So I’ve been missing in action this week, and this may or may not be my only entry (but it’s a good one!).  After all, when your two best friends are in town, you gotta do what you gotta do (which for us, means eating a lot of tasty treats and taking pictures of ourselves in this wooden cutout of prairie dogs at the Columbus zoo…among other perfectly normal things).  And what I gotta do is play!  Ellen DeGeneres was on Oprah recently, and one thing she said that I absolutely loved and whole heartedly agree with was that “everybody stops playing when they get older.”  It’s so applicable to dance as well…I think that one should be able to go into a studio, at any age, laugh, have a good time and make the studio your happy place.  I know I do, and it’s pretty easy if you’ve had teachers like a Karen Eliot (if that’s her real name), who always manages to make me laugh.  I also think nurturing the inner child is what delights ballet audiences and brings us back again and again.  Some stick in the mud pragmatic adult would convince themselves to spend the money on other things or that ballet is for dreamers, while we dance audiences can barely wait until the next show and never cease to be amused by the ethereal.  So brava dance fans…you’re doing wonderful things for your inner child.

Anywhodle, I just finished watching The Royal Danish Ballet’s production of La Sylphide, choreographed by August Bournonville.  All I can say is, I immediately added this one to my amazon.com wish list.  It’s a gem…Baltic amber if you will recall (because amber perfectly preserves a plant or creature inside of it, blah blah blah while other ballets are fossils that only offer traces of what once existed, blah blah blah, I’m a paleontology geek, and that’s the metaphor that works for me.  I nurture my inner child via dance and dinosaur bones).  I will say that I might like the score for the original La Sylphide better, but Herman Løvenskiold’s quite wonderful as well.  Maybe you get what you paid for, and it’s not that I disliked Løvenskiold’s score, just musically I’m pretty sure I liked the other one better.  Bournonville’s Sylphide wins everything else though, and the score may have even worked against Lacotte.  For one thing, Bournonville’s Sylphide is just over an hour while Lacotte had roughly an additional half an hour.  Now having watched Bournonville’s, and how he decided to interpret the libretto, I almost feel like Lacotte didn’t know what to do with the extra thirty minutes.  I’ll chalk it up to poor time management skills because he crammed Gurn and Effie’s “engagement” into the first act as an afterthought, while Bournonville placed a significant exchange with Madge in the second act, which to me gave Effie and Gurn’s relationship (as well as the character of Gurn himself) much more significance.  Even the procession is brought downstage, right in front of James, rather than being distant in the background, which for lack of a better term was totally rubbing it in his face.  It makes his devastation over having lost both the Sylph and Effie more believable.

Lacotte’s costuming was an eye sore too.  The bright red and sky blue plaids were bizarre, and The Royal Danish Ballet’s plaids were predominantly the typical reds, greens and yellows, with the shades being earthier and not so crayon-ish.  Reminds me of my days as the assistant stage manager for my high school’s production of Brigadoon, sifting through our massive costumes closet with the costumes crew, looking for plaids and kilts…it was a lot of dust and a lot of sneezing.  But I digress (although on the topic of costuming, I also liked Effie’s pigtails, because I am a proponent of pigtails for no logical reason, but then later on when it was revealed to be this odd bun plus pigtails hybrid contraption I was unnerved).  It’s weird to look back at the Lacotte Sylphide now, because I thought it was perfectly lovely at the time, but now there’s just so much that doesn’t make sense…like the whole pas de trois with James, Effie and the Sylph.  Bournonville’s Sylph has more nerve and sort of flits in and out when the characters besides James have their backs turned, but Lacotte’s inclusion of the Sylph in that pas de trois makes things confusing, as if to say James was hallucinating because he had the most epic case of cold feet ever, which doesn’t fall in line with the libretto at all.

I liked the portrayal of Madge a lot more in Bournonville’s Sylphide…she wasn’t so crone-ish.  Sorella Englund was fantastic, and she made this hilarious face at James when she’s telling him to hide the “scarf of doom” from the Sylph that actually made me snort from laughing (that and the moment when Gurn falls on his bum when the chair is pulled out from beneath him…totally didn’t see that one coming.  Oh, early 19^th century humor.)  Lis Jeppesen was a gorgeous Sylph, and she has this wonderfully open chest, or as friend Svetlana would say, a “beautiful bony sternum” (man, I need to figure out how to get one of those!).  One thing I really noticed, and I’m not entirely sure if it was part of the choreography itself or the Bournonville style was how creamy the port de bras of all the Sylphs were.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen such soft arm movements, and it really added to the spritely, floating quality of the Sylphs, and sharply contrasted the rigidity of Jeppesen’s arms at the end during her death scene.  It wasn’t some romanticized, lyrical death like a swan a la Fokine, but a butterfly’s final twitches before it dies.  I felt Jeppesen’s interpretation of the Sylph to be much more indicative of an otherworldly fairy, while Lacotte’s choreography had Dupont looking more like a shy, tentative child.  Nikolaj Hübbe was…flawless (and quite handsome) as James, and there was this wonderful moment in the second act, where he’s walking amongst the Sylphs, and he had this fascination like a child in the summertime, walking amongst fireflies.  Of course his dancing was superb, with such clean batterie and quick, articulate legs and feet.  I almost think Bournonville saw legs as being equal to arms; the same speed and control with which we can maneuver are arms should be possible with the legs.

I actually got a chance (thanks to Karena) to have a go at Bournonville petite allegros, and I have to say they were among the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in ballet.  If there’s ever an argument for muscle memory, Bournonville allegros would be it, because there is no way you can think your way through them; your body has to KNOW them.  Otherwise, you get lost and you’re screwed.  There were so many quick changes of facings, like a mini tour jeté in the opposite direction that you wouldn’t naturally think of, lots of little transition steps that required precision, and of course little tippity-dips and shooby-doos with beats and whatnot.  The sensation of doing Bournonville allegros can be likened to being thrown into a cotton candy machine…it’s sweet, light and fluffy, but you’re just kind of along for the ride.  You’re not in control of your own body (your mind is definitely not in control), but in some ways that almost feels more like…dancing.  Because your body is just doing it, and once it knows how, you’re free to dance with your face and add the icing.

So this DVD is a must, and although the full version isn’t on YouTube there are some really interesting videos like one of Ellen Price dancing the opening variation in 1903!  It really is incredible that the choreography is exactly the same, and delightful as ever.

Another video of note that I found particularly moving was Erik Bruhn and Carla Fracci.  Bruhn, I think I read somewhere is said to be one of the greatest James of all time, although there is no full length recording of him in the ballet, just the grand pas de deux.  They left me speechless.  Must. See. More. Erik Bruhn.

And lastly, just for fun, current Royal Ballet principal Johan Kobborg, as Madge.  Why?  Because he’s awesome, and cross-dressing in ballet is fantastic. 

When I was in high school I was in a play called Brigadoon.  It’s a musical about a small Scottish village that would only appear for one day every hundred years due to some kind of protective spell.  When offered a read wig to wear for the run of the play, I was a little worried.  First, it was old and at the end of its life.  Secondly, this was outdoor summer theater.  You know, giant hot mess?  My hair was halfway down my back at this point so I decided to dye it to match the wig.  And thus began my relationship with hair dye.

Did you know that hair dye is bad for your hair?  Really.  It is!  And red hair dye doesn’t stick around very long and that means more frequent dying and more damaged hair.  I will spare you the long and tedious details.  I will also spare you a tale of the varied shades of red my hair has endured.  Kids, it’s been a ride.

A close friend suggested trying henna to get my hair red.  This is the same friend who suggested I get the GPS system for my rental car on a California business trip.  This is also the friend who got me my current job which led to said business trip.  This lady knows good ideas and I trust her with my life.  = So trusting her with my hair is not a stretch.  No, sir.  We are both big fans of LUSH Handmade Cosmetics.  I discovered them a couple of years ago when shopping for vegan-friendly products for my sister and girlfriend for Christmas presents.  The Mister is particularly partial to their Bohemian soap because its lemon scent helps him face the day.

So the LUSH henna is what I got and it has a great name people – Caca Rouge Mama Hair Henna.  Below are the steps I followed and pictures.  I’m going to let you in on a secret – the dying ones are from the first time I used the henna and the after is from this go around.  I kind of didn’t get around to an after picture last time because I was too busy taking pictures of my cats.  You know how it goes.

Before in the Bathroom

GET YOUR HENNA ON

Testing? – I don’t do patch tests.  I’m both lazy and daring.  Mostly lazy.  I’ve read some suggestions where people will grab hair out of their hairbrush and dye that to see how it would work.  It’s a great idea and will help to avoid a nightmare result.  I only read about the nightmare colors that could result AFTER successfully using it the first time.  Maybe LUSH Cosmetics makes their henna disaster proof?  I’d believe that!

Prepping the henna - When you buy the caca rouge it comes in bricks.  To get it from brick form to gunk that you can put in your hair I’ve used two different methods.  The first time I took a cheese grater and worked it for about 30 minutes.  Then I added hot water and stirred.  This time I chopped it up into crouton-sized henna bits.  Then I boiled water in a pot and put a tin bowl on top of the pot.  I added the water to the bowl and once it was hot, I added the henna bits  Remember to allow it to cool for a tad unless you dig that burnt scalp feeling.  I would definitely suggest the second method.  Less messy and less time-consuming.  You’ll be back to Tetris in no time!

How much brick? – How much henna you use depends on how much hair you got.  I gots me the kind of fine hair that likely inspired the creation of Aqua Net.  It’s limp and eager to hug my scalp.  Last time I used four of the six chunks and had leftovers aplenty.  I tried to put as much as possible in my hair and then had it drip down my neck as a fun side effect.  This time I used the two chunks I had left and perfecto!

Mud toupee

Prepping for application – You’ll want to grab an outfit that can be ruined and cover anything in your bathroom that you can’t just wipe off.  It’s a good idea to put moisturizer around your hairline to avoid a nice henna tattoo in that area.  Rubber gloves are pretty great to have for this for the same reason.  Grab some cling wrap, too.

Application – Plop it on your head.  Rub it in and make sure not to miss around the edges because this is my personal issue with hair coloring.  I guess I think that my hair stops about an inch in, huh?  Once it’s all in, pile your hair on your head.  Here’s where that cling wrap comes in.  I take big pieces and wrap it around my head until I look like a head of lettuce.  This will keep the henna from accidentally contacting everything else in your house.  This is important to do because you’re going to have it on your head for a long time.  The cling wrap also helps the red get redder, I’ve read.

Waiting – I keep the henna in for about six hours.  Yes, six HOURS.  Henna is not like the hair dye that wrecks your hair.  It’s actually good for your hair.  It makes it stronger and softer.  So if you’re like me and you like to dye your hair often, you’re in luck.  Of course, that means finding the time to have goop in your hair for six hours.  You can do pretty much anything you want but you might not want to, I don’t know, leave the house or have a photo shoot or anything.  As you can see from my pictures, this isn’t really a hot look.  But if you need to do laundry, blog or take pictures of your cats you are totally set.  The longer you’ve got to leave it in the longer the color it will last you.  The color will be more intense, too.  LUSH says leave it an hour and just do it more often.  They are business though so that makes sense.  Try your own timing or read up on what others are doing in their comments section.

Lettuce Head

Washing – When you go to rinse out the henna you may want to wash your hair.  This is totally the opposite of all my hair dying impulses.  Typically after I dye my hair I go without showering for at least 24 hours to make the color last.  Henna is okay to shampoo.  It will help you get that “I just mud wrestled for an hour” feeling out of your hair.  I covered my pillow in an old towel just in case I didn’t get it all and that turned out to be a grand idea.

Tada! – Check out the henna results.  They are not dramatically different, I’ll grant you that.  The Mister tells me it looks more natural and I can guarantee you that this stuff looks great as it slowly fades.  Permanent hair dye has never been as forgiving.  Send me questions if you have any, friends.  Give henna a chance and I think you’ll dig it.

After

The Yankees fan after henna

Stanton’s Sheet Music receives many inquiries from customers who “just got put in charge of the school musical” and want to know where to start. Although MANY choral/band directors and drama teachers are also expected to direct musicals, it seems that most college courses skip right over this topic. One of your first steps will be to decide upon the musical you’d like to stage. While Stanton’s does sell Broadway vocal collections, choral/band arrangements and other musical theater products including most Broadway Junior productions, we CANNOT contract the licensing rights that give you legal permission to perform the work—for that you must contact the appropriate licensing company. Some of the largest licensing companies are:

Musical Theater International
Since its founding in 1952, MTI has been supplying musical materials to theatres worldwide, whether it is the newest hit from the Broadway or London stage, or a timeless classic. MTI has been a driving force in cultivating new work and in extending the production life of the great American musicals such as Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Fiddler On The Roof, Les Misérables, Annie, Damn Yankees, The Music Man, Godspell, Little Shop Of Horrors, and the musical theatre collection of Stephen Sondheim, among others.

Rogers and Hammerstein Organization
Founded by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II more than 60 years ago, the R&H Organization represents a wide variety of entertainment copyrights and over 200 writers. In addition to Rodger & Hammerstein classics like The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, and South Pacific, they also offer a range of popular musicals including Annie Get Your Gun, The Light in the Piazza, Babes in Arms, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc
Tams-Witmark licensed the first high school production of a Broadway musical approximately 75 years ago. Today, thousands of schools and community theatres are presenting Tams-Witmark musicals each year, including A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wizard of Oz, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Oliver, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Crazy for You, Forty-Second Street, Camelot, Kiss Me Kate, Gypsy and Brigadoon.

Samuel French
With offices in New York City, London, Hollywood and Studio City, California, Samuel French has been representing playwrights since 1830. They began hosting the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Play Festival in 1975 which has resulted in the publishing of 181 new plays since. Some of their most popular offerings are: Anne of Green Gables, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Chicago, Clue: The Musical,  Grease,  Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Mikado, Nunsense, Peter Pan, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Secret Garden.

All of these reputable companies offer script preview programs (similar to Stanton’s 21-Day Trial) and helpful websites to guide you through musical licensing procedures. Several variables determine how much money the performance rights will cost, and the only way to get a quote is to begin a dialogue with a licensing company. Stanton’s advises you to begin this process as far in advance as possible so that you have plenty of time to research and choose the best show for your particular situation.

Now all you have to do is cast the show, run rehearsals, build sets, sew/rent costumes, book a pit, and print programs. Simple, right?

El pasado sábado 10/10 tuvimos la oportunidad de ver la 2ª Sitges Zombie Walk y sus preparativos, puesto que de buena mañana (a eso de las 12hrs), la gente se empezó a preparar y fue pasando por la zona de maquillaje instalada enfrente de Brigadoon, edificio Miramar.

A las 20.30hrs dio comienzo la marcha, que se caracterizó por su buen rollo y ambiente festivo, con un increíble aumento de participantes zombies, infectados, no muertos, revenants, re-animados y fuerzas de elite represoras en caso de Apocalipsis Zombie. Además, este año la afluencia de público fue espectacular llegando a colapsar el centro de Sitges. Buena, muestra de ello, fue el gran despliegue humano pendiente de la Zombie Walk, e igualmente, la instalación de una zona de conciertos a cargo de DJ Don Diablo, DJ Spektro vs. Imagen Death, Robert Martex & Juanmax, Midnight Spookyshow (Tau & Undertaker), con buena música.

Recordaros que este año la 2ª Zombie Walk era en honor al 30 aniversario del pase de Zombi 2 de Lucio Fulci o lo que es lo mismo Nueva York bajo el terror de los zombies.

Os dejamos algunas fotos del evento. Las fotos están hechas por Enric Mestres Illamola, fotógrafo profesional especializado en retrato y reportage social y docente de “Retrat fotogràfic” en C.C.Drassanes y otras escuelas de Barcelona. Moltes gràcies Enric! Un petó ben fort a la Montse & al Barti!
Os dejo a continuación su web para que flipéis un poco con sus trabajos: www.emillamola.com

Zombie Cura

Zombies Culés - Blaugranes!

Zombie Girl

Asimismo, si vosotros también estuvisteis en la Zombie Walk y queréis compartir con todos nosotros vuestras fotos e instantáneas, será un placer colgarlas en nuestro modesto blog!

Un saludo a todos los zombies & infectados!

REFLEXIONS SOBRE EL FESTIVAL

La primera, en relació a REC 2 i els seus creadors, Jaume Balagueró i Paco Plaza. Amb la saga REC han demostrat que és possible fer un gran entreteniment cinematogràfic, gràcies a dos directors perfectament complementaris. Tant REC com REC 2 són dues pel·lícules on el què i el com funcionen. El què? Doncs una trama senzilla i que enganxa. El com? Segurament la gran virtut, el saber trobar la manera d’explicar la història, amb una càmera en mà que atrapa a l’espectador, a més del so, llum, fotografia i gràcia que li atorguen a la trama una frescura idònea, creant d’aquesta manera dos exercicis de cinema de terror de qualitat. El cinema espanyol pot haver trobat uns bons referents pel futur i la possibilitat de dotar-lo d’honestedat i òptimes maneres, sense buscar el que vulgarment diríem “els tres peus al gat”. La pretenciositat i l’snobisme, que camuflen amb falses aparences algunes creacions, han estat fulminades pels dos directors catalans, i és un pas important per reactivar el cinema d’aquest país.

La segona, en relació al aument del 20% en les vendes d’entrades respecte l’any passat. El Festival de Sitges és un referent cultural internacional, i el seu creixement així ho certifica. De la mateixa manera, es confirma que la qualitat, amb el temps, consolida o fulmina, segons sigui el nivell que s’ofereix, en aquest cas, en un festival de cinema. En l’era d’internet, la xarxa ajuda a fomentar l’art i la cultura, i incrementar el nombre d’aficionats a la cultura, concretament el cinema, com ho demostra l’increment de públic a Sitges. Un bon ús de la tecnologia col·labora directament en la difussió de la cultura. La xarxa permet descobrir artistes interessants, uns de qualitat i altres no, cert, perquè en definitiva, el que interessa és cuidar l’art, per tant, la cultura de qualitat, i despertar la curiositat primer i el paladar després per anar formant un criteri. L’art i la cultura eduquen. En un present on es pot difondre cultura i obrir la fam de coneixements, aprofitem-ho per enriquir-nos primer per després poder ser crítics i exigents amb l’art que ensenya i emociona.

PREMIS DEL FESTIVAL

OFICIAL FANTÀSTIC

Atorgats per jurat format per: Neil Marshall, Amanda Plummer, Tuomas Riskala, John Saxon i Jordi Battle Caminal

Millor Curtmetratge: One of those days de Hattie Dalton
Menció Especial: The boy who wouldn’t kill de Linus de Paoli
Millor Disseny de Producció: Tony Noble per Moon
Millors Efectes de Maquillatge: Kaatje Van Damme per Mr. Nobody
Millors Efectes Especials: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Mac Guff, BUF per Splice
Millor Banda Sonora Original: Teresa Barrozo per Kinatay
Millor Fotografia: Benoit Debie per Enter the Void
Millor Guió: Nathan Parker, basat en la història original de Duncan Jones, per Moon
Millor Actriu: Ex-aequo: Elena Anaya per Hierro i Kim Ok-vin per Thirst
Millor Actor: Sam Rockwell per Moon
Millor Director: Brillante Mendoza per Kinatay
Premi Especial del Jurat: Enter the Void de Gaspar Noé
Millor Pel·lícula: Moon de Duncan Jones

PREMIS atorgats pel jurat Carnet Jove: Arnau Vilaró, Sergi Fabregat, Arantza Marichalar, Joan Sala i Isabel Salvador
Millor Pel·lícula: Ex-aequo: Dogtooth (Canino) de Yorgos Lanthimos i Les derniers jours du monde d’Arnaud
Larrieu i Jean-Marie Larrieu
Millor Pel·lícula: Wasting Away de Matthew Kohnen

NOVES VISIONS

Jurat: Stephanie Billeter, Marc Helwig i Pedro Usabiaga

Millor Pel·lícula: Deliver us from Evil de Ole Bornedal
Menció Especial: Van Diemen’s Land de Jonathan auf der Heide
Diploma Pel·lícula No Ficció: Best Worst Movie de Michael Paul Stephenson
Diploma Pel·lícula Discovery: Amer d’Hélène Cattet i Bruno Forzani

PREMIS NOVA AUTORIA SGAE

Jurat: Roser Aguilar, Lluís Bonet Mojica, Albert Solé i Joan Valent

Millor Direcció: Swingers de Javier Rodríguez Espinosa, presentat per l’ESCAC-Escándalo Films
Millor Guió: 44987373-V de Robert Ors Griera, presentat pel Centre d’Estudis Cinematogràfics de Catalunya
(CECC)
Millor Música Original: The last drag de Gonçal Perales Roy, presentat pel Centre d’Estudis de Tècniques d’Animació de
Catalunya · 9 ZEROS

Menció Especial per la qualitat general del treball:

Pin up de Tania Verduzco, presentat pel Centre d’Estudis Cinematogràfics de Catalunya (CECC)

PREMIS ORIENT EXPRESS – CASA ÀSIA

Jurat: Fausto Fernández, Luis M. Rosales i Marc Walkow

Millor Pel·lícula: Ip Man de Yip Wai-shun

ANIMA’T – Premi Gertie

Jurat: Fausto Fernández, Luis M. Rosales i Marc Walkow

Millor Llargmetratge d’Animació: Summer Wars de Mamoru Hosoda
Millor Curtmetratge d’Animació: Le petit dragon de Bruno Collet
Millor Llargmetratge d’Animació per a Nens: Panique au village de Stéphane Aubier i Vincent Patar

MÉLIÈS D’ARGENT

Jurat: Tim League, Toni Messa i Antje Nikkola Mönning

Méliès d’Argent a la Millor Pel·lícula Europea: The Eclipse de Conor McPherson
Méliès d’Argent al Millor Curtmetratge Europeu: One of those days d’Hattie Dalton

MÉLIÈS D’OR

Méliès d’Or a la Millor Pel·lícula Europea: Martyrs de Pascal Laugier
Méliès d’Or al Millor Curtmetratge: Cold and Dry de Kristoffer Joner, codirigit i produït per Bjørn Arne Odden

ALTRES PREMIS

Gran Premi del Públic El Periódico de Catalunya: Zombieland de Ruben Fleischer

Premi Ben & Jerry’s: [REC]2 de Jaume Balagueró i Paco Plaza

PREMIS DE LA CRÍTICA

Jurat: Desirée de Fez, Imma Merino i Eulàlia Iglesias

Premi de la Crítica Jose Luis Guarner: Les derniers jours du monde d’Arnaud Larrieu i Jean-Marie Larrieu
Premi Citizen Kane al director/a revelació: Dogtooth (Canino) de Yorgos Lanthimos

BRIGADOON Paul Naschy

Jurat: Domingo López Tortosa, Diego López Fernández i José Martos Arroyo

Millor curtmetratge: Torbellino de hostias d’Adrián Cardona

Haz click a la imagen para verla a detalle

Calavera Maligna ha vuelto para sembrar el terror en Ciudad Capital! Amazing Mask, acompañado de su fiel compinche de luchas Little Boy, deberán enfrentarse al temible villano y su sindicato del crimen. Basada en el cortometraje Amazing Unmasked Vs. El Dr. Calavera Maligna que en el 2004 ganó el premio Brigadoon en Sitges, AMAZING MASK es un verdadero homenaje al cine fantástico y a los eternos mitos de la lucha libre mexicana. Citando a la propia publicidad de la página, que no tiene desperdicio, podemos anunciar que… Muy pronto podréis disfrutar la serie online más rocambolesca y cañera, repleta de gore para niños, Rock’n Roll monstruoso, humor bizarro y ultraviolencia para toda la familia!!

La cinta se estará estrenando este 9 de octubre dentro del ciclo Brigadoon del Festival de SITGES.

Ya estamos calentando motores para la 2ª Zombie Walk de Sitges que este año será en honor al 30 aniversario del estreno en el festival de Zombi 2 de Lucio Fulci (Nueva York bajo el terror de los zombies). Os enseñamos el spot de este año, que sigue la misma línia del año pasado! Felicidades a nuestros amigos de la Oscura Ceremonia (Spooky Prom)!

La Sitges Zombie Walk volverá a invadir las calles de Sitges y la concentración tendrá lugar en el Edificio Miramar (Brigadoon) el sábado 10/10 a las 20:30h.

También, os dejo aquí el spot del año pasado, para los que igualmente lo disfrutamos! Además, conocí en persona al recepcionista del Melià Sitges que sale en el mismo.

If the hard-soul-dealing, globe-trotting, face-rocking, never-stopping presence of Bellingham rock legends The DT’s isn’t enough to get you down to Boundary Bay Brewery’s beer garden this Sunday (which it should be *cough-cough*) then, my fine friends, take solace in the notion that their (and, inevitably, your) rocking shall not be in vain!

The DT’s Sunday, September 6 return to the beer garden stage is ALSO a benefit for local non-profit organization Brigadoon Youth and Service Dog Programs.  Brigadoon Youth and Service Dog Programs is a non-profit that acts as an outreach to local at risk youth and offers them the opportunity to train and care for service dogs for Washington state’s physically disabled residents.

The show starts @ 8pm in the beer garden and includes an opening performance by The Boss Rhino featuring Boundary Bay Brewing Company’s own Aaron Jacob Smith on guitar.  Tickets are $4 with all proceeds going to Brigadoon Youth and Service Dog Programs.

Written August 19, 2009 by Margie Casey, www.southeastdiscovery.com

Location:

Wolf Creek Ranch is located off Wesley Creek Road, 4 miles from Max Patch Road (HWY 209) in the Fines Creek area.

Our first impression:

We met Martha Sawyer, dedicated Re/Max Broker representing Wolf Creek Ranch at Ferguson Supply Store. As we traveled to Wolf Creek Ranch, Martha shared with me information about the property.  We turned onto Wesley Creek Road which is a winding rural road for 2.5 miles, becoming a bumpy unpaved road for the next 1.5 miles to the entrance.  Martha shared with us that the NCDOT has approved $1.5 million dollars to pave the remaining section, hopefully as early as summer of 2010. This road currently is very narrow, worn with erosion. During the paving process, we wondered how will the residents/owners access this community?

We reached the iron gated entrance, attractive with mountain wildflowers. The roads inside Wolf Creek Ranch are wide gravel. There are no plans to pave these roads. Wolf Creek Ranch has 54 home sites within 300 acres, 53 acres preserved as green space.  Since 2004, 15 home sites have sold, 1 home is under construction, 1 home complete with a full time resident, no sales since 2007. As we explored the project, we could see many of the home sites have gorgeous views of Pisgah National Forest and Great Smoky Mountain National Park. One mile of the property borders Pisgah National Forest providing a direct gateway into the forest for residents. Septic/pump and well systems serve the property.  

We reached the Wolf Creek Ranch Equestrian Center. The pastures are over grown, somewhat neglected and the new 8 stall barn is vacant. The barn has hot/cold water shower stalls, tack room, bathrooms and a kitchen.  We were sad to see it empty and lifeless. There must be a non-profit equestrian organization that would cherish using this facility, temporarily, bringing life and exposure to this remote community. Located on a hill above the barn, is a beautiful outdoor pavilion with meadow views, fire pit, outdoor furniture and wooden bridge leading down a running stream.

More observations about Wolf Creek Ranch:

Prices start at $119K up to $795K, most around the $179K range.  The company has an attractive website. I did not receive a brochure, not sure if they have one. When the remaining 1.5 miles of Wesley Creek Road are paved, Wolf Creek Ranch will be less of a hard sell to today’s skeptical buyers.  Property Owner Association fees at $750 per year, Haywood County Real Estate Taxes at .497 per $100.  

Wolf Creek Ranch is a sister property to Brigadoon, The Preserve at Fines Creek, Loughrea Plantation, Flat Branch Hounds and Brigadoon Polo Club.

Muscle Behind Wolf Creek Ranch:

Wolf Creek Ranch is owned by Edgar Cato, founder of Charlotte based Cato Fashions, a publically traded women’s apparel store, more than 1,000 stores in 31 states. http://www.catofashions.com/

Edgar Cato is also a Championship Regatta sailboat racer. http://nautica.it/notizie/edgar-cato-wins-12-metre-world-championships_2005090195.htm

During the current real estate market, it is not uncommon to see many developers ‘sitting on the sidelines’, instead of improving/maintaining their communities.  Wolf Creek Ranch falls into this category.

Photo Gallery: http://www.wolfcreekranchnc.com/gallery.php

 To keep up to date with real estate developer and community news, visit www.southernwayoflife.com

Wolf Creek Ranch’s slogan “A Ranch Within The Forest” is true, too bad more people and horses aren’t enjoying it.

So to get an idea how I got started  in this business, let’s go back to the very beginning.

I had always known of musicals and actors froman early age, and by the age of 14 I had joined a local amateur musical society, and was helping out backstage and finding theatre very exciting. By 16 I had started acting in musicals with this company, and even had a small role in my very first show – Mendel, the Rabbi’s Son in Fiddler on the Roof.

From here I moved onto other supporting roles, and eventually gained the experience and skills to hold on to major leading roles such as Arthur Kipps in Half a Sixpence, Tommy Albright in Brigadoon and Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street.

It was about this time that I had left schoolafter my GCSE exams (16 yrs old) and gone to a local college to study performing arts. This course was a general course in all aspects of performing arts and included music production and tv drama production. This was a real eye opener of a course, and showed me that there are literally hundreds of jobs within the entertainment and perfoming arts industry.

Most notably, also on this course was a young Ryan Malloy,who has now made a name for himself by playing Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys.

Ahh…communicating your feelings in play form, excellent idea. Here’s a little drama I like to call “Waiting for Jon (to finish Dead Souls).”  Now, it’s still in workshop so there are probably a few kinks that need to be worked out. It’s a little Krapp’s Last Tape meets Waiting for Godot with just a dash of Brigadoon:

Waiting for Jon (to Finish Dead Souls)
a play in one act 

The lights come up on a stage that is bare except for a single tree set Center Stage. The tree is leafless and bedraggled. Beneath the tree sits Justin. Justin stares out into space twiddling his thumbs.

Enter a Townsperson who stops at the tree.

Townsperson: Hello.
Justin: Hi.
Townsperson: What are you doing?
Justin: Waiting.
Townsperson: Waiting for what?
Justin: Waiting for Jon.
Townspeople: Huh?
Justin: Waiting for Jon to finish Dead Souls.
Townsperson: (Knowlingly) Oh, I see. Well, I must be off. (Exits the stage.)

Justin picks up a banana. Peels it. Eats it with relish. Enter Vladimir and Estragon from Beckett’s  Waiting for Godot.

Estragon: Wow, that Godot. He’s something else.
Vladmir: Yeah, could you believe that he got that tenth plate spinning….(Sees Justin. Both stop.) Hello.
Justin: Hi.
Estragon: Howdy.
Justin: Hi.
Estragon: What are you doing?
Justin: Waiting.
Vladimir: We know how that goes.
Estragon: What are you waiting for?
Justin: Jon.
Estragon: Huh?
Justin: Waiting for Jon to finish Dead Souls.
Vladimir: Good luck with that.
(Vladimir and Estragon break into highland dancing as the curtain comes down.)

Scene.

I will be honest, Ship of Fools was not the book I was anticipating you’d pick. But you know me, I love a nice, obscure, Pulitzer Prize winning novel just as much as the next guy. (And bonus points for this book: it takes place on a boat! I love a nice maritime character study.)

Anyway, I don’t want you to have to waste too much time reading this post when you could be finishing Dead Souls, so I will wrap it up. 

Happy reading, and be sure to say hi to Chichikov for me.

Justin