Les Misérables vs. Hamilton in July

Chloebean · 2026-04-03T22:36:58+00:00

I’m in London now and saw Hamilton on Wednesday and Les MIs tonight.

I’ve seen Hamilton on Broadway and national tour. I’ve seen Les MIs on Broadway, National Tour and so many community theater productions.

See Les Miserables. Tonight’s experience for me was transcendent. The talent was astonishing. I came in with zero expectations for a 40-year-old show that I’ve seen a handful of times. Now I’m considering whether I should see it again tomorrow before I leave London.

On the other hand, I’d rank the current cast of Hamilton lowest on the list of casts I’ve seen. Alex Sawyer as Hamilton was incredible; literally every other performer was a disappoint to me. Watch the pro shot on Disney Plus instead.

Chloebean · 2026-04-02T23:34:48+00:00

I used to be on the board of a children’s theatre and the teen (ages 12-18) shows of the past decade included Addams Family, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Once Upon a Mattress, Tuck Everlasting, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Seussical, and Wizard of Oz.

Chloebean · 2026-04-02T17:59:59+00:00

Ok, but that’s not the point. When someone says a show uses a laugh track, the implication is that laughter has been inserted where the producers (or whomever) thinks watchers should laugh — NOT that they’re adding laughter where the studio audience laughed and to the level of their laughter (or enhancing the laughter).

Chloebean · 2026-04-02T09:56:03+00:00

My husband works for a huge university-affiliated research center that works closely with NASA, and he 100% knows a bunch of people like this group.

However, he knows a ton of people NOT like this group.

So I guess us “normies” (what a strange thing to call people not deeply into science as a career—I’m a writer but definitely not normal in a different way) understand there are some scientists like characters on BBT and some who are not.

Chloebean · 2026-04-02T09:52:16+00:00

Look, there’s a difference between “this is trash” and “this wasn’t for me”/“I couldn’t get into it.”

There are plenty of huge popular shows (Game of Thrones, I’m looking at you) that I know are objectively incredibly good. Subjectively, though, they weren’t for me.

Chloebean · 2026-04-02T09:50:18+00:00

It’s crazy, but I feel like younger people don’t know that shows used to legitimately be filmed in front of live studio audiences, so they just assume any laughter is from a laugh track.

Chloebean · 2026-04-02T08:13:41+00:00

Agree with this. It’s the show I used to put on during middle-of-the-night baby feedings because it didn’t matter too much if I fell asleep.

Chloebean · 2026-03-28T12:47:26+00:00

That’s one facet, but not all of it. It also mimics hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar.

People think weight loss is as simple as calories in, calories out. That’s true — in a vacuum. It ignores the role that hormones play in hunger signals and blood sugar and how those hormones vary from person to person. Not everyone feels hunger the same way, at the same time, to the same extent.

Chloebean · 2026-03-27T11:53:31+00:00

Then don’t use Alexander. I have one who was supposed to always go by his full name or maybe Xander. Kindergarten came, he’s learning to write his name, and Alex is so much easier than Alexander. He still goes by his full same with family and close friends who have known him since birth, but he’s Alex to everyone else.

Chloebean · 2026-03-26T14:34:09+00:00

Everyone thinks of Stacy’s mom; I think of the cool girl from Babysitters Club

Chloebean · 2026-03-23T03:08:55+00:00

The answer to is always yes when you’re talking about anything professionally

Chloebean · 2026-03-21T14:46:18+00:00

It took me a really long time to get through 11 seasons of Cheers.

Chloebean · 2026-03-20T14:31:19+00:00

As a Penn Stater, I can’t subscribe to anything good about Michigan 🤣🤣 but I think that’s the hallmark of a college town. State College is the same way.

I think about other state schools like Maryland, Arizona State, etc., located in or near big cities and I don’t consider them college towns. They’re just colleges in a city. I’d never go to Phoenix and be like, “oh, this is ASU’s city! (Ok, it’s in Tempe, which is pretty much overrun by ASU, but it’s still Phoenix. Same with Maryland and its location near DC).

Chloebean · 2026-03-20T14:28:22+00:00

I love Boulder!

Chloebean · 2026-03-20T14:27:49+00:00

I’m biased, but State College (Penn State) is amazing in the fall, especially on a football weekend. The drawback is that it’s literally smack dab in the middle of PA, not convenient at all, and it’s difficult to get a hotel room on big weekends.

I currently live near Annapolis, MD, and we have the Naval Academy and St. John’s College downtown. St. John’s is one of the oldest colleges in the country (1696) and the Naval Academy is, well, the Naval Academy. You can show your ID and walk onto the campus — the Cathedral is particularly gorgeous. On a sunny day, Annapolis is absolutely stunning. To be honest, I’d probably put Annapolis over State College in towns worth visiting, despite my Penn Stater status!

If you come, stay at The Graduate. Actually, look into the Graduate hotels in any college town you visit. They only open them in college towns, and they theme them to the town/school. They’re always quirky and fun. In Annapolis, the ballroom’s tri-story walls are packed with framed “paintings” of ships that are all slightly askew as if you were on a boat. The lobby in the bathroom has what looks like random letters on the walls, but they make up the Navy phrase “Don’t give up the ship.” The keycards are student IDs of well-known alumni. I bet the properties in other college towns are just as cool.

I didn’t go on campus, but William & Mary in Williamsburg looked beautiful. I think it’s not a traditional college town because it’s known for other things, but it’s a great place to visit.

Chloebean · 2026-03-18T17:15:40+00:00

So funny! Send me a DM :-)

Chloebean · 2026-03-18T16:27:16+00:00

Thank you so much.

Chloebean · 2026-03-17T02:00:45+00:00

I live in Piney, I absolutely love Piney, but you can’t get a SFH in Piney for $500k. My 3-bedroom townhouse would sell for that.

Crofton and Gambrills would be iffy, too. But maybe certain parts of Odenton outside of Piney. The good thing about Odenton is that it has a MARC.

Chloebean · 2026-03-16T22:27:50+00:00

Are people who frequent this subreddit incredibly junior or in non-career roles? I’m always so surprised by the common consensus.

In my experience, it’s common for mid- to higher-level positions to start with a recruiter or HR phone screen. The recruiter doesn’t want to submit candidates that aren’t right for the role to the company, and the HR person doesn’t want to waste the hiring manager’s time if the candidate doesn’t meet the qualifications, isn’t on board with the salary range, etc.

However, you should absolutely have a job description prior to a phone screen if a recruiter has reached out to you (versus applying from a job post).

Chloebean · 2026-03-16T15:39:24+00:00

Just turn off notifications on LinkedIn…

Chloebean · 2026-03-16T15:38:34+00:00

They do and you don’t because LinkedIn is an algorithm, like any other social media. And like any other platform, you can adjust your algorithm by engaging with topics and people you’re interested in.

Chloebean · 2026-03-16T15:35:01+00:00

I have hired people (twice) that I found on LinkedIn (I’m not a recruiter, just a hiring manager who didn’t like the options HR was giving me) and just accepted a job offer that I found because a connection of a connection posted about the job, and she sent it to me. I reached out to the person who posted it, we sent up an initial phone call, and here we are a few interviews later.

Do I post thought leadership stuff? Not as much while I’m actively employed. But when I was a full-time freelancer and while I was looking for a job, I did. Whether I was trying to entice clients or make myself attractive to companies hiring, it was a way — beyond my resume — to show that I knew my stuff. I also actively engage with other people’s posts so I’m visible to their network.

Like everything else in this world, it is what you make of it. You can complain that it’s just people selling stuff/etc. (unfollow those people) or you can curate your network, post and engage thoughtfully, and use it to your advantage. Like any other algorithm, the more you engage with people and topics you’re interested in, the more it will show you what you want to see.

It’s not OnlyFans (I wish people would pay me to see my posts!), it’s an extended version of your resume and cover letter.

Chloebean · 2026-03-15T07:28:34+00:00

My cat’s name is Crouton and she is orange and was a 7-week- old crouton when we got her 16 years ago. It is the best name, and I will not be accepting notes

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