Too busy to notice me, originally uploaded by jchiang17.

Shot at 1600 ISO, the guy was too busy on his iPhone to notice me taking a picture from a couple feet away.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day 2009. I wanted to post these pics right after parade but you know… family obligations can keep you from doing personal stuff on the computer. I know not everyone can make it into the city to experience The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade so I’m hoping that my photos can give those of you who have never been to the parade an idea of what it’s like to be there. Obviously crowds of people, blocked off streets, and policemen are all staples during the parade. My personal favorite balloon is “Hello Kitty”.  Some new ballons this year-The “Pillsbury Doughboy” an “Sailor Mickey Mouse”.  The photo of The Pillsbury Doughboy reminds me of a scene in “Ghostbusters” for some reason.

OMG!  I can’t belive it! Did you see this?  Shawn Carter, Will & Jada Pinkett-Smith have done something REVOLUTIONARY! I can’t believe  it!  These hip moguls have done the ultimate in “supporting the arts” by signing up to be the newest producers of “Fela!” currently running on Broadway.  

This is a huge leap for theater; especially black theater.  When black producers with such clout and a huge built in audience decide to back a project like this you know it’s got to be special.  I think everybody should see this show.  It should be just as massive as ‘RENT’ or ‘WICKED’.  We have to support our own.  The arts aint dead yet!  Read the review here and let  me know what you think!  I’m really going to squeeze some penies together to see this show.  Not because they told me too, but because I love Fela the artist and this looks like a wild ride!  

Planning visit to NY soon very soon, hopefully no snow on my chosen dates.

FELA Musical

Drive to NY was easy as Thanksgiving pie. Surprisingly, traffic from Indianapolis to where Brian and I finally parked the van was very light. Snow hit for minutes. Rain hit for hours. Raein hits Newark at 4 pm. Thanks to Wendy, Indiana boys spent the night in a Chevy, woke up on the streets of Hov and Biggie.

At the airport now. Charging the iPhone that this all is being written on. Pictures below are of Woolworth building, World Trade Tower One fountain, and the Brooklyn bridge.

Italians should be here very soon.

Ma dico io come si fa a resistere? io passo tranquillo all’apple store, per ricaricarmi un attimo il cell ed approffitare della loro WiFi, alla colombia è un attimo blindata

E cosa ti trovo? dei fantastici ragazzi che ti accolgono con il sorriso ti mettono in  mano una fantastica brochure, identica alla newsletter dedicata al black friday, con tutti gli sconti e poi di invogliano a mille a comprare… ma dico io, secondo voi ho bisogno del loro sostegno? del loro incoraggiamento?!??! ma certo che no… son qui davanti al 27, apro tutto… pistolo final cut con gli occhioni di un bambino davanti ad una coppa gigante di gelato… e vorrei portamelo via.. ma come si fa come si fa?!?!? mi accontenterò di un piccolo shopping, a menoche non trovi al volo uno che si prende il mio MB ahahahahahahahah.

Torno in caccia e cerco di uscire prima che la mia carta di credito si insinui nel lettore della cassiera e mi dica SWIPE…SWIPE….SWIPE!!!! yeaah!!!!!

Brandi Lynn Burkhardt was born June 25, 1982. Brandi is an American vocalist, actress and beauty queen. She grew up in Pasadena, Maryland but currently lives in New York City.

She toured the country in the musical Jekyll & Hyde, in the Jekyll and Hyde-Ressurection Tour. Her Broadway debut came when she was cast as Lucie Manette in the Broadway musicaladaptation of A Tale of Two Cities which opened for previews on August 19, 2008 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New Yorkand had an official opening of September 18, 2008. The production announced on November 4 that it would be closing on November 16, but the producers announced on November 7 that due to poor ticket sales the following week, the production would close on November 9, 2008. She was connected to Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure by Frank Wildhorn, and sang the role of Alice on one of the demos, but is no longer connected to the production.

She had recently played Sophie Sheridan in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia. She began her run on January 27, 2009 replacing Allison Case. Burkhardt played her final performance on September 20, 2009 and was succeeded by Alyse Alan Louis.

After touring the country in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, with the Ressurection Cast in concert form, Burkhardt joined the cast of the NBC daytime drama Passions as the mysterious Siren, a mermaid now living on land. She is also seen in the film Confessions of a Shopaholic, as a “Sample Sales Woman.” She was persauded by co-star James Stacy Barbour to audition for A Tale of Two Cities. The two knew each other from an unreleased commercial concept album of Frank Wildhorn’s Dracula, the musical.

Secret Wish: That she had saved her Mamma -Mia wedding dress for us!

If you’re used to think of a master plan in a terrible car,
you can call it a “think tank”.
That’s another lesson from Dante Ross‘ Hip Hop History 101.
This one takes place between 112th St. and Broadway.
Words of wisdom !

Courtesy of Dante Ross

Adam Lambert:

After a surprisingly not shocking and undersexualized prime-time performance, Adam Lambert, a Vampire from Stephanie Meyer’s newest Twilight film, completely drained the body of  The View host Elizabeth Hasselbeck, which was never believed to contain human blood to begin with, and re-filled it with Sunny D.

Barack Obama:

While pushing his new healthcare plan, Barack Obama, went without sleep for 30 hours on the set of Two and a Half Men, trying to bribe Charlie Sheen and Lady Gaga with American Patriots and Golden Freedom, so they would play Poison Ivy and Batman, respectively, in the up coming production of Chicago, live on Broadway.

Black Friday:

After being pardoned by Barack Obama, the official Whitehouse Thanksgiving turkey pulled himself up by his bootstraps and joined Glenn Beck on a socialist gymnastics team in skimpy clothing, in order that Bud Light of the Holy American Music Awards would be protected from the Axis of Evil: China, Taco Bell’s Black Jack Taco, Shopping, and Portuguese Water Dogs.

Final Analysis: I know I’m shameless. And that is why I sincerely appologize to anyone who was offended, or convinced, by my attempts to Crash the State Dinner by dressing up as Jon Stewart, of Grey’s Anatomy fame, so I could take a picture of a Big Bank Bailout on my iPhone and send it to Santa Claus Holiday Dinner Menus. I am of peace, always.

Em Novembro o ator David Shannon assume o papel título do espetáculo “Fantásma da Ópera” em West End.

David era o substituto de Ramin Karimloo, que deixou o musical para trabalhar em sua próxima atuação em “Love Never Dies”. 80% do elenco da produção londrina foi substituido em Setembro devido a rotatividade de artistas no final do ano.

Antes de assumir o papel de Fantasma, David atuava como Jean Vajean em Les Misérables no Queen’s Theatre. Em 2001 foi indicado para o Olivier Award pela performance em Beautiful Game.

O nome real do ator é David Greenway, ele mudou seu sobrenome quando descobriu que já existia um artista com o mesmo nome (simples não?!). Iniciou sua carreira fazendo musicais amadores na Irlanda.

Musicais importantes de sua carreira:
Les Miserábles (Jean Valjean)
Miss Saigon (Chris)
Phantom of The Opera (Raoul)
Sweeny Todd (Sweeny Todd)
Cats (Rum Tum Tugger)
Martin Guerre (Guillaume)
Grease (Danny)
South Pacific (Joe Cable)

Site Oficial: http://www.davidshannon.co.uk

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

BLACK FRIDAY HERE I COME!!!!

 

Broadway 11/23/09, originally uploaded by jchiang17.

I’m not sure what he was looking at.

Hmm. The NME’s review really enjoys pissing on Mr. Bellamy’s parade. The best bits on The Resistance usually occur when the band push their sound to polarising extremes. Hence why “I Belong To You (+ Mon Cœur S’Ouvre À Ta Voix)” is an absolute riot, in spite of its threat to break into Elton John doing cabaret at any given moment. Yes, Bellamy’s French accent resembles a daytripping tourist on acid. Yes, there is a celebratory “Woo!” at the beginning that belongs firmly on Broadway. But, as with so many of Muse’s best songs, it is the wavering on the right side of ridiculous that is the song’s making. Understandably therefore, the clarinet solo near the end is a work of genius – beautifully written; played with just the right tone and character; interlocking marvellously with the rest of the music.

So why, after all this star-struck amazement and wonder, does the band then have to ruin their credibility with utter rubbish like “Guiding Light” – a song so mediocre and in thrall to U2 at their very worst that it should be locked up in a secret cupboard in the headquarters of Magic FM.

Muse – I Belong To You (+Mon Coeur S’Ouvre A Ta Voix)

This are the auditions of the Week

New York

California

Regional

via BackStage Blog

How did you come up with thistle twat? brilliant –Timothy Ni

When Jimmy Fallon first announced Avenue Q’s performance at the 58th annual Tony Awards in 2004, I was immediately turned off by his introductory brief of the musical. While their musical number “It Sucks to be Me” was quite impressive in its lyrical originality, it did not cover anything Fallon listed from its resume: “irreverent, inappropriate,  racism, depression, sex, internet porn, full puppet nudity…” and so on. But of course! It’s the freaking Tony Awards, where the R-rated aspects are christened from the formality of such high-class entertainment event. Since it’s a story about a bunch of slumdogs romping miserably around in a fictional burrough of New York, I figured that all you would see are muppet porn, profane dialogues and the usual crude humor that men are into; Finding purpose in life just has to include these things, really. Although I praised its down-to-earthness, this type of humor never gets to me. If you ever watch The Office or How I Met Your Mother with me, you will never once hear me chuckle. When Wicked performed their number “Defying Gravity,” I knew it was the musical of everyone’s taste. The costumes, makeup, scenic design, music and most of all, Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth’s outstanding performance, were just incomparable to something as artless as Avenue Q.  However, little did I know, Avenue Q was to beat out Wicked, a musical I was dying to see, for the Best Musical, Best Original Score in a Musical and Best Book adapted by a Musical Tony Awards, three of the most important categories to me. I couldn’t believe it. It was as if the whole world had been seized by horndogs, and that both the Tonys and Oscars had lost their class with the insistence that everything just has to have something sexually explicit. (I mean, American Beauty for the Best Motion Picture, seriously? ‘Cause all the motion I saw were wriggling bodies upon bodies.)

Regardless, on January 15, 2009, I was able to get a group of 20 people, in a duration of 14 days, to go see the popularly loved Broadway musical of the decade: WICKED. It’s $56.25 (Group+student discount!) per person in the orchestra section, just FYI. After viewing this musical in the orchestra belly section of Gershwin Theatre, I was stricken with wicked withdrawal symptoms that would go on for a few months. A clash of time,  betrayal of truth, battle between identity and society, blurring of Good vs. Evil, Wicked absolutely blew my expectations away with its gravity-defying magic! What else? Oh, I could go on about the magnificent Emerald city disco lighting effects, the heart-wrenching melody of Defying Gravity, the emotion-unraveling stir of No Good Deed, the amusement I maintained at the words of “unadulterated loathing..” of What is This Feeling, the catchy tune and phrases of all their songs practically. I became ever more befuddled at why it did not win the Tony for Best Musical and Best Original Score, because they are unarguably epic!

But one thing’s for sure, it has gradually become common that the opinions of critics and the public differ dramatically. I resort to a similar comment of the film industry as it applies to the musical industry:

“This is just how the film industry works nowadays; critics give bad opinions, the public usually has a differing opinion, and all is well in the world of Hollywood since the studios made their millions anyway.”-Alex Billington

I loved Transformers II, but the Oscars loved American Beauty. I loved Wicked, but the Tonys loved Avenue Q. Though, American Beauty and Avenue Q are in their own style, deep and artistic, I realized from this pattern that critics vouch for realism.

It doesn’t matter how magical, epic, imaginative or heart-stirring a content is, because the battle always comes down to Melodrama vs. Realism. And critics more often choose realism. They choose not to fall into the mystical well where mind, body and soul would be flooded with wondrous stupefaction. They choose not to base excellence on spectacle, no matter how much it is believed that these are what Arts, Entertainment and Motion Pictures are all about. It is definitely sensible to bring the audience away from a world they know into an imagined, dreamt realm.

Although, Avenue Q wouldn’t be as popular as Wicked, which won all the minor production categories at the Tonys, it succeeds in “idealizing realism.” I say that because after seeing it a few months after Wicked, Avenue Q brings up the most common and trivial things we all experience in life and satirizes them in a way that does not elude the nature of these issues but makes them something worth laughing at.

As an English major myself, I was able to relate and chuckle at their first song “What Can I Do with a B.A. in English?” Of course, these songs do not possess such grace and captivating melody that would melt you like Wicked, which is one of the important aspects of “good music” in my opinion. You can say I am a pretty big fan of melodrama, but I can respect realism at its finest creativity. Graphic muppet sex scenes, profanity, racism and caricatured tunes; why, these things have taught me to embrace the moments I feel most uncomfortable.

The thing I most endorse this production for is the ingenious re-coining of certain slang terms, puns and obscenities, with incorporation of some literary principles. You know what I’m getting at. My all-time favorite: MRS. THISTLE TWAT.

Mrs. Thistle Twat

Another word for vagina dentata that is. Twat is British for vagina, and thistle is self-explanatory. Brilliant and hilarious, this name combines slang, alliteration and imagery. How can one not laugh at this? The musical prevalently catches you off-guard with language like no other. I can now justify the Tony Awards’ decision to name Avenue Q the Best Musical of 2oo4. It does not live up to magic, but if you can achieve uncontrollable laughter with social satire and freaking Sesame Street from an adult audience, that is pretty awesome.

Please know you have profoundly helped me grow to who I am today (I hope that’s not a bad thing!). I apologize off the bat for the bad grammar. This is a very stream of consciousness letter. I am thankful for so many people this is going to sound like an acceptance speech. If only I had an award to go with it!For some reason, I feel more thankful than ever. Going through a transformation of sorts puts everything in perspective. When I lost my job this past June, I would have never guessed I would have felt more alive and have met some of the most amazing people. I never dreamed I would be on television/radio and also have a blog, which has had to date over 15,000 hits. I am grateful for EVERYONE who visits day after day!

Thank you for following the journey.

If I could tell you one thing –change the world. Go out and make a difference. Stand up for what you believe in. Change someone’s life. We all have amazing stories to tell. Share them.

My blog wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without a few people. My publicist, George, whose idea it was to really go forward and create the blog. He always has a way of staying positive. A special thanks to ALL the people I have interviewed thus far: the wonderful Marti C., single-licious Melissa B, exceptional Jerry Mitchell, incredible forced to be reckoned with Frenchie Davis, life changing activities Ryan Janek Wolowski and Randy Wicker, and uber talents Richard and Dana. Elisa, Will, Angelo and Renee thank you for one point or another for being my camera bitch! There are many more people, so I apologize if I have forgotten you.

Liz S, you are an amazing woman who constantly gives me the chance to do what I love! You always astound me by the types of events you have me cover. Thank you for taking a chance with me!
Julie H. you have such an amazing heart. I never thought in a million years I would be on the Pat Field website! You have really made my year. You see things in me that I have overlooked. I can’t thank you enough for the dream come true it has been and will keep continuing!
Meagan H. – WE WILL GET KATHY!! You are such a joy to know and you never make my crazy idea is well…crazy! You are a great visionary at what you do!

My family has always been my rock. A special shout out to my relatives in PA, who are not only amazing, but I am so blessed to have reconnected with them on Facebook. Though sometimes we seem miles apart, BENNINGTONS know we are NEVER that far. Thanks guys for all the kick ass support!

My other “family” -my friends who have seen my light and my dark, I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to see each of you grow and become individuals who make me proud in the way you contribute and choices you make. Each of you has such a special gift. I truly love you all and you have been a place to look for advice, support and unconditional love. You have no clue how much I value all of you (though sometimes my sarcasm may make it seem otherwise)

My Old Tappan friends, it’s been a while but let me know when you’re around the NYC/NJ area. For me to see us all grown up seems a little freaky! It was only yesterday we were singing to Mr. Boscia’s music, seeing Mr. Rossi throw a desk, cutting class, going to the prom. Now some of you have your own families. Keep me in your heart, as I do with you.

Wagner College gave me amazing inspiration to find myself and meet professors and life-long friends who inspire me daily. There are many ways you can gain an education as I learned in my years at Wager!

Thanks to all the RENT friends I have made. Measure in love. We can always be grateful for Jonathan Larson’s lasting treasure. Thanks for all the RENT road trips!

Thank you, all the new friends I have made. I look forward to knowing you more and more (that DOES sound kind of creepy)

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO INSPIRE!

This year, remember those who are not as blessed and keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It’s important for us –as teachers, friends, parents, lovers, brothers, sisters,-you name it, to go out there and make a difference. Anything small can help. We can be the change.

Please have a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving this year.

The best is yet to come,

Neal B
www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com

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3 Exposure HDR. Click image for full size.

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On Broadway

I’m listening to Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys (awesome song). Miss Keys was playing in Rockefeller Plaza this weekend when I was in New York City. It is that kind of event that makes you realize that this is where everything is happening. In my entire life I have been to this city seven times, and every time I go there it is a completely different experience. Ironically, I am more free in New York than I am in Toronto, and I am a Canadian. Maybe I should move. Anyway, here is a list of some cool things I did this weekend.

The Apollo Theater

1. The Apollo Theater

My wife and I took the subway to Harlem, getting off at 125th and Malcolm X Blvd. For some reason I was surprised by how many Starbucks there were. I was also a little surprised by how small The Apollo Theater is on the outside. There is so much history here I just assumed there would be a big gift shop and a huge outer-facade (is that even a word?). There is a tour you can go on that we couldn’t do because there was a matinee performance of Dreamgirls (I saw the original on Broadway).

2. We walked the entire length of Central Park

IT'S A CONCRETE JUNGLE!!!!

For the first time I walked the entire length of Central Park from Harlem to the Upper West Side. Next to Stanley Park in Vancouver this is the nicest park in the world. It barely seemed like any time went by, but we walked miles. We watched people skating, saw a turtle, witnessed a wedding and watched two jazz trios. I kept remembering all of the movies I have seen that take place in this park (mostly Woody Allen movies).

3. Angelo’s Pizza (Next to the Letterman studios)

Angelo's Pizza

New York has six million people, but we actually bumped into my family at this restaurant. Maybe it was because I wouldn’t shut up about how great it is. We all sat at Madonna’s table right there in the front window. We also ate at a few Italian restaurants with more nouveau cuisine, but there is something about the basics that will work forever. Good tomato sauce, white bread, cheese, pepperoni and spaghetti done in an old fashioned New York Italian style. The last time we ate here my wife talked to David Letterman shortly afterwards.

4. The Empire State Building

The Empire Strikes Back

One night we went up to the top of the Empire State Building. It seemed to be going through a cloud and it was snowing even though on the ground there was no snow. It was still a great view and we were able to see people practicing for the Macy’s Parade. Interesting factoid: the observatory that is further up was supposed to be a waiting room for zeppelin balloons.

5. Macys Parade Practice

Macy's Parade

Well we didn’t get to watch the parade but we did see them practicing. There is always something happening in this town.

6. We stayed near Times Square

WHAT TIME IS IT?!!!

Um…if there is a recession someone forgot to tell Times Square. It was much more crowded then it was two years ago when I was last here. And yet I never felt like I wasn’t safe. And I was mugged here once in the 80s. It is now completely different from the Times Square I was mugged in. It’s all chocolate and toys now. I’ll save my Broadway experience for my next blog, but here is a teaser: GO SEE IN THE HEIGHTS!!!! Also Rihanna played here on Monday morning for Good Morning America. I missed it but my niece saw her.

We stayed at the Westin off of 43rd. Nice comfy beds.

7. The Brooklyn Diner

The Mixed Marriage of Irving and Gina

This is my favorite place to eat in New York. This is an interesting breakfast they have called The Mixed Marriage of Irving and Gina which has challa bread and Italian sausage. It was delicious. I love mixed marriages myself and this was as delicious as my own mixed marriage. I also had pancakes the next day that were also soft and yummy. They serve polenta instead of hash brown.

8. FAO Schwarz

The BIG Piano at FAO Schwarz

One thing I love about New York is that they are proud of their film history and they take every chance they can to exploit/celebrate that rich culture. Here two FAO Schwarz employees gleefully dance on the piano while dozens look on.

9. Gray Line Tours

Part of the Berlin Wall stands near the WTC ruins

We took the Gray Line Downtown tour. This was the only way we could see everything we wanted in the short time we were in the city. The only place we got off the bus was at the WTC site. My father told me that when I was a baby we stood there as they were building the World Trade Centre. In the 80s we both went to the top of the World Trade Center. And now we stand looking at the construction of the Freedom Tower.

10. We didn’t get in to see The View but we did stand in a cold line

Take some time to wait outside in the cold hoping to get in to see The View

Actually this wasn’t a cool thing to do. It was a freakin’ cold thing to do! And we didn’t get in to see The View. We stood in the stand-by line early in the morning. They do give you a complimentary breakfast which is nice. And I did get to see producer Bill Getty walk into work. And I learned that The View is actually filmed in a really ugly building. And they don’t have enough seats, because even people with tickets couldn’t get in. Get a bigger theater Barbara!

Of course the real reason it was so busy and crowded is because it is much cheaper to go to New York City now because of the recession. So there are a lot of deals and I encourage you to go down and experience the city Toronto can only pretend to be. Most of my immediate family went down to spend some time together and celebrate some birthdays, good health and my sixth wedding anniversary.

Warning: This topic may be a bit too racy for my conservative readers, but should you bear with me, you might just experience a necessary awakening.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing In The Next Room (or the vibrator play) on Broadway with my girlfriend Alessandra Hirsch.  The best introduction as to the content of this play is to simply re-tell a true story told by one of the fictional characters:

When the English art critic John Ruskin married Miss Effie Gray in 1849, they spent their honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands.  Both were young, healthy, and attractive people, but never, on their honeymoon or in the six subsequent years of their marriage, did they succeed in having sex.  After great bitterness, their marriage was annulled by an ecclesiastical court on the grounds of non-consummation.  In a deposition made to his lawyer, Ruskin testified in his own defense that on their wedding night, when he saw his wife naked, he was horrified.  He had seen many representations of naked women in classical sculpture, and none of them had pubic hair.  He thought this was a deformity of his wife’s part and was thoroughly disgusted by her body.

The Source of Happiness by Phyllis Rose

Sure, we can look back at this story and snobbishly lift our chins, proudly gawking at how far we have progressed as a society of human beings.  The Victorian way of life believed that absolute innocence was the purest, most respectable way of living life.  To them, ignorance was truly bliss.  Their unawareness led to sexless marriages, thus unhappy husbands and wives, and countless divorces on grounds such as the aforementioned.  Could anything positive possibly stem from this torturous life style?  OH WAIT I KNOW: VIBRATORS!  (And Sarah Ruhl’s amazing play, of course!)

Did you know that vibrators were the first in-home electrical appliance?  Even before hairdryers or electric griddles, women were buzzin’ their way to ecstasy.  Doctors would use in-office vibrators on women suffering hysteria.  They began treating women using a nice “genital massage since the fifth century B.C., and, quite frankly, they were tired of it – too time-consuming, fatiguing, and difficult to learn” (Sex & Serendipity by Rachel Maines).  Before Freud, hysteria was an unknown illness caused by “the revolt of the uterus against neglect”, thus the vigorous massage to release the anxiety.  “The idea was to produce a crisis of the disease, like the breaking of a fever, which, in the case of hysteria, was called the hysterical paroxysm.  This condition was characterized by heavy breathing, contractions, and discharge of moisture” (Maines).

In other words, an orgasm.

Yes, we have come far in our quest for sexual liberation, but I believe our discoveries have only begun.  If I should mention the word sex around any adult in New Castle, PA, most (with the exception of a few) will blush and quickly change the subject.  In my experiences, I have learned that many people are afraid of its power and stricken with some form of religious guilt.  Whatever the case may be, there are still women (and men) feeling shameful for desiring something completely natural and totally human.

Take me, for instance.  I lost my virginity in a Chevy S10 in some alley behind a deserted house, or shed, I don’t remember.  What I do remember is having sex because that person wanted me to, not necessarily because it was something I desired.  I felt pressured, and immensely guilty.  Because I was so tense, it was impossible for me to indulge even the slightest bit.  Plus, with all the PG-13/R movies I had seen with sex scenes (namely the Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe scene in  Cruel Intentions), I had this false idea of what it was supposed to be like, how I was to perform, how I was to sound, etc, etc.  I felt as if I was watching myself have sex, where my body was just rolling with the punches.  So fornication was never a result of passion that organically spawned from me, but served merely as an act of generous guilt.  Not a guilty pleasure even.  Just simple, straight-forward shame.

Not to mention the LACK of orgasms I was experiencing during my earlier sexual encounters.  Oh, God.  And somehow, I convinced myself that this was okay. Ladies, it’s not okay. Yes, we are more difficult to decipher, but our ability to climax is necessary to our health.  It’s a positive thing.  And let’s face it: it’s awesome!

I am writing today to express my love of the female body and all of its complications, its quirks, and its secrets.  Time warp alert: GIRL POWER!  Abstinence is a nice thing if you choose it for yourself, but if someone else chooses it for you against your will, then you are only fighting against your own nature.  Your body is gorgeous, your heart is beautiful, and you are allowed to express the amazing-ness that is you in any way you desire.  In the play, the two main women played with the vibrator on each other (clothes on, of course) – it was a fun game, and they bonded over the different experiences each one had during her own orgasm.  They listened to their bodies demands, and followed suit, no questions asked.  This is not barbaric, slutty behavior: this is instictual, powerful, and beautiful.

Funny little fact: most women experience their first orgasm by themselves.

Another funny little fact: women who masturbate are more likely to be open and comfortable in a first-time sexual encounter than women who are clueless as to how their own bodies function.

Just like DNA, every woman is unique.  You should name your flower, and know every detail down to the tip of the stem.

Happy Hump-Day!  Let’s make every day hump day!

Stay Blessed,

Bry

Photo courtesy of Richard Roebuck

Musical theater  has been around for centuries in one form or another, however, many theater critics are predicting its demise in the coming years. Escalating production costs means that ticket prices are rocketing for some shows, making them exclusive to those who are willing and able to spend their money. Is this acceptable; should the theater be retained as a sophisticated art form meant only to be viewed by the wealthy upper classes (as it once used to be), or should the theater be accessible to everyone? Considering the content of many of the popular new musicals being produced such as Rent, Wicked, In the Heights and Hair, to name a few, that deal with issues such as sexuality, race, class and most of all freedom of individuality, why should these messages be financially unattainable to many of the large groups of people they are trying to enlighten?

Rent the musical promotional poster

The price of tickets to see a popular show on Broadway is high at the moment, especially considering the current economic climate. Tickets to see the most popular shows such as Wicked and The Lion King in New York on a Saturday evening can be up to $130 a pop, and it is impossible to get these tickets last minute at a discount because the shows always sell out ahead of time. Many shows waning in popularity fill up last minute seats by discounting their tickets up to 50% at the TKTS booth in Times Square. Even with this discount some of the shows can still be $50-100 per ticket; maybe not so bad for 1-2 people, but for a whole family that’s quite a stretch. So is it worth it?

TKTS booth, Times Square NY.

First we have to consider the production costs. Some of these shows will blow your mind visually with amazing special effects and this doesn’t come cheap. The actors, singers and dancers on stage have trained professionally for years; as have the musicians in the orchestra. Add to this the fact that everyone involved puts on the production seven days a week and sometimes two shows a day. It is also easy to overlook the sheer number of people involved in making a production come to life who all need a pay check; choreographers, coaches, costume designers, make-up artists, set designers, backstage technicians, even front of house employees, to name but a few.

Extravagant set on Broadway’s The Lion King

Second, the theater is an age-old art form. Musical theater has been around for centuries entertaining the public. Up until the last few decades the theater really was reserved for the wealthy class often with standing room only for the lower class.  Sure the theater has changed (some critics say for the worse) but it has also evolved in many positive ways with modern musicals drawing attention to the plight of minority groups and repressed individuals, giving them a voice, teaching morals and campaigning for rights and freedom of individuality.

Broadway sign post

Overall we think it is fair to say that yes, theater tickets probably are over-priced – but there are significant reasons behind this. New forms of entertainment are available now that the theater has to contend with, so drooping audiences mean they have to increase their prices to retain the same professional level and even just to keep the show on the stage. However, it would be nice to see tickets become more accessible and to have financial incentives for people who see shows regularly, or book in advance for example. A new marketing or advertising approach might be beneficial in getting more people excited about the theater.

Musical theater button courtesy of Zazzle

If your thinking about going to see a show in the holiday season here is our advice; do your research; book in advance if need be or try your chances getting last minute tickets. The latter is normally the best option if your not too fussed about which show you want to see. This is also beneficial to the smaller theaters and the lesser known productions; it doesn’t mean they will be bad, and it opens your mind to different things and you might be pleasantly surprised. If there is only one show that will do, then most likely you will end up paying a larger amount for your ticket than if you take the best deal that’s on for the day.

Broadway ads in Times Square NY

Do you have comments on this subject? We would love to hear you opinions too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Team Souza

FELA ANIKULAPO-KUTI

Back in October we at GidiNoize gave you the news about the proposed Fela! musical which was to be produced by Jay-Z , Will Smith and Jada Pinkett(to read the previous post click here).

Yesterday was the official opening night of the musical, Fela! and it took place at the Eugene O’neill Theatre, various greats such as the likes of the title producers-(Jay-Z,Will Smith&Jada Pinkett),Ben Stiller,Spike Lee,Yeni Kuti,Kunle Kuti and many more graced this event.

Fela! has been forecasted to be one of the best broadway musicals everand the role of Fela Anikulapokuti was played by two people;Sahr Ngaujah and Kevin Mambo, I must say the make-up artist tried.

The synopsis of Fela! as seen on the official website(www.felaonbroadway.com) is thus

 ”In this new musical audiences are welcomed into the extravagant, decadent and rebellious world of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies), Fela!(the musical) explores Kuti’s controversial life as an artist, political activist and revolutionary musician. Featuring many of Fela Kuti’s most captivating songs and Bill T. Jones’s imaginative staging, this new show is a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theater”.

We at GidiNoize deemed it fit to share some exclusive photos from the opening with you:::Keyword-EXCLUSIVE, so if you see it on any other site,remember u saw it here first

Enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEN STILLER

JAY-Z

 

JAY-Z

BILL T JONES

SPIKE LEE

SAYCON SENGBLOH

ADESOLA OSAKALUMI

TAMARA TUNIE