, I was hooked.
- - - - -
MUSIC FANDOMS - in vaguely chronological order
I'm a huge music dork, though a rather undiscerning one, so I've got lots of musician love. I'm keeping it pared down to the artistes I have followed throughout their careers, though. Or I could be here forever.
Emil Chau
風雨無阻, live
I used to avoid Chinese music with a passion. (Though I didn't really listen to music very much when I was younger, period.) That ended when I first heard this song in 1994, playing in the background of a crowded restaurant in China. I was addicted to it from the get-go, demanded to know the name and the singer, and started to listen to Chinese radio so I could catch it on the airwaves. I recorded it on tape, bought the CD, and fell in love with Emil's voice. I've been a (rabid) fan ever since, and now own practically all of his CDs. I can probably sing every song he's ever sung better than he can (he's notoriously bad at remembering lyrics and screws up in this concert version too, but he's adorable about it). He remains the singer I've seen live most often - yes, I even trekked all the way down to Sentosa in the late 90s (can't remember the year) for a free concert, sitting there roasting in the sun from 3pm or something so I could save a seat for the night's performance. He's the reason I got into Chinese music at all - the alpha then, and the omega. ;) It's because of him that I got into Jacky Cheung, Faye Wong, Phil Chang, Jay Chou and Lee Hom and so many others. They don't get individual posts, but I adore them too.
Frank Sinatra
Ol' Man River, from 'Til The Clouds Roll By
My other favourite male singer ever ever EVER. He has the most beautiful voice ever - diction, phrasing, timing, everything - and he still had it even in old age when it turned smokier. But he remains, indubitably, the Chairman of the Board. I can't pick a song, I've loved him for over a decade now. But this song ALWAYS kills me, especially that incredibly wonderfully held note at about 1:37 (technically, it's not a note he holds, but a breath, because he starts from 'in jail' and sings right on until about 1:46 without a break). GAH HIS VOICE = LOVE. I am so inarticulate when it comes to Frankie. :(
Winnie Hsin
領悟 (Understanding), live, unplugged, no MUSICAL BACKING OMG
Clearly, as you progress further, you will discover that I have a bit of a thing for soprano singers. Winnie is my favourite female Chinese singer of all time - she scales notes effortlessly, and this was the song that hooked me. Sung with just the most unobstrusive of back-up instruments, the original version showcased a voice of incredible power and crystal clearness. This live version is KICKASS. She's not wildly popular on the Chinese music scene, more's the pity, so I had to travel all the way to KL in 2005 to catch her live once. It was worth it: I got to meet her, got her autograph, and just DIED listening to her sing live.
Barenaked Ladies
If I Had A Million Dollars, live - including riff on Stayin' Alive, lol!
I'm not one for English music, generally - I stuck to Chinese music once I discovered it, because I don't do rap or R&B much, and that's what most songs sound like to me these days. But BNL writes incredibly tuneful, smart and quirky songs. I was first introduced to them by giddygeek WAAAAY back when, and I picked this song because it's one of my absolute favourites (never fails to cheer me up) and I so remember it from a fic kinda based on the song that I beta-ed for XFic writer bugs ages ago.
Julie Andrews
Feed the Birds, Mary Poppins
Oh GOD, the Julie love. ♥ I rediscovered her sometime in 2006 and went on a mad buying/downloading spree that has since petered out a little. But there'll always be a spot in my heart for her endlessly soaring notes - and frustration that we were robbed of this voice far too early. Feed The Birds is probably the first time I was introduced to Julie as a child (I don't remember if I saw Mary Poppins or Sound of Music first), but this song has always been able to make me tear up because it's so poignant and just beautifully sung.
Mark Knopfler
Heart Full of Holes (30-second sample) | download
Now THIS is another singer for whom my obsession can be narrowed down right to the song that grabbed me first. I was in HMV browsing randomly - VERY randomly - and saw Mark's latest album Kill To Get Crimson displayed on the newly-released shelf. I decided on a whim to listen to it, and was intrigued by the first track. The title of this particular track, however, leapt out at me because it was so beautiful. I skipped to this song, and was hooked within seconds. DOWNLOAD IT, PLEASE, SO YOU CAN SHARE IN THE LOVE. I bought the album, ADORED it, and now own every solo album Mark has released. (And yes, he's the dude who used to front Dire Straits.) Massive amounts of love for his voice AND his duet album with Emmylou Harris (to be pimped to everyone at some point) - it's because of him that I had a bit of a guitary/English rock phase last year that introduced me also to the wonders of Springsteen and Dylan. Thanks to Mark (and jukebox_grad for egging me on), I've amassed more Bruce albums than I've listened to, at this point...!
Kristin Chenoweth
Hopelessly Devoted to You, Pushing Daisies
FLAIL. This is PRECISELY the moment when I got addicted to teh Cheno. Yes, I can pinpoint it to this scene in particular. Because she was so adorable, and her comic timing and singing so perfect, that I fell hard. HARD. I must admit that I'd heard of her before and actually found her speaking voice a little bit annoying and wondered what was the big deal with this woman. Then I saw this, completely revised my extremely misguided opinion of her, and have been hooked ever since.
Wicked
Defying Gravity, Wicked (West End) - sung by Kerry Ellis
Saw this in the West End last year, as you all know very well. Kerry was a phenomenal Elphaba, and her voice literally rocked the rafters of the Victoria theatre. The entire experience was magical, and I fell in love with the show on the spot. I'd put the soundtrack on in the background before, but nothing ever really stood out aside from Popular - I've since realised why: it's a show you have to see performed live. Then you can't get the damn thing out of your head or heart. Thanks to this show and my accompanying obsessions with Cheno, Idina and Julia Murney, I've embarked on a massive Broadway kick and I don't think it's ever gonna stop. Thank god. NYC '09, here I come! ;)
Idina Menzel
Defying Gravity (acoustic), live
I got addicted to Idina through the Wicked soundtrack - but thought I'd share a funkier, more intimate version that she performed in one of her live concerts. I adore her voice, her high belt, and the emotion she manages to infuse into every song she sings - she's also a remarkably talented songwriter, from the only-ever-performed-live It Only Hurts When I Breathe through to every song on I Stand. Y'all know my love for Idina is strong, so I'll just leave it at that... ;)
And the most recent obsession:
Julia Murney
As Long As You're Mine
With Sebastian Arcelus, live at Bryant Park
I'd semi-listened to Julia's solo album I'm Not Waiting since she comes so strongly recommended by so many people on my flist, and liked her but didn't LOVE her. This video changed all that. Her control over her voice - soaring over the high notes and dipping down to the lows so effortlessly - astounded me, as did her harmonisation with Sebastian. Once I heard this, I knew I was sunk. And indeed, I am done - I'm addicted to her album now and her performance in The Wild Party. I NEED to see her as Elphaba. Which will never happen now that she's left the Broadway production, gah. Anyway, I promised book232 backstage vids of Julia preparing to become Elphaba. She is SO CUTE. Much much love ♥, especially since there's a lot of Wicked-related goss and you find out about costumes and the green makeup and everything. It's fun! (Click!: I | II )
THAT TOOK WAY LONGER THAN I THOUGHT, ZOMG. TWO HOURS, LOL. But man. It was so much fun to go through all my fandoms. Like I said, haven't even TOUCHED on the movie love. That might take me twenty years...
Come flail with me? Y/Y?
In the meantime! I was deciding between working on fic and flailing, and decided I'd better get cracking on the fandom meme started by lissie_pissie that I've been intending to do for the last two weeks. Sigh. RL's a bitch, what can I say. And in drawing up my list of fandoms, I realised I have far too many to do them all justice. So I'm narrowing this down to just TV and music fandoms - my celebrity, movie and book loves will have to wait 'til another post, I guess. If I ever get around to it!
For each person/show you've really fangirled, try to find whatever it is that made you fall in love with them. Made you see them differently than you had before... like a switch had been flicked somewhere. ;) If it's a video, see if youtube has it, if it was an amazing picture or quote, upload it and post it. Whatever it was - share it. Post your "catalysts" as I like to call them in a new post in your journal.
TV FANDOMS - in vaguely chronological order
I've watched MANY shows and been briefly obsessed with others (Murphy Brown, Picket Fences, Sports Night, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Bones) but the ones below are the ones that have, on various occasions and occasionally for years, turned me into complete puddles of mush.
The X-Files
Click to viewMemento Mori (4x15)
Curses. Cannot. Find. A. Proper. Clip. of the Memento Mori hug in the hallway. asdjskljdladsja! This one is nonsensically out-of-sync and includes the cut kiss (which I love but felt was just icing on the cake - this is already a scene of simply immense win and the forehead kiss is enough).
Anyway. TXF - love of a lifetime, my first introduction to online fandom, which still remains the be-all and end-all of fandom. I had consciously never allowed myself to get into the show, as I didn't think it'd be my thing. (I'm ridiculously scared of even cheesy horror movies.) But I think I was casually watching Season 4, here and there, and happened to watch Memento Mori one night. I FAIL as a shipper, because it wasn't the hug and the immense amounts of love that drew me in, but Gillian Anderson's incredible acting. She broke my heart, I swear, in this scene, and after that I braved the creepy-crawlies on the show for her. Of course, it wasn't long before I started shipping and then that was the end of that. Fic-writing and much flailage ensued.
Frasier
Ham Radio (4x18)
I've loved this show from the beginning - a ridiculously smart American comedy with, like, irony and everything, that also had one of the best casts ever. I was obsessed with this show particularly in its third (MOON DANCE) and fourth seasons (HAM RADIO), and my love for David Hyde Pierce and Niles Crane has never been extinguished. Probably the moment that sealed my love for the show happened sometime in the pilot episode; it's one of those times when there wasn't a single moment I can pinpoint as to when I fell hard for this show. The clip I've selected is from my favourite episode of all time, the insanely hilarious Ham Radio. Watching DHP/Niles play six characters on a radio play, in rapid succession, pretty much made my LIFE at that point.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
It May Look Like A Walnut, part 1 (season 2)
It's kind of hard to place this show in terms of WHEN exactly I was obsessed with it, because I caught it late late one night when I was channel-surfing when visiting my friend in the US over the Christmas holidays. I was hooked on it instantly, the few episodes I saw, and stayed up to all manner of hours during the vac to watch as much as I could. I remembered this burning passion, and only years later, when I was home again after university, did I buy all the box sets. And boy am I glad I did. One of the funniest and most romantic sitcoms ever, featuring the ridiculously charming and rubbery Dick Van Dyke (SO MUCH CRUSH, OMG) and the incredibly adorable Mary Tyler Moore. Singing, dancing, bantering and gah, shippiness built into the entire show. LOVE. Walnut is a strange episode, and a funny one, though not one of the best - but quite groundbreaking for its time. I can't find my personal favourite on Youtube, which is The Attempted Marriage, when Rob explains - in flashback - how he tried to marry Laura and failed miserably too many times to count...
West Wing
Six Meetings Before Lunch (1x18)
Oh god. This show just completely blew my mind and took over my entire world the first moment I saw it. I loved it insanely within the first ten minutes, I think, and just couldn't get enough of the characters, the issues, the intelligence and OMG THE BANTER. I wanted to be these people, because I envied them their incredible sense of purpose and love for their jobs and their country. Plus, when you have a cast so unbelievably perfect for their roles? I mean, Allison Janney? Richard Schiff? Brad Whitford? Martin Sheen? Stockard Channing? (I SHOULD STOP NOW, Y/Y?) No particular moment hooked me, it was everything. So the moment I've chosen is just epic: CJ's performance of the Jackal. Man. Who else exudes ridiculous amounts of cool in this way?? "Are you talking to me during 'The Jackal'? Never talk to me during 'The Jackal'."
Gilmore Girls
Luke/Lorelai moments from Season 1
Gah. Another show that grabbed me by the gut - by the heart, in this instance - and kept me in its grip until it all went downhill in Season Six. I haven't seen the last season, but the love I had for the first few burned bright and strong. Plus, Luke/Lorelai? OMG: OTP. The clips in the video are all fabulous ("dance, burger boy, dance!"), though the music linking each scene is annoying. The scene I remember most? The very last scene in this clip: that little flicker of something between them as the entire town pounded on the door of Luke's diner...
House
Detox (1x11)
I loved Hugh Laurie before the show, and loved the show before I shipped. But loving it was an organic process - I remember asking my sister, who spammed the entire first season before I did, how the show was at various points of her marathon viewing. At the beginning, she said it was okay, towards the middle that it was getting better, and at the end, one of the best shows she had EVER seen. Good thing I listened to her. I had the same thought process, as the show got better and more involving as it went along. The moment that sealed the deal for me? Happened in Detox - sure, House's detox was the result of a stupid bet, but the angst and pain that Hugh brought to the moment pictured? Simply astounded me. I have fangirled him ever since, and fandom flailing has only increased after I fell for Lisa Cuddy/Edelstein (also an organic process that snuck up on me until suddenly I had TURNED GAY without realising it, lol) and started shipping...
Pushing Daisies
Pie-lette (1x01), part 1
This show had me from the word GO. I can't pick a favourite scene - except maybe Olive's plaintive rendition of Hopelessly Devoted For You (referenced later so not used here) - but the moment it began, with its rich, quirky voiceover, incredibly Burtonesque aesthetic and excellent cast (LEE PACE HAI, although the rest are just fabulous), not to mention an audaciously daring core concept and a tongue-in-cheek insistence on always doing the unexpected, I was hooked.
- - - - -
MUSIC FANDOMS - in vaguely chronological order
I'm a huge music dork, though a rather undiscerning one, so I've got lots of musician love. I'm keeping it pared down to the artistes I have followed throughout their careers, though. Or I could be here forever.
Emil Chau
風雨無阻, live
I used to avoid Chinese music with a passion. (Though I didn't really listen to music very much when I was younger, period.) That ended when I first heard this song in 1994, playing in the background of a crowded restaurant in China. I was addicted to it from the get-go, demanded to know the name and the singer, and started to listen to Chinese radio so I could catch it on the airwaves. I recorded it on tape, bought the CD, and fell in love with Emil's voice. I've been a (rabid) fan ever since, and now own practically all of his CDs. I can probably sing every song he's ever sung better than he can (he's notoriously bad at remembering lyrics and screws up in this concert version too, but he's adorable about it). He remains the singer I've seen live most often - yes, I even trekked all the way down to Sentosa in the late 90s (can't remember the year) for a free concert, sitting there roasting in the sun from 3pm or something so I could save a seat for the night's performance. He's the reason I got into Chinese music at all - the alpha then, and the omega. ;) It's because of him that I got into Jacky Cheung, Faye Wong, Phil Chang, Jay Chou and Lee Hom and so many others. They don't get individual posts, but I adore them too.
Frank Sinatra
Ol' Man River, from 'Til The Clouds Roll By
My other favourite male singer ever ever EVER. He has the most beautiful voice ever - diction, phrasing, timing, everything - and he still had it even in old age when it turned smokier. But he remains, indubitably, the Chairman of the Board. I can't pick a song, I've loved him for over a decade now. But this song ALWAYS kills me, especially that incredibly wonderfully held note at about 1:37 (technically, it's not a note he holds, but a breath, because he starts from 'in jail' and sings right on until about 1:46 without a break). GAH HIS VOICE = LOVE. I am so inarticulate when it comes to Frankie. :(
Winnie Hsin
領悟 (Understanding), live, unplugged, no MUSICAL BACKING OMG
Clearly, as you progress further, you will discover that I have a bit of a thing for soprano singers. Winnie is my favourite female Chinese singer of all time - she scales notes effortlessly, and this was the song that hooked me. Sung with just the most unobstrusive of back-up instruments, the original version showcased a voice of incredible power and crystal clearness. This live version is KICKASS. She's not wildly popular on the Chinese music scene, more's the pity, so I had to travel all the way to KL in 2005 to catch her live once. It was worth it: I got to meet her, got her autograph, and just DIED listening to her sing live.
Barenaked Ladies
If I Had A Million Dollars, live - including riff on Stayin' Alive, lol!
I'm not one for English music, generally - I stuck to Chinese music once I discovered it, because I don't do rap or R&B much, and that's what most songs sound like to me these days. But BNL writes incredibly tuneful, smart and quirky songs. I was first introduced to them by giddygeek WAAAAY back when, and I picked this song because it's one of my absolute favourites (never fails to cheer me up) and I so remember it from a fic kinda based on the song that I beta-ed for XFic writer bugs ages ago.
Julie Andrews
Feed the Birds, Mary Poppins
Oh GOD, the Julie love. ♥ I rediscovered her sometime in 2006 and went on a mad buying/downloading spree that has since petered out a little. But there'll always be a spot in my heart for her endlessly soaring notes - and frustration that we were robbed of this voice far too early. Feed The Birds is probably the first time I was introduced to Julie as a child (I don't remember if I saw Mary Poppins or Sound of Music first), but this song has always been able to make me tear up because it's so poignant and just beautifully sung.
Mark Knopfler
Heart Full of Holes (30-second sample) | download
Now THIS is another singer for whom my obsession can be narrowed down right to the song that grabbed me first. I was in HMV browsing randomly - VERY randomly - and saw Mark's latest album Kill To Get Crimson displayed on the newly-released shelf. I decided on a whim to listen to it, and was intrigued by the first track. The title of this particular track, however, leapt out at me because it was so beautiful. I skipped to this song, and was hooked within seconds. DOWNLOAD IT, PLEASE, SO YOU CAN SHARE IN THE LOVE. I bought the album, ADORED it, and now own every solo album Mark has released. (And yes, he's the dude who used to front Dire Straits.) Massive amounts of love for his voice AND his duet album with Emmylou Harris (to be pimped to everyone at some point) - it's because of him that I had a bit of a guitary/English rock phase last year that introduced me also to the wonders of Springsteen and Dylan. Thanks to Mark (and jukebox_grad for egging me on), I've amassed more Bruce albums than I've listened to, at this point...!
Kristin Chenoweth
Hopelessly Devoted to You, Pushing Daisies
FLAIL. This is PRECISELY the moment when I got addicted to teh Cheno. Yes, I can pinpoint it to this scene in particular. Because she was so adorable, and her comic timing and singing so perfect, that I fell hard. HARD. I must admit that I'd heard of her before and actually found her speaking voice a little bit annoying and wondered what was the big deal with this woman. Then I saw this, completely revised my extremely misguided opinion of her, and have been hooked ever since.
Wicked
Defying Gravity, Wicked (West End) - sung by Kerry Ellis
Saw this in the West End last year, as you all know very well. Kerry was a phenomenal Elphaba, and her voice literally rocked the rafters of the Victoria theatre. The entire experience was magical, and I fell in love with the show on the spot. I'd put the soundtrack on in the background before, but nothing ever really stood out aside from Popular - I've since realised why: it's a show you have to see performed live. Then you can't get the damn thing out of your head or heart. Thanks to this show and my accompanying obsessions with Cheno, Idina and Julia Murney, I've embarked on a massive Broadway kick and I don't think it's ever gonna stop. Thank god. NYC '09, here I come! ;)
Idina Menzel
Defying Gravity (acoustic), live
I got addicted to Idina through the Wicked soundtrack - but thought I'd share a funkier, more intimate version that she performed in one of her live concerts. I adore her voice, her high belt, and the emotion she manages to infuse into every song she sings - she's also a remarkably talented songwriter, from the only-ever-performed-live It Only Hurts When I Breathe through to every song on I Stand. Y'all know my love for Idina is strong, so I'll just leave it at that... ;)
And the most recent obsession:
Julia Murney
As Long As You're Mine
With Sebastian Arcelus, live at Bryant Park
I'd semi-listened to Julia's solo album I'm Not Waiting since she comes so strongly recommended by so many people on my flist, and liked her but didn't LOVE her. This video changed all that. Her control over her voice - soaring over the high notes and dipping down to the lows so effortlessly - astounded me, as did her harmonisation with Sebastian. Once I heard this, I knew I was sunk. And indeed, I am done - I'm addicted to her album now and her performance in The Wild Party. I NEED to see her as Elphaba. Which will never happen now that she's left the Broadway production, gah. Anyway, I promised book232 backstage vids of Julia preparing to become Elphaba. She is SO CUTE. Much much love ♥, especially since there's a lot of Wicked-related goss and you find out about costumes and the green makeup and everything. It's fun! (Click!: I | II )
THAT TOOK WAY LONGER THAN I THOUGHT, ZOMG. TWO HOURS, LOL. But man. It was so much fun to go through all my fandoms. Like I said, haven't even TOUCHED on the movie love. That might take me twenty years...
Come flail with me? Y/Y?