All We Need is a Caterpillar and a Hookah

I think this has to qualify as possibly the most boring blog entry in the entire James & Tim Blog (and believe me, there's quite a big pool of boring ones to choose from). But after debating it, I decided what the heck, why not write about the largest mushroom to have ever grown on our front lawn?


This giant mushroom magically appeared on our lawn. (11/25/2007)

This baby was discovered not by us, but by the plumber who had to come and clear the tree roots out of our main line (long story). He said we had a gigantic mushroom growing on our front lawn. And sure enough, we did.


Measures almost five inches in diameter. (11/25/2007)

We get mushrooms on the lawn every once in a while, but this is the biggest one I've seen. Yep, exciting lives we have here.

Mexican Breakfast of Champions

On our last morning in the Bay Area, we met my cousin Michele, her partner Lisa, and their daughter Liele for breakfast. Our dining destination was La Perla, home of what is arguably the best Mexican breakfast in the Bay Area.


Michele, Liele & Lisa. (11/24/2007)

I'm not kidding, it's that good. In particular, their hand-made corn tortillas are the best I've ever had. Normally I'm a flour tortilla guy, but the corn tortillas at La Perla are the one exception.


La Perla in South San Francisco. (11/24/2007)

It was nice seeing them, especially Liele, since we hadn't seen them in several months. I also got to see my cousin Ralphie, Michele's brother, for a bit (although he was unable to join us for breakfast).


The menu for the best Mexican breakfast in town. (11/24/2007)

The only disappointment was that when we got there, the pozole wasn't yet ready (only available on weekends by the way). For those not in the know, pozole is a soup often eaten at breakfast made with corn hominy, pork, cabbage and oregano, and it's soooooooo good. But my second choice, the machaca (beef cooked with eggs, onions and chili peppers), wasn't bad either.


Liele gives Uncle Tim a belated birthday present. (11/24/2007)

Meanwhile Tim enjoyed his chilaquiles con huevos revueltos, which is a dish made from tortilla chips simmered in sauce with cheese and a side of scrambled eggs. Although unlike the last time we went there, Tim asked them to make it a little less spicy than usual, which allowed him to enjoy it more this time.

James & Tim Get Published on Wikipedia

If our buddy Tom can boast about having his photo being published on Schmap, then I suppose it opens the doors for us to brag about how one of our photos was chosen to be published on Wikipedia. For the handful of people who don't know what Wikipedia is, it's a free online encyclopedia and also the largest general reference work currently available on the Internet.


Our photo is the #2 position on The Hat's Wikipedia entry.

The published photo is of a neon sign in front of The Hat, a southern California fast-food restaurant specializing in pastrami sandwiches. The photo, which I snapped at the Lake Forest location, can be currently seen in the #2 position of The Hat's Wikipedia article.

This all started when we were contacted by a fella named Bruce, who had seen the pic on our Flickr Page. He asked if we would like to donate the photo to the Wikipedia article. Why not, we thought. So we did.


Here's the photo that got published. (12/2006)

It's not the first time one of our photos had a claim to fame. Click here to read about the time one of our photos were reproduced on publicly-displayed artwork at Disney's California Adventure theme park, or the time, or click here to read about when several of our photos were reproduced for public artwork at Disneyland itself. Yet despite those earlier instances, this is still fun!

One last thing: If you were wondering why I even took the photo, it was for our blog entry about my first time eating at The Hat. click here to read the original post.

So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour 2007

There are practically no reality shows that I watch with absolute glee anymore. Survivor got tired five seasons ago. American Idol? The thrill is gone, baby. Even the crown jewel of reality TV, The Amazing Race, isn't as exciting to me as it once was. But there is one reality show that still makes me wag my tail like an overly-eager young puppy. It's So You Think You Can Dance.


We caught the live show at Oakland's Oracle Arena. (11/23/2007)

I don't know what it is about that show. Everytime it comes on, I turn into an 11-year-old girl, gushing with over-the-top enthusiasm when I see my favorite dancers. Of course I still love the show despite the fact that I can't stand Cat Deeley, the toothy teabag that hosts. Naturally, the day tickets for the 2007 live tour went on sale, I bought two tickets for the Oakland performance when I knew we'd be in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving.

The show was at the Oracle Arena, formerly known as Oakland Arena (same place I saw The Cure in 1987 and a Virginia Slims Tennis Tournament in 1991 with Tom and Doris). I was glad to be back for the So You Think You Can Dance live tour, which, like the TV show, was off the hook! Seriously! I enjoyed it even more than last year's tour. Mos def!


We had 8th row seats! (11/23/2007)

The cast re-performed all the most memorable duos from this season, beginning with Neil and b-girl Sara's electrifying disco routine set to "Knock on Wood." This was the dance that won Neil praise for that high backflip in which he spread his legs mid-air. And sure enough the audience went crazy when he did it during the live show.

They did quite a few Mia Michaels routines, like the amazing number she choreographed for Lacey & Kameron to "Dancing" by Elisa, a favorite from early in the season. Or the Sabra & Dominic performance to the Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You." (Yes, the barefoot routine for which Dominic shaved his toes). Just the song alone gets me teary. Add the amazing choreography and pass me the Kleenex!


Lacey & Neil's contemporary routine in Manchester. Photo by Toastiness. (10/04/2007)

Of course the Mia Michaels routines would not be complete without the inspiring piece that she choreographed for Lacey and Neil in tribute to Mia's late father. The one with the flowers and white clothes, set to Billy Porter's "Time." They also included the Two Princes number that Mia Michaels choreographed for Danny and Neil. My favorite Mia Michaels routine, however, was the was the haunting black-mask group number to Imogean Heap's "The Moment I Said It," which really showcases the incredible Danny at his best.

The Broadway-stylings of Tyce Diorio were also represented. His numbers included my not-so-favorite number by Shauna and Kameron to "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz (originally performed on the show by Shauna and early cast-off Jimmy). But they did make up for it by including two of Tyce Diorio's better numbers: "The Lioness Hunt" from The Lion King and the Top 4 dance to Liza Minnelli's "Mein Herr" from the film Cabaret. (For some reason Lauren substituted for Lacey on this one, surprisingly since Lacey was there).


The Tyce Diorio-choreographed 'Cabaret' number from Hartford. Photo by Toastiness. (09/23/2007)

Naturally, the show also featured numbers from Wade Robson, who is always the most innovative choreographer (Charitably, I'm choosing to forget that craptastic little foxes number he choreographed for Lacey and Sabra in the final show). Robson's numbers included that fun pop jazz routine featuring Jesus and Sara, set to "Cabaret Hoover" from the Triplets of Belleville. Another favorite was the hummingbird/flower jazz number he choreographed for Hok and Jamie set to "Chariman's Dance" from the film Memoirs of a Geisha.

My favorite Wade Robson routine was the jazz number that Neil & Lauren did with the good vs. evil storyline, where Neil played the devil. Set to Roisin Murphy's "Night of the Dancing Flame," this number had me on the edge of my seat. I also loved the swamp-like group dance Robson choreographed to Tom Waits.


Wade Robson's swamp routine in Bridgeport. Photo by Toastiness. (10/02/2007)

My favorite dances are the ones choreographed by hip-hop legend Shane Sparks. His numbers included the Matrix-themed routine set to Ciara's "Get Up" from the Step Up soundtrack. I have to admit I was a little disappointed to see that Lauren was replaced by Sara. That is until I saw that Lauren and Pasha came out immediately after to do the Shane Sparks-created transformers routine to Pitbull's "Fuego," which was some mad crunk.

Another Shane Sparks highlight: The Dominic & Sabra number set to Ne-Yo's "Make it Work," which rocks my world every time I see it. It was the one for which contemporary dancer (and Season 3 winner) learned some break moves. I get chills every time I see Dominic lift Sabra during that long embrace.


Dominic & Sabra's 'Make it Work' in Boston. Photo by Toastiness. (09/22/2007)

Lest I forget, they did several great ballroom numbers too, like the Danny & Jamie jive to Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend," or the Danny & Anya foxtrot set to Brian Evans' "It Had to Be You." Neil and Sabra re-created their Paso Doble, complete with that last move where Neil lifts Sabra above his head, and then she slides down his entire body while holding her pose. Amazing.

In one of my favorite moments from the audition stage of the show, Pasha and Anya re-performed their hot, hot, hot samba audition set to "Magic Carpet Ride" by Mighty Dub Katz. Talk about having two tickets on the Hot Tamale Train! (you have to have watched the show to get that reference).


Sabra & Pasha's quickstep at the Portland show. Photo by Toastiness. (10/03/2007).

In addition, Pasha & Sabra did the quickstep routine to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's "Mr. Pinstripe Suit." In a side note, Pasha actually wore a pinstripe suit that highlighted his perfectly round ass (not that we didn't notice it in every other costume Pasha wore). :)

I was thrilled to see them cover two out of three of my all-time-favorite ballroom numbers: 1) Pasha & Sara's west coast swing to Fat Boy Slim's "The Rockafeller Skank" (choreographed by the Season 2 winner Benji Schwimmer), and, 2) Danny & Lacey's samba to Club des Belugas' "Hip Hip Chin Chin" that was choreographed by Season 2 Russian hottie Dmitry Chaplin.


Performing 'You Can't Stop the Beat' from Hairspray. (11/23/2007)

The only ballroom number that they didn't perform that I wanted them to was Danny and Sara's amazing tango set to Gotan Project's remix of Sarah Vaughan's "Whatever Lola Wants." It was the dance where Sara did that incredible pretzel like-move through Danny's arms.

Other memorable moments included the Mandy Moore-choregraphed business lunch jazz dance to Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" — the one with the table and Neil's famous gymnastic plange that makes the girls scream (and me, for that matter). Another highlight: an awesome break-dance smackdown featuring all three breakers, Dominic, Hok and Sara.


The full ensemble at curtain call. (11/23/2007)

Scattered in between the couple dances and group numbers, all the Top 10 dancers performed a solo (except for Lacey for some reason). The entire group re-convened at the end to perform "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray, which was a fitting closer to an amazing night.

Happy Thanksgiving 2007

I don't know how your Thanksgiving started. But ours started at 3:00 a.m. when our alarm went off. The reason we got up at that ungodly hour was to avoid what would surely have been bumper-to-bumper traffic on Wednesday night.


Thanksgiving courtesy of Whole Foods Market. (11/22/07)

Tim took the first driving shift, while I slept. Then after refueling somewhere near Mendota, I took the wheel while Tim slept.


Miguel Angel celebrated his first Thanksgiving. (11/22/07)

We got to San Ramon around 8:30 a.m. We had some breakfast (our family doesn't have Thanksgiving dinner until it's actually dinner time, around 6:00 pm) and then spent the rest of the day hanging out with the kids, watching Ratatouille, etc. We also managed to sneak in a quick nap.


Ruben carves the turkey. (11/22/07)

Since we didn't feel like spending half the day cooking, we opted to order our Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods Market. It was a little pricey, but well worth it when you consider that my stepmom has a three-year-old and a five-month-old to take care of. (The eight-year-old, the thirty-eight-year-old and the forty-six-year old — aka Anna, James and Robert — were capable of entertaining themselves, as were Tim and my Dad).


Anna and John Paul. (11/22/07)

As everyone else probably does, we ate too much. We were hardly hungry for the pumpkin pie. But I'm sure we'll get around to it tomorrow.

Kelly Clarkson at Universal

Kelly Clarkson once again made another Southern California concert appearance. And once again, Tim and I were there. This time the locale was the Gibson Amphitheatre located within Universal Studios Hollywood. And as always, Kelly delivered a great performance.


We enjoyed the Kelly Clarkson show at Universal's Gibson Amphitheatre. (11/18/2007)

This was Kelly's re-scheduled Southern California appearance. Initially she was supposed to appear at the 18,000-seat Honda Center back in July, when she attempted a nationwide arena tour. But as I wrote last June, that tour was abruptly canceled.

So Kelly, after five months and a new management team (led by the husband of Reba McEntire), is now back on tour. This time, however, she's playing smaller venues, like the 6,000-seat Gibson Amphitheatre, which until recently was more commonly known as the Universal Amphitheatre.


Kelly Clarkson during the acoustic set of her show. (11/18/2007)

Although not nearly as close to our house as Honda Center is, Gibson Amphitheatre is a great venue for concerts (I've seen such acts there as Indigo Girls, Donna Summer, Ana Gabriel, Shirley Bassey, Lyle Lovett, and last-year's So You Think You Can Dance tour). There really isn't a bad seat in the place, and the acoustics are great.

Kelly performed all her hits, as well as several songs from her newest album, My December. For that reason, I don't know that it was my favorite Kelly concert, since I'm not as familiar with the new album as the others, but it was still great. The only song we thought was a little half-assed was Miss Independent. Apart from that, however, she committed to her songs.

There have been Kelly concerts that I enjoyed more, like the 2005 show at Bren Events Center, or the show I saw during the 2006 Addicted tour. But really any show with Kelly Clarkson is well worth the price of admission.


Kelly's opening act was John McLaughlin. (11/18/2007)

Oh, I almost forgot. I gotta give a shout-out to John McLaughlin, the opening act whom we enjoyed very much. It's not too often you see a singer/songwriter at a keyboard. His music was awesome. Reminded me a little of Ben Folds. I hadn't heard of him before, but I'm probably going to check iTunes for some of his stuff.

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo

In keeping with tradition, Tim and I went to see the latest Cirque du Soleil production to come to town, Corteo. Running through December 23 at the Orange County Fairgrounds, Corteo is actually set around a funeral, but in a carnival atmosphere.


Corteo was the 9th Cirque du Soleil production we've seen. (11/09/2007)

It had all the typical Cirque du Soleil type of events — acrobats swinging from giant chandeliers, bouncing beds, cyr wheels, an amazing tightrope walker, teeter borads, aerial stunts, etc. But the most amazing part for us was the Helium Dance, in which a dwarf named Valentyna was tethered to six enormous helium baloons and floated into the audience, bouncing off the hands of the spectators below her.


Watching Valentyna float was a true highlight.

Being suspended by helium baloons looked like so much fun — although there isn't enough helium on this planet to lift our big asses in the air! Although it wasn't the best Circue du Soleil production we've ever seen, it was definitely worthwhile. Even if only to watch Valentyna's flight.

Early Thanksgiving in the Desert

We went out to the desert to visit Tim's family again — our first time out there together since April. Although it was an enjoyable weekend, it wasn't exactly newsworthy. The biggest news was the new IHOP that opened up in town.


We went to the new IHOP in town. (11/03/07)

This was exciting news for pancake connoisseur Tim, who convinced his family to go there for breakfast (not always an easy prospect since Tim's family usually only eats out on special occasions). As always, Tim was an excellent syrup sommelier, expertly pairing each variety of pancake with a corresponding syrup varietal.

Later that afternoon we had a mini Thanksgiving, since we'll be with my family during the actual Thanksgiving. (Conversely, Tim's family gets us for Christmas — can you think of two better Christmas presents than us?!) :)

Instead of turkey, we had rotisserie chicken, since it was only four of us. But everything else was 100% pure Thanksgiving, from the mashed potatoes and gravy, to Tim's mom's amazing stuffing, which I enjoyed immensely. We'll be back for more at Christmas!

Día de los Muertos 2007

Let me start by saying that for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead in English), which is celebrated each year on November 1-2, I had all sorts of grandiose plans. My intention was to go to the Mexican market, pick up an armload of fresh groceries, and then make the best dang Mexican dinner I could (kind of like we did for Day of the Dead last year).


Our Día de los Muertos offering table. (11/01/07)

But things didn't exactly go to plan. As it turned out, when I left the office, I found that my car wouldn't start. I had a Day of the Dead Battery it seems. Long story short, it wasn't something a simple jump start would solve, so we ended up calling AAA who towed it to the dealership. By the time Tim picked me up and we got back home, it was almost 9:00 p.m. — way too late to start cooking.

So I did the next best thing. I dug through the pantry, found a box of cake mix and some unopened frosting from when Tim made cookies last year (it still hadn't expired, if you can believe it). So I made Día de los Muertos skull cupcakes!

It wasn't as elaborate as the full Day of the Dead meal that Tom and Christine cooked. But as I like to imagine it, the spirits went to their house for dinner, and then came to our house for dessert.


Our last-minute Day of the Dead cupcakes. (11/01/07)

Sorry Farmer's Daughter Bean (aka Christine). I didn't make the cupcakes from scratch like you do. And they weren't nearly as good as yours. But given the circumstances, they weren't half bad. Besides, it's not like any of our departed loved ones were the Rockefellers or anything. Not a single one of them would have balked at eating cupcakes made from mix.

We also put together a little shrine to honor some of the departed loved ones who continue to live on in our hearts. They included my Mom, Tim's best friend Judi, my Grandma, my aunt Eva, my uncle Raul, and our most recent and still painfull loss, our beloved Simon. We lit some candles and then enjoyed a cupcake while reminiscing about the impact each of them made on our lives. It was a befitting tribute.

Happy Halloween '07

Halloween 2007 started like any other day. I woke up, jumped in the shower, got dressed, put on a fake beard, grabbed my cigar, etc. You know typical stuff! :)


Feliz Halloween! (10/31/07)

As you can see by the pics, I went to work as Fidel Castro that day. I wasn't the only one in costume, of course. About a dozen others wore costumes too.

Interestingly enough, last year I was only one of two men at the office who wore a costume (most of the costume wearers were women). So this year, I worked very hard to lobby all the guys to dress up. And guess what happened! We actually ended up with more men in costume than women!


Fidel among the other co-workers who dressed up. (10/31/07)

We also had a fantastic pot luck lunch at the office. Everything was really good, including the meat lasagna I brought. My co-worker Cynthia, who made that spider cake last year, outdid herself this year with the graveyard cake. (Incidentally, she's also the one who I hired to make the cake for Tim's 40th birthday party).


Cynthia's graveyard cake. (10/31/07)

In the evening we were invited to another party, but by the time we got home, we were so exhausted that we ended up staying home and handing out candy to the kids. This year we gave away sour lollipops with skeleton limb handles that we found at Costco. We intentionally picked a candy we didn't like, since, unlike chocolate candy bars, Tim or I couldn't remember the last time were were Jonesing for a sour lollipop!


James and his buddy Walter, who was an old-time cop. (10/31/07)

This year had a lower turnout than the 64 kids that came last year, or the approximately 50 that came the year before that. I'd say we had 40, maybe 45 kids max (our record was 80+ a few years ago). I don't know why it was so low. Maybe it was those dumb skeleton lollipops.

Muckenthaler Moonlight Masquerade

Tonight we kicked off our first Halloween party of the season. We were invited by our friends Dana and Eric to the Muckenthaler Moonlight Masquerade, which was a really fun Halloween-themed party and fundraiser held at Fullerton's historic Muckenthaler Cultural Center.


Fidel and Coffee Matey at the Muckenthaler Moonlight Masquerade. (10/28/07)

Normally, this event costs $60 a person. Because Dana's company was a sponsor, however, she had an entire table to fill. Since Dana was the only one from work going, she decided to fill the table with people that she likes. And inexplicably, we somehow made the cut! :)


Some of our table mates and their friends. (10/28/07)

And far be it for us to turn down a party invitation. Especially when it's held at a historic place, like the Muckenthaler Mansion, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places.


Party guests inspired by Blades of Glory. (10/28/07)

The 18-room mansion was built by Walter and Adella Muckenthaler in 1924 for the then-outrageous sum of $35,000. Designed by architect Frank Benchley, the Italian Renaissance-style structure is reminiscent of buildings constructed for San Diego’s 1915 Exposition in Balboa Park.


Dana the sexy nurse with Coffee Matey. (10/28/07)

Unfortunately, the party was mostly held outside, and since it was at night, we didn't get to see as much of the mansion as I would have liked. Oh well, it gives us an excuse to go back sometime in the daylight when they offer art classes and the like.


"Oscar de la Hoya" was at the party too. (10/28/07)

The party was so much fun. We dined on an array of fall-themed appetizers, and enjoyed some of the wine selections. They also had a no-host Martini bar, a local DJ, a tarot card reader, a palm reader and a fortune teller (although we didn't get the chance to visit any of them). Plus, as you would expect with any fundraiser, there was a live auctions, as well as a silent auction.


Even without a costume, Debbie and Todd looked great. (10/28/07)

For our costumes, I went as Fidel Castro. Why, you ask? I actually wanted to dress as him for years, but now, due to his failing health, this may be the last time I can do it while he's still around. Tim resurrected his Coffee Matey costume from his 2006 birthday party. He spent so much cheddar on it then that we needed to amortize the cost of it by wearing it for another year! :)


Two iconic heads of state. (10/28/07)

We even entered the costume competition. (I knew I didn't have a chance, but I thought Tim did). In retrospect, we realize the contest was rigged. Although the first place winner, Queen Elizabeth I, was certainly deserving, the second and third place winners were totally cheesy. Must have been big donors.

Despite the loss, we had a great time, as we always do with Dana and Eric. Thanks for inviting us guys!

Susan Egan: The Belle of Broadway

As many of you know, two of the things I love the most are musical theatre and anything Disney. And no one person embodies those two distinct worlds better than Susan Egan, a Broadway actress whom I had the plasure of seeing in concert at Long Beach's Carpenter Performing Arts Center at the California State University of Long Beach.


Susan Egan and James. (10/25/07)

In 1994 Susan Egan originated the stage role of Belle when Disney transformed its animated film classic, Beauty and the Beast, into a full-scale Broadway musical. She further cemented her role in Disney history by lending her voice to such Disney animated films as Hercules (as the female lead character Megara) and Lady and the Tramp II (as the singing voice of Angel).


A recent publicity photo of Susan Egan.
Photo: Robert Milazzo

Although Susan Egan isn't the only one who successfully crossed musical theatre with Disney, she is certainly my favorite. I really like Jodi Benson (Ariel from The Little Mermaid), Judy Kuhn (singing voice of Pocahontas), Lea Salonga (singing voice of Jasmine from Aladdin and the title role in Mulan) and Paige O'Hara (Belle in the animated film Beauty and the Beast). But there's something about Susan Egan that just makes her stand above the rest.


As Belle in Beauty and the Beast. (c.1994)
Photo: Joan Marcus

Furthermore, as a Southern California native, Susan Egan is also much more accessible than some of these these other stars. I saw and met Jodi Benson at the Hollywood Bowl in 1996, but as far as I know, she hasn't been back. And I don't even know the last time Judy Kuhn, Lea Salonga or Paige O'Hara have performed in Southern California (and believe me, I'm on every event mailing list there is).


As Sally Bowles in Cabaret. (c.1999)
Photo: Joan Marcus

As if Susan Egan's Disney credentials aren't already enough to make me an obsessed fan, she has also dazzled Broadway audiences with her performance of Sally in Cabaret, which is one of my favorite musicals ever (she was the longest-running Sally Bowles on Broadway). Then in 2004, she took on the starring role in Broadway's Thoroughly Modern Millie, which is one of my favorite musicals of the last five or six years.


In Thoroughly Modern Millie. (2004)
Photo: Carol Rosegg

This wasn't my first time seeing Susan Egan. The last time was in my pre-blog days of 2004, when she had a CD-release concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's intimate Founder's Hall. She sang a lot of stuff from her CD Coffee House, which I enjoyed very much, although personally it was her musical theater songs that really struck a chord with me.

For tonight's show, I was even more excited than last time, since her show was called Susan Egan: The Belle of Broadway. You can't get more Broadway than that. And she did not disappoint.


My autographed CD. (10/2007)

Her set list included such musical theatre classics as "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy, "How Lovely to Be a Woman" from Bye Bye Birdie, "My Funny Valentine" from Babes in Arms, the title song from Cabaret, "Heaven Help My Heart" from Chess, "Gimme Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie, a Rogers & Hammerstein medley, a Disney Heroine Medley, a Beauty and the Beast Medley, and a score of lesser-known musical theater songs from newer songwriters.


James with up-and-comer Jamie Hartmann. (10/25/07)

One interesting part came when she brought her neice, Jamie Hartmann, on stage to perform the duet "In His Eyes" from Jekyll and Hyde. It was, in a word, fantastic. At only 19 years old, Jamie Hartmann has a fantastic voice and definitely has a bright future ahead of her. FYI, you can see them performing that duet in this YouTube clip.


Susan Egan also signed this photo for me. (10/2007)

Altogether it was a fabulous show. Susan Egan is just one of those rare people who seamlessly blends a bubbly personality, funny-as-heck storytelling and a delightful musical theatre voice. Making the night even better was the fact that she stuck around afterward to sign CDs and take photos. Meeting her in person was an absolute pleasure. Thanks for an awesome night Susan! :)

Click here to read my concert review of another Broadway/Disney star, Lea Salonga.