by Sandy | Dec 20, 2008 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Concerts, Events, Live Performance
If not, you can always go northwest to Vancouver, Canada for a few days. I live in San Francisco and we declare an emergency whenever the temperature drops below 45. I can’t really complain when I compare our weather to back east where digging your car out of the snow is a community event. But, just in case you’re looking for a little more chill, go visit British Columbia.
Beginning January 20 to February 8, 2009, Vancouver will put on its 5th “PuSh“ International Performing Arts Festival. There will be music, dance, and theater – 18 events in all. The city may be a bit frigid, but there will be a lot going on.
http://www.pushfestival.ca/
by Bob Martin | Dec 5, 2008 | Art, Dance, Dancers, Events, Live Performance
Picture credit: Andrew Eccles
When living in New York, I would receive as a birthday present every December, tickets to a performance of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. The event was always trans-formative.
Judith Jamison
Congratulations to Judith Jamison, who has done an incredible job and to everyone who is in involved with this wonderful dance company.
by Sandy | Oct 28, 2008 | Blogroll, Live Performance
Formerly “Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles”, this fabulous group, Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Patti LaBelle, changed their name to “LaBelle” in 1967 and sang, danced, sashayed their way to star status. Always in full costume, they sang great, put on a great show and were just fun.
Their classic album, “Nightbirds”, became a huge hit in 1975, (it included “Lady Marmalade”). The group split in 1976, went their successful separate ways and have returned with a new CD, “Back to Now”, released October, 2008. The music is still terrific and judging by the CD cover, “LaBelle” still loves to dress up. I’m happy the ladies are back.
BTW – The group sang back up on the brilliant Laura Nyro album called “Gonna Take A Miracle” in 1971. Excellent.
by Sandy | Aug 18, 2008 | Blogroll, Culture, Dance, Live Performance, Movies, Theater
There will be another revival of this ground breaking musical as a celebration of its 50th birthday. Previews will begin at the National Theatre in Washington DC on 12/16/08, the same theater where it first opened in 1957. It will then move on to Broadway in March 2009.
I love “West Side Story” and I love that I can revisit the ‘61 film on DVD, on CD and at the occasional theater revival. Based on Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, it was transplanted to the 50’s west side of Manhattan with music by Bernstein, lyrics by Sondheim, choreography and direction by Robbins.
On its Broadway opening night, Sept. 26, 1957, there was a question as to whether this musical was a hit or a miss. Neither the critics nor the audience were sure of what they had just seen. But in its existing 50 years, it has proven itself to be the perfect meld of dialogue, music and dance. A supreme example of the Broadway musical, “West Side Story” is a successful vehicle for a much used, tragic scenario.
Many of the songs, “Something’s Coming”, “Maria”, “America“, “Somewhere”, “Tonight”, are still being heard today at weddings, song recitals and Jazz venues. Some are universal love songs, but others are just fun – “Dear Sgt. Krupke”, “I Feel Pretty”.
(“When you’re a Jet you’re a Jet all the way – from your 1st cigarette ‘til your last dying day…”)
by Bob Martin | Aug 10, 2008 | Art, Art Travel, Creativity, Directors, Live Performance, Theater
We’ve been used to hearing that China has the largest population in the world, 1.3 billion people. However it is still difficult to get your mind wrapped around that number. It sounds like the national debt, mind boggling.
Olympics Opening Ceremony-Jeff Gross/Getty Images
To actually see 15,000 performers begins to put things into perspective. Lets face it “Cats” is a big production by our standards.
Through out the day, radio and T.V. commentators were bubbling about this spectacle (meant in the most positive of terms) almost to the point that I was willing to let it pass by, a little pissed off that NBC would not show it live.
I’m glad I abandoned my attitude and watched. 😀
by Sandy | Jul 8, 2008 | Art, Creativity, Culture, Dance, Dancers, Education, Events, Exhibits, Lecture, Live Performance, Poem, Writers
NBAF *Atlanta – July 18, thru July 27, 2008
Music, dance, film, theater, poetry, literature – all presented here, all celebrating the vibrant life and art of people of color.
There will also be special tributes to Gladys Knight, minus the “Pips”, and Judith Jamison of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (did you ever see her perform “Cry”?, Stunning).
National Black Arts Festival – 7/18 thru 7/27/08
1230 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA
“The mission of NBAF is to engage, cultivate and educate diverse audiences about the arts and culture of the African Diaspora and provide opportunities for artistic and creative expression.”
www.nbaf.org
(Image credit: Shannon McCollum/National Black Arts Festival)
