Profile for Amalia Balash

I saw yesterday's matinee. Went in not knowing much beyond it was Idina in a show about alternate lives done by the creators of Next to Normal. I enjoyed it a lot and would love to see it again when it's on Broadway. The main cue for me on which life I was seeing was whether the character was called Liz or Beth -- any lighting differences didn't make an impression on me. For the most part I could keep the storylines separate, though the timelines in the second act didn't seem quite as synchro...

Legally Blonde and Spamalot. I wish I could have seen The Pirate Queen and hope Rebecca makes it to Broadway.

A friend who was in the ensemble of Wicked for several years described it as "golden handcuffs." Well-paying steady work in a show with no signs of ending had a lot going for it, but he felt if he didn't leave when he did, he never would and maybe never could get considered for other parts. He's worked in several shows since then, but the paycheck's been a lot more uncertain. Sometimes great, sometimes not. He felt he made the right decision, but those golden handcuffs were very tempting.

For the fifth anniversary, they put on The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, with alternate versions of and discarded songs from the first act of the show. Various Glindas and Elphabas came back for the occasion. I enjoyed that a lot. I'd love it if they'd do the same thing with songs from the second act for the tenth anniversary.

I like matinees. In my experience, the performers and the audience both seem more relaxed. That may just be good acting on the performers' parts, but I know it's true for me as an audience member.

Is there a type of music you enjoy and know a lot about? You might find some Broadway musicals that have tried to incorporate that style of music and discuss how well it worked or didn't and why.

I'd love to attend a Bombshell concert! I wouldn't even mind if McPhee sang some songs because my big problem with her was her non-acting, not her voice.

I'd definitely go with the flying circle. They'll see all of the spectacle and that's the best part of the show. When I saw the show from a flying circle seat, the kids in front of me seemed to really enjoy it.

I saw both the 1987 Lincoln Center revival and the most recent revival (with Stephanie J. Block). I enjoyed them both, but the 1987 show was one of my favorite evenings of theater ever. Loved the energy, the voices, the songs, and the dancing. It all came together wonderfully.

I second the recommendation for Shuffle. I have a smart playlist set up in iTunes for Musicals, Broadway, Showtunes, Soundtracks, and any other tag iTunes has assigned to Broadway musicals over the years. Click on Shuffle and I'm constantly surprised. If something grabs my ear, I switch to listening to the whole OBCR.

I'd buy that comic!

I thought she was perfectly transparent in The Glass Closet Menagerie.

When Smash began I hadn't seen Katherine McPhee or Megan Hilty in anything, but I was generally aware of them both. I really liked Let Me Be Your Star and interested in the potential rivalry of Karen and Ivy. But Smash lost me as a viewer by the third show of the season by constantly telling me that Karen was wonderful and Ivy was a wannabe but showing me the reverse. I liked the original numbers and ended up watching bits and pieces of the second season until Karen left Bombshell for Hit Lis...

Marc Shaiman posted a fascinating take on Smash's songs -- with links to audio and video. http://clients.terraceproductions.com/goodbye_norma_jean/ I'm fascinated by what happened with Smash from the various perspectives of those involved. Maybe a faceless NBC executive will share his perspective or maybe someday Spielberg will explain exactly what he saw in McPhee and didn't see in Hilty.

Thanks for the spoilers. My guess is we get a mix of awards split between Bombshell and Hit List, with Bombshell taking Best Musical for two reasons. One, once upon a time the show was about Bombshell's journey and a Tony would be a nice ending to that arc. Second, Eileen's producing Bombshell and Jerry's producing Hit List and having Eileen win would fit her arc. On the other hand, Hit List is the creation of this year's showrunner and that can't be discounted. If Ivy's indeed nominated in t...

Get well soon so we can do the Time Warp again!

SO much respect for Judith Light as both an actress and a person.

I'd have more respect for Thibodeaux if he'd contacted law enforcement if he suspected fraud, had used his own name to do it, and had quit when he suspected fraud. He didn't do any of those things. I get why he was concerned, but his actions and rationale don't quite add up.

Sounds like it. I'm actually looking forward to it to see the cut original numbers. Hope all of them make it in. Interesting interview. I feel bad for Safran because it sounds like he did care about the show. I wish he could have made it into a show that had a chance of lasting. But the ratings were never there. The idea of All That Jazz as an influence and Ivy as Gwen Verdon, Derek as Bob Fosse, and Karen as Ann Reinking was interesting, but I sure never got that from watching the show.

Every week I think it's not possible for me to like Karen less. And every week she lowers the bar, right on cue. I want Ivy to get whatever will make her happy -- her mother's love and support, two nice shiny Tonys, Derek giving up his slutty ways to be the bestest baby daddy ever. I expect she'll get the first, a chance to say "it's just an honor being nominated" and a shocked look from Derek before he runs for the West End. The episode felt like the writers had just gotten the word that the...