Celebrate Musicals Week - Tag

I have decided to participate in Celebrate Musicals Week, the blog party Miss Dashwood is hosting at Yet Another Period Drama Blog!  Go here if you want to participate, too, and would like to know the details.  The blog party is starting off with a tag, so here are my answers to the tag questions.  (I am going to put my posts for Celebrate Musicals Week on this blog as well as my other blog, Climbing the Alpine Path.  It might be a slightly weird idea, but since The Phantom of the Opera is, in a way, a period drama as well as a musical, I wanted to put my posts for Celebrate Musicals Week on my period drama blog as well.)

1)  What musical did you pick to "spotlight" this week and why?

I chose to spotlight The Phantom of the Opera.  I was already planning to write about it, so I thought Celebrate Musicals Week was a great opportunity to do so.

2)  How did you discover the musical you picked (hereinafter referred to as "your musical")?

I was ten years old when I was introduced to The Phantom of the Opera.  I watched the 2004 movie with my cousins during my visit with my relatives in Ireland.  My cousins loved watching movies, so we ended up watching a lot of movies together, and the 2004 adaptation of Phantom was one of them.

3)  If you had to pick three favorite songs from your musical, which ones would they be?

I love so many songs from Phantom, but I think my three favorites would be "The Phantom of the Opera", "The Music of the Night", and "Think of Me".

4)  What's your least favorite song from your musical?

Maybe "Prima Donna".  I always skip it when I'm listening to Phantom songs.  In the 2004 movie, I can't stand Andre and Firmin's singing.  They don't really sing, especially Ciarán Hinds, who plays Firmin - they kind of talk-sing.  Talk-singing grates on my nerves.  I prefer the song Prima Donna to whenever Andre and Firmin sing by far, but if I had to choose a specific song I disliked, I think it would be Prima Donna.

5)  Who are your favorite characters (choose up to three)?

Christine, the Phantom (also known as Erik), and Madame Giry are my favorite characters.  I have heard that some people dislike Christine, but I think she is a well developed character.  Erik is a very interesting and complex character, which I love.  Madame Giry is mysterious and I like her personality.  She seems like a smart person who knows what she's doing.

6)  Which versions of your musical have you seen/listened to, and which is your favorite?

The first version of this musical that I ever knew, was the 2004 movie, which I watched when I was ten years old.  When I was fourteen, I rediscovered the movie and loved it.  Then, I discovered the original broadway version with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, and fell in love with that.  I now prefer the version with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman to the 2004 movie.  I thought the movie was good, but when I discovered the original musical, it seemed faded in comparison.  Since then I have listened to other versions, with John Owen-Jones and Gina Beck, for example.  When I was fifteen, I discovered The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, and I absolutely loved it.

7)  Is this your favorite musical of all time?  If not, what is?

Yes, even more than Les Mis, which is in second place.  I love The Phantom of the Opera for the gothic story, complex characters, dark themes, strong emotions, and the beautiful sets, costumes, and music.  It is definitely my favorite musical of all time.

8)  Which cast album/musical soundtrack in your collection do you listen to the most?

The original Broadway version of Phantom with Michael Crawford, and the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Mis.  I don't like the 25th Anniversary (cough Nick Jonas cough cough) of Les Mis as much as the 10th Anniversary.

9)  What is your favorite costume from your musical?

That's a hard question!  There are so many amazing costumes in Phantom.  Well, I really like the dress and hooded cape Christine wears during her song, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again".

Sierra Boggess as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera at The Royal Albert Hall.

10)  If you could change anything about your musical, what would you change?

I wouldn't want to change anything, since it's Andrew Lloyd Webber's work of art, not mine.  I want it to be exactly as Andrew Lloyd Webber intended it to be.  Then, on the other hand, I think the song "Prima Donna" could be taken out, though it isn't that bad of a song, really.  I just don't see how it's necessary.

11)  Which role(s) would you most like to play in any musical, if you had the opportunity to do so on stage?

I would like to play Fantine or Eponine in Les Mis, or Christine in Phantom...that is, if I could sing really really really well...

12)  If you could choose one performer to play any part in your musical, who would you choose and which part would you have them play?

Perhaps Sutton Foster as Christine Daaé?  I don't think the role is suited for her, but Sutton has a beautiful voice and I'm curious as to what she would do with the part.  I'm a big fan of Sutton Foster, so it would be cool to see her play a major role in my favorite musical.

13)  Do you consider yourself a musical theatre fan in general or do you just like a few musicals?

I am a musical theatre fan, without a doubt!

14)  Are you tired of the word "musical" yet?

Never!

15)  Turn your music playing device on shuffle (or utilize Pandora if you don't have one) and tell us the names of the first three show tunes that come up-- no cheating!  How do these rank on your favorites/most-listened-to list?

 - "Memory" from Cats.  I'm not a big fan of Cats, but I love this song very much.
 - "Agony" from Into the Woods.  This is a memorable song from Into the Woods, and absolutely hilarious.
 - "More to the Story" from Shrek the Musical.  "More to the Story" is one of my favorite songs from this musical, along with "I Know It's Today".

Elegant Blogger Award

I have been awarded the Elegant Blogger Award by Hamlette at Hamlette's Soliloquy.  Thank you Hamlette for nominating me!

Rules:

- When you receive the award, link back to keepcalmandsparkle1099.blogspot.com and the blog that nominated you

- Display the award button in the post

- Answer all of the 12 questions given in this post (do not make your own questions)

- Nominate 8 bloggers

- Notify them that they have been awarded

1)  What made you start blogging?

It was about a year ago that the idea of starting my own blog dawned on me.  I wanted to write about period drama films, because I had a lot to say about them and I wanted to express it somehow.  I discovered Blogger through the blog Crispin's eclipse, the first blog I ever followed, and the blog that inspired me to be a blogger, too.

2)  What is your fashion style?

I am still in the process of developing my own style.  There are different styles I like, but usually they don't really go together, so at times I end up having one style one day, and a different contrasting style the next.  My fashion style is very inconsistent.  Mostly I just wear whatever goes well together, style-wise and color-wise.  I like cool and pastel colors, and various shades of green and blue.

Below are the different fashion styles I like.  As a warning, I love talking about clothes, so this will probably end up being a very long-winded answer, which it already is...

Gothic - I don't mean hardcore Gothic, but something more like Amy Lee's style.  I think she tends to balance a Gothic style with other styles well, and makes it her own.  I've never really thought of her style as completely Gothic, but a lighter or less emphasized version of that style, sometimes with a hint of Vintage (like in her music videos for "Lithium" and "Good Enough") and maybe even Celtic influences.

I don't exactly wear a Gothic style of clothes myself, but I like dark colors as well as light, leather (not real leather, I don't believe in killing animals for clothes, and it appalls me that this is still being done), and black high-tops and boots.  I like wearing skinny jeans, preferably black ones, although colored ones are nice too, depending on the color and shade.

I aslo like Joan Jett's style, but my impression is that her style is more like Punk and Rock, not Gothic.

Celtic - I love Celtic jewelry, like rings and ear cuffs and necklaces, and jewelry with fairy or elvish designs.  Oh, and plaid skirts, coats, hats, and anything else with a plaid design.  Lots and lots of plaid.  My great grandpa, whose parents came from Glasgow, liked plaid so much that he used to wear two or three different tartans together.

Vintage - I like clothes that seem slightly old-fashioned, or are influenced by a particular time period.  I like lacy tops and dresses, and shoes that have a 1930's or 1940's look.  I also like tall boots that lace up.

1960's - My mom's family were Hippies during the sixties and seventies, which has influenced my taste in clothes and shoes.  I like "flower power" and Hippie chic, which was popular in the late sixties and into the seventies, and earthy colors like brown and orange, which were everywhere during the seventies.  If I had clothes that fit these descriptions, I would wear them, but sadly, I don't, so I don't really get to dress in this style, however much I'd like to.

Fleetwood Mac, which formed in 1967.  The women in this band wore classic '70's outfits.

3)  What is something none of your followers know about you?

I have never broken any of my bones or twisted either of my ankles, and I have never gotten stitches.  I sometimes wonder how I managed to avoid this happening to me, because as a kid I was frequently running, falling down, biking quickly down steep hills, exploring creeks, and climbing trees.

4)  What are some of your blogging goals?

To finish all of the posts I plan to do this month, for both of my blogs.

5)  Where is your favorite place to shop?

I like to shop at Nordstrom for shoes, and I like Banana Republic, Etsy, and Anthropologie.

6)  What would your ideal number of blog followers be?

I don't really have an ideal number of followers, so long as there are people reading my blog.  There wouldn't be much of a point to blogging if no one read my blogs.

7)  What are your talents?

Mostly things in the artistic and literary area, like sketching, writing, and analyzing books, art, and films.  Oh, and I'm good with children and animals.  That can count as a talent, right?

8)  Are you a leader or a follower?

I am usually a follower.  Although, I think I could be a leader if I needed to be, if I got past my shyness and boosted my confidence.

9)  What is one of your favorite quotes?

"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" - The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

10)  Do you have a favorite book or series?

My favorite book is Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.  I love all of the Anne books (with the exception of Anne of Ingleside, a book L. M. Montgomery was pressured into writing, and everafterward regretted having written).  My favorite series would be the Emily series by L. M. Montgomery, which includes Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily's Quest.

11)  Out of the synonyms for elegant, which would you describe yourself with? (smart - stylish - dressy - graceful - dainty - fine)

Well, I'm smart in some ways, and I'm graceful (a result of all the ballet classes I've taken in the past), although I am kind of a klutz sometimes.  I'll just go with smart.

12)  What is your favorite flower?

Daffodils have always been my favorite flower, ever since I first read the poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", by William Wordsworth, when I was little.  I associate my childhood with that poem, so Daffodils are a very nostalgic flower in my eyes.

These are the bloggers I am nominating:

- Leah K. Oxendine at Apassionata

- Esther Romaine at Like Reading Trivial Pursuit

- Gina at Beauty From Ashes

- Magdalen Aithne Arkwright at Marcmire
- Miss Elizabeth Bennet at Elegance of Fashion
- Lucy at Stuffed Shelves
- Elizabeth at The Endless Road
- Sarah at How to Watch A Movie