Stuff for the Teen Age

The Triumph of the Gleek!

Gleeks Rejoice!

The start of the new batch of episodes of "Glee" starts on April 13th. This is a moment 4 months in the making or 16 weeks or …oh, who am I kidding, I’m a theater geek not a math major and I just know that it has been a very long time since my favorite show was on.

Like me, have you been desperate to fill the "Glee" void? Have you been religiously watching the first half of the season on dvd? Is your ipod filled with the songs from the first album? Or the second? All are worthy acts of theater geeks needing a fix of a favorite show that showcases: wit, whimsy, kick-ass musical numbers, the birth of a star in Lea Michele, and the evilest cheerleading coach ever (even though I secretly worship her).

I also spent my time finding materials in the library’s collections to help you get over the next "Glee" hump:

 

How Does the Show Go On? An Introduction to the Theater by Thomas Schumacher

Schumacher, a Broadway producer for Disney theater productions, gives us a behind the scenes glimpse at what it takes to put a show together. It is full of full color photographs and interactive lay-outs.

 

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner

A battle of the sexes set at a Yale University summer arts program, Olivia and Max are paired together to write a musical based on Olivia’s disdain of the male gender and her fascination with castration and, of course, romantic hilarity ensues. Most of the laughs come from Max writing songs (often with graphic lyrics) with his buddies, “I Saw My Parents Having Sex”, “Horny” etc. It is completely out of the box and fun.
 

My Life, The Musical by Maryrose Wood

Emily and Phillip, best friends from Long Island, are obsessed with the Broadway show "Aurora" and spend every weekend travelling into the city to see it. When they hear rumors that the show might close they begin grappling with questions: Who is the mysterious writer of the show? What will they do when the show closes? And why doesn’t Phillip ask Emily out? Funny and touching it is about the lengths we will go to for our friends and our passions.

Without You: A Memoir of Life, Love and the Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp

Anthony Rapp was in the original cast of "Rent" back when it was still in workshop in the East Village and then moved with the show to Broadway. His brutally honest tell all traces his path to the theater stage, the success of "Rent" and his emergence as an out-of-the-closet gay man and actor.


 

Across the Universe

Directed by Broadway veteran Julie Taymor, this is a Beatles musical done "Glee" style and it totally works. It traces the story of working class British boy Jude as he comes to America in search of his father circa 1965. Instead of connecting with his father he finds friendship and love in bohemian New York City. Full of the Beatles’s greatest hits, it is exuberant and meaningful.

 

Spring Awakening: A New Musical

Actress Lea Michele triumphs in this 2006 Tony award winning rock musical about teenage sex and rebellion in turn of the century Germany. It also stars actor Jonathon Groff, who is about to back his "Glee" debut!