A Sea of Ink

The Greatest Showman was entertaining, but an excess of characters and events cost the film almost all depth in plot and characterization. Although the first few songs hinted at promise, most of the soundtrack (barring standouts “A Million Dreams” and “Never Enough”) is generally unimpressive and commonplace. Both the choreography (the highlight of the movie being the “A Million Dream” dance number between Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams) and the visual design are worthy of high praise, but the lackluster army of characters and lack of clarity in the passage of time turned what might have been a cinematic masterpiece into an unrealistic and often confusing storm of scenes. The writers would have been better served by isolating a smaller slice of Barnum’s history for recreation and making allowance for greater care and detail. The movie was dazzling but hollow, without real insight into the history it portrayed.

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role, has been around for more than a decade; however, the movie hit Netflix only recently.  This film received mixed reviews due to the unconventional way in which it told the French queen's history. As Dunst said, "It's kind of like a history of feelings, rather than a history of facts." Though the American faux-French accents are admittedly cringe-y at times (that of Rose Byrne, as the Duchesse de Polignac, especially), all cons are outweighed. Sacrificing historically accurate language and music, Coppola focused instead on the essence of who Marie Antoinette really was-- a teenager. The rock soundtrack, featuring tunes such as a remixed version of "I Want Candy," contributes to this point of view and gives the movie a youthful tone relatable to the teenaged target audience. A scene set at a masquerade ball includes the blasting electric guitar and drums of "Hong Kong G...

Happy World Ballet Day! For those of you unfamiliar with the annual event, World Ballet Day is a holiday which celebrates the love and sharing of dance with an all-day livestream including classes, rehearsals, and interviews from the world's top ballet companies-- the Bolshoi Ballet, the Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, and other, smaller companies like Ballet West! The dance community worldwide is unified in one joyous celebration, beyond all boundaries of language and country. Ballet is one thing that brings me great joy--dancing it, watching it, creating it...ballet is a key part of my personal culture. Had the stars not misaligned against me, I'd be enrolled in classes now. Unfortunately, I suppose I must have a different purpose in life--but that will not keep me from enjoying the art. In honor of this occasion, I'd like to share my favorite ballet class warmup trends, all of which I have seen worn by dancers...

I am a huge musical theatre lover, and I have quite a few favorite stage musicals. Les Miserables, which I saw at the Queen's Theatre in London...in the second row! Notable numbers: ALL OF THEM. Hamilton. I memorized the OBCR (original Broadway cast recording) last summer and I super-duper wish Lin-Manuel Miranda was my best friend. Notable numbers: It's Quiet Uptown, Burn, Satisfied, The Schuyler Sisters, You'll Be Back, Non-Stop, The Room Where It Happens... Newsies, and not just because Christian Bale played Jack Kelly in the original Disney movie. I mean, how often does a musical feature a female Nellie Bly-inspired journalist character?! Notable numbers: King of New York, Once and For All, Seize the Day. Anastasia: A New Broadway Musical. My childhood was built on the movie and I love how the story has grown up alongside me. Notable numbers: In My Dreams, Crossing a Bridge, In A Crowd of Thousands, Journey to the Past. Dear Evan Hansen. Amazing music, amazing...

It's National Book Lovers Day!!! and y'all know that I'm one of them. What better way to celebrate than by sharing a couple of titles from my [very long] list of favorite books with all of you?! (Ordered alphabetically by author's last name.) As you can see, I tend to enjoy historical and fantasy. Enjoy! The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Entwined by Heather Dixon Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Scarlet series by A. C. Gaughen The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy  by Jessica Day George Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier Cotillion by Georgette Heyer Les Misérables by Victor Hugo The Agency series by Y. S. Lee Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer The Nigh...

5 stars. Yet... I am currently in the process of re-reading, and the same thing is bothering me as was the first time. I love everything about the book--it feels like it was literally written for me--but there is one thing I can't get past: I have trouble believing that Jo can actually be that naive. She is an unusually worldly girl for her time; the author stresses how extraordinarily un-ignorant, how aware, she is. She keeps muckraker journalists' books under her bed, sneaks out of school to interview mill workers, but still has no idea about the gritty parts of her city (even though her far more proper friends know everything about it), and she is so quick to trust. I don't understand how fanciful, imaginative Jo can be so unknowing, especially about the journalistic process. She's obviously done deep research. However, I forgive it. Still 5 stars, although Jo's dubious naivety is the only thing holding this novel back from being completely believable, mel...

First of all: you just should. Don't even think twice about it. Just start reading. The Night Circus is basically my favorite contemporary novel of all time. Which is saying a lot, considering my favorite book list is 72 items long.  Reasons why you should pick it up: It is a standalone, no series commitment required. It's got magic. It's got both a boy main character and a girl main character, and they share the limelight pretty equally. The prose is, like, F. Scott Fitzgerald-level gorgeous. My writing style is the descriptive kind, and so is Erin Morgenstern's. It's about the circus of your wildest dreams. It is a fantastic, beautiful, provocative circus. Literally the circus of dreams. Nothing is explained in simple terms. There is a level of analysis required if you want to understand how the pieces of the story fit. Every time I read it, I realize something new. It is profound. There are moments of witty banter, moments of tragedy, and moments of...