Now that my final is over and the semester has ended, I can finally feel like I’m starting to get into the holiday spirit. I watched my first Christmas movie over the weekend (I guess, technically, it was my second – I couldn’t resist checking out Christmas Switch on Netflix).
One of my favorite things to do is going to concerts/live shows, so I figured – what better way to get into the spirit than to go to holiday concerts?! So this past week, I went to not one, but two, holiday shows – Ingrid Michaelson and the Broadway Princess Holiday Party.
Ingrid’s show was at the Carnegie Library of Homestead Music Hall. I’d actually never been here before – it’s an old library, but it doesn’t look like anything you’d expect when you hear the word “library.” It’s beautiful and grand, and looks like it could’ve been a wealthy family’s private theater in their mansion. The accessible seating was a little bit tight, but the location was close to the front, which was really nice.
The show was great – a perfect mix of holiday songs and her classics. I love concerts that aren’t too “rehearsed,” and this one definitely fit the bill… at one point, Ingrid saw a tiny baby and her mom going back to their seat, and stopped the show to say hi to the baby and hold her on stage! That’s my favorite part about live shows – experiences like that, that you don’t see on TV or a concert DVD. And, of course – Ingrid has an amazing voice and the songs definitely put me in the holiday spirit.
And then I finished off the week with the Broadway Princess Holiday Party! I was SO excited for this show, and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve watched YouTube videos of the show when they perform at 54 Below in New York, and I couldn’t believe I’d get to see it live. It was at the Improv, which is another place I hadn’t been before. The event description invited attendees to wear their best princess gown, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to wear this dress again!
The show is called a “Princess Party” because the performers are Disney and Broadway royalty. They’re the original Broadway Cinderella, Jasmine, and Belle (who is also the voice of Meg in the movie Hercules, who sings one of my all-time favorite Disney love songs). And because this was a Holiday version of the typical party, they sang a mix of Disney classics and holiday songs. It was incredible! I went with a group of friends who are all Disney and Broadway fans, and after every song we kept looking at each other and making faces that said “OMG they’re singing this song too!?!”
Laura Osnes (Cinderella) sang a song from Thumbelina, which is definitely a lesser-known movie, but one that I used to watch all the time with my friend and my sister. Courtney Reed (Jasmine) sang a version of “All I Want for Christmas is You” that definitely rivals the Mariah version! And hearing Susan Egan (Belle/Meg) sing “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” live was just so amazing. And I have to also mention Benjamin Rauhala, the Fairy Godfairy/Music Director who did such an incredible job arranging the songs into beautiful three-part harmonies.
Both concerts were so much fun, and really helped to me to start feeling like “it’s beginning to look (sound?) a lot like Christmas!”
