Good morning everybody and welcome to The Balancing Act. We are so glad you joined us.
I'm Julie Moran. And I'm Olga Villaverde.
Okay, today we're continuing our Broadway Balances America series, once again going
behind the scenes of Broadway's best shows as they travel across the country.
And today, we are talking the Sound of Music. My favorite!
I love it. Celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year, and that beloved musical continues
to be one of the most successful movie musicals in history. In fact, trivia, how many Academy
Awards did it win? I just know this. Five.
Yes. Yeah!
Including Best Picture. And now the treasured story of Maria and the
Von Trapp family is once again thrilling audiences as the brand new national tour comes to your
city. I can't wait to see it. Also, I can't wait
for the holidays. Me either.
Do you have my gift yet? I've got them all.
Alright, and we've got great ideas from our friends at iRULU.
The Balancing Act starts right now. (music).
Broadway Balancing America brought to you by Broadway Across America, bringing the best
of Broadway to a city near you. (music).
We are once again heading to Broadway and Beyond as our Broadway Balances America series
takes us behind the scenes of some of the beloved Broadway musicals as they travel across
the country and into your local theaters. Today, the hills and our show are alive with
the sound of music as the cherished movie musical celebrates its 50th anniversary with
an all-new stage production. Balancing Act Correspondent, Amber Milt, met
with the creative team and the new actors taking on those iconic roles as they prepared
for its national touring premier. That's right, ladies. The Sound of Music truly
is one of my favorite things. This classic has been revitalized and its story and score
are striking the right balance with today's audiences.
(Singing) "Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun"
From stage to screen, it's a story that has been seen by millions the world over with
iconic songs that are embedded in the lexicon of our lives.
So, Jack, tell us about how you approached such a classic musical and how you're going
to bring it -- give it new life? I have great respect for this piece. When
I started looking, this one was the year 1938. Now, I've never thought about this piece historically.
I encouraged the company not to sing because the minute you hear those iconic songs, you
start to relax and think "Oh, here are these songs from my childhood that I loved all my
life" as opposed to "This is a journey that's going on." We discovered things that were
funny. We discovered things that were irreverent. We discovered things that were human. So,
everybody in the piece became instantly dimensional for me and for them. And that's the journey
we took, and it's been astonishing to us, all of us.
You should know, clearly this is the set. Jack O'Brien, a three-time Tony award winning
director whose illustrious Broadway career has span decades is at the helm of this new
production. There have been other R&H shows that have
been looked at by really good directors, but nobody has gone sort of anywhere near this
one. When I watch what Jack has done, I just sit there sort of in awe because there are
things, there are lines that I didn't realize were there. And as a result, it seems completely
new. Bringing the show back to the stage meant
modernizing it, and making sure Maria, a role that for many will always be associated with
Julie Andrews, as relevant and relatable to today's woman.
(Singing) "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad…"
This girl walked in the room, and she was kind of a jock. She was like a sort of girl
field hockey player. And I thought, "Well, that's right. That's a country mountain girl
who grew up on a mountain, who didn't expect to have a career on the stage, who thought
she was going to be a nun, and then realized maybe she was too hot to be a nun, for all
we know." In other words, everything about her seemed completely unlikely, and when she
opened her mouth, that voice. And I sort of fell in love.
Well, Jack O'Brien's been really lovely about that. He's totally liberated me from feeling
like I need to be Julie Andrews or need to be Mary Martin because I know them so well
as well. I've memorized that movie. But he's opening new doors and expanding horizons,
and he's made Maria sort of a country girl. And I'm from Vermont, so it's totally I get
to incorporate my love of the mountains into her as well.
(Singing) "The hills are alive with the sound of music."
Maria's journey in the story is really finding her place in the world, and I think that's
something everybody can relate to. It's a struggle sometimes, but she is constantly
persevering and constantly making the best out of situations and with a positive attitude.
Helping Maria come to terms with how her life is changing is Mother Abbess played by Ashley
Brown. (Singing) "Raindrops on roses and whiskers
on kitten, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens."
When I first got the call from Jack O'Brien that he wanted me to play this, I was like,
"What!?" He's one of the best directors of our time. He just has this whole new vision
of who Mother Abbess is, and that's why he wanted me to play the part. The rehearsals,
that's been the most amazing part of the journey, is finding my Mother Abbess and getting away
from what we all know, and making her human and making her relatable.
Equally important is the role of Caption Von Trapp, who starts our stern but transforms
over time. (Singing) "Edelweiss, edelweiss."
It's because his wife died, and he's been left as a single father of these seven children.
So, his sternness is a way of him shutting emotion out, is the disciple, his way of keeping
things ordered. Otherwise it's a chaotic world to him, one that he can't control and he wasn't
able to control the death of his wife. And my father passed away two years ago, and so
you feel that void in your life, and it's never completely filled. But you do find joys
in other places, and you try to realize that life goes on. And I think that's what the
Captain learns through Maria is that life continues on, and he's able to find joy again.
(Singing) "Climb every mountain, search high and low…"
The production still features all the classic songs with music by Richard Rogers, lyrics
by Oscar Hammerstein II. Let's talk about some of those iconic songs, Climb Every Mountain.
How are you going to make that your own? That's a tough song. And not only technically
is it tough, but it's an anthem in musical theatre. You know, everybody knows the words,
everybody knows the tune. It's not just telling her to go climb because that's what you're
supposed to do. You know, it's what I learned when I was at the same crossroads as she is
right now, and don't be scared. Just go for it. Take the leap. And then at the very end,
she gave me my purpose again. And it's just that give and take of those two characters.
And I think that's what makes that song very powerful. It's thrilling. It's wonderful.
It's so exciting to be able to sing the songs that I know and love and grew up with, with
such amazing people on stage as well. That was more than evident at the show's premier.
They are losing their minds. It's been so positive. It's really made people see the
story in a different light. That's what has been really great about hearing the audience's
reaction. It's laughing and crying and screaming and clapping. It's what you want every time
you do a musical. (Singing) "I am sixteen going on seventeen,
I know that I'm naive. Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet, and willingly I believe."
It is indeed a show the whole family will enjoy. When people walk away from the Sound
of Music, from your Sound of Music, what do you want them to feel?
Immediately I think of one word, and I hope I hear it in these months ahead, astonished.
Like with anything you love and respect and think you know, in order to listen to it again,
you have to be refreshed. And if you hear and see things you didn't see the first time,
I think the response would be, "I don't know about you, but I was astonished."
I'm excited to see all these new cities and to bring such a beloved story to all around
the country. It's a dream come true. (Singing) "And I'll sing once more."
(Applause) The North American tour of the Sound of Music
continues coming soon to a theatre near you. Check out BroadwayBalancesAmerica.com, or
go to our website, TheBalancingAct.com for all the show information, tour dates, and
more. (music).
(music). iRULU, even Santa wants one. Get yours today
at iRULU.com. The holidays are upon us, and you know what
that means ladies? It means time to think about great gift ideas, maybe even some practical
stocking stuffers. And for budget conscious moms, like myself, making those gifts practical
and usable all year long is just plain, well, it's just plain smart. And speaking of smart,
back with us to talk about smart technology devices this gift giving season is Elizabeth
Little of iRULU technologies. And, Elizabeth, it is so hard to believe that the holidays
are upon us, but it's so great to have you back on the set. Love having you.
It's so great to see you again. Well, you've got so many goodies for us today,
and I just want to start with what really makes technology devices such as a smart choice
for gift giving. Well, technology devices and smart devices
in particular are such a great stocking stuffer. Everybody loves them. They make our lives
easier and more enjoyable. They really do. And, you know, they can be
expensive. I mean, let's face it. But what you've brought and what you always bring is
price point, and how do you pick the right device for the right person.
So, first, understand what that person on your wish list really would like in terms
of smart technology, and then understand what kind of features are essential for them. For
example, holiday travel is going to be a lot more fun with kids in the car if they have
a tablet because it will keep them occupied. Oh, and the parents love that.
Exactly. But you want to make sure that that tablet has the durability built in so it can
stand up to wear and tear. So, once you understand, really, the features and the product you want
to buy, go online and do some comparison shopping to make sure you're going to get the most
bang for your buck. And show us the technology, you've got so
much today, but that moms are really going to respond to.
As you know, iRULU is best known for tablets and smart phones, but over the years iRULU.com
has become a real destination for a lot of fun and exciting smart devices that go beyond
tablets and smart phones now. And I brought a nice range to show you today. So, the first
option is called the WalknBook Hybrid Tablet, and this tablet has a removable touchscreen
that you can take off and use as a tablet at the end of the day. It's great because
it's powered by an Intel processor. It has a Windows operating system, and it comes with
a subscription to Office 365. And the WalknBook Tablet retails for under $200.
See, that's amazing to me. I can't believe that. And what I love, I love the hot orange.
That is just…that's happening right now. It's great. And it also comes in green and
in black. Perfect.
The next is the Lightning Tablet, and the Lightning has an Octa-core processor which
makes it really fast for its download speed. So, it's perfect for playing games and watching
videos. And that tablet retails for under $100.
Wait. Stop! For under $100? Under $100.
Okay. We need this. I need this. Every parent needs this. This is a great Christmas gift
or holiday gift. It's an awesome stock stuffer. And then I
have a couple tablets for kids. The green is called the BabyPad, and it has rubberized
corners, and then built into the screen are lots of activities kids love like painting
and photo editing. And then the purple tablet is a seven inch screen, so it's the perfect
size for little hands. And both of these tablets retail for under $50.
How do you guys keep the prices so low? Back in 2005, our Founder set out on a mission
to make smart device technology affordable for everyone, and he developed a low-cost
business model that does no traditional advertising, and we sell 100% online. And we pass those
cost savings onto consumers in the form of lower prices. And today, we've grown to the
point where we have over 250 employees. We have over 250,000 followers online, and our
website, iRULU.com, gets 300,000 visits every single month. We also have, Julie, a full-line
of unlocked smart phones that range from $100 to $200. And the benefit of an unlocked phone
is that it frees you from contracts with your carriers.
Perfect. So, you're free to change or cancel service
at any time, and this is called the V3 and this is the latest addition to the iRULU family
of phones. It has a 6.5 inch screen, and the challenge with big screens is that they typically
come with a trade-off of short battery life and slower processing speed. The nice thing
about the V3 is that the V3 gives you everything that you need in a big screen. You can take
your life on the go, but you don't have to compromise on battery life or processing speed.
It has up to 20 hours of talk time, and it has a qualcomm processor, the best you can
buy, which gives it really fast download speed and multitasking with your apps.
That is really important. And these are so fun. I love these. These are new. I haven't
seen these yet. Right.
So, this is just an example of some of the other fun smart technology devices you can
find on iRULU.com. We have blue tooth speakers, and these connect with the tablets and the
phones to play your music. And then we also have a line of smart watches this year. You
can use it as a pedometer or to take and answer texts when you're on the go.
Elizabeth, where can we go to find all these goodies?
Well, our full lineup is available on iRULU.com. We're also available on amazon, ebay, and
new egg. And if you'd like to take a sneak peak at
the affordable technology digital devices that won't bust the holiday stocking or the
bank, you can also visit us at TheBalancingAct.com. And, of course, you can get that online holiday
socializing started right now by logging onto Facebook/TheBalancingActFans.
(music). (music).
Is your soggy cold breakfast routine putting you back to sleep? Okay, time to turn off
the snooze button and get cracking on a great new breakfast idea featuring, get this, Ramen
noodles. Chef Chris Paul is here to get us started. Good morning.
Good morning. How are you?
I'm awesome. How are you? Good. Are you a breakfast eater?
I am. You know, I'm really not. I don't have time.
I'm just out the door, cup of coffee. This is for you.
Really? Fast? Because it's easy, fast. It's good, it's healthy.
Alright. And you know what? We're going to make it
right here. Really? Right now?
I'll show you how to do it really quickly. Alright. Show me.
Eggs. Really important for breakfast, right? I do love eggs.
So, we're going to crack these right in the bowl. Whoops, sorry. We just -- I'm sorry,
at my house, I cook and my wife cleans. So… And then we're going to mix it right in here.
We're going to add a little bit of milk, right? Just a little.
If I was your wife… (Laughter).
That's the deal. I cook, she cleans. Okay.
So, we mix this in, and all these ingredients you can incorporate, right? You can sneak
in vegetables. The kids don't know it. You've got spinach, cheese, bacon.
Ooh! Love that. Tomatoes, a little basil. You have broccoli.
Broccoli's a home run. And this is what's really kind of makes it over the top, the
noodles. Really?
Yes. You add Ramen noodles? Which one? The spicy
vegetable flavor. Yup. Yup.
Ooh! So it has a zing. Yes! Exactly. You gotta have zing. So I'm
going to go ahead and put the noodles right in here.
I'm still in shock that you threw those eggs. (Laughter). We'll clean it up. Don't worry.
That's the fun part of it. I'm probably never invited back here.
No, it's okay. It was just unexpected. Go ahead.
So, you just incorporate this, and you want to get a nice casserole dish that you can
actually dip a little bit in. It's about 3 ounces in there.
How easy. Yeah.
Okay. Can I try one? Please. Please. We made you some. And this
is the display plate for everybody to see. Okay, goodness gracious. I just ripped a little
paper outside of it. The paper's not included.
Oh my God, the paper's ripping. Noodles, the vegetables…
Mmmm! And you can put this anywhere. You can slip
it in your pocketbook. You can slip it in your pocket and then eat it later.
I definitely wouldn't throw it on the floor. (laughter)
Thank you so much. This is really cute. And for the children, I could even pack it in
a little ziplock and a little snack. See?
Thank you. Breakfast is easy.
Breakfast is great especially when you have a talented chef throwing the eggs. Thank you.
And if you want to learn more about Maruchan noodle bowls -- that really was not planned
as you can tell -- logon to TheBalancingAct.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter
as well. This is really tasty chef. I'm going to have
another bite. (music)
Portions of today's program are brought to you by iRULU, makers of quality tablets and
smart phones that fit the family budget. iRULU, today's hottest technology without the high
price. (music).
I really want to see The Sound of Music. Me, too!
Oh my gosh, it looks so fabulous. What is your favorite song from the movie?
(Singing) "What do you call a problem like Maria?"
You know, I just want to stand in that dress and twirl in those hills.
Okay, here we go. As always, you can check out our website -- I am not a singer -- TheBalancingAct.com.
We're also on Facebook and Twitter. And until next time, remember…
Find your balance. So long, everybody.
(music).