Phantom Of The Opera Tour Review!

Hey All-

 I hope everyone is well, and doing good! I had the amazing opportunity this weekend to review the new 25th Anniversary Tour of Phantom of the Opera! I hope you enjoy!

Lloyd Webber's hit longest running show is now on tour once again, and is at the Academy of music for a limited time only! This new production is produced by renown producer Cameron Mackintosh (Les Miserbles) and directed by Laurence Connor (Superstar UK, Saigon UK, and Phantom UK). Webber was quoted as saying "It's wonderful to have a new of Phantom touring America now that the show has celebrated over 25 years on Broadway". Phantom runs at the Academy of Music until April 12th 2014, for tickets and show times visit www.kimmelcenter.org/broadway 

I loved this show and production very much, and the cast was phenomenal! I can really see where they put new touches on things, and added a few things! Other then a technical difficulty that stopped the show momentarily, the show was great! Pyrotechnics were used, as well as smoke, and gun shots, as well as the falling chandelier!  The costumes were stunning and there are over 1,200 pieces used throughout the entire show! Over 120 wigs travel with the production, and over 50 are used in the show, and all are made from actual human hair except for 5! Here is a little about Phantom for those of you who don't know. 

Based on the 1910 horror novel by Gaston Leroux, which has been adapted into countless films,The Phantom of the Opera follows a deformed composer who haunts the grand Paris Opera House. Sheltered from the outside world in an underground cavern, the lonely, romantic man tutors and composes operas for Christine, a gorgeous young soprano star-to-be. As Christine’s star rises, and a handsome suitor from her past enters the picture, the Phantom grows mad, terrorizing the opera house owners and company with his murderous ways. Still, Christine finds herself drawn to the mystery man. Audiences agree—The Phantom of the Opera is Broadway’s longest-running hit. Ever. (Broadway.com)

This cast is absolutely stellar! The casting was spot on, and although the original Phantom was re-casted mid run because of personal reasons, this new one is just as good! Cooper Grodin (Phantom) is awesome! His vocal abilities and range are like non I have ever heard, his rendition of the hit song "Music of the Nigh" was Phantasic, very haunting amd yet charming at the same time. Julia Udine (Christine Daee) who is a Voorhees, New Jersey Native I was truly in awe with! Her voice for only being 2o years old is that of someones voice who is much older!  She beautifully belted and sang "All I Ask of You", 'Think of Me", and the tearjerker and beautiful classic "Wishing You Were Somehow Hear Again".You need to hear this girl sing, she has cords of steel! Especially when she is in the Phantom's liar and she has to "keep singing" for him. I could go on for days about this young women, and i truly 100% mean this when I say that she needs to play Christine on Broadway (If your reading Andrew Lloyd Webber CAST HER!) I can also see her in other leading roles on Broadway as well! So proud of her, and she also studies with the same vocal coach that I do! Jaclyn Fontaine (Carlotta Giudicelli) was also fabulous and had a great voice. She was a former Miss California, and Miss America finalist (where she performed opera as her talent), she really has quite the resume! Ben Jacoby (Who's father Peter was the he leading role as "The Phantom" on Broadway a few years back) was also good! Craig Bennett (Monsieur Firmin), Edward Staudenmayer (Monsieur Andre), Linda Balgord (Madame Giry), and Hannah Florence (Meg Giry) were also wickedly talented as well! 

You must see this show and all of the new aspects that the show has to offer as well! I will say, if you are VERY picky and you don't like change, this production may bother you, as they have made it very updated and very 2014! Just putting both sides out there! 

Enjoy!

xx Rye

www.thepositivityproject.org 

Interview with America's Got Talent Season 1 Winner: Bianca Ryan!

Hey All-
 Sorry for the brief break I have been so busy with life, and having so many things come up with the project! So many good interviews coming up in the near future!  I really cant wait for you to see them all! Below is interview with Super Star Bianca Ryan. Bianca rose to the charts at just 11 years old when she won the hearts of the judges, and America as Season 1 winner of "America's Got Talent" (AGT). Blowing everyone away with her big (which is an understatment!) voice, and tackling songs like "And I am Telling You" by Jennifer Hudson in which Simon Cowell called her "One of the best singers ever", Bianca was on a path of fortune and success!
  Since then, she has been very busy working on her career, being  student, and continuing to follow her dreams! She has stepped away from the spotlight, and has chosen to go her own direction with her songs, and is not letting  anyone tell her what to write!  She is so amazing, and I am so honored to have a connection to her! I am so thankful she took time out of her crazy busy life to do this Q&A interview with me! Enjoy! For more information on Bianca Ryan visit her website at www.BiancaRyan.com and also follow her on her social networks as well! She is great with keeping up with her fans! Continue to check out my website with the latest and greatest entertianment news and more! www.thepositivityproject.org   Encourage. Inspire. Empower. xx RyeMy

Interview with Bianca Ryan

RM:What was the experience of being on America’s Got Talent like? And what was it like winning the competition at just 11 years old? Also, what was your favorite performance during your run on AGT?

BR:My favorite performance was when I performed And I Am Telling You. Just because that was one of my favorite songs and to be able to perform for so many people was life changing. That video of me singing that one song completely changed my life and enabled me to be able to travel the entire world! Literally. It's crazy.

RM:What have you been up to since winning back in 2006?

BR:Since winning AGT, I've been writing a lot of music and really trying to find who I really am as an artist, and songwriter. I love writing music so much (might even love it more than singing it)! So it's been interesting because I've been through all the ups and downs that a career has, and I've even left the spot light a couple of years ago just to go back to high school and live a normal life. It's not all that it’s made out to be honestly, so now that I'm finished, its MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC! Again, and I couldn't be happier. Right now I'm writing new music and in the studio almost 24/7. I can't wait to truly find my new sound through all of this writing.

RM:What was it like being so young, and being so famous at the same time?

BR: It was actually really hard being so young and having all the opportunity in the world because you don't realize how huge the opportunity is. There are people that work their entire lives for that chance, and you can't help but almost take it for granted just by the mere circumstance that you're only like 11 or 12! haha. It was super hard though. I was 11 and I felt like I was being compared to the world. Immediately my You Tube videos were getting millions of views and everyone was comparing me to every other singer in the world. Especially after Simon Cowell announced to the public that he thought I was one of the best singers he's ever heard in his entire life!. I was pretty self-conscious to be compared to people three, four, and five times my age! I was flattered though through all of the comparisons

RM:Your hit Christmas EP ‘Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas All Year Long” rose to the tops of the Holiday charts back in 2007. How did that feel to have your music charted so high, and so many people buying your stuff!

BR:It was incredible that my Christmas music charted so high! I wish I could honestly tell you exactly what I remember and how I felt,  but I really was so young that unfortunately I can't remember much of it. It all sort of seems like a blur and even to this day, I can't believe all of this happened. Its still setting in. I do know that I was SOOO in love with the Christmas song soooo much! It was my favorite one to record and make a video for! Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday and the best season ever!

RM:What are your plans for the future? Do you have another CD coming out soon?

BR:MY plans for the future are to keep going with Music and really dive hard this 2014. I want to be able to make a comeback and now as an artist who CAN SING ANY ARTIST. I want to be the artist. I want to be compared to myself (if that makes sense)! . I just want to be able to be unique and have my own sound and enjoy the music that I'm singing. It helps that I'm writing my music now, because I can relate so much more to the lyrics of my songs.

RM:Do you plan on doing any movies or Broadway in the future?

BR:I love the idea of Broadway someday! I was a  Broadway singer before I was a soulful singer! And before the Broadway singer, I was a country singer! hahaha. I love singing all different genres. And of course I LOVE to act. SO movies are awesome and I especially like writing songs for soundtracks. I'm working on one for Mockingjay right now. (Hunger Games). So hopefully we'll finish it soon!

RM:What is coming up next for Bianca Ryan?

BR:What's coming up next? Hm. I have a lot of stuff! Right now I have the product, the songs, what's really been hard is finding the right team! Finding the right people to work with, and people who truly believe in me as an artist, not just a singer. I don't want a team that’s going to make me be AGT BIANCA RYAN again, and make me sing all the crazy show stoppers, I just want to be able to enjoy my shows and have people enjoy my music without having to be a freak singer that blows everyone away every time I sing. I'm okay with not getting a standing ovation every time I sing. As long as people are enjoying the music and singing along, I'm pleased. So hopefully an EP and single out by summer, and hopefully another movie that I can get cast in this year. And songs in multiple movie soundtracks! That's what I'm looking forward to hopefully accomplishing this year! Grammy's 2015? Who knows! I hope! Hahahaha.

Thanks so much for interviewing me! 

Interview with Artistic Director Jeannot Painchard of "Cirkopolis"

Hey All-
 Had the wonderful oppurtunity to do my first phone interview today! It was with Jeannot Painchard who is Artistic Director of the hit show "Cirkopolis" (Think of Cirque de Soleli but better!). It was very nice to chat with him, he had a lot to offer! I hope you will enjoy, and possibly catch this when it comes to Philly!

Where did the inspiration come from to create Cirkopolis?

The inspiration came from movies such as Metropolis, Brazil and  World of Casca the Opera….I wanted a situation where the main character who is  was in grey scarce city- where there is no personality. He lives in a world where he is struggling with his identity and can’t be himself, even though he wants to.. It is almost like the movie Brazil, but in fact it’s not though because very quickly color starts to appear, and becomes very happy. Everything becomes choreographic and the magic starts to happen.

What can we expect to see in the show?

We mix a little bit of dance, theatre, circus, and music into one whole show, with incredible acrobatic skills and techniques. The show itself is a 90 minute show, and while many moments are done onstage, the rest are done in the air. There are trapezes, the German wheel, Chinese pole, the teeter board, contortionists, and more!!! There are lots of bright colors that burst through all the shades of grey that you first saw in the beginning. You will hear all original music, and all the sets are all originally designed as well. There are also twelve actors in it as well!

How long did it take to put this show together?

It’s about a year long process with 6 month preparation and 4 months staging and rehearsals. Between casting, and working with the creative team and putting everything together that we want to see onstage. Then rehearsals with the actors happen (who are so talented) and we bring the dream  of “Cirkopolis” to life onstage through them!

What was it like working with renowned choreographer David St. Pierrre?

I look for someone who is very artistic and who I can collaborate well with, someone who is going to work with me and bring my vision and the company’s vision to o life onstage. He is a pure artist himself, and it was great working with him. He brings a lot of new ideas and new stuff to the show.. 

xx Rye My " The Positive News maker"

Encourage. Inspire. Empower

www.thepositivityproject.org