Idle (Idol) Frustrations

Every Tuesday and Wednesday night I grab a bottle of water and take my seat for my “live” Idol concerts: row A seat 1. Like millions of other Americans, I have a front row seat every week as 12 (this year 13), 11, 10, 9 … hopefuls battle it out for the chance to win the title “American Idol.”

The price of admission: live songs from the Idols; performances from former Idols; current chart toppers; and people like Stevie Wonder and Randy Travis who have a history of selling millions and millions of records.

For 7 seasons and so far this year, Idol continues to deliver on those staples. But, this year for the first time, I’m extremely disappointed in Idol. I understand no one tunes in on Wednesday nights just for the group numbers. It isn’t a must see for me, but I do enjoy seeing the personalities that emerge when there isn’t any pressure from the judges, the Idols can cut loose and have fun. Season 8 Idol masterminds decided to have the contestants lip synch the group numbers this year. And, in an almost slap in the face to fans and critics calling foul, Idol actually taped and edited the group number last week. The idols were at times singing without microphones nearby. Give me and the millions of people I watch this show with every week a break. We tune in to see how these Idol wannabes perform live. We tune in to learn about the contestants, gauge their personalities and decided who we’d like to vote for so we can spend $20 on their album when they win “American Idol.”

Since season 1 contestants have pulled off these performances, some were stellar, others forgettable, but they did it. So, why start prerecording these songs? You can’t argue it looks better because the contestants haven’t mastered the art of lip synching, some of them aren’t moving their lips when we hear their voices, others are clearly mouthing the wrong verse. Love them or hate them, the group numbers are part of the Idol experience.

I’d like to call on the Idol producers to rethink the decision. If some of the Idols can’t pull these numbers off, a good producer would retool the live elements to let the power Idols shine and figure a way to play up the strengths of the weaker contestants. Are the Idol’s going to lip synch the group songs on tour or will fans get what we pay for this summer: Idols singing live, not trying to pull off their best “Britney Spears?” (No offense Brit, I’m a huge fan!!)

To be perfectly honest, for now, these are idle frustrations on my part. Currently, I have no plan to give up my front row seat this season. But, if questionable decisions like this continue, my Idol love may start to fade.

Check back tomorrow to see who I think will get voted off this week.

Megan :)

Candy Testing!

Easter is about a week and an half away. During my time off from work, I've started making my own candy. This week I'm testing out different types, the winners will be included in my "one of a kind" Easter baskets for the family!

When my family and I lived in Michigan our favorite candy shop was Sydney Bogg's in Birmingham. After many trips for a sweet treat we became addicted to milk chocolate caramels. I decided this was the year I'd attempt my own version (my final product is tasty, but no where near as good!)

My first test: Homemade caramel. I found a 30minute recipe. This is a keeper, very simple. I hate caramel that has the consistency of sand, this one is far from rough. The 3ominute recipe creates a smooth and creamy caramel that literally melts in your mouth.


Now, the task of making this savory treat into a chocolate delight!! It took 3 steps.

1. I melted milk chocolate and create a chocolate shell.


2. I spooned the caramel into the shell.


3. I sealed the base with some more chocolate and put the sheet into the freezer to gel it all together!!

4. Eat away!!


You can use just about any chocolate for the shell. If you'd like the caramel recipe just let me know and I'll email it your way!

Megan :)

Heart of a champion

Syracuse University’s 6OT win against UCONN at the Big East Tournament (BET) is an instant classic. But, it is only one piece of probably one of the most magical and exciting runs Orange fans can remember (in the same league as Gerry McNamera’s 2006 Big East run and the 2003 National Championship win).

This CUSE fan thinks our team peaked at the perfect moment, and in my opinion it happened right after a vicious foul against Kristof Ongeanaet during the second round game against Seton Hall at the BET. The team from New Jersey “woke the sleeping giant” (great phrase Mike) from New York and the rest was history.

The next night Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris, Eric Devendorf, Andy Rautins and the rest of the Orange proved they each have a “heart of a champion.” 18th ranked Syracuse dug deep to somehow beat UCONN in the 6th overtime, 226 minutes after tip-off, 244 points later and during a game that spanned 2 days. It’s up for debate but I would argue Syracuse won the game at the very last second of regulation. Eric Devendorf nailed a three pointer that after review was called off, prompting the longest game in Big East history. After the 127-117 victory Syracuse had less than 24 hours to turn around and face West Virginia. Another last minute shot sent this one into a single overtime, Cuse once again came out on top. Now, onto the Championship game and #1 seed Louisville. Syracuse came out strong going into the second half with the lead. 7 overtimes later and Syracuse hit a wall. Missed shots, turnovers and legs made of jello got the best of a team that fought for as long as humanly possible. With minutes to go and Louisville up by 10, the starters walked off the court and took a well-deserved seat on the CUSE bench. While the scoreboard showed a loss, Syracuse walked away champions in the minds of their fans.

This Big East Tournament should give the mighty Orange the confidence to prove to the naysayers, “we are for real.” Our miracle run in the BET already proved to the selection committee that we have what it takes, Sunday night Syracuse earned a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. The last time we had this seed Carmelo and Gerry brought home a NCAA Championship to the Salt City!!! Fingers crossed.

Round 1: Welcome to Miami! Syracuse takes on Stephen F. Austin Friday at 12:15

A Star is Born!

Like just about everyone right now, Broadway is suffering from the economic downturn. In the past few months, a number of shows from Legally Blonde to Hairspray and Spamalot to Young Frankenstein closed their doors. $100 plus ticket prices and a decline in tourism are two of the many issues critics point to when trying to explain the reasons behind slumping ticket sales. Broadway is a major piece of American history. Artists dream of making it on the Great White Way while those of us with two left feet and a voice that sends the dog running love sitting in those seats watching rising stars put on magical performances. Here’s to a spring and summer that keeps those dazzling lights aglow for decades more.

One of those stars sure to keep the seats full is Josefina Scaglione. She is making her Broadway debut as Maria in the revival of West Side Story at the Palace Theatre. I was fortunate enough to see one of the preview performances last week and as one of the woman I saw the show with said, “We were lucky enough to be there when a star was born.” It’s almost as if Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) wrote this musical specifically for Scaglione’s opera trained voice.

If you don’t know, West Side Story is about two rival gangs in 1950s New York City (Jets vs. Sharks) and the love affair between Tony, a member of the American gang (Jets) and Maria, the sister of Bernardo who is the leader of the Puerto Rican gang (Sharks). If this reminds you of a Shakespeare classic you’re right, the musical is based on Romeo and Juliet.

Overall, I'd say this revised version of West Side Story is good and stays pretty true to the original script. But, the female cast members way outshine the males. Tony (played by Matt Cavenaugh) and Riff (played by Cody Green) hold their own, but the rest of the men seem a bit weak and out of character for the tough group they are supposed to be.

The women, led by Scaglione, are one of the most talented groups of singers and dancers I’ve seen assembled on Broadway lately. Second to Scaglione is Karen Olivo who plays Anita. She brings a perfect mixture of spice and attitude the role needs while finding her sensitive and grieving side when Anita’s world gets turned upside down. One of the best scenes in the play is “America” led by Anita. The dancing, singing and timing all came together to make this the energetic get on the edge of your seat number it should be! I felt like I was up on stage selling what is so great about America with Anita!

The dancing in West Side Story is so beautiful, smooth and rhythmic, it is amazing how fighting can look so peaceful as the dancers glide across the stage showing their power through the strength of their movements.

One of the changes this revival introduces is the addition of some songs performed in Spanish. I’ve never studied Spanish and probably can count the number of Spanish words I know on one hand, but the switch up was magical. The way the cast performed songs like “I feel Pretty” made this Spanish dummy feel like I spoke the language fluently, job well done.

While this revival is still a bit rough around the edges, this classic is sure to please. On the Megan Meter I give West Side Story a 3.5 out 5 stars!

Some of the other revivals appearing on Broadway this season are Pal Joey, South Pacific and Hair.

☺

Happy Birthday Marie!

Do you have a friend you know will always be a part of your life until the last breath you take? I do, her name is Marie. I met Ms. Marie in 5th grade when my parents moved me kicking and screaming from public school to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I didn’t want to leave my Birmingham friends, but it was one of the best moves of my life. That year I formed a bond with Marie, the rest is history.

She’s the type of friend that no matter how many days or months go by before we see each other again, it feels like we’re back in the good old days when we saw each other every day (except for junior year) doing silly Megan and Marie things (which won’t be shared here!!). We always talked about living in the Big Apple together. She’s been there since graduation and I’m slowly making my way.

Enough of the history, what you need to know is now I’m only a 40min train ride away! Because I’m so close, the two of us celebrated Marie’s Birthday together (March 3!). We LOVE being in the know and enjoy experiencing the finer things in life! So, it only made sense we celebrate at one of the celebrity hot spots we’ve been dying to try (yes, we have a list). Our pick: The Waverly Inn (the hot spot you read about Bono, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Hilton’s, P. Diddy and just about any and all of the big celebrities dining at). We tried to make a reservation by calling the listed number. Turns out, it is fake, just a busy signal every time we tried. This was a big night, Marie’s birthday, so we decided to take a chance and just go. We arrived at the West Village eatery just before 7:00pm, walked through the green wood plank type door and tried our luck. Marie asked if there was room for two, after the maitre d’ gave us a quick once over, he said yes. We were in!

I have to agree with Marie, usually these hip New York City places are more of a draw for the people you will see not the food you will eat. I’d say the Waverly Inn food passes the test. We both tried the Waverly Inn biscuits. They were delicious, served with the lightest honey butter. If these were any indication of what was to come, this was going to be a great night of fine food! For the first course we ordered the Rocket salad. By the sound of it, I wasn’t expecting much, greens, roasted red onion, shaved parmesan, typical salad. Once I placed a fork full of the three ingredients in my mouth, I understood where the name came from; a rocket of flavor took my taste buds to a new place. Each flavor played off of each other creating the most refreshing salad I’ve had in a long time. So far so good! Now to the main course: Marie had the Salmon, she said it was delicious, good taste, well cooked. I decided to go for a home cooked type meal, the Chicken Pot Pie. What a good choice! First of all my eyes popped out when the staff placed this enormous pie in front of me. The dish is the size of a soup bowl, the crust spilling over the sides, perfectly browned. For me, the crust and the sauce determine whether or not a Pot Pie is going to be worthy of a second going. The Waverly Inn version hit the mark on both. The crust was so flaky it just fell apart when you touched it, perfect not so thick it would take away from the flavors inside. Time to make our way into the meat of the dish, the filling. A simple and light cream sauce coated cooked to perfection chicken, mushrooms carrots and peas. I hate mushrooms, but these didn’t end up on the side of my plate, they were great. Like any meal we have, a side of fries accompanied our four-star meals! At the suggestion of our waiter we had the fries coated in truffle oil: ADDICTING, enough said.

Our bellies were full but we got into the Waverly Inn, so we were going to enjoy a three-course meal! Marie polished off a piece of cheesecake, she said it was good. I went with the ice cream, a scoop of double chocolate and one scoop of caramel. Chocolate lovers would have gone crazy over the first, for me it was a bit too rich. At first taste I thought my second scoop was a delicious vanilla with a hint of caramel, once I hit the middle the most delicious caramel oozed out creating what I would say was the best ice cream I’ve ever had (and I’ve had my fair share of ice cream!).

At the end of the night, we were stuffed! I’d give the Waverly Inn a 4 out of 5 on the Megan Meter!

(Side note: in true Megan and Marie fashion we didn’t recognize any celebrities but Bono was there the night before and Will Ferrell arrived just after we left…typical!)

Happy Birthday Marie, where shall we go next!

☺