I have to say, even though Glee is somehow targeted to a mass audience (in the US at least) and is a little trendy (which I normally hate), I do like how it’s making me appreciate plays and real musicals (*cough high school * musical* not a musical*) through the songs they feature on the show. Kurt and Rachel’s duet of “Defying Gravity” has made me wanna see Wicked the musical (if only I had the money to go to New York right now), I spent half the evening searching for youtube videos of the musical.

I had a blockmate/friend once voiced his opinion about stage plays when we we’re required to watch a certain play by the TA. He asked, “what ’s the point of stage plays when film has been there for so long?”. For a person who himself has been part of a theater group, I actually found it hard to answer this but I remembered what my directors, Sir Bok Pioqid and Ron Capinding taught us during my two years in Teatro Baguntao.

Theater is able to evoke emotions, reactions and experiences from its audiences. Yes, film can do the same but there is a difference between the emotions that a live theater production creates from a filmed production, the fact that is live means you’ll never really get the same experience, the same show twice.

Even more than simply evocation is the real-time interaction that happens between a stage actor and his audience. I think theater is a participatory type of media because of this interaction. You just don’t sit there watching and receiving information in a theater you yourself when you react to the scenario communicate with the actors of the production. This two-way communication I feel, is what enriches the experience of live theater and something that differentiates it completely from film

OK excuse my trying-to-sound-academic-and-failing tone

This is the One, Utada's third english album. Released last may 2009

Hikaru Utada’s been doing another concert tour which launched last Janaury 15 . Her last concert tour was Utada United in 2006 which was held in various locations across Japan, this time though the tour is around the USA!

She’s doing the tour to promote her 2nd english album (3rd if you include her Cubic U days) This is the One. Some youtubers were able to sneak in their cameras and get videos! She sang soem of her japanese songs during the show! She also Sang Sanctuary and Passion together… AT THE SAME TIME! and she sang the backward-lyrics live as well!

I wish I had a VISA right now… I’d kill for tickets to see Utada.

For music interest though, if any of you guys reading this have never listened to Utada before, you should definitely try listening to the This is the One album. Its seriously not a Jpop/anime/asian music album at all and I think anyone and everyone can seriously enjoy it. I have the special edition US retail version (with additional bonus tracks) and its been part of my “study playlist” for quite a while! Some interesting songs to note:

Apple and Cinnamon

A very simple piano R&B ballad. I find it has a good mix of melody, well-written lyrics and deep pulsating beats. A great love song which focuses on a failing relationship with an interesting allusion to apple pie being Apples and Cinnamon work so well together.

Automatic Part II

A direct allusion to her first japanese single AUTOMATIC in 1999.  Interesting here is if you compare the two songs and play them one after the other you can really see the difference between Hikki back then and Hikki now as well as how different R&B music was 10 years ago from now. Automatic is less melodic than its predecessor but uses a heavier R&B beat. The lyrics are also… quite provocative with which in part shows how Utada 10 years ago was just a young 16/17 year old girl and now she’s a 27 year old woman.

Come back to me

The first single released for the album. After seeing the epic failure I thought Easy Breezy was as a lead single for an album during her Exodus days, its nice to see a single that reminds you why Hikki is such a powerful artist. Come back to me is a soft sad ballad which is reminiscent Flavor of Life and Prisoner of Love but uses a more western approach and style to the arrangement and treatment. Its a good break considering that I was getting sick of utada’s dance electronica english songs already.

There’s one particular line here I really like. It goes “I wish that I could photoshop all our bad memories” I think we don’t need to ask why