Milkshake, Boys,Yard Friday Links

We have officially entered crunch time for NYC trip/Nicholas & Alexandra reading extravaganza. I don't have much else to say besides that. This time next week, I'll be in NYC. In between now and then, I have to show a reel, finish editing a pilot, figure out my place, where I'm staying in NYC, hang with Scottish pals in LA, pass off my car, rewrite a song, go to therapy (bless) get a wedding gift, and come to terms with that fact that (other than that one time where I drove Kiki Vandeweghe's Mercedes SUV without a license) I'll be driving in Manhattan for the first time ever. 

Also, I have placed the milkshake in the yard. So far, no boys. 
Your links:

- Brides Throwing Cats. You're welcome. 
- Pretty cool NY story about a theatre & the rent controlled apts that go with it
- Alice Munro, ol' girl! Way to win that Nobel!
- Old movies more creative than new ones. No shit?
- Walter White's getting a real funeral
- Everything my Franzy currently hates
- I can't wait to read Michael Hastings' novel!
- I finished Dave Eggers' The Circle in less that 48 hours. 
- I love this Guardian review of it. 

Keep.Com Friday Links

This was a week of rebalancing for me, and it felt good. I normalized some routines, switched some up, made chili and baked an almond apple whisky crumble for friends and neighbors that was delicious, got locked out of my apartment and hung out with my neighbor Camellia who turned me on to some new music, decided to seriously shake up my bedroom (turns out it's gonna be like zero work,) deleted my okcupid profile (again) and started to allow myself to get excited about the workshop of Nicholas & Alexandra later this month. Huzzah!

Each changing of the seasons is a dual re-set, renew. Both normalizing and radicalizing, if necessary. Duality is good. 

Here are your links.

- The Painted Ladies of LA
- Even more reasons to love it here: Taco Day!
- I'm a fan of almost all of these 20' slang terms. "Bank's Closed, Guys!"
- This chair.
- Bullfighting in France
- Did I already post this? It's the scariest thing I've ever read about being a mother in the US
- Scottish children portraits! (I'm kind of tempted to buy these??)
- Writers on failure.
- Subscribe to this amazing Vimeo channel
- This is amazing. How Rhett Butler was the original Silver Lake Hipster.

- This has been making the rounds. And I super agree. Hocus Pocus is the best! And I'm not just saying that because I'm going to Vinessa's house later. Hey, girl!

- Keep.com. I love it! It's like pinterest, but with a built in purchasing mechanism like luvocracy. My bank account might not love it as much as my brain does. 

Nils Frahm: Live in concert from Louisiana Channel on Vimeo.

Mari Vanna - West Hollywood & My Russia Problem

Russia, Russia, Russia. You're killing me, Russia. But what to do when I've already got so much invested in you? Six years of my life writing a musical, learning everything I can about the culture, the politics, language and food... You're making it very difficult for Steven and I to take our trip there. Basically, you're an embarrassment. 

In some ways, what's going on over there with the INSANE LGBT laws-- which apply to VISITORS even, and not just gay visitors, but visitors they SUSPECT of being GAY SYMPATHIZERS!!-- is part of the strange cultural conflict and karma that interests me about Russia in the first place.

But let's table my desire to boycott all things Russia for the moment and celebrate Brie's birthday, which happened to be at new West Hollywood hot-spot (oh, the irony!) Mari Vanna. Named for a supposedly real Russian woman with a flair for cooking that turned her home into an un-intended scene, the ambience reflects a Russian cottage complete with knick knacks, garden boxes, and fluffy blankets to snuggle up in in case you get cold. 

The vodka was truly amazing-- the perfect buzz, no hangover. And while I didn't love the chicken and onion jello that is a Russian staple (Sorry!) their beef stroganoff was about the best I've ever had. 

Brie looked crazy beautiful and glamorous, as per usual. And Mari Vanna is one of those key-ed places where you have to have one in order to get into special VIP nights. I'm not normally into exclusive key type stuff, but I got one. And it comes on an adorable blonde matryoshka doll key chain. 

Okay, but seriously, I think boycotting Russian food and vodka isn't the way to go. I generally try not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But I do think we should be pressuring events like the Olympics to relocate and sponsors to pull out of places with inhumane laws. Here's how you can get involved with that: 

Petition Coca-Cola, VISA, Procter&Gamble, Samsung, and Panasonic to stand for Human Rights and pull sponsorship from the 2014 Winter Olympics.

https://www.change.org/petitions/coca-cola-visa-procter-gamble-sams...


Petition Team USA/United States Olympic Committee to boycott the Winter 2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia
http://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-olympic-committee-boy...

Petition the UK to boycott the Russian Winter Olympics 
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52656

 Petition to Boycott Winter Olympics 2014:https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/calling-us-boycott-2014-w...


Petition Winter Olympics 2014 Sponsors to condemn anti-gay laws
https://www.change.org/petitions/stand-against-russia-s-brutal-crac...

Petition the IOC to relocate the 2014 Winter Games to Vancouver

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/international-olympic-committ...

And listen, who knows how long this kind of disgusting lawmaking will last in Russia, or how long Americans with short attention spans will decide to boycott. But just, in the long run, can I say, whatever you do, please don't boycott any musicals about massacred Russian royalty. Okay? Thanks. 

Music Monday - Nicholas & Alexandra

Did you notice we had a new logo? It's pretty, right? Thanks much to Heather Weiss for being amazing. Also amazing, recently, I found these two recordings of "Love Will Stay" posted on youtube. 

One, we knew about the performance-- by our fabulous friend Stephanie Gibson last summer. But I didn't know anyone had filmed it!

And the other wins the award for youngest person to sing this 11 o'clock number. Adorable Olivia singing a super vulnerable rendition at her school singing competition. Full-on broken heart people! 

Enjoy! Dena and I are off to check out some real estate with Brie in Santa Monica and cruise Abbot Kinney before our dinner at THE BAZAAR TONIGHT!! AHHHHH!!

Modern Day Clothing For The Romanov Kids

First of all, I think it's obvious that Tigerlily needs pretty much all of this. But look at this amazing Latvian line of children's clothing, Aristocrat Kids. The product photos look like a little modern update of Olga, Tatiana, Maria & Anastasia. 

The website will greet you with the soothing sounds of birds chirping-- perhaps in the garden of the Winter Palace. 

I want to dress children in this. OMG, Baby Fever. I have to stop now. Have a lovely Wednesday! (Thursday? Oh, man. I don't even know.)

Haviland Sings "Release Me" From Nicholas & Alexandra

So... I'm not quite sure I realized how personal these lyrics were when I wrote them. Sure, I don't have a sick child-- I don't know what that's like. But at its core, this is a song about anxiety. The way life feels under the oppression of it; the threat of it... as compared to how it feels to be free of it; not afraid of it. 

Haviland is one of my friends who is most privy to my struggles with anxiety and so in addition to being a beautiful singer of this tune, she has a super insight into whatever deep well I pulled these lyrics from. I remember when I finally emailed these off to Steven, he wrote back soon after, "Where the hell did that come from!?"

I wasn't conscious of it then, but I am now. 

Not only did Haviland lay the smack down on this song, she put that concert on lock down. One of her best vocal performances I've ever heard. More of night like those please, Miss Stillwell, thankyouverymuch. 

And even though this is Alix's song in Nic & Alix, I sure wouldn't mind seeing Hav as Tatiana... a regal and enchanting Grand Duchess she shares a striking resemblance to. Not to mention, I can hear her all over Livadia. Until the next step... 

Stillwell At Rockwell - TONIGHT

An exciting night awaits me -- and all who care to join me!-- at Rockwell TONIGHT for the latest concert from the lush and luxurious Haviland Stillwell. All of Haviland's concerts are a treat as far as I'm concerned, but tonight will be extra special since Haviland is singing one of our new songs from Nicholas & Alexandra, "Release Me." (AKA my anxiety anthem. For a preview, here's the first time it was ever sung in public. Did I mention that was at Lincoln Center? I blush.) 

You can also rock out to Haviland's new singles. Both songs are written by Haviland Stillwell and produced by Mike Schlosser, with cover design by Heather J. Weiss and photos by Sabrina Bringuier. Buy them on iTunes ("MKE"; "Infinity") or stream them on Spotify ("MKE"; "Infinity") and pump yourself up pre-show. I know I will be!

Get your tickets now if you don't already have them and hope to see you tonight! McC and I will be clapping loudly and gettin' rowdy in the front. Shoes will be thrown. 

Haviland Stillwell & Amir Levi perform live at Rockwell: Table & Stage, 1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, April 23 at 8pm (Amir Levi) and 9pm (Haviland Stillwell). Haviland and Amir will be performing with Anthony Starble (piano), Alex Vega (drums), Kristy Hanson (guitars and vocals), Ed Goodman (guitar), Julia Davis (vocals) and Lauren Lograsso (vocals). Tickets are $12 and can be purchased on Rockwell's ticketing site.This is the Facebook invitation.

And here's a little ditty we wrote just for her awhile back. With my signature lyric!

What is going on? Friday Links

What is going on out there, you guys? I'm having a lot of feelings. Personally, so much is going right for me... it makes me feel a tad guilty to feel it all. I get sucked back into the feeling I've had so often for the past few years that things were so bad out there, it became a conflict to feel personally happy. 

I know that's not advisable, or even possible, but it's a very heavy pull to resist. I'm not sure anyone realizes how much time I spend thinking about safety, danger, and terrorism. Both personally and professionally. In addition to my own traumas, I've literally spent years living in the emotional world of my characters where Russian terrorism is the heart of their identity. And so much information. It feels like that has seeped into reality and the present day. It's not the truth, it's just how it feels. 

I feel a lot more about these brothers in Boston, but here is not the place for them. Instead, perhaps, it's best to remember how much is going on in the world on all ends of the spectrum. So here are you links:

- I spend a lot of time on this blog.
- Always enjoy a good Elizabeth Warren bank smack down.
- UGH.
- Sylvia Plath's New York. 
- Let's move back to St. Andrews and live here!
- Um... the tunnel people of my hometown? Vegas, who ARE you?
- My fabulous fellow Rice '04 classmate, Caroline Shaw, just won the Pultizer in music!
- A map of NYC's inequality based on subway stop.
- You guys. The English language is rich and diverse. Try harder. Instead of Awesome.

Legacy - Some Thoughts on Boston

It was strange and poignant to be in our reading yesterday when we all received the news about the Boston marathon bombings. I had just been saying to Steven the day before that even though Nicholas & Alexandra is a period piece about historical figures, I think its issues are contemporary to today. Most of Nicholas & Alexandra's actions were rooted in a deep sense of fear that they had felt since childhood-- the fear of living under constant threat of physical violence. 

One of the saddest things about terrorist activities-- and why violent methods are used to make a point-- is the cloud of fear they attempt to create in large groups of people. But no one makes their best decisions out of fear. It's encouraging to hear so much light-based rhetoric after yesterday. The messages going viral are largely about looking for the helpers in terrible situations, and how as many people who try to do harm in the world, there are more of us who want to do healing, creating, and loving. So look for those people. And decide that it's those people, that idea, those messages that will remain when we're gone and serve as our legacy. 

The Day of the Show - Singing & Dying with Nicholas & Alexandra

What an exciting day! Later this afternoon, we'll be premiering Nicholas & Alexandra for the first time ever in its entirety in a private reading in NYC. The people in this cast make me kind of giddy and there's years-long connections galore in that room. After meeting our Nicholas & Alexei yesterday, I started to even out my nerves. 

I've spent years trying and failing and grieving with the Romanovs. It's just been me, Steven, and their story for a long time. (Well, and Autumn!) It feels really good to flesh out the rest of Autumn's family. To give them shape and channel their empathy along with ours into this story. To have the support of so many people behind how we've chosen to tell this story. I have a feeling I'm probably going to cry at least once today.

Since we can't have all of you, we're making some of the tracks from our concept album available to listen to for one day only. 

See Our Nic & Alix Sing & Die...in a comedy

Just one more day until our Nicholas & Alexandra reading! I can't wait to see everyone and get crackin. But our Nic and Alix have worked together before so I thought you all might enjoy watching that first (and also musical) encounter between Autumn Hurlbert and Matt Lutz. Singing and dying... these guys are pros at it. 

I'm off to rehearse with him now! Hope  you're having a lovely Sunday!

Birthday Part 2 - NYC - Friday Links

Greetings from gross and rainy NYC! When I was here this exact time last year-- much like this year, to celebrate my birthday as well as a career milestone-- it was GORGEOUS. It made me wonder why I had ever left NYC in the first place while back in London it was raining for months and months. 

Now, I'm quite thankful I reside in Los Angeles. Spring time forever! 

I am quite excited to celebrate another year with my core NYC people, however. New Yorkers! Head on down to Lillie's Union Square tonight for some libations with me. 

Also to premiere Nicholas & Alexandra to an extremely select group of folks on Monday. Yep, that's right. FINALLY. More on that to come. Off to finish up the details of the reading. Here are your links. 

- This rad hotel in Mexico
- VERY happy for the good Matilda reviews. LOVE. THIS. SHOW.
- What to do when someone you love likes music you hate.
- New music from Boy, "Little Numbers."
- Cute new home goods line.
- On the recommendation of Claire Vaye Watkins: post-feminist life in arts & letters
- I want to EAT THIS!
- Drop Dead Gorgeous + Disney Princesses, woot. 

It's My Birthday! Friday Links

Hey, guess what... it's my birthday! I'm feeling pretty good about it this year. The past few days have really instilled a nice hopeful feeling about the next at least six months or so and that's a feeling I haven't had in a while. 

Tonight, I'll be celebrating with friends and later this weekend, I'll be partaking of the lovely gift from my guardian angel, Dena, and hitting up Burke Williams Spa with McC. We'll be sure to document our luxuriating in review form of the famous Burke Williams. 

Then, next week it's off to NYC for round two of celebrating, and more specifically, for the first ever reading of Nicholas & Alexandra. I'm so happy. Spring in New York and a brand new musical. That, my friends, is living. 

- What it's like to be a real life mermaid? I always wanted to be one of those...
- Birth of the NHS
- The dark side of ex-pat life
- Most beautiful abandoned places
- TONX ethical coffee
- Duane Allman's daughter gives us a low down
- This is probably the best article about Rosie I've ever read.
- I laughed. Those annoying poor people.
- This book.
- Lindy West. Killing it as always.
- How to fail for a decade and be okay.
- Terra Incognita is SO beautiful!

I Burned Through All of House of Cards Last Week, So Now What Do I Do With My Life? Friday Links

How can I be this busy without having a proper job? Or perhaps a better question is, how was I getting all this done when I had one? Never mind, it's all fifth gear over here in Melrose Hill, home of the revamped, suped-up littlewowproductions. We were in the studio most of the week with Nicholas & Alexandra and we've got some tracks we're so excited and nearly ready to show you. After this week though, I'm taking it easy over the next few days and logging some hours in my PJs. 

Next week, I will reluctantly bring you my third annual crush week. Though pretty much the only thing I have a crush on is House of Cards on Netflix and my Magic Bullet Smoothie Maker. 

- Intriguing passports of famous artists and writers. 
- Eight days alone in London.
- I won't hire people who use poor grammar. WORD. 
- The comedy of cruelty.
- Reeeeally interesting article about ADHD treatment and our love of prescriptions. 
- Money and Depression: Telling Your Boss or Not
- I'm still loving the crap out of Pedestrian Verse. Now I want the vinyl. 

Finally, more Roald Dahl turned into musicals! Hooray! Brits! Shaiman & Wittman (again.) Candy!

Please Don't Ruin Anna Karenina, Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley, though only in her mid-twenties, has already gotten to play a substantial chunk of literatures greatest heroines: Lizzy Bennet, Lara from Dr. Zhivago, Ruth from Never Let Me Go (though she's more the villain of that story) and now Anna Karenina. Personally, I've never been a fan. I think she holds all her emotion in her nose. And I don't think anyone ever plays a Vivien Leigh role better than Vivien Leigh.  And I think she's too young to play Anna Karenina.

But I'm intrigued. For the texture of the time period (which I write about constantly in Nicholas & Alexandra) And largely by the drug that is ANY new adaptation of classic literature, Anna Karenina being a favorite. But also by the uber uber young Aaron Johnson (sorry I refuse to call him Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as Vronsky (he's 22! He was born in the 90's!), Matthew Macfadyn as Oblonsky (he is never ever not good) and Jude Law as Karenin. Jude Law has turned himself into a bit of joke in recent years, but I like to remember back to a time when he wasn't a leading man, but a magnificent character actor and villain. Or even more recently than that, when he was able to bring leading man focus and character actor complexity to Hamlet on Broadway and the West End. My gut says his performance as Karenin (where he lets his natural hair line free!) is the performance of this film. 

But of course, it won't be all art-- not all the time. There will have to be some Hollywood cross promotions like the Anna Karenina line at Banana Republic and whathaveyou. 

McC stagged us free advance screening tickets, and if my shit were here from London yet (sigh) I'd bust out my fake fur and rock it out down to the theatre. Opens everywhere November 16th.

I'm Not Asleep, I'm Just Resting My Eyes

Annnnnd that's exactly what I'm doing today. As you may know, I don't take vacations from this blog. Not when I'm on a plane. Or in the wilderness. Not when I'm moving. Even-- or perhaps especially-- when I'm, ya know, on vacation. 

I'm not on vacation here in New York. Actually, I am on a massive deadline for Nicholas & Alexandra. But unless all my belongings were stolen, say, in Lisbon, Portugal (or that one scary minute [four hours] this weekend, when I was locked out of Peter Sheik's house with no shoes on and no phone and no recourse for rescue. And perhaps my first fatalistic thought was... wow, what if I have to sit in this hallway for the next 36 hours until Peter and Sarah come home and let me back in? At least I have my Chinese takeout. And then my next traumatic thought was, Hey! This isn't what I ordered! Okay, okay, but you know what? One of my very very next initial traumatic thoughts was... EFF!  That's like two days with no blog! I digress.) 

My point is... I got so much done yesterday on the show without having to divide my loyalties (I preblogged. Actually, I'm preblogging now....) that I'm going to try to snowball  that momentum without spending quite as much time on the old blog today. It's not a vacation. I'm here. Talk to me. But let's whisper. I'm not asleep. We're just resting. It's okay for you to rest too. We're in a hammock. We have margaritas. Maybe hump day is a good time to catch up on posts you've missed. Now is as good a time as any, I suppose,  to quote one of my personal fictitious heroes, Ferris Bueller, when he said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it." So, even though I'm using this time to work more (typical NYC Ryann) let's just rest.

Glide into Tony Weekend Links

Once again, it's the time of year when I spend a whole weekend geeking out over Broadway's finest at the Tony Awards! I hate to miss all the excitement in Hell's Kitchen in June. But being separated from the Tony's by an Ocean has only increased my rapid love for them and this year is no exception because I have nominated friends!! 


It's been a musical-y kind of time lately, as Steven and I are working hard on our Nic & Alix album. More (slightly more fanfare-ish) info on that later. Let me just take this moment to remind you all and myself that there's a reason I love writing musicals more than any other of my humanly activities. That reason is located somewhere around the solid core center of an instrumental track slice o' bread with french horns, harps and cellos that I know is soon to buttered with vocals from my favorite performers in all the land. 


People always want to hate on musicals. I just think they aren't paying attention. Bring on the links.


- Book of Mormon is coming to London! Who wants to give me a job on this transfer??
- The virtues of daydreaming! Speak on, brother!
- Just in case you missed The Wire musical. (I love that it's at the Player's Theatre.)
- Super cool design your own shoes website, Shoes of Prey
- You're gross, Republicans. Sorry, but it's just irrefutably true. 
- Even MORE undermining of women in the workplace. Cool.
- More typographical art from Folksy. This time, GWTW.
- Changing thoughts on Klimt
- Las Vegas doesn't often make me proud, but it's hard not to be when I hear about $9.99 all you can eat tacos AND margaritas! (!!!)
- Finally, the wonderful people at Submissions Only have made this Tony Party How-To vid with the huggable, wonderful Brian D'Arcy James. We glide.

"Release Me" into wonderwild - New Nic & Alix

Of all the songs we had on deck (and of all the songs we PREMIERED!) at Lincoln Center, I was perhaps most excited to let this one out of the bag. I'm super proud out it. Perhaps because it did not come easy. I'm normally a fast writer. I edit for a long time, but the primary chunk, the main idea-- the heart and soul of what the song's lyrics are going to be-- pretty much all happen in about fifteen minutes. That sort of makes me feel like a brat just saying it, but it's mostly a "don't force it" kind of situation.


Anyhow. This was not one of those fifteen minutes get in/get out kind of things. We knew we wanted a song about a certain feeling of change that Alix feels when she's brought to the brink. Years of stress and hiding her son's illness and just in-your-bones fear that she'd lose the son and heir she waited ten years for. The political scene is precarious and relies heavily on her son being perceived as the future of Russia. 


Also, she's a bit of a religious zealot. Highly interested in mystics, etc, but I mean, cut her some slack. I'd probably be pretty desperate to put my faith in anything I thought would work if I had a sick kid too. 


When the song begins, she's been told it's basically the end for Alexei and only a matter of time before he's gone. She's essentially begging for grace. And then, mid way through the song, she receives a telegram from a mystic who would change the course of her family's lives. The telegram was simple: just to leave the boy alone; to not fuss over him too much. And sure enough, his health improved and from that moment on, Grigori Rasputin was adopted into the Romanov family with catastrophic results. 


We wanted to simulate the feeling of a telegraph and morse code signals, so listen for that. And Steven and I kept circling around what the central 'idea' of the song should be. I kept saying, nope, nope, not quite right; a little too general. And finally, I had it and went away to birth this one. A difficult labor. But happy with the results. I felt a bit like the emotions expressed in the lyrics themselves by the time I was done. 


I wish I'd filmed the sound check which was pretty much flawless. This is marathon, labor of love five minute anthem to sing. And we're still streamlining scansion and tempos. Also, it's a good lesson to not have favorites in your own lyrics. Lyrics will always be flubbed for the rest of time and eternity. And chances are, if you have favorites, it'll be those. "So many prayers unanswered, bargains made and nights unslept, your words fold the space between promises broken and kept" will turn into a repeat of the last line. And no one will know but you. 


The best thing about Autumn is that I cease to care about what I wrote and only feel the emotion of her performance. Which is... the point, actually. Which she has always, always been a master of. Every time. I look forward to much much more of this song and Autumn. And this show and Autumn. Just...one of the most beautiful people all around, of all time. 


Like Nic & Alix on facebook here. Photos by Daniel Robinson

Love Will Stay at Lincoln Center

All my life, I've been someone almost pathologically interested in holding on to everything. I attached everything to myself; every one. Even if they left. Even if they were never really there. And I took everything with me, no matter where I went. 


As I've gotten older, I've retrained myself to be less attached, less obsessed with forever and with keeping things. Luckily, I still get to excise my feelings about that early desire to make everything last forever by writing songs. 


This song was a gift in that way. I'm not sure I would have ever let myself write a song where the central idea was as basic as "Love Will Stay." I would have tried to say it some more clever way. Something newer. And that would have been a mistake. But instead, I inherited the really solid bones of one of the most beautiful songs I'd ever heard. I remember re-working this song like a puzzle on bus, coasting through up state New York. 


I wasn't about to die, like Alix knows she is, but I knew how she felt. And in the end, the song also got to ask the central questions that Nicholas & Alexandra asks as a whole: what lives on after something dies? What remains after we are gone? What stays? Your work? What if it was your work that got you into trouble in the first place? So then it's love, right? It was for Alix. I hope it will be for me too. 


Here's Janet Dacal, singing a military-march/pop mix of the song we're still selling loads of sheet music for (thanks, guys) from the Lincoln Center concert, one week ago. 

Photo by Pete Roessler

Concert Sneak Peak - Kyle Dean Massey- Holy Man

While we await the official videos from Monday night, here's a little sneak peak courtesy of a little bootlegging. Kyle Dean Massey gave pretty much a flawless performance of one of my favorite songs from Nicholas & Alexandra-- and one of my favorite performances of the evening. Crazy too that even though we wrote this song two years ago, I'd never actually heard anyone sing "Holy Man."


More on the concert to come-- once I've regained my mental faculties back from jet lag. In the mean time, enjoy Kyle as the debauched, crazy-like-a-fox Rasputin!


Photo by Daniel Robinson