A Comprehensive Guide to High School Graduation

After many many months, hello again blogosphere! Yes, I've been super MIA recently dealing with my final year of school and all, but I'm super excited to announce that I have FINALLY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! It's pretty crazy and I can't quite believe it, but as of Wednesday the 21st of September, I have been free from the confines of secondary education. Sure, I have the HSC coming up in less than three weeks and a bunch of holiday study workshops, but never again do I have to wear my uniform, refrain from doing my nails or wearing make up (not that I really ever did), or be treated like a child slave with no rights. To celebrate the momentous occasion and perhaps give everyone who is yet to finish high school a run down of what to expect, I have decided to guide you all through what went down on graduation day with as much media as possible. So without further ado, here is my comprehensive break down . . .

The last day of school will start off pretty chaotically. Everyone will rebel and do whatever they want, and wreak as much havoc as they can in a last ditch effort to leave their mark on the school and challenge the system.

But eventually, the teachers will manage to gain some semblance of control and gather you all together for one last time, meaning that you're all just sitting there with extreme pent up energy and no way of releasing it.

This is followed by an onslaught of emotional speeches and anecdotes from teachers and student leaders, the good ones leaving your overly energised and emotionally conflicted self watching on like:

While the cheesy, unoriginal and uninspired ones allow you to get in touch with your (not so) inner cynic, and remind you how much you actually want to leave high school.

Then comes the hella nostalgic graduation slideshow (or in our case, epic mockumentary style video) that is guaranteed to hit you in the feels at least once, once again leaving you confused and overwhelmed.

Your school then won't care that you're in a state of emotional turmoil, because all of this will most likely be followed by everyone light-heartedly dancing to either Vitamin C's 'Graduation (Friends Forever)', Alice Cooper's 'School's Out', or if your graduation happens to fall on September 21st as ours did, Earth Wind and Fire's 'September'. So of course, you'll plaster a fake smile on your face and dance through the pain.

It's once again time to suppress everything you're feeling, as graduation certificates - and if traditional methods of academic testing are your thing - merit awards, are ceremoniously given out. The people receiving awards walk across the stage like:

While the people who get nothing want to get it over with as quickly as possible and temporarily lose their will to live.

Then comes perhaps the most epic part of the graduation ceremony - the final time you will get to sing your school song. Everyone will sing like a maniac and it will be glorious.

The entire cohort then proceeds to process out like gods, because gosh darn it, after six years, you've finally conquered high school.

And that's it, you're out of there. You spend a few minutes outside emotionally saying goodbye to all your friends like:

Before bidding farewell to your enemies forever.

And everything's cute and emotional for a while, until you realise that you'll be back at school for pre-HSC holiday classes in three days, and are guaranteed to see each other at least 5 more times before formal.

Then you go home and have to put up with every adult ever telling you how you've now got all these new rights and responsibilities and what not.

And on the outside you're like:

But on the inside you're secretly freaking out because you have no idea how to be an actual person.

Though overall, even though everything's uncertain and changing really quickly, you'll just be happy that high school is officially dead.

And bam, just like that, 13 years of schooling are over. Luckily, I vlogged the whole day, and in addition to that, celebrated the fact that I was graduating by replicating a bunch of iconic teen movie moments at my high school while I still had the chance, all of which I will be posting on my Youtube channel (which you can check out here - you gotta love that cheeky self promotion). And now, it's done. I mean sure, in literally 7 hours I will be back at school from 9 till 3, so it doesn't really feel like much has changed, but I think that I'll slowly start to morph into a real life person. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

A-Z Guide to Musical Theatre - Part 1

Readers, hello and welcome back! Okay, I know I am actually the worst person ever. It's been like 3and a bit months since I last posted anything, but unfortunately the majority of 2016 will be filled with preparations for that pesky HSC coming up in October (and if you're not Australian and have no idea what that is, I heavily envy you). Since we've last chatted, I've completed two exam blocks, a whole bunch of assessment tasks, and have slowly lost the will to live. But, even amidst all of this horror, the one thing that keeps me slightly sane is my collection of Broadway musical bootlegs I have on my hard drive. Whenever I'm feeling ridiculously stressed or borderline homicidal, I simply procrastinate by watching a musical or two, and although it does nothing for my grades, its probably the reason I haven't yet been institutionalised. Instead of being selfish and keeping them all to myself, I have decided to share with you all my comprehensive A-Z list of 26 of my favourite musicals, and hopefully they'll provide for you the same distraction they have been providing for me. However, as to not bombard you (and to save myself from writing a crazily massive post), I'm going to do this in installments. So, without further ado, here are A to G of my top picks . . .

A: The Addams Family

 

So much yes! This is an absolute must-see if you're a fan of the 60's TV series or even the 90's movie franchise, however even if you're not, this musical as amazing nonetheless. It revolves around the notoriously gloomy Wednesday Addams, who finds love with a positively average, happy-go-lucky guy. The two get engaged, and as you can imagine, the first time their families meet is a bit of a disaster - however of course, it is an entertaining one. If you're not lured yet, there's something seriously wrong with you.

B: Bare - A Pop Opera

 

This may not exactly be the happiest of musicals, but it's pretty amazing, not gonna lie. It reminded me a bit of Spring Awakening, but set in the present day with way more drugs and alcohol. It's basically about a bunch of kids refusing to conform to the stupid rules and standards placed upon them in a Catholic Boarding School, how could that not be good? Honestly, I urge you to give it a go. It's funny, it's poignant, and best of all, there are a bunch of high quality bootlegs available to you on the world wide web. Now, I must warn you before you go and start googling, there are a number of versions of this show. The 2012 Broadway Revival was called 'Bare - The Musical', which changed things around a bit and just makes things all the more confusing, but personally, I love a good pop opera, so I'd stick with the original format.

C: Cruel Intentions - The Musical

 

C was bit difficult to choose, because I was tossing up between this and Chicago, but to be honest, I much prefer the movie to the musical version (which like never happens). I was also a bit hesitant to include Cruel Intentions the musical seeing as it hasn't made it to Broadway or even Off-Broadway (yet), but honestly who cares, its pretty fricken cool and there's a bootleg available, so why not? Assuming you're all familiar with the classic 90's film, this musical parody is super cool. It includes all of the famous lines, and is told using popular songs from the decade, which let's just say makes for a very entertaining viewing experience. There's lots of fun, meta audience interaction, and it does everything that a good, slightly indie musical adaptation of a film should. All in all? Definitely worth checking out.

D: The Drowsy Chaperone

 

If you're up for a super fun, totally self-referential theatre experience, this is 100% the musical for you. It revolves around a middle-aged male Broadway fanatic who listens to the soundtrack of an old musical called 'The Drowsy Chaperone', and through the magic of theatre, the characters are somehow able to appear in his living room. From there, you become totally immersed in the show within the show, and then plot twist, it turns out that the audience basically are that guy listening to the soundtrack throughout the whole thing. If you think really hard about it, the protagonist acting as an audience surrogate, sitting alone and listening to Broadway soundtracks in his apartment could be a metaphor for the weird dependency that theatre fans have upon fictional characters and their lives, but if you don't, you'll have a super awesome, light-hearted experience. I honestly couldn't recommend this amazing, fourth wall breaking musical more highly.

E: Enchanted

 

Okay, although this isn't strictly speaking a musical seeing as it has never been performed live, all of the music in the film is composed by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, both of whom are seasoned Broadway veterans, so it still counts. If you haven't seen this film, there is something seriously lacking in your life. Yes, it is a Disney movie, but no, it does not mean that once you turn 7 you no longer find it enjoyable. I kid you not, this film is actually amazing. The songs are fun and amazing, the storyline is super cute, and the cast is actually the best. Plus, did I mention that original Elphaba herself, Idina Menzel, has a supporting role? If you're not yet lured, there's actually something wrong with you, and there's nothing more I can do.

F: Fun Home

 

This one kind of sells itself, seeing as it won the Tony award for Best Musical in 2015, but believe me, 'Fun Home' is seriously super amazing and worth checking out as soon as possible. I was lucky enough to watch this live on Broadway when I was in New York at the end of last year (not that I'm bragging), and it was seriously so good. It follows 43 year old cartoonist Alison Bechdel as she reflects on her life and her relationship with her father, because as it turns out, they were both secretly in the closet while she was growing up. It's super cleverly done, heartwarming and funny, and admittedly at times a bit depressing, but it's really amazing and everyone in the cast is mega talented. I urge you to watch it right now.

G: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

 

I guess the bragging continues, because once again, I was able to see this musical live. And yes, it was amazing. Based on the 1949 film 'Kind Hearts and Coronets', the show revolves around Monty Navarro, who after his mother's death, discovers that he is a part of the D'Ysquith dynasty, and is ninth in line to be the Earl of Highhurst. Naturally, to ascend to the throne, Monty goes about systematically killing off all of the relatives in his way in what I describe as a musical, comedic version of 'Macbeth'. It's super funny and really clever, and did I mention it won Best Musical at the 2014 Tony Awards? Needless to say, it's a definite must-see.

PS: I do feel that its worth mentioning that 'Grease' was an incredibly close second, but because there's an amazing movie version, and as of January this year, a fabulous copy of the televised live version available, I figured this musical was the best pick.

H: Heathers - The Musical

 

If you've had a browse through Teenage Fanatic before, you would know of my mild (crazily heavy) obsession with this fabulous Off-Broadway musical. Based on the 80's black comedy film, the show follows outcast Veronica Sawyer, who manages to crack a spot in the elite clique of 'Heathers' who dominate the high school food chain. Drama, comedy and murder ensue when she meets new student J.D, and the two end up killing off a bunch of their classmates. If that's not an enticing synopsis, then I don't know what is. Seriously though, this musical is amazing. The music's fab, the writing's the best, and the cast are super duper talented - a winning combination. Legit, go watch the bootleg right now.

BONUS: Hamilton

 

Okay, so because H was a ridiculous decision, I decided I'd give you guys a bonus musical to go check out. If you haven't heard of 'Hamilton', you have literally been in hiding for the past 12 months. Written and starring musical theatre legend Lin Manuel-Miranda, 'Hamilton' is a rap musical about America's founding fathers. That's literally all you need to know. I can't stress to you enough how amazing this show is, and it is 100% going to win Best Musical at this year's Tony Awards (you heard it here first!). So I urge you, if you're able to find a bootleg, watch it immediately. Or if not, just put the soundtrack on repeat.

So that's all folks for the first installment. Hopefully you have enough musicals to binge-watch these holidays, and before you know it, I to Q will be up and ready for your reading pleasure. Once again, sorry about my massive, ridiculous delay in posting, blame the Board of Studies. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Golden Globes 2016: Best and Worst Dressed

Hello blogosphere and welcome to the new year! Yes, I am aware that we're already 18 days in, but better late than never, right? To kick off 2016, I've decided to once again unleash my inner fashionista and critique some of the fashion do's and don'ts at this year's Golden Globes. If you didn't catch it on TV, you definitely should, because it was one hell of a night full of controversial jokes from the one and only Ricky Gervais, auto-cue mishaps and awkward side eye from Leonardo DiCaprio. The whole show was pretty fun, but let's face it, the only thing we're probably going to remember in a few months is who wore what. So without further ado, here's what went down . . .

Best Dressed

Jenna Dewan Tatum

Yes, I only know who she is because she's married to Channing Tatum and was sliced up in 'American Horror Story: Asylum', but nevertheless, she looked fabulous at the Golden Globes. The dress is super fun and sparkly, and let's face it, who doesn't want to make a dramatic ball gown statement on the red carpet? She seriously looks like a grown up Disney princess, I absolutely love it. 

Brie Larson

I really feel like there's a whole lot of foreshadowing going on with this dress. I mean, she literally rocked up to the awards show dressed as a Golden Globe, and then won one for Best Actress in a Drama. Coincidence? I think not. Whatever was going on, I think Brie looked fabulous. I must admit, I'm a fan of some sparkle, so this was definitely a winner in my books. Plus, I'm really pumped she won the Golden Globe, because if you've been following her films for a while now, I think you can agree it's about time. So all in all, I was pretty pumped for Brie Larson. 

Zendaya

If you follow Zendaya on Instagram, you'll discover that she's a bit of a fashion risk-taker, and pretty much slays on every red carpet she steps foot on. Low and behold, the Golden Globes was no exception. Zendaya was simply a guest of Harvey Weinstein's at the event, yet she still totally managed to make her way on to this list (which I'm sure she'd consider to be a major achievement). Seriously, she looks pretty incredible. The pattern of the dress is super pretty, the tiers are cool without being too overwhelming, and she looks really elegant. Basically, she rocked it. 

Lady Gaga

 

I seriously can't get over how amazing Lady Gaga looked! She looks like an old Hollywood movie star, and is ridiculously glamorous. The structured hip padding is super bold but totally works, and everything about this ensemble is so on point I can't even deal. Plus, not only did she look amazing, but she also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Mini Series or TV Movie for AHS: Hotel, what more could you want out of a night? From that, the take home message is basically that Gaga slayed the Golden Globes. 

Saoirse Ronan

She may not have won a Golden Globe this year, but she sure did look amazing. Sure, her dress was pretty simple, but sometimes that's a nice break from all the super intricate gowns you see on the carpet. She looked super pretty and ethereal almost, and the dress is really young and elegant. Plus, not gonna lie, Saoirse look a little bit holy in all white. All in all, an amazing red carpet look. 

Worst Dressed

Jennifer Lopez

 

You have to be really careful when wearing canary yellow, because there's an art to pulling it off. I'm sorry J-Lo, but you have not perfected that art. Ugh, I'm sorry, I love you, but no. The colour is super strong and overpowering, and when there's so much material, that is not a good look. She also just looks super stiff and covered up, except of course for that random, awkward leg split. Plus, I'm a fan of capes and all, but with this dress, it's seriously just overkill. On the positive side, her hair and make-up look really good, but unfortunately they are not enough to salvage this look. I'm sorry, J-Lo, I really am, but I just can't. 

Amber Heard

In the few movies I've seen her in she seems nice and all, but sorry Amber, there is unfortunately nothing I like about this ensemble at all. First of all, the colour is really gross and weird, and looks a little bit like she's started bleeding out. But wait, there's more. The weird flower collar is overpowering and random, and the shape of the dress altogether is just not nice. It looks like a clingy bag that's been tied in the middle, and the high neckline makes her look a bit like a nun. I can see from her hair that Amber was trying to do something cool and retro, but it just did not work out. Sorry, but better luck next time.  

Natalie Dormer

I feel really bad because I think Natalie Dormer's awesome and super talented, but I just don't like this dress. To be fair, it's not the most hideous thing I've ever seen, but at the same time it certainly isn't 'best dressed' material. Not even kidding, without that stupid black thing at the top, this dress would be nowhere near as bad, but unfortunately, the weird neck tie is there to ruin it. It's completely unnecessary and throws off the shape of the dress, making the whole thing look frumpy and gross. Also, the messy hair look is one I'm not a fan of. It seriously just looks as if she rolled out of bed and walked straight on to the red carpet. I'm sorry Natalie, fingers crossed this was a one time fashion faux pas. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Again, I feel a bit bad for doing this because Maggie is a really talented actress, but there is seriously nothing nice about her Golden Globes red carpet look at all. The pattern is disgusting, the colours make her look like a weird bumble bee, the shape is just awful, and the random flower on her left shoulder is gross and unnecessary. Not gonna lie, even her hair isn't the best. But despite all of this, at least we can look on the bright side - there's always room for improvement for next time. 

Rachel McAdams

Again, I really like Rachel, but that doesn't exempt her from being on this list, because her Golden Globes frock was not one I was a fan of. At least with this one the shape of the dress is nice and everything, but the pattern is really just not good. It kind of looks like the dress was supposed to be black, and right before coming on the carpet she decided to roll around in a tomato and basil pizza. Plus, the material itself is super creased. I don't know whether this was a deliberate style choice or if Rachel was just feeling super lazy and couldn't be bothered to whip out an iron, but either way, it's not a good look. And even after all of these negatives, there's still one more - her hair. It's weird and puffy, and makes her look like a cockatoo. Once again, I'm really sorry Rachel, but no.

So that's about all I have for you! Hopefully you agree with my fashion critique, and if not, you can always let me know in the comments section. While you have a chance, I highly suggest you do take a look at the awards show, because there was some pretty funny, controversial stuff that went down that I'm sure you really don't want to miss. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

2015 Round-Up

Greetings readers! This is officially the last time you will hear from me in 2015, seeing as the new year is fast approaching. I apologise for my severe lack of posting this year, which will only get worse until October, but I promise once I get this pesky HSC over and done with you won't be able to get rid of me. Anyway, on to more exciting news, 2016 is almost here! I'm pretty pumped, and you should all be too. However, before we officially so goodbye to 2015, I say we should give it a send-off by commemorating some of the most memorable moments we've all experienced over the past 12 months. Without further ado, here is the year at a glance . . .

Left Shark

I don't know about you, but I have a special place in my heart for Katy Perry's clearly confused Superbowl back up dancer.

"Sure, Jan"

For some reason, Jan and Marcia Brady from 'The Brady Bunch Movie' made a massive comeback and took over the internet. It was amazing. 

Netflix (and chill) came to Australia

All I can say is thank you. 

Zayn Left One Direction

Meh.

The Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge

If you have no idea what this is, I envy your innocence. Basically in 2015, everyone wanted to have lips as big as Kylie Jenner so tried to use weird suction techniques to achieve this. Spoiler alert, it probably won't work. 

Deez Nuts

Again, if you're a bit estranged from the internet, for those of you who don't know, Deez Nuts is a viral video of internet personality WelvenDaGreat saying 'deez nuts' into a phone, and for some reason, it became a massive world wide web phenomenon, so much so that a person under the pseudonym 'Deez Nuts' is running for president of the United States. True story.

Just Do It

Shai La Beouf was hella inspirational this year and it was literally the best thing ever. If you haven't seen it, watch it now, and even if you have, just watch it again. 

'Don't Judge Me' Challenge

This is oh so stupid and frustrating, and hopefully leaves with 2015. It literally consisted of people putting dots on their face, drawing a fake monobrow, covering the camera, and revealing their real face and being like 'don't judge me'. It's supposed to be some empowering message about 'don't judge a book by its cover', but the point is lost when that's not your actual cover. People making themselves appear to be what society deems to be 'ugly' is just weirdly offensive, and then revealing themselves covered in make up with perfect hair and impeccable lighting is stupid and does nothing to get their point across. Also, if throughout the video we never even get a sense of what is beneath this 'cover' personality wise, then how is this even close to supporting the initial argument? And if you do this challenge, ironically, I will definitely judge you, for being an absolute idiot. I could literally write an entire post on this, but I'll refrain because I don't think anyone wants to read my angry ranting. Basically, I'm just asking, who is this helping? No one. No one at all. 

Minions

Minions took over the world and are now everywhere. There are minion dolls, minion tick tacks, minion bed covers and countless more. They are literally on every product imaginable, and I love it. 

Whipping and 'Nae Nae'-ing

You've heard the song, you've seen the video clip, so you know the drill. If not, watch it right now and get up on the craze. Basically, it's 2015's 'Gangnam Style' and 'Harlem Shake'.

John Cena

I don't even know why, but wrestler John Cena is literally everywhere on the internet right now. Maybe it's because he was in 'Trainwreck', or maybe he's just heavily meme-able? Whatever it is, I have no idea. 

"What are THOOOSSEEE?"

I can't even explain this one, just watch the video. 

"Miley, what's good?"

Having been alive for the past 12 months, there's no way you would've missed out on this. If you've forgotten, I'll give you a small refresher. Nicki Minaj. VMA's. Awkward showdown. Take another look at the video here. 

Kanye and Lindsay are running for President in 2020

No, this is not an elaborate fanfiction, Kanye West and Lindsay Lohan are indeed running for president in 2020. Why? I have no idea, but it's not my country so I'll just enjoy watching the train wreck happen from afar. 

Poot Lovato

If you haven't heard about the conspiracy surrounding Poot Lovato, then you are simply not living. While non-believers say that the photo below is simply a picture of Demi Lovato from a weird angle in bad lighting, others are saying that it is actually her long lost twin, Poot Lovato, who has been locked in a basement for her entire life, and the photo shown is actually her first time seeing the light of day. It is actually hilarious and one of my favourite things ever.

The Wrong Miss Universe was Crowned

This was officially the cringiest moment of the year (which you can watch again here). I just, I can't. Steve Harvey, watch out, Miss Columbia is coming for you. 

The Dress

This confusing piece of fabric literally took over my life. Also, just to clarify, IT'S BLUE AND BLACK. 

And that's the end of the post. Hopefully you enjoyed this rather epic throwback Thursday, and delve in to 2016 having sufficiently waved goodbye to the past twelve months. Oh, and one more thing y'all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Catch you all in 2016. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx