RENT: Filmed Live on Broadway

So, I will be going to the August 28th showing of "RENT: Filmed Live on Broadway." The Wednesday/Thursday showings are at 7:00 pm. The theater is almost an hour away, so I wouldn't get home until close to 11. I'll probably be an emotional wreck after seeing it, and I don't want to use one of my sick days that early in the school year. My mom works all day on Saturday (the 27th), so we're going on Sunday.

I asked all of my students to write their favorite movie on their information card. Three of my students listed "RENT." Two more students saw my hand made "RENT" poster and asked me about it. "I met one of the actresses. She played Joanne in the movie," I said. "I have a picture. Do you want to see it?" "Yes!!!" they enthusiastically replied. They thought it was cool, and a few of the other kids were like, "So, what is it about??" One of the girls in the front row gave a little summary of it. When that class does their music activity during the "Anne Frank" unit, I am so going to put a "RENT" song on their playlist.

One of the members of the TV crew stopped by to interview me the other day. She's either a junior or a senior. Here is a summary of the interview:

"What do you like to do?" she asked.

"I really like photography."

"That's awesome. I really like photography, too."

"I also like Broadway musicals," I added.

"Oh my God, you're my new favorite person!"

Maybe I should be teaching upperclassmen. I have 6 classes, and I genuinely like 4 of them. The other two have been giving me all kinds of problems. I love 9th graders, but I sometimes wish that I could also teach 11th grade. Sophomores and seniors annoy me, but I think juniors would probably be ok. Plus, we would be able to read lots of Emily Dickinson! Maybe I'll get lucky and have a few junior classes next year. I would be very willing to give up my higher level classes. I love the B-level kids because they don't think they're automatically entitled to an "A." The other teachers like a mixture, but I would be more than happy teaching 6 sections of B-level classes.

To Lauren Jackson

Dear LJ,

If you love Australia so much, go ahead and move there permanently.

Go Team USA! Beat Australia and show them which team is the best in the world.

Go Storm! Show LJ that we can win a championship without her!

No day but today

This entry is a few days late, but I've been busy.

I went to New York City last weekend. On Saturday afternoon, I finally got to see RENT. It pretty much changed my life forever, just as I thought it would.

Oh, and I also got to meet Tracie Thoms! I'm a complete "Wonderfalls" geek, so I was just as happy to meet "Mahandra" as I was to meet "Joanne." Seriously though, I've been a big fan of hers since "Wonderfalls," and I currently watch her on "Cold Case." She was a total sweetheart, and she took the time to sign autographs and take pictures with people. The entire scene could be described as a madhouse; everyone basically swarmed her as soon as she came out.

I know I usually reserve this blog for talk about Brandi Carlile and the WNBA, but Broadway is another huge part of my life. When I was in 8th grade, my English teacher told each student to bring in an object that best described him/her. I brought in my "Phantom" Playbill. Nine years later, I'm still being inspired by musical theater.

I still haven't seen "Wicked." Yeah, I know. I do have a good excuse, however. I was supposed to see RENT last November, on the day the stagehands went on strike. I was halfway to the city when we received a phone call, informing us that all shows were cancelled for the day. I was originally going to see "Wicked" last weekend, but RENT extended its run until September. So, I ordered tickets and prayed that nothing bad would happen.

I'm thinking about getting a tattoo in honor of RENT. I can't get anything major, since a lot of school districts hate to see them. However, I think I might get "No day but today" on my right arm.

In sports news, the U.S. women's soccer team lost their first match at the Olympics (soccer starts before the first official day). I'm sure it won't be the last, unfortunately.