Liza or Judy?
* I pick Liza, hands down. Judy was a better singer, but I feel that Liza was a far better well-rounded performer. I have seen very few people who can top her ability to interpret a song. I love me some Liza with a Z.
Ernest Hemingway or William Faulkner?
Faulkner. I've always been extremely annoyed by Hemingway's writing style. There's just something about paragraph long sentences that really bother me. Plus I HATED The Old Man and the Sea.
Webber or Sondheim?
* Sondheim, no contest. Each of his musicals are works of art, while Webber tends to populist junk. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it seems to me that the only reason I've ever liked a Webber show is because of the cast (Evita with Mandy and Patti). Sondheim's material is strong enough to handle multiple actors and multiple interpretations (OBC Sweeney vs. Revival Sweeney).
Dostoevsky or Tolstoy?
* Both are on my to read list.
Billy Joel or Elton John?
* A toughie, but I ultimately must choose Elton John. I feel that he is a stronger piano player and I love the fact that he is constantly creating new music. Until recently, Billy Joel hadn't written a new pop song in at least a decade.
Simon or Garfunkel?
* Impossible to choose, but Simon has probably had the best solo career of the two.
Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams or Edward Albee?
* Another toughie, but I choose Albee. His plays have touched and challenged me more than almost any other modern playwrite; Virginia Woolf in particular is a masterpiece. I just feel like he captured the ugliness in American homes to more of a degree than the others.
Music or Lyrics?
* Music. For some reason, if the music is good enough I am willing to overlook trite and meaningless lyrics. Probably how I'm able to listen to Miss Britney Jean Spears.
Tony or Emmy or Grammy?
* Tony, because I prefer theatre to television or popular music. However, I do feel that the Grammys probably have more artistic integrity. The Emmys are HOPELESSLY out of touch, nominating the same actors/shows over and over while leaving new (and usually superior) material out to dry. Similarly, the Best Musical race at the Tonys has turned into nothing more than a matter of what can sustain the longest run and create the most revenue.
Five-time nominee or one-time winner?
* Five-time nominee. It proves that you continue to do work of high quality, even if you aren't ever the *best*. I'd rather have a career long enough to sustain five nominations than win on my first time out and fade into obscurity.
New York or California?
* New York. It is a magical place that I would feel priviledged to live in some time. While I do love California, I feel that New York is more *real.*
MLK or Gandhi?
* Gandhi, because even Martin Luther King, Jr. admitted the giant debt that he owed to Gandhi's life and philosophies. We're studying him right now in my Literature of India class and I feel that my eyes are being truly opened.
Elizabeth Taylor or Richard Burton?
* Both are great, but my Mom and I both have serious crushes on Richard Burton. He was absolutely teriffic.
Time or Newsweek?
* Newsweek was always around the house when I was growing up, so I find myself continuing to prefer it.
Thursday or Saturday?
* Saturday, even though Thursday is the best night of television. It's nice to not have to wake up early.
Chocolate or Vanilla?
* Chocolate--it releases endorphins!
Meyrl Streep or Katherine Hepburn (or Bette Davis)?
* I call it a draw as I feel I couldn't possibly choose.
Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson?
* I don't care for either, but probably Mel Gibson. What is Mel's best movie? Braveheart. Tom's? Jerry Maguire. There's really no comparison.
"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy
"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.
Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"
