Today marks my mom’s 52nd birthday (Happy birthday, Mom!), and, knowing me, I couldn’t let it pass without a birthday video. After both my dad’s and sister’s videos back in November, I wanted to do something different and unique, and found it with the Susan Birthday Network. Sit back, relax, and turn on the television for some favorite TV hits featuring my mother (and, subsequently, the rest of my family).
-Wendi
It’s mid-February of my senior year and the inevitable has happened: senioritis has kicked in, and in full force. Instead of catching up on assigned readings, I’m applying for jobs. When there’s a project I really need to get started on, there’s also a movie on television that my friends and I just have to watch. And when I have a test Thursday, I’m sitting here updating my blog. But, if procrastinating and finding anything and everything to do but my homework keeps me from dwelling on the scary and unknown future (which my mother kindly reminded me is about 90 days away- not even touching that one), I’ll take it.
The one place my enthusiasm has skyrocketed has been at my internship. As a marketing intern for the Long Center for the Performing Arts, I’m once again thrust into the world of both journalism and theatre, and I absolutely love it. Writing press releases and updating social media pales to what I also get to do; let my creativity and imagination run wild. I’m taking my video editing skills and my love of performing arts to market shows and sell events- a complete 180 of my Broadway.com internship (day-to-day job wise, definitely love both). While the broadcast journalism major in me knows how to report on a story, gather interviews, and produce news worthy content, I’m now taking the knowledge of a reporter to experience the other side…public relations.
Oh, and I also get to meet celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel. Did I forget to mention that?
The late night comedian will broadcast his show from Austin’s very own Long Center during South by Southwest. To promote his show, he visited the Long Center to do a press junket- and I was part of the action. Check out the promotional video I created- and be on the look out for more videos as I milk every second of my awesome (and last!) internship.
-Wendi
I couldn’t let my family travel to Europe without documenting it to have forever and ever, right? Enjoy my newest video blog(s)!
-Wendi
Warning: Spoilers ahead. Do not read if you have not a) read The Hunger Games books and/or b) seen the Catching Fire movie.
As far as Twilight (no shame) and The Hunger Games are concerned (and soon Divergent, as well), I am the screenwriter’s worst enemy. I’m the huge fangirl that rereads the book a couple weeks before the movie, eagerly awaiting its premiere at midnight (side note: midnight premieres are not really a thing anymore. There were 10:00, 9:00, and even 8:00 showings, all packed). While this is usually just to refresh my memory and get myself even more excited, I end up putting my foot in my mouth as I then notice every single omission, combination, and addition the movie makes that differs from its paperback counterpart. This is a lovely perception to have when the movie does things right (and yes, I realize cuts and changes must be made otherwise there’d be six hour movies…not that I’d necessarily mind that), but when something I am arbitrarily attached to gets cut or brushed over, I obviously have every right to be personally offended, yes? And so begins the epic, exhausting, amazing adventure that was Catching Fire.
What I have been most excited for since before the first movie was the on-screen appearance of Finnick Odair. I realize there is only Team Peeta and Team Gale (not that there’s competition…Team Peeta), but secretly I’m on Team Finnick. Remember that really obnoxious squeal girls would make in movie theaters when Edward or Jacob appeared onscreen? Yeah, that was me when Finnick Odair appeared for the first time, and Sam Claflin was perfect. His boyish charm and sarcastic wit thankfully savored the victor I know and love from the pages onto the screen, fortunately and unfortunately making movie #3 (and #4) equally exciting and devastating to watch. In the meantime, I have absolutely no problem seeing Catching Fire again, 60% for him.
As excited as I was for Finnick Odair, nothing could have prepared me for the awe that was Jena Malone. Yes, I was eager to see Johanna Mason in the flesh, but I didn’t expect to see exactly Johanna Mason in the flesh. Never have I seen a movie where a character from the book is completely, from head to toe, every tidbit of his or her personality, entirely the same as I imagined whilst reading. Are there Oscars for Best Adaption of a Character from Page to Screen? Because Jena Malone deserves like ten of those. Seriously, I cannot express just how perfect she was. Overall the two very important newcomers did anything but disappoint…but of course I can’t forget about our favorite (well, my favorite…and yes I stole that from a line in the movie) victors.
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were once again fabulous. Jennifer was her extremely talented little self, while Josh made me fall even more in love with Peeta (and, well, Josh) than I already was. Seriously, looking at those two, how anybody can be Team Gale is beyond me. Though I’m no fan of Gale, it was nice to see more of his character in this film (not to mention see him deliver the infamous closing lines of the movie/book), and I’ll never complain about staring at Liam Hemsworth.
The inevitable changes were, thankfully, kept to a minimum, and yes, the things I did notice are probably very nit-picky, but as a diehard and not at all embarrassing fan, I feel the need to ask the important questions. For example, where were the rolls? In the book, Finnick, Johanna, Katniss and Peets (and their allies) receive gifts of twenty-four rolls three time in the arena, which is later explained as a sort of signal from the outside as to when the break-in would occur. Is it essential to the plot? No. Did I notice they weren’t there and think they would be a cool addition? Yes. Secondly (and most importantly), in the beginning of the movie, why on earth is Katniss just making out with Gale every chance she gets? In the books, they kiss twice. Once he kisses her, and later, when he is on the table recovering from the whipping. She kisses him. Twice. They kisses like four times in this movie, one closely resembling a makeout which I can assure you never appeared in the books. Do I sound biased enough yet? Unfortunately I can see the reason behind doing this. I’m sure the very smart creators want to at least pretend to depict some sort of love triangle that is hinted at in the books but never fully established. I wonder why they would want this, seeing as how Twilight was a huge box office failure and all…
Plutarch Heavensbee, I think, was portrayed slightly wrong. I mean, this man turns out to be one of the leaders of the rebellion, working undercover as Head Gamemaker in the Capitol to gain access to tools and information and who knows what else in order to strike against them. And at this point in the series (I’m talking page 1 of Catching Fire, Katniss is already the mockingjay. The districts have already started revolting, and she is their heroine (whether or not she knows this or not, Plutarch does). The scene during the victory tour in which he attempts to give her clues about the arena with his watch that projects a mockingjay needed to be there, if only to slightly foreshadow his role later on. His infamous phrase “it starts at midnight,” was missing from this scene, as well. In the book, Heavensbee later tells Katniss he was trying to tip her off as a mentor, never imagining at that time she would be inside as a tribute. The idea that putting her back in the arena is his idea was ridiculous. He leads the plan to get her out of the arena, knowing her influence on the districts and putting her survival at the top of his list. Why on earth would he suggest she be put back into the arena, where her death was imminent? Yes, there was an arrangement with other tributes to keep her alive, but this wasn’t guaranteed. His character needed to stick to the pages of the book, as I was not a fan of the character change and do not think it helped the plot, especially for people who never read the books.
Finally, the appearance of the two hitchhikers on their way to an alleged District 13 was a scene I think as wrongfully taken out. The scene is very important in that it hints at a possible rebellion and shows Katniss that her mockingjay has become a national symbol, giving the later scene of her in her transformative wedding dress bigger meaning for non book readers and for Katniss herself. This scene is also important in that it first hints that District 13 may still exist, something we don’t hear a word about until the last 3 minutes of the film.
Of course the good in this film outweighs my disappointment. The arena could not have been more perfect, and every terror found in each piece of the clock was more realistic, terrifying, and cringe-worthy than the books ever made them seem. And obviously tears flowed continuously (which is funny considering that before the movie I promised my friend I wouldn’t cry, claiming “nothing is sad about Catching Fire…rookie mistake). When Katniss talked about Rue, I cried. When Effie said goodbye to Katniss and Peeta for presumably the last time, I cried. When Cinna was killed (though I knew this was coming), I cried. When Finnick heard Annie’s voice in the jabberjay portion of the clock, I cried. When Katniss and Peeta were separated and you hear the unkept promise of “I’ll see you at midnight”, I cried. Honestly, you can’t take me anywhere.
I won’t lie, The Hunger Games movie was closer to the book than Catching Fire was. Did I love the sequel any less? No way. Seeing a book you love come to life on screen is one of the most interesting things (except The Host- that movie clearly failed). Meeting characters onscreen you only read about before, seeing things like the intricate arenas come to life, hearing dialogue you only imagined previously, and watching a story you know and love right in front of you, combined with the adrenaline of a midnight premiere and the inevitable shrieking of the fangirls (or you know, me), makes those experiences incredible. Having a truly magical, true (for the most part) to the book, special effects ridden, talent-overflowed film is just the cherry on top of the cake. And I’m not lying when I say the experience is more than half of it, I had major midnight premiere fangirl goggles with the first Twilight. I can say, however, that Catching Fire was everything (cliché alert) I hoped it would be and so much more, and although Mockingjay is my least favorite of the trilogy, I don’t think I have it in me to wait another year or more. But in the meantime, at least I have Divergent.
-Wendi
November (specifically, mid-November) is always a crazy time in the Reichstein family. My dad (Nov. 19), my sister (Nov. 21), and myself (Nov. 25) all have birthdays in the same week. This year, I put my video editing skills to some fun (and only slightly embarrassing) use, sorted through some very entertaining home videos, and made birthday videos for both my dad and my sister, Samantha. To help spread the joy (and embarrassment), I’ve posted them below. Enjoy! Both were edited using iMovie.
-Wendi
First off, yes, I realize I’ve been a bit missing in action these past two months or so. Fortunately, I’ve still kept plenty busy between my senior year of school (so sad) and my news internship at KXAN-TV (the NBC news affiliate in Austin, TX). My days, at least Monday through Thursday, are pretty much jam packed, but with graduation slowly looming and it mischievously inches closer and closer (despite my pleas for it to slow down), I’m trying to enjoy my last year before the “real world” (though with my schedule right now it’d seem I’m closer to the real world than I’d like to be) swoops in completely.
After spending my summer interning at my dream job, Broadway.com in New York City, to be honest, going back to the realm of local news was a bit daunting. I love reporting, I consider myself comfortable and charismatic in front of a camera, I know how to successfully write a script and turn a package, but I’m beginning to doubt that local news is what I really want to do with my future. As journalism students, we’re told time and time again that if we don’t absolutely love it, we need to find anything else we’d be good at or enjoy for our careers (ironically, we’re also told this about acting, my other major…). I’m good at reporting, and I assume I could succeed in the local news realm; starting in a small market as a one-man band reporting and slowly moving up. After a summer of interviewing Broadway stars, reporting on camera for a weekly online entertainment show, and pitching and writing features for the leading Broadway news site, the idea that I could still be set on a career in local, or even harder, news seems a bit unrealistic.
When I walk into KXAN, I still feel the excitement or any aspiring journalist. I understand the industry, I possess the skills to succeed, and I have the passion to report and tell stories on camera. Surrounded by resources, experts, and a professional, working environment, I know that this internship will help me decide what to do in less than seven months. An internship is the perfect opportunity to build a resume, reinforce skills, network, and train for a future job, but it’s also the opportunity to truly figure out if this is what you want to pursue for the rest of your life. So with a positive attitude, a desire to learn, and the will to network and grasp as much as I possibly can in these next few (very few) months, this internship will give me that opportunity to explore and finally decide what it is I’m meant to do.
As this isn’t my first internship at a local news station, I know relatively how things work (for the interns at least). Some days are extremely eventful; you go out with a reporter to cover a story on a riveting subject, learn from both the reporter and photographer, film a stand up, and get a very hands-on look at the industry. Some days are extremely uneventful; you sit at the desk, observe the newsroom, help when sporadically needed. Of course, it’s not always so extreme (though sometimes it definitely is), but as an intern, the rule is usually that your experience is what you make of it, something that surprised me in my first internship. You’re not assigned when and where to shadow reporters, you have to approach them and ask if you can come with them. If you sit in a corner and work on homework, nobody will necessarily stop or approach you, or even reprimand you. You worked hard to get this internship, and it’s up to you to make the experience worthwhile. Having completed the broadcast sequence (aka not pitching, shooting, writing and editing a package every two weeks), I want to stay as sharp on my journalism skills as possible. Filming stand ups out the in the field and editing packages at my internship are the perfect way to do that.
With one upcoming semester (and my final registration- which theoretically should be a breeze, but yet is still causing me anxiety anyway), I hope to gain as much experience possible and become a more well-rounded person, as when I graduate, literally anything in the realm of theatre and/or journalism (but preferably both) is possible. I’m planning to take an Introduction to Public Relations course (although it means we’re back to lecture classes surrounded by freshmen) to learn a bit more about that industry, as PR and journalism cross over a lot. I’m also trying to land an internship a little more in the theatre industry- just to gain a handle on any and all directions my future career may take (and to give myself a little theatre indulgence after a semester of hard news). Yes, it’s daunting beyond belief to think I have almost half a year before I’m (supposed to be) a full-functioning, working adult no longer surrounded by the very comfortable gates of college life, but at the same time (and I very well reserve the right to negate this in 4-5 months when I reach full-on freak out mode) it’s exciting to make the most out of the remaining year, try everything I possibly can, live it up with my friends (cliché, yes), and pursue jobs in several different directions, and finding one that’s a perfect fit.
-Wendi
There’s always a song that brings back a specific memory. It’s weird the way it works; you’ll be somewhere completely random, hear a certain song, and immediately be transported to a different place. One song that does that for me is Quit Playing Games With My Heart, and for whatever reason, when I hear it I’m in the front seat of my dad’s car, nine years old, listening to the radio while running errands on a Saturday morning. It’s the 90s, the Backstreet Boys are one of the most popular boy bands in the world, and I’m the ultimate little fangirl.
Sunday night, when I heard Quit Playing Games With My Heart, I wasn’t nine years old. I wasn’t listening to the radio. I was (nearly) front row at the Cedar Park Center in Austin, TX, watching a boy band I had idolized for so long during my childhood perform live. Yes, I am 21 years old. Yes, the last Backstreet Boys album I bought was Millennium when I was nine (which I listened to nonstop on my Walkman for at least a year straight). Yes, the arena was not filled with fangirls, but with twenty and thirty-somethings reliving an amazing sliver of their childhood. And yes, it was the greatest concert I’ve ever been to.
The decision to go to the Backstreet Boys concert was a quick one. My friends and I literally bought the tickets on a somewhat whim a week before, after realizing they were coming to Austin and wanting to relive some of our Backstreet Boys glory days. After a party bus ride filled with The Call, Backstreet’s Back, and I Want it That Way, we arrived (somewhat) calm, cool and collected. The minute the Bryan, Nick, Kevin, Howie, and A.J. came onstage (not to mention waved to, blew kisses at, and even adorably mocked us), we all, unashamedly, reverted back to the ultimate 9-year-old fangirl. Imagine a little girl going crazy at a One Direction concert; I’m talking screaming the lyrics to every song, yelling at her favorite band member, dancing uncontrollably, and possibly on the verge of tears. Embarrassing, right? Now imagine nine twenty-one year old girls doing that at a Backstreet Boys concert.
I haven’t been to many concerts; my repertoire mainly consists of Glee, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift (a not at all embarrassing music taste, right?), but this was by far the best concert I had ever been to. Aside from the nostalgia factor that anybody between the age of twenty and thirty would inevitably experience witnessing one of their favorite boy bands perform live, the energy and passion that all five guys still have for music and performing was incredible. After twenty years together, they were having as much fun on stage as we were in the stands. After eight albums (yes, they just released a new one which they promoted during the concert…not to mention, which wasn’t half bad), their music still remains “classic” (well, to each and every 90s child, at least). Nick is still extremely hot (let’s just say I swooned more than I care to admit), Brian is still adorable, and together, they’re all still fantastic. Call them just another boy band, call them a fad, call them outdated…I’ll still call them my childhood, and revisiting those days for just three hours was one of the best experiences I could’ve asked for. And you know what? I had more fun than nine-year-old Wendi would’ve ever had.
-Wendi
This summer I was given so many incredible chances to appear on-air for Broadway.com. Below is a quick recap of my on-camera appearances and reporting opportunities throughout the summer. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOjt1Wpx0tM
-Wendi
This is it, the last hoorah. As I’ve been saying, it is so beyond hard to believe that my entire summer is almost over. After months of researching, preparation, anxiousness, back and (mostly) forth contact, and a nerve-wracking but nevertheless exciting interview, the internship of my dreams is officially over. As homesick and scared as I initially was, ten weeks in New York City flew by, and my last “free” summer is coming to a bittersweet close. I never thought the last day of an internship would mirror the last day of camp- but I can only see that as a wonderful thing.
The notion that I should work in the Broadway journalism industry (and the realization that such a thing even exists) came to meet exactly a year ago on a trip to New York City with my dad. Up until that point, I was content at beginning my career in a small, local news market as a reporter and eventually working my way up to an entertainment reporter. The idea of combining both my love of reporting and my passion for Broadway didn’t occur to me until I turned on the television in my hotel room. The Broadway Channel was on- essentially a loop of Broadway previews advertising shows currently playing on The Great White Way. What caught my eye, however, was the reporter, standing in front of a theatre introducing a new musical. Immediately I turned to my dad and said, “I can do that. That is what I need to do.” I threw myself into online research for any and all media outlets that would allow me to report about Broadway, and of course all roads let to a site I read at least weekly, Broadway.com
To think of all that’s happened in a year- from my Broadway journalism epiphany to landing an internship at the biggest and most prestigious Broadway news website to moving to New York City for the summer to being given the opportunity to both write features and appear on-camera in videos as a reporter- is insanely, as cliché as it continues to sound, surreal. The connections I’ve made, what I’ve learned about the industry, how I’ve adjusted to life in the Big Apple, and the opportunities I’ve been given are invaluable, and I can only hope that this summer has brought me one step closer to working full-time at the company I’ve grown to love (even more).
Of course, no summer in New York City would be complete (for me) without an array of Broadway musicals, and even a Broadway play- a first for me. From my first TKTS experience my first week in NYC with Nice Work if You Can Get It (and a photo with Matthew Broderick), to last week’s epic musical finale of the Tony Award winning Kinky Boots, I was lucky enough to have seen every show I had on my Broadway bucket list this summer. With musicals like Big Fish, Les Miserables, and If/Then headed to Broadway this coming season, I have no doubt I’ll be back here as soon as I possibly can (and who knows, sitting in a theatre watching Norbert Leo Butz or Idina Menzel may very well help ease the terror of college ending (tear) and me potentially leaving Texas forever (I know, terrifying)).
I am so incredibly lucky to have my parents support me in whatever I do, and to have them continue to help me in any and all ways that they can. If my mom hadn’t bought tickets to Wicked almost ten years ago (after my constant begging and whining to see the musical), and if my parents hadn’t continued to vacation in New York City at my request and take me to almost every musical I wanted to see, I may have never realized the passion that I know will result in a successful career, and I would have never discovered how magical Broadway musicals can be. Though I may not say it very often, they are the greatest parents, and I owe where I am today 100% to their support and love. Also, thanks to them (and Samantha traveling overseas for a year), I have Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Matilda waiting for me on the West End in London!
With school coming to an end (trust me, I try to talk about it as little as possible), and my internship and final summer of “freedom” winding down, part of me is terrified, but the other is insanely curious to see what waits in the future. Four years ago, the high school senior who was scared of going off to college never would have imagined herself living and working in New York City at Broadway.com, yet here I am. This definitely is not my (cue to cliché again) ending. It’s my Act One finale; the show stopping number that requires so much energy and endurance, but that is so fun and rewarding to perform. It doesn’t end the show, merely the first half. It prepares you for Act Two, and if the second half is anything like the first, I cannot possibly wait.
-Wendi
P.S. Look out for a video blog incorporating everything I’ve done this summer in the next few days!
After nine weeks in the city, frustration with the box office, and anxiety about even getting a ticket, let alone one at a decent price, I finally found myself at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Wednesday night to see the much hyped about, Tony Award winning star of the 2012-2013 Broadway season, Kinky Boots. Though I’d had the soundtrack for a while, I’d never really gotten around to listening to the entire thing (very unlike me and, as I’d learn, a huge mistake on my part) due to my newfound love of Pippin and, hence, it’s top place on my iPod for the past few weeks. However, knowing the cast, the story, and the big numbers, I was ecstatic yet a tad nervous that after it had been built up so much, it may not live up to the bar I had mentally set. And boy, was I completely and utterly wrong.
I’m not going to write a review, but Kinky Boots was spectacular. Everything from the book to the costumes to the unbelievably catchy songs to the undeniably talented cast was better than I hoped for, and every Tony it took home was more than well earned. I’m hesitant to say it has been my favorite show of the summer only because I fell in love with Pippin, as well. The two are so different that they are almost impossible to compare side-by-side, let alone pick between the two. Which, of course, for a Broadway fanatic like myself, is an amazing problem to have.
After crossing Kinky Boots and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike off the Broadway bucket list this week (and First Date last week), I sadly think my time in Broadway theatres is over for the summer. Fortunately, I made it to every show I hoped to see (with the exception of Matilda only because I’m seeing it December in London!), unfortunately, I’m dying to see about half of them again (and again and again). If moving to the city after graduation becomes a reality, the one thing I can guarantee that will help calm the nerves and anxiety of moving so far away will be that I can see as many Broadway musicals as often as I want (assuming I don’t go broke, first).
My internship continues to convince me that Broadway.com is where I want to be one day. This past week I continued to work hard and pitch ideas in our daily news meetings, and found myself once again on The Broadway.com show because of it. Getting to research and write about Broadway while co-anchoring on camera with reporters whose content I read and watch on a daily basis has been an absolute dream come true, and has continued to reinforce that my dream job is exactly where I’m interning right now.
The fact that it’s August is in itself very daunting. With August comes back to school, sorority rush, class and schoolwork, and the realization that a ten-week summer I’d been looking forward to, freaking out about and dreaming of for months flew by in the blink of an eye, and as cliché as it sounds, it is extremely bittersweet. In the meantime, however (it’s not over yet!), be on the lookout for a video recap of my incredible summer experience, and (hopefully) keep looking for me on Broadway.com.
-Wendi
