From Week 1 (09.09.09) to Week 13 (11.28.09.)
Electronic-pop project Owl City currently has the #1 song on Billboard.com’s Digital Songs chart for the fourth week in a row. The song “Fireflies” first charted on the Digital Songs chart on September 9, 2009 and its strong digital sales has helped the band’s overall album sales. Chart position made its biggest jump from week 3 (September 19) at #50 to the next week (September 26) at #32. Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”, Iyaz’s “Replay,” Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind,” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” round out the top five digital downloads this week (dated November 28, 2009).
Source: Billboard.com
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Tags: chart, music, owl city
Union Square has always been a prime destination in San Francisco, for both residents and visitors. The world-famous cable cars run through Powell Street, along with traffic, people, street performers, and lines of shops, clubs, restaurants, and hotels. Just before Thanksgiving, things in the area become more festive as businesses prepare for the holiday season. For example, in the spirit of giving, Macy’s partners with the SPCA to promote the Adopt-a-Kitten program.
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Tags: san francisco, union square, video
Gavin Newsom, candidate for governor of California in 2010, addresses a crowd during a town hall in San Rafael, CA.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom held a town hall at the San Rafael Community Center Auditorium on October 26, 2009. Newsom, who is a candidate in the state gubernatorial election for next year, addressed a crowd of about 200 people and answered questions regarding his stances and plans on issues like health care, education, energy, transportation, the California constitution, and marriage equality. He stayed to meet with some people to privately address questions he couldn’t answer during the time allotted. For more information on the mayor’s campaign for governor, visit Gavin Newsom’s official website.
(BLOGGER’S NOTE: This slideshow was created before Newsom announced his withdrawal from the governor’s race on October 31, 2009.)
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Tags: gavin newsom, photo slideshow, politics
Mr. Jackson’s Final Curtain Call
Photo credit: File photo
In September, I wrote about This is It, the documentary chronicling the rehearsals for Michael Jackson’s 50-show comeback at London’s o2 Arena, which sadly never came to be due to his untimely death in June. The month has now passed and one of the most-anticipated films of the year has hit theaters, and is sure to delight the King of Pop’s many fans.
On the Tuesday night of October 27, people lined up inside the lobby of the AMC 1000 Van Ness theater in San Francisco, a couple hours ahead of the very first nationwide showing of This is It at 9 p.m. PST (12 a.m. EST on October 28 on the East Coast). Some arrived in their favorite MJ t-shirts, others emulated the King of Pop in sparkly black garb and white socks. The ropes to the auditorium were opened at 8 and a theatre worker in a Jackson-esque (in his Bad days) wig sold MJ t-shirts and the movie’s companion CD at the concierge.
The roomy auditorium was almost filled to capacity, and the crowd stayed silent as a written text introduction scrolled on the screen, as well as the intro featuring the press conference where Jackson first announced the O2 Arena run in March, and of his young dancers speaking heartfelt words of their mentor and role model.
For the next two hours, Jackson was brought back to life once again, if only through film. Shot through different angles and piecing together various days of rehearsal (Over 100 hours of footage was shot for Jackson’s personal use), the King of Pop performed some of his biggest hits like “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, “Smooth Criminal”, “Thriller”, and “Man in the Mirror.” In some of the performances, footage of the videos that would’ve played in the background were integrated into the stage action. For example, an all-new 3-D sequence featuring ghouls, goblins, and zombies was shot for “Thriller” and the making of the sequence was documented as well.
Interviews with show director Kenny Ortega (High School Musical series), crew members, band members, and dancers give a more in-depth look into the making of the stage spectacular. They speak lovingly of Jackson – not just of his performing ability, but of his character and work ethic. In turn, viewers are able to see the interaction Jackson has with all the people who help create the show. He speaks firmly and with conviction to make sure his show runs like he wants it to (Making sure the opening “growl” in “The Way You Make Me Feel” is played at the right spot after the jazzy opening) yet at times, goofing off (Waving and giggling as he is lifted on a cherry picker). Candid moments delivered many laughs, cheers, and applause amongst the audience.
The strenuous dancing and singing Jackson had to go through to prepare for the tour – as well as helping out with the show’s logistics – is proven through this film. While there are still questions lingering that such preparation may have contributed to his death, there is no question about this: the King of Pop was more than ready to make his comeback.
From beginning to end, This is It will entrance viewers and will reiterate why Michael Jackson was indeed, and will always be, the King of Pop.
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Tags: michael jackson, movie, music, review, this is it
And the Show Goes On…
A marquee promoting 'Rent' hangs above the crowd outside the Curran Theater.
I hadn’t really cared about Rent till the 1996 Broadway rock opera by Jonathan Larson became a 2005 big-screen ordeal by Christopher Columbus, though I heard things here and there about the original musical. When I saw the movie, I immediately became hooked. The music, the characters, the story about friends struggling and pulling together, and the message that there is indeed “no day but today” made me wonder, “What the hell have I been missing?!” And so became the start of my Rent fandom: I watched the movie in theaters two more times, met original Broadway cast member and star in the film Anthony Rapp at a book signing, bought the DVD on its first-day release, and caught the stage show twice – on its tour stop in San Francisco in 2006 and on Broadway with my mother in 2007, starring Rapp and Adam Pascal in the roles they originated on stage and in the film and featuring Tamyra Gray from the first season of American Idol. When the show closed on Broadway in September 2008 (It is the seventh longest-running show on Broadway, with a run of more than twelve years), I weeped, but I knew it wasn’t really the end. And it wasn’t: when the final performance was released as a limited-run cinecast, I went. When I found out that the show would go back on tour, I spazzed in excitement, only to be disappointed when I didn’t see a stop in the Bay Area…till there was.
Rent came back for a limited run, from October 6th to the 18th, in San Francisco’s Curran Theater during its Broadway tour. This tour once again featured Rapp and Pascal as Mark and Roger, respectively, the roles they created in the original production and recreated in the film. Gwen Stewart, an original ensemble member best known for her remarkable solo in “Seasons of Love”, also came back for this tour.
I attended the final show of the San Francisco run, the evening show on Sunday, October 18th. I rushed to the box office at 8:30 in the morning where some 20-30 other people were already in line (I talked to a couple of people who stayed overnight), hoping to score $20 orchestra seats in the first two rows. Such practices are typical for Broadway shows and tours, either as this style of first-come, first-serve basis or in a lottery. Unfortunately, the rush had already filled up for those trying to buy rush tickets for the matinee, but luck was still in store for your blogger. After nine grueling hours relieved by conversation with fellow rushers, a Starbucks Mocha, an Ultimate Cheeseburger from Jack in the Box, reading the latest issue of Seventeen, writing in my journal, listening to music, talking to my best friend who I was going to buy a ticket for, a Sandra Bernhard sighting (Who is playing at the nearby Rrazz Room in the Hotel Nikko), and me giving pretty much my whole coin purse to a bum, I got my tickets – first row in orchestra right.
The show was just as wonderful as the two times I’ve seen it live, if not more. One thing I’ve loved about each time I’ve seen Rent, even in the cinecast of the final Broadway show, is that it’s always been different. The different casts always make each show their own and bring something new to the characters they’ve played, yet keep in the essence of those characters and of the show. Also, sitting very close to the stage had its advantages in allowing me to take in every scene and notice some things that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to see if I were sitting further away. The San Francisco crowd was livelier than I remember from the first two times, cheering and laughing throughout most of the show and supportive of all of the cast.
It’s an automatic that Rapp and Pascal were excellent, but I also award standout performances to Justin Johnston, who captured the role of street-drummer-turned-drag-queen Angel with a vivaciousness and perkiness, in both the character’s male and female forms. Nicolette Hart, who played the role of Maureen, delivered the best “Over the Moon” monologue I had seen.
For this performance, the role of Mimi Marquez, originally by Lexi Lawson for this tour, was played by an understudy, Caren Tackett. While I applaud the loads of work understudies must have to go through and the responsibility that they may have to perform under pressure, I can’t say I enjoyed Tackett in this role. “Out Tonight” (See Renee Elise Goldsbury’s performance from the final Broadway show) and “Without You,” two crucial Mimi numbers, are two of my favorite songs in the musical, and I felt that Tackett lacked the ‘fierce’ factor in “Out Tonight” and the raw emotion in “Without You.” However, she redeemed herself with the chemistry she shared with Pascal in “Light My Candle” (See Pascal and Rosario Dawson in the movie version of “Light My Candle”) and with the emotion she did release in “Goodbye Love.”
After the curtain call, I lined up with hundreds of fans in hopes of getting autographs and some interaction with the cast. I received autographs from Pascal (He looked happy) and Rapp (Looked like a lost puppy dog and stayed silent), as well as Hart (Who is a goddess in person and looked pleasantly overwhelmed at the compliments people were throwing at her) and an ensemble member, John Watson (Who I think got confused for playing the role of Tom Collins by the autograph seeker next to me). My friends wanted to leave after that, so I left, but can’t say I was disappointed after experiencing everything that I did.
It was some long hours and little money well-spent to experience my favorite musical live once again. And it further made me realize that I am a Renthead for life.
To find out more about the musical and see where the tour is headed to next, visit the site for Rent: The Broadway Tour.
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Tags: adam pascal, anthony rapp, musicals, rent
