Hi everyone!
First things first:
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Fantastic vibes to Ben, his brother, and all of the family![/move]Next:
I enjoyed the article about Mary, merry, and marry. I pronounce them all differently, as does my mom, and we live in VA. I asked my friend to pronounce the words as I spelled them to her when we were on the phone, and they all sounded the same. Ah well, I guess my mom and I are considered weird by most Virginians.

I remember when I was in eighth grade, this guy used to tease me and call me Ahn because I apparently pronounced my middle name (Ann) like that. Ah well. My mom's family is from Philly, and I have a slight accent, especially after I get home from a visit with them. I suppose that could affect the Mary/merry/marry stuff, too.
Finally, I saw Bounce last night. It was my friend Mike's first show ever, and he enjoyed it a lot. The only problem he had was that during intermission, he heard quite a few people, one woman in particular, criticizing the show, and he wondered why people couldn't just enjoy the performers and their talents. In a way, I agree. Anyway, I thought the show was pretty good. I'm not too familiar with Sondheim (basically all I know is Into the Woods, along with Gypsy and WSS), so I can't exactly say if the songs sound recycled or not. I did hear snippets of ITW, though.
While the show was entertaining, it does need work. First of all, I think the relationship between the brothers and their mother needs to be fleshed out. It brought visions of Gypsy, but I wanted to understand the reason why it was like that. Basically, I think a better backstory would be nice. Then, Act I felt rushed in some areas as the audience was transported throughout the world. Some of Act I just needs to be rewritten. Certain jokes were overused, which was a bit frustrating. Also, Wilson's character needs work. I didn't sympathize with him at all, and I therefore didn't care what happened to him.
Personally, I really enjoyed Richard Kind, Gavin Creel, Michelle Pawk, and Jane Powell, although she doesn't get to do too much. I saw Howard McGillin's understudy. He has a nice voice, although he needs to project. Overall, it was a pleasant night, and I left humming "You" and "The Best Thing that Ever Happened." I also got to talk to Gavin, which was probably the best moment of the evening.
