Hey guys, did you know I’m into musicals? (*cue sarcastic shouts of ‘Nah really Ria I had no idea?! That is brand new information to us!’) I’m a huge advocate of converting every single person I know into a musical theatre fan and seeing as the Olivier Awards are being held this weekend in London, I thought it’d be nice to extend this out into my blogging world too – you have been warned!
Of course the most important part of the musical is the music and as in most cases it’s super hard to actually go see a show (they’re either super expensive, all the way in London or New York, or unfortunately closed) But musical theatre soundtracks become the next best way to experience the magic.
Now I know a few of you are novices in this art form so I’m not gonna throw something weird or outrageous like Hedwig and the Angry Inch or Spring Awakening at you – though do look up the original cast recordings for those they’re freaking incredible – I thought I’d introduce you to a few soundtracks that’ll get you falling in love with the genre.
They may not be the most obvious choices, but they are some of my favourites. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Hello all you wonderful people! Past-Ria here. I’m feeling a little more optimistic than usual, as Present-Ria is currently headed to one of her old school chum’s wedding today and rather than moping about being single this year I want to spread the love to you guys instead.
Whether you’re happily loved up, looking for the one or going solo this year I want you to know this. You’re awesome. Like really, really freaking cool and even if you feel like you’re a little bit alone today, know that I love you lots ok?
And if you need a little help getting to your happy place today I’ve compiled a list of playlists to jam out to. They’re a mix of bad-ass women, sing-a-long tunes, love songs, ‘Valentine’s Day sucks’ type songs, soothing songs, upbeat songs and (of course) a generous helping of my girl Taylor Swift.
So grab your hairbrush, pour yourself a glass of wine (or other non-alcoholic beverage) and dance around the house like you just don’t care.
Not a fan of fancy dress? Trick or treating not your thing? Can’t be bothered to brave the cold for that pumpkin spiced latte? Never fear! You can still have a pretty decent evening in on the spookiest night of the year. Just fire up Netflix (or your other on-demand streaming service of choice), heat up a mountain of popcorn and check out my picks for the perfect Halloween night in viewing.
American Horror Story marathon (2011 – present)
Pick your favourite season – or one you haven’t watched before! – and go! AHS is now a horror filled institution and is perfect for a super gross, super gory and nightmare inducing night in. I would personally attempt powering through the psychological thriller themed Season 2, ‘Asylum’, but you have your pick of Murder House, Coven and – if you’re watching in line with the US – Freak Show to get through.
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
If you’re already excited for the ‘C’ word but are being forced to think about pumpkins and skeletons instead, this is a nice compromise. The tale of Jack Skellington is both ghoulish, hilarious and ironically heartwarming all at the same time. Throw in some seriously memorable songs and you’re all set!
Hocus Pocus (1993)
What’s Halloween without a couple of witches, cheesy 90s special effects and SJP-pre-Carrie Bradshaw? In all seriousness, if you haven’t seen this movie, get on it! It’s a cult classic and fabulously funny too.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Halloween specials (1997-2003)
Ok so this isn’t exactly Halloween specific – and Buffy should really be mandatory viewing at any time of year in my opinion – but vampires, demons, and kick-ass female heroines in a Whedon-helmed TV show is hard to resist. If you want something more specific, there are a couple of Halloween episodes you can pick from.
Dead Silence (2007)
If you’re really intent on scaring yourself witless on Halloween, then try out Dead Silence. It has all the elements of your typical horror movie – creaky old town, murder mystery…ventriloquist puppets…yep, you read that right. Puppets. I watched this with a friend of mine and it’s has one of the more interesting twists to a horror film I’ve seen in a long time. I would not recommend watching solo though. Grab some friends to cuddle in the blankets with before hitting play on this one.
