Evita

So, as a challenge I decided to prepare and sing "Don't Cry for me, Argentina" from the musical Evita (Andrew Lloyd Weber). Well, if there is something I have is (voice) power so, innocent of me, I believed it wouldn't be difficult to male a fair version of that song. I had only heard the movie's version so, yeah, compared to that, of course I could make it. But then I saw a video of Patti Lupone, the first Evita Perón on stage. Why did I? Now I think I won't ever be able to sing that song! (of course, I don't mean that, i'll make it, it's a hard but wonderful chanllenge!). She doesn't only have a beautiful voice, she also has power, but, REAL power (I realized I just scream). When you listen to her, your whole body experiences all kind of emotions, you are completely paralyzed except for goose pimples going all over your body: from your arms to your face and then to your chest and your breasts and your legs... That's real talent and probably hard work too. 

This makes me think about something, when you get into something, in my case, cinema, musicals, theater...  in the end you don't only watch, you study everything and judge. The first time I did that I felt guilty. I went to see a play and  I almost hated it! All my friends loved it and I realized that if I had gone some time before I would have loved it too. And as my best friend Luíño said, I won't ever enjoy theater or movies like I did before. Anyways, it happened the same with Evita. I always thought Madonna was really nice singing "Don't cry for me, Argentina" but then I heard Lupone. I don't mean that Madonna wasn't good at all in that movie, it's just Patti Lupone's Evita is, objectively, superior. Anyway, I'll just put here both versions and you judge! (Patti Lupone's version starts at minute 2). Of course, this is my opinion, everyone is free to prefer whatever version! 

By the way, what a huge role to play, Eva Perón. And very difficult too: they sing every single word in this musical. It takes a lot of training and dedication, but wow, I'm sure playing her is the dream of any actress. Ah! In Patti Lupone's version, if you listen to the first 2 minutes you'l hear one of the best actors and singers of our time: Mandy Patinkin.

Have I said too much, there's nothing more I can think to say to you...

Love and plays

Don't think this is going to be sappy. Or that I'm sappy which I actually am (although I don't want to admit it). But I'm sappy thanks to all those Disney and romantic films. I don't believe in marriage and (for sure!!) I don't think there is such a thing as a soul-mate. But I do have expectations and I'd like to find someone to love for a long long long time... maybe forever? Nothing lasts forever. Nothing. Nothing.

So I think instead of watching all those sappy movies, I should have read and watched some theater plays or other type of movies. Like Tennessee Williams', for example. I haven't read so many (4 maybe) but man! so realistic it hurts! Horrible marriages, husbands who don't love their wives, wives who don't love their husbands, all finally getting drunk all the time... it seems too exaggerated but in the end he was depicting the society he grew up with (and if you take a look at his biography, you'll see his life was pretty much that way). And even that though, some Tennessee Williams' characters want to get married. Why do people long for things that last forever like marriage?

And he's not the only one. Some time ago I watched a wonderful musical of Stephen Sondheim: The Company.  I highly recommend it. I enjoyed it a lot! Sondheim is just so talented, he is amazing! For those who don't know, this musical is about Bobby, who thinks needs a change and wants to get married. It's his "Birthday" and he sees all his friends who a marriages. Pretty unhappy all of them. By the way, my favorite character is Joanne, she is cynical, she observes and criticizes everybody as if she had a perfect life and in the end she's the saddest (she is hilarious, though) (she's the one of the video). But, anyways, once again, after you watch it, you start thinking: "Why do we ever want to be with anyone? Sooner or later you end up hating each other, or cheating or being cheated, or unhappy... is that how we want to end up?". 

So: if we believe in love and give ourselves up to someone, we get hurt in the end (plus, when do we know the other feels the same way?); and if we don't believe in love, do we always become cynical and unhappy? Maybe those sappy films taught us that we need someone when we actually don't. I do need people, a lot (yeah, I've watched a lot of Disney movies many times) and maybe I should just learn how to be alone without feeling lonely.

I hate you Disney! I hate you romantic films!

La Bella Otero

I don't lie when I say I'm going through the best moment of my life. I'm one of the few people who are so lucky as to be living where they want to live when they actually want to live there; and as to be doing what they want to do when they actually want to do it. Together with being so lucky as to have met some of the most wonderful people in the world, I think having found my real dream, my true vocation is what is making my life so wonderful. And it's the reason for me to make this blog. I want to use it as a tool for improving, for learning, for thinking... and why not, sharing (though I don't think I have much to share!).

Let's get to the point. La Bella Otero was a woman who left her home town because (for many reasons) she wasn't happy there, she followed her path by just doing what she wanted to do, which was dancing, acting... she was beautiful, she was talented, and most of all she would do whatever it took to live the way she wanted (some people would probably judge whether her actions were ethic or not,  but who's an "angel" anyways?). I'm sure many people told her many times that her dreams were not real, that she was worth nothing or that she should just find a real job. In the end she became one of the most important actresses and dancers of her period all around the world (1868-1965). She was even the first Spanish woman staring in an American movie! Or even better! She hasn't been forgotten!

I decided to start this blog with La Bella Otero because she is an example for me. Also, I kind of feel identified with her (as many other people probably do too). Because as I said, she left... no, she didn't leave, she run away from where she was born. And some people would say: "She was such a coward she run away!" well, I think: "She was  so smart she run away!". My best friend, Luís, always tells me that life is too short to stay in a place where you don't fit, where you're not understood, where you're not happy... I couldn't agree more with him. Let's take it differently: What would have happened if she hadn't run away in the first place? There probably wouldn't be La Bella Otero. And that makes me wonder how many people are there in the world who are too afraid to run away? (They all should be afraid of being unhappy!). 

Wouldn't it be a dream to star as her in a musical?