Musical hits and misses

Mira and I decided to watch American Idol tonight to see what the competition will be like this season. So far, 42 men and women have made it from Washington DC. They'll be in St. Louis tomorrow night, then in five (or so) other places later. We're mainly watching the preliminaries. All the fun is gone after the initial tryouts are over and the wheat has been separated from the chaff.

I almost cried when one guy sang "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, not because he did it better, but because he kept forgetting the words and didn't pull it off. I don't really blame him for forgetting the words, since he was so nervous. That poor guy. The singers that went through to the next round pretty much deserved it, same as the folks that didn't make it. And this girl so far has been the William Hung of 2005. I could hardly understand a thing she sang and she seemed kinda... how should I put this... psycho? They definitely saved the worst for last. One girl, bless her heart, sold her wedding ring to get the money to stay and audition. And she was wonderful! Her husband and daughter were invited in and were so happy for her to get this far. Hopefully she gets farther and farther.

Carrying this vein of music, I'm excited for this Friday. Mom, Lar, and I are finally going to go see Phantom of the Opera as a gal's night out. Then in February, we're off to see Les Miserables in concert. I saw it once before my senior year of high school, and am thrilled to be able to see it again. Happiness and musicalness!