I'm back! My summer class starts tomorrow, so this is my last day of freedom. Wow! This past weekend in Washington seemed way hotter than California's dry heat. Ah, California! It was great seeing my cousin Jesse graduate from high school. Went to Legoland and took a lot of pictures of the minicities.
Hanging out with Brittany was so much fun. I met her friends/roommates. On Monday, we toured USC's campus and saw Harry Potter 3 at The Bridge. Spent Tuesday at Disney's California Adventure. I finally got to see Aladdin. :) Rode Tower of Terror, too. Let's see... oh yes, on Wednesday, we all went to the Warner Bros. studio and saw a very cool Harry Potter prop exhibit! They had just put up the HP3 stuff the previous Friday. Quidditch costumes. A Knight Bus Bed. Ron's various wands. The candy cart (which will be shipped back to England soon). Neville's grandmother's hideous apparel that the boggart, as Snape, wore. After the stop at the museum, we rode around in a tram and saw the exterior set of Gilmore Girls and ER. We saw where "Friends" was taped. The sets have been torn down, but the "Joey" sets are in place. We went inside the sounstage for "Gilmore Girls." :)
On Thursday, we spent time at Hollywood and Highland. The subway stops right across the street from the Pantages Theater at Hollywood and Vine. Yes, L.A. has a subway system. Who knew? The press could pick up media passes for Miss Saigon, so I wonder if we saw opening night? Perhaps the night before was a preview. Anyway, "opening night" signs hung from the building. Miss Saigon was amazing. Before the show started, an announcer said that Jennifer Paz would play Kim, and many people -- myself included -- cheered. She now ranks among my favorite Kims. :) You know, I don't just have one favorite actor/actress for the principal roles. Jon Jon Briones is a hilarious Engineer. Alan Gillespie has a big, booming voice with a good range too. He can hit the low notes of "Sun and Moon," and I love that probably because I love the song. Jennifer Paz did complete justice to the reprise. I can't wait to see the show again next May. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. As I watched the show, I kept telling myself, "I can't believe I'm actually seeing this LIVE again." So hopefully I can get over that and absorb the show even more. Yes, it's possible to do that. :) I was interested in the different staging and sets and so on and so forth. It was really cool to see a "fresh" interpretation. For instance, during the overture, the spotlight shines on Kim. They toned down the show lyric-wise and expletive-wise, I noticed. Instead of singing, "The girl is smart. She'll understand," they sang "Kim is smart..." Ooh, the "Telephone Song" did not take place on the telephone! Heh. Chris and John stood face to face! "John, listen fast, you never saw me at all." I could go on and on about the show. I'm trying to remember all the details. Jennifer Paz held onto the 317 paper throughout the song and threw it on the ground at the very end. We applauded for the orchestra during the entr'acte. :) I loved being in an appreciative audience. We clapped a lot, even after the Fall of Saigon flashback. I liked that the Wedding Ceremony took place in Dreamland. They decorated the bar area in red. The tiger and dragon fight during "The Morning of the Dragon" is a really good addition to the show. Hope Jennifer Paz will be in the show next May. Her voice is sweet yet powerful.
On Friday, we tried Carls Jr. hamburgers. They're pretty good. That makes three hamburgers in one week. Yikes!
So now I'm home again. Am trying to clean my room but it's just too tempting to go online or watch DVDs.
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