Krysta Rodriguez and ChemoCouture

As some of you may have heard, star of stage and screen Krysta Rodriguez has announced her diagnosis with breast cancer. I have been a fan of Rodriguez ever since seeing her as Anna on Smash‘s second season, then growing to love her more listening to First Date and The Addams Family Broadway cast recordings and seeing her collaborations with Joe Iconis on YouTube. I was very, very sad to hear this news.

Rodriguez says that she was diagnosed in September 2014. However what I am very happy to see is how she is responding to her diagnosis, which is a highly positive approach. She has said that with chemo there will be an obvious change in her appearance, and being an actress she relies on her looks. She stated that she did not want chemo, admittedly partially for vanity reasons but also fertility reasons (she has put some of her eggs on ice). But instead of becoming depressed and hiding away, she has stated that “2015 is my year with cancer. Might as well make it a beautiful one!”

Rodriguez has set up a new blog called ChemoCouture. This blog will offer beauty and fashion tips along with changes in her diet etc for those going through similar experiences. She also wants help herself so if you can offer her any tips then she seems to be very welcoming. I admire what she is doing here and I would imagine she is inspiring many, especially those going through this with her.

A close friend of mine recently lost someone after a long battle with cancer. I have no idea what it is like to have cancer or witness someone be a victim to such a terrible illness, but seeing how it affected my friend gave me an insight in to how bad it can be. I send my thoughts to Krysta’s close friends and family.

I personally wish Krysta all the best and a speedy recovery. I hope that her high spirits inspire many and that she is back on a stage somewhere soon. I hope she gets through this and I’m certain that even though she may doubt it, she will look beautiful no matter what.

Please visit ChemoCouture and see what she is writing and send her advice if you can. You can get to ChemoCouture here.

Photo credits: Playbill, TDF

My WhatOnStage Awards Predictions

So we’ve come to that time of year. It’s awards time!! No, not the Oscars (although I am excited for those too) but the WhatsOnStage awards! These awards are voted for by the public, setting them apart from any other major London theatre awards. I did vote, yet my predictions slightly differ. I reckon quite a few of the awards are 90% set in stone already because of the large fanbase of a certain show, and if the musical acting awards go to anyone else, I will be very surprised. There are many worthy nominees this year and I wouldn’t be disappointed, just surprised. Remember, this is not who I voted for, this is who I predict will win. My predictions (in bold) are:

Best Actor in a Play:
• David Tennant, Richard II
• Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge
• Richard Armitage, The Crucible
• Tom Bateman, Shakespeare in Love
• Tom Hiddleston, Coriolanus

Best Actress in a Play:
• Billie Piper, Great Britain
• Gillian Anderson, A Streetcar Named Desire
• Helen McCrory, Medea
• Imelda Staunton, Good People
• Lucy Briggs-Owen, Shakespeare in Love

Best Actor in a Musical:
• Alistair Brammer, Miss Saigon
• Jon Jon Briones, Miss Saigon
• Killian Donnelly, Memphis the Musical
• Marti Pellow, Evita
• Robert Lindsay, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Best Actress in a Musical:
• Beverley Knight, Memphis the Musical
• Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon
• Gemma Arterton, Made in Dagenham
• Jenna Russell, Urinetown the Musical
• Madalena Alberto, Evita

Best Supporting Actor in a Play:
• Adrian Schiller, The Crucible
• David Oakes, Shakespeare in Love
• Hadley Fraser, Coriolanus
• Mark Gatiss, Coriolanus
• Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies

Best Supporting Actress in a Play:
• Anna Madeley, The Crucible
• Deborah Findlay, Coriolanus
• Nicola Walker, A View From the Bridge
• Samantha Colley, The Crucible
• Vanessa Kirby, A Streetcar Named Desire

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical:
• Ben Forster, Evita
• George Maguire, Sunny Afternoon
• Hugh Maynard, Miss Saigon
• Kwang-Ho Hong, Miss Saigon
• Rolan Bell, Memphis the Musical

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical:
• Claire Machin, Memphis the Musical
• Karis Jack, Urinetown the Musical
• Katherine Kingsley, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Rachelle Ann Go, Miss Saigon
• Samantha Bond, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Best New Play:
• Great Britain
• King Charles III
• The Nether
• Shakespeare in Love
• Wolf Hall

Best New Musical:
• Here Lies Love
• Made in Dagenham
• Memphis the Musical
• Sunny Afternoon
• Urinetown the Musical

Best Play Revival:
• Blithe Spirit
• Coriolanus
• The Crucible
• Richard II
• A Streetcar Named Desire

Best Musical Revival:
• Evita
• Miss Saigon
• The Pajama Game
• Porgy and Bess
• Sweeney Todd

Best Direction:
• Christopher Ashley, Memphis the Musical
• Gregory Doran, Richard II
• Jamie Lloyd, Urinetown the Musical
• Laurence Connor, Miss Saigon
• Yaël Farber, The Crucible

Best Choreography:
• Ann Yee, Urinetown the Musical
• Bob Avian & Geoffrey Garratt, Miss Saigon
• Drew McOnie, In the Heights
• Jerry Mitchell, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Sergio Trujillo, Memphis the Musical

Best Set Design:
• Bunny Christie, Made in Dagenham
• David Gallo, Memphis the Musical
• Nick Ormerod, Shakespeare in Love
• Soutra Gilmour, Urinetown the Musical
• Totie Driver & Matt Kinley, Miss Saigon

Best Lighting Design:
• Adam Silverman, Urinetown the Musical
• Bruno Poet, Miss Saigon
• Howell Binkley, Memphis the Musical
• Jon Clark, Made in Dagenham
• Mark Henderson, Coriolanus

Best Off-West End Production:
• Dogfight, Southwark Playhouse
• Forbidden Broadway, Menier Chocolate Factory
• In the Heights, Southwark Playhouse
• Oh, the Humanity and Other Good Intentions, Tabard Theatre
• Sweeney Todd, Twickenham Theatre

Best Regional Production sponsored by Travelzoo:
• Guys and Dolls, Chichester Festival Theatre
• Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre
• The Kite Runner, Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
• Oliver!, Sheffield Crucible
• Water Babies, Curve Leicester

Best Takeover in a Role sponsored by Equity:
• Craige Els, Matilda the Musical
• David Hunter, Once
• Jennifer DiNoia, Wicked
• Kerry Ellis, Wicked
• Michael Watson, Jersey Boys

Best West End Show:
• Les Misérables
• Matilda the Musical
• Memphis the Musical
• Miss Saigon
• Wicked

So there you go! I reckon it will be a near clean sweep for Miss Saigon due to it’s huge popularity, and I reckon it deserves many of the awards. In many of the categories there are people that also thoroughly deserve the awards, particularly in the acting categories as there have been some splendid performances this year, but this is who reckon will pull the prize.

Do you agree or not? Please let me know! If you are going to the ceremony, I am very jealous of you but hope you have a wonderful time!

Photo credits: WhatsOnStage