"Bee" Rated

BEE RATED

Stage Musicals

Yes, its nerdy enough to do a "Bee rated" page, but musical theatre as the opening number (pun fully intended)? Yes, yes I shall do that. 

Why? The reason for it is that I have free will, a blog page, and the audacity to do so. 

So, here are some of the best musicals I've seen, my favorite musicals, with thoughts to accompany each one!

Hadestown- created by Anais Mitchell. 

★★★★★

Hadestown is a musical that transcends what art is capable of. In retrospect that should have been apparent from the get-go. I mean, it's Hadestown, what does someone expect from it?

Well, rather sheepishly, I admit that when I first heard about it I furrowed my eyebrows and said, "A musical about a Greek myth?" It took me a hot minute to listen to it, but when I did the first song I listened to was, "Wait for Me." After that I became addicted to the soundtrack. The addiction turned to obsession, and even as that wave of hyperfocus has calmed, my admiration for the musical has only intensified. 

Lord, it is a masterpiece. The word "masterpiece" is nowadays thrown around, a lot, and so its reference comes with a discretion: I do not use that term lightly. 

It is a masterpiece. Period.

There's the premise. How genius is it to set the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a time of desperation such as the Great Depression? It complements the themes of survival and hope. It also allows for the soundtrack to experiment with jazz, blues, and other staples of the 1930s art scene. I mean, harmonicas, trumpets, saxophones, and clarinets? We take those for granted for what they can do, but fortunately through this musical we can take a step back and go, "Shoot, this actually is incredible that we have instruments that can rock our cores like that."

My family and I were lucky enough to see it with the original Orpheus and Eurydice of the Broadway cast, Eva Noblezada and Reese Carney, and boy, did they knock it out of the park. From the laaaaa laaa laa la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa's of Orpheus to Eurydice desperation in "Anyway the Wind Blows", every note lifts up the musical. 

Hermes is a fine character as well being our guide and narrator through the tale, while still bearing enough weight on his mind with the conclusion of the story to help him feel grounded and holding our hand through the musical as opposed to forcing us through it. 

Hades brings out a gritty, dark, barritone voice that just drops into incredible bellows. Persephone, for her part, was a sympathetic and compelling character who fully showed how the system could both get underneath someone's skin while still benefiting them. 

The lighting is incredible and perfectly silhouettes the minimalistic staging that feels like both a factory floor and a saloon. It emenates a bohemian rustic energy, while having enough steel to mmake it feel as if the shift will begin soon for the workers of the titular Hadestown. 

The costuming with bright color schemes for the living and drab darker tones for the dead fully bring the setting to life. I mean- did you ever look at Hade's tattoo sleeve? It is LITERALLY a WALL WHERE HIS HEART SHOULD BE where Orpheus's sleeve is ROLLED UP, BEARING HIS HEART TO EVERYONE- I AM LITERALLY SOBBING.

To top it all off, despite its tragic ending, it ends with a toast to the audience, Orpheus, and those who persist when the world is on the verge of ending, promising to sing the story again, and again, even when the world changes for better or worse.

A masterpiece of a musical, and of any art I've seen. Truly, no notes.

Cabaret- created by Joe Masteroff

★★★★★

Cabaret... how do I begin with Cabaret? 

Well, for those who don't know, Cabaret is a musical about the rise of Nazi Germany set to the backdrop of the Kit Kat Klub (Yes, the name is fully intentional in its abbreviated to KKK, although the adaptation to "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club" would hint otherwise.) The time period it takes place in, called the Weimar Republic, was a time of financial, political, and social unrest. While there were Cabarets that showcased gender-bending queer performers, Transgender people, and the forefront of the European Avant Garde in both political and artistic realms, the whiplash from conservative and fascist circles was fomenting throughout German society.

As a person who loves musicals and loves history with a full heart, I was eager to see how the musical would play its hand with the source material and history. The history allowed for the burlesque and more risque costume choices, of the productions I've seen, to fully be able to shine and my god are the costumes amzaing. For this I'll justt be talking about the adaptation I saw which is called, "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club", I highly recommend seeing it if its still around while you are reading these words.

The songs play out harmlessly, if not amusingly in the first half. They mostly pertain to common topics of discussion like, "Don't tell mommy I'm sleeping with y'all", "Look at those two, they are quite gay together", "You gave me a pineapple? Huh, thoughtful..." and, "Would you marry me if you wanted to?". They're fun quippy numbers meant to evoke the irreverence of a real cabaret show. But then, everything changes in the middle half. At first its just the song, "Money" which shows the desperation of the poor in German society, which could even be taken apolitically with the idea that "money is evil" being one that humanity has agreed upon for centuries. It is only when Ernst, a friend of the main characters, reveals his swastika armband that the full nature of Germany is revealed for the audience.

Its script is subtle when it needs to be, and blunt when the moment needs it. It is a magnum opus for Joe Masteroff, and an unforgettably haunting experience.

Suffs- created by Shaina Taub

★★★★★

This is a femenist anthem that is not afraid to toot its own horn, and it is all the better for it. 

For every great American bitch! Bonus: got to see the performance with President Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Lin Manuel Miranda speaking.

Hamilton- created by Lin Manuel Miranda

★★★★★

Choreography: During the final duel when the ensemble formed a target and the shape of a gun. Genius!

When aaron burr captured a kiss from king george in the production I saw at the Richard Rodgers theatre

It is the greatest musical of all time, we all know this at this point... I've also memorized it like every person in my generation has.

1776- created by Sherman Edwards

★★★★★

FFS John, its hot AF outside and you REALLY want to talk about indepdence... again???

Fiddler on the Roof- created by Jerome Robbins

★★★★★

Required "reading" to be Jewish... naturally I love it too. 

Lion King- created by Julie Taymor

★★★★★

My introduction to musical theatre via TDF and wow, what a starting musical!

Into the Woods- created by Stephen Sondheim

★★★★★

If everyone would have just not been selfish then the musical would be 90 percent shorter.

In the Heights- created by Lin Manuel Miranda

★★★★⯪

I can't look at Mr. Softee the same way again. That poor Piragua guy...

Walk on Through- created by Gavin Creel

★★★★⯪

Rest in peace Gavin. You really made a beautiful impact on the world.

Next to Normal- created by Brian Yorkey

★★★★⯪

Powerful, brilliant, and the enemy of well done eyeliner.

The Great Gatsby- created by Kait Kerrigan

★★★★⯪

Jay Gatsby, as my friend Anabel put it, "Autistic Icon".

Come From Away- created by Irene Sankoff

★★★★⯪

Did... did they ALL kiss the cod????

Chicago- created by Bob Fosse

★★★★⯪

Very nice, some of the best choreography from a musical.

Les Misérables- created by Clause-Michel Schönberg

★★★★

My dad almost left during intermission because, "That's the ending, right? The revolutionaries won."

Waitress- created by Sara Bareilles

★★★★

Excellent first half, and who forgets, "She Used to be Mine" easily?

Wicked- created by Stephen Schwartz

★★★★

Galinda and Elphie definitely had some romantic tension, right?

Footloose- created by Kenny Loggins

★★★★

Music is some of the best of the 80s. That's saying something.

Beetlejuice- created by Scott Brown

★★★⯪

Excellent first half, and who forgets, "She Used to be Mine" easily?

Hair- created by Gerome Ragni

★★★⯪

Peace and love man, peace and looooooove.

Six- created by Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow

★★★⯪

Very, very fun concert! (I understand its not a concert, technically, but it is to me)

Hello Dolly- created Michael Stewart

★★★⯪

She is the matchmaker who is feared in Fiddler on the Roof.

Once- created by Glen Hensgard

★★★

Full on fever dream.

The Rocky Horror Show- created by Richard O'Brien

★★★

Full on fever dream.

BEE RATED

Stage Plays

Don't hate me... but I haven't seen a ton of plays. BUT, and that is a big but (pun half intended), the ones I have seen are pretty excellent. So, with that added, here are some of the plays I've seen!

Much Ado About Nothing- created by William Shakespeare

★★★★★

This play suprisingly was excellent. However, it took a while for it to stick with me.

The first production I saw was while at 

The Bard College production directed by Norrie Canniff was unexpectedly one of the best productions of this play, and the best Shakespeare production that I've ever seen from a school. Wow.

Broken Window- created by Diane Wagner

★★★★★

Haunting in many different ways, unforgettable in every aspect.

Life of Pi- created by Lolita Chakrabarti

★★★★★

Oh my god, the animals were literally the friends he made along the way...

The Antipodes- created by Annie Baker

★★★★★

Being real, I thought this was an ancient Greek play when I first heard about it.

Hamlet- created by William Shakespeare

★★★★★

To Bee or not to Bee, that is the question. #noregrets4thepun.

Macbeth- created by William Shakespeare

★★★★★

The actor in me says not to say the play's name, but the smart Aleck in me begs for it.

Zooman and the Sign- created by Charles Fuller

★★★★★

A play tour de force, with the added layer of taking place in Philadelphia, the place where I saw it in.

Just for Us- created by Alex Edelman

★★★★⯪

Related very very much to this... good encouragement for therapy.

Oh Mary- created by Cole Escola

★★★★⯪

Historically accurate? Partially. Flattering portrayl of Mary? No. Funny as hell? Indeed it is.

Puntila and Matti- created by Bertolt Brecht

★★★★⯪

Puntila drank for three whole dayssssss, his lips never were dryyyyyy.

What Now?- created by Alex Edelman

★★★★

He did not want anyone's feet on the stage, which is reasonable.

BEE RATED

Live Action Movies

Got to love the cinema. I love the cinema, so this list may be the longest out of any of these, other than of course musicals which will expand continously throughout the foreseeable future. This list will track behind that one, but will undeniably have some of the best media I've ever seen. So... lets get down to it!

Sinners- created by Ryan Coogler

★★★★★

Vampires sexy? No. Vampires dancing to Irish music and saying, "SAMMYYYYY".

Everything Everywhere All at Once-created by Daniel Kwan

★★★★★

This is the only movie I remember crying to watching

Schindler’s List- created by Stephen Spieldberg

★★★★★

The last time I remember feeling cold to my feet with horror. This is essential watching to be a human being.

M-created by Fritz Lang

★★★★★

Jojo Rabbit- created by Taika Wahtiti

★★★★★

12 Angry Men- created by Sidney Lumet

★★★★★

It was Just an Accident- created by Jafar Panahai

★★★★★

Little Women- created by Greta Gerwig

★★★★★

The Royal Tenenbaums- created by Wes Anderson

★★★★⯪

Lady Bird- created by Greta Gerwig

★★★★⯪

Hugo- created by Martin Scorscesse 

★★★★⯪

The Dead Poet’s Society- created by Peter Weir

★★★★⯪

Asteroid City- created by Wes Anderson

★★★★

Barbie- created by Greta Gerwig

★★★★

Harriet - created by Kasi Lemmons

★★★★

Black Panther - created by Ryan Coogler

★★★⯪

BEE RATED

Movie Musicals

American Utopia- created by Spike Lee

★★★★★

Tick Tick Boom!- created by Lin Manuel Miranda

★★★★★

Fiddler on the Roof- created by Norman Jewison

★★★★★

Twisted- created by Nick Lang

★★★★★

West Side Story- created by Jerome Robbins

★★★★

Singing in the Rain- created by Gene Kelly

★★★★

The Greatest Showman- created by Michael Gracey

★★★⯪

Wicked- created Jon M. Chu

★★★⯪

In the Heights- created Jon M. Chu

★★★⯪

The Rocky Horror Show- created by Jim Sharman

★★★

Full on fever dream.

BEE RATED

Live Action Shows

Reservation Dogs- created by Sterlin Harjo

★★★★★

Parks and Recreation- created by Troy Miller

★★★★★

A Series of Unfortunate Events- created by Lemony Snicket

★★★★★

Death by Lightning-

★★★★★

Heartstopper- created by Alice Olesman

★★★★

Good Omens- created by Neil Gaimon

★★★⯪

Our Flag Means Death- created by Taika Wahtiti

★★★⯪

Key and Peele- created by Keegan Key and Jordan Peele

★★★⯪

Schmigadoon-

★★★

Daisy Jones and the Six-

★★★

BEE RATED

Animated Television shows

Arcane- Created by Alex Yee

★★★★★

The Owl House- created by Dana Terrace

★★★★★

Blue Eye Samurai- created by Jane Wu

★★★★★

Gravity Falls- created by Alex Hirsch

★★★★★

Avatar the Last Airbender- created by Michael Dimartino

★★★★★

Lackadaisy

★★★★★

The Amazing Digital Circus

★★★★

Helluva Boss- created by Vivienne Medrano

★★★⯪

Hazbin Hotel- created by Vivienne Medrano

★★★

Amphibia- created by Matthew Braly

★★★

BEE RATED

Books

A Long Way Down- created by Jason Renoylds

★★★★★

Invisible Man

★★★★★

Maus- created by Artie Spiegelman

★★★★★

Persepolis- created by Marjianne Strapi

★★★★★

Fun Home- created by Allison Betchel

★★★★★

Heartstopper- created by Alice Olseman

★★★★⯪

Brown Girl Dreaming- created by Jaqueline Woodson

★★★★⯪

Le Petit Prince- created Antoine Exupéry

★★★★

BEE RATED

Museums

The Museum of the American Revolution

★★★★★

The National Constitution Center

★★★★★

Philadelphia Museum of Art

★★★★★

Valley Forge Museum

Gettysburg Museum