Join us for a rousing celebration of the life and work of one of Broadway’s greatest legends – the one and only Stephen Sondheim.

For the master composer and lyricist’s 80th birthday, many of musical theater’s brightest stars gathered in March of 2010 to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from Sondheim’s illustrious career, and several of these enduring songs are performed by the original Broadway cast members. David Hyde Pierce hosts this magical event with Stephen Sondheim’s longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic.

I’m not sure how many of you know this, but I was a theater major/music minor in college. I love all kinds of theater – as long as its good – but musical theater is my first love. I grew up watching the old musicals with Gene Kelley, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire. To this day, I can still recite entire portions of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers by heart. (And I still think Benjamin was the cutest brother, even though he couldn’t dance a step.)

For this musical theater lover, Sondheim! The Birthday Concert was a perfect way to spend an evening. Terrific music sung by Broadway’s brightest: Joanna Gleason, Nathan Gunn, Patti Lupone, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch, and man, many more.

Sondheim is one of the most versatile of musical theater composers – his songs cover an entire range of styles and emotions. The concert features music from West Side Story, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Company, and more. If you have a musical theater-lover on your Christmas list, you can stop looking – this is the perfect gift.
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert is available now on DVD.

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: broadway, music, musicals

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Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ Perfect Reader by Maggie Pouncey, reviewed by Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books.

~ Glimmerglass by Jenna Black, reviewed by The Story Siren.

~ Queen of Secrets by Jenny Meyerhoff, reviewed by Amy at My Friend Amy.

~ The Maytrees by Annie Dillard, reviewed by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

Book to TV news:

~ The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A.J. Jacobs has been optioned to be turned into a TV series.

Other bookish links:

~ Amy from My Friend Amy was interviewed by Mike Duran about the INSPY Awards. Remember, we are still looking for judges and we need nominations! Nominations are open for books from any publisher – not just Christian publishing houses – as long as the book deals with issues of the Christian faith. Click over to the INSPY blog for details.

~ For all of you Jamie and Claire fans out there, a CD is being released called Outlander: The Song Cycle, that tells the Outlander story in song.

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: a.j. jacobs, diana gabaldon, inspy awards, outlander, TBR list, television

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Experience the ultimate music sensation with the StarStruck: Extended Edition – featuring an exclusive “Got To Believe” extended music scene, plus a Rock-Along bonus feature and three full-length music videos – available only on Disney DVD!

Get StarStruck with hunky young pop star Christopher Wick (Sterling Knight), as he gets tangled up through a chance meeting with small-town girl Jessica Olson (Danielle Campbell), and experience their hilarious adventures set against the backdrop of Hollywood. Your whole family will love this music-filled Disney Original Movie, complete with music videos and never-before-seen footage. You’ve “Got To Believe” in StarStruck!

I enlisted my 13-year-old daughter Natalie to write the review for StarStruck, since she belongs to the intended audience. Here’s what she had to say:

I really liked this movie and the acting was good. But I think this movie would have been a lot better, if they had made it more realistic. In once scene, Jessica, the main girl, and Christopher sink Jessica’s grandmother’s car, but she doesn’t get in trouble for it. I wish they would have showed a scene were she told her parents and grandmother that she sunk the car in quick sand.

Other then all of this, the acting was great and so was the singing. Sterling Knight, who plays Christopher Wilde, has a great voice in my opinion.

Disclosure: StarStruck: Got to Believe Extended Edition DVD/CD was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review. Many of the links on my site are Amazon affiliate links. If you click on any of these links and subsequently purchase anything, I will receive a small percentage in commission.)

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: movies

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I really intended to have my links post up yesterday, but it’s been a crazy week. Thursday night, I sang at a community memorial service. Friday night, we had a houseful of boys sleeping over to celebrate Josiah’s 8th birthday. My youngest is now 8! Hard to believe. Anyway, it was a crazy night and then I was fried all day Saturday and didn’t feel like doing much of anything, including blogging. And in the midst of this, I’m supposed to be writing for NaNoWriMo, but I haven’t been and now I’m behind. Hoping to catch up in the next few days, but we’ll see.

Author links:

~ Kathy at Bermudaonion has an interview with Bruce Foster, the paper engineer who made Chuck Fischer’s book Angels pop-up. There’s also a chance to win the book!

Discussion starters:

~ Debbie asks for your thoughts on book giveaways.

~ Michelle at GalleySmith asks: YA Literature: Fluff or Not?

~ Jackie at Farm Lane Books asks: What Persuades You to Buy a Book?

~ Tasha’s a bit ticked off about a documentary that labeled Jane Austen as a masculine writer. Seems some people need to make Jane seem less feminine in order for her to be taken seriously. I had the same reaction as Tasha.

Reviews that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, reviewed by Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books.

~ Liar by Justine Larbalestier, reviewed by Heather at Book Addiction and Jen at Devourer of Books.

~ The Finest Type of English Womanhood by Rachel Heath, reviewed by FleurFisher.

~ The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, reviewed by Amy at My Friend Amy.

~ Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell, reviewed by Jenny Loves to Read.

~ How to Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson, reviewed by Lenore at Presenting Lenore.

Reading challenges:

~ Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea is hosting the 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project.

~ Laura at Laura’s Reviews is hosting the All About the Brontes Challenge 2010.

Giveaways:

~ Win Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton at Mis(h)takes, Jo-Jo Loves to Read, and At Home With Books.

~ Marg at Reading Adventures is having a giveaway in honor of her 4th Blogiversary!

~ In honor of reaching 1,000 followers, Kristi at The Story Siren is giving away $40 to spend on books at either The Book Depository or your indie bookseller of choice.

~ Win After You by Julie Buxbaum at Peeking Between the Pages.

~ There’s still time to enter to win The Purloined Boy by Mortimus Clay.

Other bookish links:

~ The top 20 most annoying book reviewer cliches and how to use them all in one meaningless review. I’m sure I’ve used every single one of these at one time or another.

~ 100 Awesome Open Courses for Bibliophiles.

Other non-bookish, but still fun, links:

~ Taylor Swift hosted SNL and starred in “Firelight,” a funny Twilight spoof.

~ An Dochas: Rise is the CD my husband got me for my birthday. If you like Celtic and/or World Music, click on the link to listen to the samples – they’re brilliant.

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: jane austen, music, reading challenges, sunday salon, TBR list

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