By Phil Turnbull

Tickets for rock legends Kiss’ upcoming Glasgow show sold out within ten minutes of going on sale today.

A spokesman for the SECC this morning confirmed: “Standing tickets have all sold out and the seating tickets are definitely on course to sell out within the next few days.”

The May 2010 concert at the SECC is the first time the American outfit have played in Scotland for 18 years, but it appears their popularity has not waned.

Kiss diehard fan Kenny Simpson, 22 of Polwarth, secured tickets this morning, and is eagerly anticipating the gig, saying: “I’ve seen Kiss before but never in an arena, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

The rock lords’ European arena and stadium tour, dubbed the ‘Sonic Boom Over Europe: From The Beginning To The Boom’ tour, was announced on Monday 23rd of this month by promoters Live Nation.

On the same day Kiss themselves made this announcement to fans via their website, kissonline.com;

The 27 date tour lasts for two months and takes the band from Ireland to Belgium, with Italian, German and Slovakian dates, amongst others, in-between.

Rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley is promising a performance of the band’s back catalogue, telling kissonline.com; “We’re covering the whole musical history of the band on a stage that takes KISS one giant step further in our eight inch heels. We’re stoked. You wanted the best? You GOT the best!”

Bassist and icon Gene Simmons is keen to promote the group’s latest album ‘Sonic Boom’, which hit number two in the American Billboard Top 200, and reached number 24 in the UK Album Chart.

Simmons told kissonline.com; “Now. More than ever. KISS is a four wheel drive monster truck. Our mission? To rock Planet Earth. To spread the gospel of Sonic Boom.” 

While Kiss last played a Scottish date in 1992, incidentally at the SECC in Glasgow, they have indeed rocked Edinburgh before.

The rock heroes’ brought their Crazy Nights Tour to the capital’s Playhouse Theatre for two nights back in November 1988.

Kiss have cemented their place at the top table of Rock n’ Roll by selling over 80 million albums worldwide, and on 23rd September of this year were nominated for a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Glasgow concert takes place on 9th May 2010 at the SECC, with remaining seating tickets priced at £40 plus standard booking fee.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels begins previews at the Vancouver Playhouse this Saturday with an official opening next week.

Artistic Managing Director Max Reimer hopes to continue his winning streak after last year’s hit The Drowsy Chaperone brought new life to, and with it higher expectations for, the Playhouse’s annual musical offering.

Directed by Max Reimer, with musical direction by Steve Thomas and co-choreographed by Reimer and Nathalie Marrable, the musical version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the 1988 film of the same name.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels stars Josh Epstein (The Producers, Arts Club) as Freddy Benson, Andrew Wheeler as Lawrence Jameson and Elena Juatco (Canadian Idol) as Christine Colgate and an ensemble including Danny Balkwill (Thoroughly Modern Millie, TUTS), Tyson Coady (A New Brain, Pipedream), Brennan Cuff, Kazumi Evans (West Side Story, RCMT), Gabrielle Jones (The Drowsy Chaperone, Playhouse), Kiara Leigh, David Marr (The Drowsy Chaperone, Playhouse), Katie Murphy, Jaclyn Rae, Colin Sheen and Debbie Timuss (The Drowsy Chaperone, Playhouse).

The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels from November 21- December 27, 2009 at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, Hamilton and Dunsmuir.  Tickets are available online or by phone at 604-873-3311.

Today was very much more of the same – I broke down the last 2 sheets of 2400×1200 MDF (one 12mm, the other 16mm) using a circular saw and a guide.  I really have a very low opinion of circular saws – dislike using them at the best of times.  The real danger comes with kickback, and unlike a tablesaw where the kickback results in the piece of timber being thrown, when you are using a handheld circular saw, and it tries to kickback, it is the saw that jumps and bucks, and tries to rip out of your hands.  It doesn’t take much to cause that to happen either.  The blade only has to bind just a little in the cut for the blade to stop doing what it is meant to, transferring the power of the motor into the cutting tips of the blade, and instead transferring the motor power into a rotational force that your hands and arms have to resist or risk a runaway saw (and potentially serious damage).  Even if you get away with it, your large sheet can incur some significantly horrendous scars.

I hate circular saws.  It kicked back more than once on me – each time I twisted the blade slightly during the cut.  It was a moderately powered saw – 1800W with a thin kerf blade, so I don’t know what was contributing to the (user caused) problem.  Was it that the blade was thin, so could distort under incorrect loading easier and therefore bind? Was it the saw itself was too powerful vs its weight? Not powerful enough, so it stopped cutting when conditions were less than ideal?  Whatever the cause, there is an underlying cause – I didn’t cut perfectly straight.  I got past that task, but I’ll be happy if I never have to use a circular saw handheld again (and with the imminent arrival of the Torque Workcentre, which has a circular saw mount and can cut a full 1200 wide panel, I’m hoping it means I will never have to).

You might ask why I am using a handheld saw if I dislike them so much, when I have a large tablesaw?  Simple answer – I might have a big saw, but a small shed – I have to break the sheet down smaller to be able to handle it in there.  There is another reason – single-handedly managing a sheet that size through a tablesaw can still result in twisting the sheet (and having the sheet stop contacting the fence), and there is every potential of a kickback in that situation too.  In future, if I have to do it by hand again I am going to take Marc Spagnuolo’s approach, and have the sheet resting on the ground, with a sacrificial board underneath (he uses polystyrene) – it will take more of the variables out of the picture and result in more ability to focus on, and control the saw through the entire cut. (I found I was overreaching near the end, and that is when things were going pear-shaped).

Despite the couple of….issues during the breakdown, things were pretty productive and I got both fridges made, as well as all the doors and tops cut.  Now they are getting close to needing the finer details made and fitted – taps, knobs, handles and the small things that take the build from the ordinary just up to the next level.

All coming together

Some of the additional details I want to add include the fridge door- adding a shelf (on the inside obviously, like a real fridge), and an egg holder shelf.  It is little, easy details like that which will elevate the overall build to a level I will be happy with giving these to friends.  I still need to cut the stove elements, and the sink cavity, make the stove knobs, door handles etc etc – now that hard work (not necessarily the heavy work) begins.  I’m really looking forward to this part of the project – when it comes to life.

While I was working today, I found myself using one tool (other than the Domino) a number of times – one I find really useful.  It is the Black & Decker PowerFile.  I’ve had it for a number of years, and it is great for getting into areas, minor shaping, quick hinge mortising etc.

B&D Power File

It is a belt sander, running a finger-wide belt with an exposed end.  Not very clear in the photo, but the notch seen here in the MDF to fit around the cabinet upright was cut on the bandsaw.  I then needed to round the edge, and that is where the power file came into its own.

I was part of a family of at least three kids and a parent/parents. There was at least the big brother and a teenager sister, the rest of the siblings were younger.

For some reason the big brother, who studied in the university, should set a time bomb in their school! The whole family knew about it, but for some reason they wouldn’t stop him. It wasn’t like they completely liked the idea, but more like that they thought it has to be done….

So one evening that guy walked through the town to his school (it was quite far away from the towncenter where they lived), set the bomb there and ran back home by foot!

He was at home for good, when the bomb finally exploded. The bang was so loud, that even if the family lived many kilometers away I (I was the teenage sister at that point) held my ears and it still hurt and felt like my head was exploding too. A detail is that it happened about 8 PM.

Later it turned out, that the whole neighbourhood around the university had collapsed during the explosion, and the police didn’t have any clue who did it or why.

Some months (I guess) later when the worst sensation around the blast had calmed down, the big brother would strike again! This time to a neighbourhood on a quite narrow cape.

This time I was the big brother, and I saw myself walking through the city. First the (annoyingly) crowded and messy downtown, then along some forrest roads with quite few houses around them (he/I didn’t take the shortest way to the cape). Then he walked through the ruins around the university area… The colours were bright and saturated, even kind of glowing, and it obviously was autumn time. The time was around between 5 and 6 PM.

The I finally came to the cape, which consisted of beautiful wooden houses, mostly red with white details like the rails around the porches and balcony. The sea was glistening in the evening sun… and the whole sight was very beautiful. I thought that what a pity to blow it up, but for some reason I knew that I still have to do it.

In the end of the cape the houses where smaller and built very tightly next to each other. At this point the dream became less realistic, ’cause when I peeked inside the tiny houses (more like the size of a  playhouse) they rather looked like shelves with a lot of toys on them. One house had a lot of lego blocks in it, an other had piles of toycars. I left the bomb somewhere there and I don’t remember the moment clearly.

What I remember is that when I ran home I chose a different route than when I came, and it was A LOT shorter, it turned out that the cape was actually scarily close to our home and the whole downtown!

The downtown was still so crowded that it was hard to move forwards because of all the people. And all the people looked very random and different – for example one monk (a hindu or a buddhist?) walked by me in his orange cloak and bald head, looking like dalai lama or something.

Then I was at home and we were just waiting when the explosion would happen. It should happen at 6 PM, but it delayed for some minutes… then I woke up before it actually happened.

I have these two girls.

Precious to my heart.

But they are not always as angelic as they might seem.

In the past few months, there have been two moments where they have made me hide my face in shame.

I almost cannot bear to share these horrific events with you . . . I mean what will you think of me?

What will you think of my darling angels?

Maybe I had better just keep my mouth shut . . .

Okay, okay, okay.

Here’s what I will do.

I will tell you 3 scenarios.

Two will be true.

One will be false.

Let’s see if you can figure out what my “angels” did this summer.

Oh, girls . . .

I know what you did last summer.

Okay.

Here goes nothing.

Scenario #1:

We were at the grocery store.  When I say we, I mean myself and the Fab Four, not me and the Lumberjack.

The Lumberjack . . . with me . . . grocery shopping?

PUH-lease.

I was slightly distracted.

Actually, I was just trying to get through the store without forgetting anything on my list or murdering any of my children.

Well, while I was trying to load the groceries onto the moving black belt, I was also trying to stop Handsome Dude :

from chucking cans of vegetables on top of the bread.

I was also trying to teach Little Dude:

that it is not okay to push all the debit card machine buttons 4.2 million times.

Seriously.

Could there be a worse spot for debit card machines for mothers with young?

So, while all of that was going on, my two precious princesses saw some chapstick they wanted and just took it.

They put it in their pockets.

And they left the store with them.

Without paying.

Scenario #2:

We were camping.

Whenever you go camping, it takes forever to get your little site set up.
Especially if you camp with the Lumberjack.

And even more so if you camp with the Lumberjack’s family.

Since we were the first to arrive, I was voted to help the Lumberjack set up his huge parachute.

Do you all remember the parachute?

Ridiculous.

Anyways, there I was, holding the large pole while the Lumberjack tried to tie the parachute lines down.

He made an oopsie and the parachute fell and the pole almost fell on top of me.

I lived.

But the point is that the parachute was now completely covering my eyes and, as a result,  I cannot see the fab four.

This is not ideal.

But I can hear them.

And I hear my two little girls shouting, “Yah!  Take that, Monster!  Yah!”

Along with the shouting, I also hear loud thunks and bangs.

” (___insert husband’s name___)!  What are they doing?”

Well, they were playing a game.

They were pretending that they were the princesses (odd) and there was a monster who was trying to attack them.

They had found an apple tree and were taking apples and throwing them at their “monster.”

Would you all like to know what the monster was?

Somebody else’s camp trailer.

Scenario #3:

Our darling girls are playing in the backyard.

Their father, the Lumberjack, built them a delightful little playhouse.

Please notice the fence behind the playhouse.

It will be important in about two seconds.

Here are my girls playing in the playhouse with their cute little red-headed friend.

Cute little red-headed friend is not guilty of the crime that is about to be committed.

Our neighbors have a fence . . . you know the kind with the foot of lattice on the top?

Well, my girls, in the spirit of all things Lumberjack, decided that they needed a woodpile for their playhouse.

So, they plucked out each little piece of lattice from our neighbor’s fence . . . and they made themselves a woodpile.

I mean, can you blame them?

They get it from their father.

Alright.

So out of those 3 scenarios, 2 are true.

1 is false.

Which one do you think is false?

On a completely unrelated note, I would like everyone to know that in the past 48 hours, I have become a HUGE fan of the Taylor Swift song, “You Belong to Me.”

Just thought you might need to know that.

Check out Jess over at Blog Schmog for more hilarious parenting moments!

Pee-Wee and the Playhouse Gang are returning to the stage for a four-week special engagement in Los Angeles @ Club Nokia, for those of you lucky enough to attend.

This new version of “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” has been adapted from the original production by Reubens, Bill Steinkellner and John Paragon. Joining this production is Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis and Jambi the Genie, as well as Pee-wee’s talking chair, Chairry, Pterri the pterodactyl, Conky the robot, Magic Screen, Randy, and lot’s more.  Many of the show’s original artists, both on stage and behind the scenes are involved in this re-imagined production.  David Korins, the show’s scenic designer, will work with Gary Panter, one of the most influential artists of his generation and designer of both the original stage production and CBS’s Pee-wee’s Playhouse.  The show’s original musical composer, Jay Cotton, is busily writing new material. (Courtesy of pee-wee.com)

“I’m really excited that fans are responding so incredibly to Pee-wee’s return,” said Paul Reubens.

For more info on tickets and to get your Pee-Wee fix, head on over to http://www.peewee.com/

By Rory Reynolds

SCOTLAND rolled out the red carpet to welcome legendary rock stars Brian May and Roger Taylor for the opening night of the hit musical We Will Rock You.

The Queen legends wowed fans at the Edinburgh Playhouse with a live appearance at the show’s finale, which saw the audience clap and sing along throughout the whole show.

And the crowd went wild when May and Taylor belted out the band’s classic hit Bohemian Rhapsody.

We Will Rock You, which has received rave reviews during its run at London’s West End, is written by Ben Elton, with the show’s music being supervised by Taylor and May.

May, 62, said he was delighted to be back in Scotland on Monday, if only for one night.He said: “I love being in Edinburgh, my mother is Scottish, so it’s like coming home for me.

“I thought the audience were amazing, they were very responsive – it went really well.”

TV presenters Carole Smillie and Anthea Turner were among the audience along with Any Dream Will Do finalist Keith Jack.

Anthea said she had come along to support her friend Darren Day, who plays villain Khashoggi.

She said: “I thought it was fantastic, I’ve known Darren for more than 20 years, so I wanted to come along and support him.

“I’ve seen it before, but I think it was tighter this time and more polished.

“It was nice to see him do something a bit different.”

Thousands of screaming fans turned up over an before the doors opened at the Playhouse theatre in Edinburgh, and the party continued afterwards at Harvey Nicols’ Forth Floor restaurant in St Andrews Square.

The show will run from 10 January to 9 January.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

(seen 3rd November 2009)

During its opening run at a Rome opera house in 1921, Pirandello’s edgy enquiry into the art of theatre cut into audiences’ sense of decorum so trenchantly that they shouted things in protest. From today’s point of view, Six Characters in Search of an Author is rather mild-mannered, a whimsical investigation into theatre’s identity that’s gently challenging to the student of humanities and frightfully boring for everyone else.

Six fictional characters, transcending their reality, rock up to a drama rehearsal with a curious request for an impatient director whose cast are late. They say they’re characters in a possible story needing to be realised by a dramatist. The director is comically appalled by their indecent intrusion onto his set to begin with, but is gradually proselytised by the pithy tragedy they forcibly (re)present to him. The main point being made – deep breath – is that characters in a play are meaningless until they’re mediated by actors, but that once mediated they become necessarily distanced from their essence, and so ultimately characters in a play are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The moral of the story is theatre is a place for illusion and anyone striving for realism on stage is kidding themselves. Which is why this play should be hammed up with lots of artifice and pomp, like it was in Mark Thomson and David Harrower’s colourfully comedic production last year.

Of course, Oxford University undergraduates have nothing like the kind of resources that the National Theatre of Scotland has and it wouldn’t be fair to penalise this production for its frugality. The price of admission patently reflects this- for a conveniently located and fit-for-purpose venue like this £5 is the closest we’re going to get to free, and what we ought to expect is a modest but insightful production based on an astute reading of a difficult play by thoughtful students who have spent time mulling over the detail. But that’s not what we get in this rendition by Pint Flusher Productions. If this student clique did get to grips with this play, it doesn’t show, and we get no helping hand in understanding what the playwright’s getting at and why what he’s saying is interesting.

This version is apparently a new translation. It’s by second-year classicist Chiara Crean who spent a summer working on it, and, frankly, I can’t fault it. Nor can I comment on where the nuances are, what’s remarkable about it, or why it needed a new translation, but it seemed good. Director Madeline Wright’s contribution is inconspicuous with the actors running amok in wild competition with each other. Mickey Down, in particular, is overbearing in the role of the energetic ‘Director’, and he should never have been allowed on stage with that ridiculous cobra staff which hyperactively slides up and down his grip when he speaks. It’s like a spasm, and very distracting. Hillary Stevens is poignantly tearful as ‘Mother’ and Joshua Hall is commendably controlled in his role as the conflicted ‘Son’. Both performances are humiliated in the raucous farrago of the ensemble. The lighting scheme is effective in conveying the different levels of reality in the play whilst the decision to stage this in the round is trivial and boggling. Surely a play about drama is best off with a traditional proscenium arrangement?

Fire – A Retrospective

6th – 14th November 2009, 8pm, at the Arts Centre, Playhouse.

11 & 14 Nov: Matinees at 2pm

Presented by Bangarra Dance Theatre

Pricing: $65 – $48

Child: $29 (15yrs & under. Must be accompanied by an adult & purchased with an adult/concession ticket)

A Reserve Family Package: $129
(2xAdults, 2xChild or 1xAdult, 3xChild)Group booking reservations:
PH: 1300 788 227 FAX: 9699 5835

** Please Note: The Highlight from SKIN ‘Contains some strong language and depictions of drug use’

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Tripod Dungeons and Dragons the Opera – The Kitchen Table Version

8th November 2009 at 6pm, 9th – 11th November 2009 at7:30pm, at the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio.

Presented by the  FULL TILT at the Arts Centre.

Directed by Neill Gladwin
with Melissa Madden Gray as “the Dragon”.

This is a rare opportunity to witness Tripod’s latest epic unfold before your very eyes. Scod (a wizard), Yon (a priest) and Gatesy (a fighter who dreams of being a bard) invite you to join them for a sneaky look at their greatest musical yet … sorry, opera … as they prepare for its World Premier in the US next year.

Pricing: $25

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Jeff Dunham

9th & 10th November 2009, 8pm, at the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall.

Presented by Adrian Bohm.

“…the most popular stand-up comedian in the US…” Time Magazine May 2009

Hailed as one of the most influential comedians and ventriloquists in the world today, Jeff Dunham and his cast of cheeky puppets are coming Australia.

This comic genius has risen in recent years to become a genuine entertainment phenomenon with over 360 million views on YouTube and selling a staggering 4 million copies of his DVDs.

It’s no wonder that Dunham has struck content partnerships with Amazon.com, iTunes and You Tube in the wake of his stunning triumphs in recent times. Dunham, an award winning stand-up comedian, has had frequent guest appearances on the Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.  He has headlined major venue shows in Las Vegas and Toronto as well as selling out arenas in London, Stockholm, Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen.

His widespread fame has led Dunham to sign a multi platform deal with Comedy Central to encompass all areas of entertainment including television, DVD, a stand up special, consumer products partnership and a 60 city Comedy Central Live stand up tour.  There is no wonder why TIME MAGAZINE calls him “the most popular stand up comedian in America”.

Jeff Dunham is the third highest earning comedian in America behind Jerry Seinfield and Chris Rock. He is not only one of the funniest humans on the planet, but the ring leader of a cast of comedic characters of his own creation.  He uses the famous puppets Peanut, Jose Jalapeno, Walter, and Achmed among others to keep millions around the globe laughing heartily with his sharp yet always humane and lovable humour.

Don’t miss your chance to see Jeff Dunham LIVE!

Pricing: $79.90

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Aida by Verdi

11th November 2009 – 10th December 2009, at the Arts Centre, State Theatre.

Presented by Opera Australia.

Grand opera does not get much grander than Aida. So when one of Australia’s true visionaries, Graeme Murphy, directs a new production of Verdi’s epic tale, it is an occasion not to be missed.

The King’s daughter Amneris is in love with Radamès, and hopes they will marry. Radamès, however, is in love with her Ethiopian slave-girl, Aida, and she with him. Is Radamès and Aida’s love great enough to betray their countries?

Verdi’s thundering choruses and spine-tingling arias, combined with an outstanding cast and the theatrical magic of Graeme Murphy resulted in a sell-out season in Sydney. You can see why when one of the world’s favourite operas comes to Melbourne.

Dates & Time:

11, 14*, 17, 21, 25*, 28* November
1, 4, 7, 10 December

7:30pm, except 21 Nov 1pm

* Free Opera Talk

Pricing:

Evening: $229 / $168 / $118 / $102 / $55 Matinee: $218 / $160 / $112 / $97 / $55

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Meow Meow – Feline Intimate

12th – 14th November 2009, at the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio.

Presented by Kay & McLean Productions & the Arts Centre in association with Meow Meow Revolution.

“drags cabaret kicking and screaming into the 21st century.” – Time Out New York

Accompanied by John Thorn

We know she’s slinky, we know she’s sexy, we know she’s superb; well now Meow Meow is being secretive, sneaking into town under cover of darkness to get up close and squishy with Melbourne for four intimate shows at the Fairfax, 12-14 November.

Coming directly from a sell-out season at Baryshnikov’s Ringling International Festival, the purr-fect post, post-modern cabaret diva could not resist dropping by to treat Melbourne fans to a delicious meal of their favourite Meow morsels.

Meow’s unique brand of kamikaze cabaret kitsch and performance art exotica has hypnotised audiences worldwide and taken her from New York to Shanghai, Berlin to London to Vegas. There’s not a city in the world that’s not head over heels in love with this fabulous feline.

Meow’s collaborators and curators include a who’s who of music, cabaret, performance art and theatre; from NY’s Justin Bond, Taylor Mac and Penny Arcade to Iain Grandage, Lance Horne, The Dresden Dolls, Thomas Lauderdale (Pink Martini) Pina Bausch and now the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Beyond Glamour, Meow’s solo show, sold out fast last time she visited Melbourne Festival in 2006 and 2007 and was also chosen by David Bowie for his High Line Festival in New York, “incited” by director John Cameron Mitchell (creator of Shortbus and Hedwig and the Angry Inch). Then in 2008, Meow returned to blow Melbourne’s mind as the eternal femme fatale in VAMP.

Feline Intimate is Meow Meow in the raw (figuratively speaking of course, although you never know your luck) and close enough that you can touch her (literally, we’re sure she’ll love it).  Maestro John Thorn will accompany Meow on piano for this spontaneous and enigmatic joyride channelling Brecht, Brel, Bowie, Eisler, Gainsbourg, Fellini, Tarantino and more.

“She channels every conceivable kind of cabaret singer from the Shanghai showgirls of the 1930s to Madonna, with a tremendous verve and wit.” – Herald Tribune

“An extraordinary voice that sounds as though Diamanda Galas drowned in cherry liqueur.” The Age

“Cabaret Diva of the highest order.” – New York Post

Time:

Thursday 12 - Friday 13 November, 8pm
Saturday 14, 6:30pm & 9pm

Price: $59.90

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Beethoven 4

15th November 2009 at 2.30pm & 16th November 2009 at 8pm, at the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall.

Presented by The Australian Chamber Orchestra.

“(Lazic’s performance)… made this music sound fresh, spontaneous and impassioned.” New York Times

Beethoven’s  lyrical, personal and serene Piano Concerto  No.4 is the ideal vehicle for rising star Dejan Lazic, who is as adept at poetry as virtuosity.

Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony is effervescent, witty and wise. As one critic said: “there are no words to describe the deep, powerful spirit of this work from his earlier and most beautiful period.”

Don’t miss the ACO and Dejan Lazic. Lazic’s performance has also been described by the New York Times as full of ”shapely phrasing and vivid dynamic effects”.

Pricing:  $66.30 – $106.55

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Visible Sessions Live

15th November 2009, 5pm-8pm, at the Arts Centre, BlackBox Theatre.

Presented by Multicultural Arts Victoria in association with the Arts Centre.

Connecting musicians and creating a platform for new Aussie sounds and styles, the Visible Sessions Live at the Black Box are a new series of live music and jam sessions with flavours from all around the world.

The first of these unique sessions will feature two unique acts jamming it out live on stage: The Black Jesus Experience, an exciting blend of traditional Ethiopian song with jazz, funk and hip-hop and Culture Connect – a refreshing, upbeat, progressive 7 piece live hip hop act featuring artists from some of the planet’s most exotic locations.

Pricing: FREE !

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In the hustle and bustle of the typical weekday morning, many of us choose to and are accustomed to tuning in to the radio for the intention of making those mornings go by more easily. Some morning radio shows do tend to have a knack of being appealing and very entertaining to the listeners. But, in my mind, there is one morning radio show that is head and shoulders above the rest.

The Playhouse, Based out of Portland, OR, airs on its flagship station, KXJM (Jammin’ 107.5 FM) from 5-10 A.M. PT. It also has a website where online streaming is available so those of us (myself included) who are not within signal distance can still enjoy the shenanigans that this particular radio show conjures up. Also, from 6-10 A.M. PT, they have a live and fully produced video feed which allows you to see them in action. To top it all off, they do podcasting as well, for those followers who aren’t able to listen to the show in the morning. The team, consisting of P.K., his wife Denise, Ivan, DuRyan, Tony, and Neveen (who is currently on hiatus for personal reasons), has an uncanny ability to entertain their listeners with an otherwise sophomoric style of behavior.

Now, like other morning drive-time radio shows, The Playhouse goes through the usual: news, traffic, etc. Then, they put the pedal to the metal and hit their stride. They talk about a lot of funny stuff, make each other do insane things, participate in hilarious segments, and straight-up go off on rants, all for our amusement. And because of all this we’re, I’d like to think, all the better for it. In my mind, and to many of the regular listeners I’d assume, the best aspect of The Playhouse has to be anything involving DuRyan. He is, for lack of a better phrase, not the sharpest tool in the shed. Or maybe a few (and by few, I actually mean a LOT) tacos short of a fiesta platter, but you get my drift. The various things that he’s done and continually does are things of legend. From “Back in the Day,” “The Mystery Box,” to other ridiculous  stunts he is asked to do, DuRyan is, by far, the entertainment center of the show.  So, if you’re in need of a good morning laugh or, in this case, bucket loads of laughs, then The Playhouse is definitely for you.

While we don’t normally like to toot our own horn – paint our own playhouse…yes, toot horn…no – we are thrilled to have received a few awards lately. It’s always gratifying to be recognized for the products we have worked so hard at creating.

So we were thrilled earlier this year when the Color Me House and Color Me Rocket made Dr. Toy’s “Best Classic Toys” and “Best Green Toys” list, respectively.

Dr. Toy, a.k.a. Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., has been tracking trends in the toy business for more than 30 years. Each year, she searches the toy aisles – figuratively speaking, of course – for the best toys on the market.

To be on the 2009 Best Classic Toys list, Dr. Toy looked for products that are fun and have high play value. The award-winning green toys are “made by companies striving to inspire children to appreciate the environment and help them learn to take better care of our natural resources,” according to Dr. Toy’s website.

That’s us. How cool! Thanks, Dr. Toy!

The Dr. Toy website is packed full of great toy ideas – let’s not forget that Christmas is just around the corner. Ugh! And, oh, there’s just so much – there’s cool stuff like a page that lists how to say “toy” in 67 different languages. And the Kids’ Page has links for multiple toy design contests for kids – time to get your kids in an inventive mood!

Dr. Toy, you rock!

This is Sydney’s Playhouse.

This is the playhouse that one particular person is annoyed about. REALLY?!? It just doesn’t seem too distracting or too PINK or too crappy or too anything really. The color of the playhouse matches the main house – and the trim, when we install it, will be the same color as the trim on our house. I just can’t believe what a fit this one woman is having over the fact that this little girl’s playhouse is sitting in the backyard of my house.  You wanna know the BEST part … you wanna know what is in the backyard of HER house ?… I know you don’t really care, but I’m gonna tell you anyway —– a LIGHTED Basketball court … half court … poured concrete … painted lines … flood light!! SERIOUSLY!  I cannot believe she actually finds my child’s playhouse aesthetically distracting from the value of our homes and doesn’t think that a trashy basketball court does! Can you even believe it!

We worked hard to make it look nice. We hired a great builder/designer to make sure it was pleasing and beautiful. We have tried to integrate all of the traditional ‘playset’ items into it and make it most beneficial to our daughter at this moment in her life and into the foreseeable future.  The finished project will have a swing bar on one side of it and monkey bars on the other side, so it conforms with the child’s playset requirements of our neighborhood … which is vague to say the least.  We used concrete stucco siding … not some scrap yard lumber that has seen better days … and the shingles are architectural dimensional shingles and the gables are accented with a keystone detail. Really. The place is nice. It is not some cardboard box with a flag stuck to the outside of it like in Christina Katerina & The Box … which by the way was always one of MY very favorite books as a child and is ALSO one of Sydney’s! She could play with a box FOR-EVAH! In fact, Sydney still has the boxes from our kitchen chairs which we got almost two YEARS ago! So, moral to this anecdote is that the lady should be happy … HAPPY I tell ya .. that our girlie didn’t park a box outside and paint it over and over and stick flags out to declare it hers!  Now …THAT would have been irritating and trashy looking, yet crazily more ‘allowed’ than what we put out there.

I’m certain there is a middle ground that will make everyone happy. I know that my immediate neighbors several houses to either side of me don’t care. They think it is gorgeous and well-built and not degrading at all. They think, and rightfully so, that Sydney will outgrow it in a few years and that we will take it down … just as nicely as we put it up. They think that allowing a kid to be a kid is a live and let live proposition. We didn’t complain about the lady’s stupid basketball court … we don’t like it and think it looks like absolute garbage … but we didn’t complain because we believe in being a good neighbor – a neighbor who doesn’t bother others and who doesn’t butt in something that is not really any of her business. She lives two streets over and CANNOT see my house from hers. She needs to just get over it! She needs to realize that ‘people who live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones’.

We are not planning to take down the playhouse. We are planning to make it amenable to the neighborhood and match the other similar ‘playsets’ in the area. We will make some adjustments to appease the wary, but we won’t take it down. We won’t just give in when there are SO many other violations that are apparently okay, though equally as non-compliant. We will allow our daughter to enjoy her playhouse and invite friends to play – I won’t disappoint her just because some lady is a jerk and doesn’t want to play nice with the neighbors … you know what they say about jealousy …

Until next time,

Stacy 

Several weeks ago I was contacted by super mom Jennifer about taking photographs of her blended NEW family.  Jennifer is from a large metropolis out west, and she was upset that she had to move away from a Photographer that had taken her family photographs for many years and that she adored.  She thought she would never be able to replace her…that is until she just happened upon my website www.wizofozphotography.com!  She called me immediately and was so excited that she had found the ONE to replace her beloved family Photographer.  NO PRESSURE there!  So the date was set, Halloween!

Halloween turned out to be a beautiful day and our shoot was scheduled for late afternoon.  The Gau’s had a very small but great backyard for picture taking.  They had a small log cabin playhouse and a large wooded area.  Nobody was shy about getting their picture taken, and I ended up with some great shots of their 3 cuties, mom/dad and their beloved dog.  That evening I emailed Jennifer to see if I had passed the test and she responded with an “AMAZING WORK”….so I think that means I did ok!   I’m looking forward to many more shoots with this great looking family….if they’ll have me! 

Seal: SOUL Tour

5th & 6th November 2009, 8pm, at the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall.

Presented by Dainty Consolidated Entertainment

Pricing: $65 – $48

Child: $29 (15yrs & under. Must be accompanied by an adult & purchased with an adult/concession ticket)

A Reserve Family Package: $129
(2xAdults, 2xChild or 1xAdult, 3xChild)Group booking reservations:
PH: 1300 788 227 FAX: 9699 5835

** Please Note: The Highlight from SKIN ‘Contains some strong language and depictions of drug use’

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Tripod Dungeons and Dragons the Opera – The Kitchen Table Version

8th November 2009 at 6pm, 9th – 11th November 2009 at7:30pm, at the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio.

Presented by the  FULL TILT at the Arts Centre.

Directed by Neill Gladwin
with Melissa Madden Gray as “the Dragon”.

This is a rare opportunity to witness Tripod’s latest epic unfold before your very eyes. Scod (a wizard), Yon (a priest) and Gatesy (a fighter who dreams of being a bard) invite you to join them for a sneaky look at their greatest musical yet … sorry, opera … as they prepare for its World Premier in the US next year.

Pricing: $25

 

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John Edward Seminar

8th November 2009, 7pm, at the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall.

Presented by Jenus Inc

John Edward has captivated audiences worldwide.

On his internationally distributed talk shows, Crossing Over with John Edward and John Edward Cross Country, he uses his unique abiltiies to connect people with loved ones who have passed on.

Deeply compelling, often startling and occasionally humorous, John’s down to earth approach has earned him a vast and loyal following.

 

Pricing: $133.55/ $97.55

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(seen 30th September 2009, written for Culture Wars)

Between 1995 and 2002, four army cadets training at Surrey’s Princess Royal (Deepcut) Barracks died in circumstances that have remained ambiguous to this day. Mired in military bureaucracy, the cases saw little light of day until an investigation by BBC Frontline Scotland lifted the lid in May 2002. The ensuing media furore and the snowballing scandal culminated in the Armed Forces minister ordering a 15-month examination into what went wrong. What came out the other end in March 2006 – and the entire thing was carried out behind closed doors – was a forbidding document that ran to over 2000 pages and a press conference in which Nicholas Blake QC who conducted the review announced his conclusion that the deaths probably were self-inflicted. It was a sobering anticlimax.

The eagerly awaited conclusion reached headlines but that was where the buck stopped. Faced with all the heavy reading, journalists could do little more than relay the summary to the expectant public, and it was only weeks later when the saga was already a lesson learnt that the most engaged journalists were able to come to their own conclusions. Writing for the British Journalism Review, Brian Cathcart’s was that journalists were outmanoeuvred by the government. It knew the workings of the media and adroitly doused the flames of public excitement with a brick-like mass of information that the press couldn’t possibly penetrate in time. By the time Cathcart managed to go through it all and publish his thoughts, Deepcut was no longer news. “Journalism,” says this play, “dropped the ball.”

Not that journalists were given nothing to chew on. The review stressed that there was a lot to be desired from the way things were run at Deepcut, confirming accusations that bullying had become rife in the institution. It shed light on further aspects of negligence and profligacy which we could shake our heads at, and recommended in no uncertain terms that management needed to be tightened up- and of course it was, promptly and visibly. Then in January 2008, when the media storm had ostensibly calmed, the Armed Forces announced its plans to close Deepcut and put its land on the market for residential development. Mission accomplished.

But for the bereaved parents who continue to campaign for an independent public inquiry the problem extends far beyond the perimeters of a poorly run training ground. Their children died there for reasons that have never been fully clarified, and those in charge have relentlessly buffered their concern, first with a bureaucratic wall and then with a dead-end review undertaken in the shadows. What this affair has revealed is just how inaccessible the system is and just how difficult it is to hold the military to account. That much we saw and that much we mustn’t forget, cries out this play, and on leaving the theatre we are handed print-outs urging us to fight for transparency.

Deep Cut is an example of verbatim theatre. The script is a selection of interview excerpts, documented speeches and press items reproduced word for word and strung together into a narrative. The characters on stage are the cited individuals and feature Nicholas Blake, Brian Cathcart, and Private Cheryl James’ (1977-1995) parents whose long quest for answers forms the story’s backbone.

A verbatim script is a label of the playwright’s commitment to impartiality in approaching a contentious political subject they wish to discuss, and is driven by the ethos that the truth is shocking enough, that there’s no need for invention. Here there’s a third element. This verbatim script is an emblem of Philip Ralph’s support for Des and Doreen James who have said that after all these years their persisting distress is less about their daughter’s death than about the government’s thievish attitude towards the truth. In the play’s subdued denouement we hear their wistful pleas for a government that can tell the unembellished truth, and the unembellished truth is what Ralph’s script presents, symbolically at least. And by extension we get a play whose very format is a criticism of the way the government responded to Deepcut.

It is, of course, ridiculous to suppose that any piece of theatre can be entirely objective and ‘unembellished’. The very act of staging confers nuance and, besides, Deep Cut is a markedly dramatic play, propelled in this production by a fast tempo, exuberant acting, and a handsome set design. A play could never simply ‘tell the truth’, and the Cardiff-based Sherman Cymru are right not to hold back on theatricality. The aim here is to promote a cause using all the tools of persuasion drama has in store, and dramatic is what it has every right to be (just as court proceedings are).

Deep Cut’s setting is the dour but comfortable James family living room, aka ‘an ordinary household’. An irrelevant but thoughtful Christmas tree sits unobtrusively in the corner – glowing mellowly for Britain’s fragile integrity, shall we say – near a photo of the late Cheryl in uniform. The characters, who generally address their lines to the audience and rarely interact with one another, occupy the James home figuratively. The set is non-essential to the action and adjectival to the play- we could have had, say, an army barracks instead and the script would have kept its coherence for the most part. But Deep Cut is ultimately about the reality of the relationship between Britain’s government and Britain’s governed, and home sweet home is where the heart of the matter lies, where Deepcut hurts most, and where the message of this play is most pertinent. As the plot progresses, stacks of boxes and paperwork gradually pile up on set in an oppressive, tetris-like mess, overwhelming the living room as the affair overwhelms their lives. They need our help to tidy it up.

The overall feel of the production is far from dour or comfortable. It’s a punchy 75 minutes, paced like a rolling news channel during a crisis, with each speech urgently taking over from the last in a raucous fiesta of opinions. The actors drive the play like jet engines, pumping the polemic with fiery vigour. Amy Morgan puts on a wonderfully jubilant performance as Cheryl’s hyperactive best friend at Deepcut, speaking volumes about the happy-go-lucky atmosphere at the barracks in the few lines she has, whilst Pip Donaghy and Janice Cramer in the symbiotic roles of Des and Doreen James keep the play rooted in a poignant family tragedy without ever turning to blatant pathos. Tremors from Derek Hutchinson’s virtuosic turn of the ‘passionate investigative journalist’ archetype as Brian Cathcart could be felt in the Netherlands.

Deep Cut has been widely praised for its hard-hitting journalistic qualities, and scooped a number of awards during its Edinburgh Fringe debut run, including the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award. It has since had a run at London’s verbatim stronghold Tricycle Theatre, and been picked up by Revolution Films (The Road to Guantanamo, A Mighty Heart) for a possible adaptation. As long as Deep Cut tours on, Deepcut blazes on, and Des and Doreen’s campaign for justice continues at http://www.deepcutfamiliesfightforjustice.co.uk.

	Frankenstein’s Cat
	Sábado 31: 18:00 (DirecTV) / 15:00 (CableVisión)

	ICarly
	Sábado 31: 21:30 (DirecTV) / 18:30 (CableVisión)

	Oye Arnold!
	Sábado 31: 19:30 (DirecTV) / 16:30 (CableVisión)

	Roxy Hunter y una temerosa noche de… | Película
	Sábado 31: 22:30 (DirecTV) / 19:30 (CableVisión)

	Candy stunt | Especial
	Sábado 31: desde las 09:00 (DirecTV) / desde las 08:00 (CableVisión)

	PLAYHOUSE DISNEY:Una noche de Halloween | Especial
	Sábado 31: 19:00

	Halloweentown | Película
	Sábado 31: 16:00

	Halloween en Boomerang | Especial
	Sábado 31: desde las 10:00 (DirecTV)

	El mensajero de la oscuridad
	Sábado 31: 18:30 (DirecTV)

	Jeepers Creepers II | Película
	Sábado 31: 22:00 (DirecTV)

	Halloween, el comienzo | Película
	Sábado 31: desde las 09:00 (DirecTV) / desde las 08:00 (CableVisión)

	Criss Angel “Mindfreak”:Halloween Special | Especial
	Sábado 31: 10:00 | 13:00 (DirecTV)

	Los Simpson | Especial
	Sábado 31: desde las 18:00

	Monster House: la casa de los sustos | Película
	Sábado 31: 22:00

	Masters of Horror | Película
	Sábado 31: 23:00

	Stephen King “El hospital de los muertos” | Especial
	Sábado 31: desde las 13:00

	Subject Two | Película
	Sábado 31: 21:00

Nightmate on Elm Street 2 | Película Sábado 31: 22:30 (DirecTV) / 21:00 (CableVisión)

	Friends | Especial
	Sábado 31: 18:00 (DirecTV) / 16:30 (CableVisión)

	Especial de Halloween. Revelaciones.
	Sábado 31: desde las 20:00 (DirecTV) / desde las 19:00 (CableVisión)

Los horarios pertenecen al territorio de Argentina.

This morning, I had the pleasure of attending Playhouse’s Halloween Party. Playhouse is one of the Developmental Disabilities Association’s Child Development Centre’s nestled in the quiet neighborhood on Brant and East 27th.

This was my first Halloween party of the year, and my first time attending Playhouse, so I brought along my camera to take some pictures of the Halloween party. Kim Looi, the Manager at Playhouse, did a fantastic job organizing the party with her staff. The entire Child Development Centre was decorated with pumpkins, smiling faced paper ghosts, fake cobwebs and other Halloween themed decorations. Most of the children were also dressed in Halloween outfits.

The party started off with some excellent guitar music and singing with all the kids clapping and singing along. After the music came pumpkin pancakes and cantaloupe for the children.

Once the children were done their snacks, they headed off trick-or-treating at the different rooms at Playhouse. They’d knock on the door, yell “trick-or-treat”, and someone would open the door and give the kids healthy Halloween snacks.

The Halloween party was plenty of food, fun, and songs, with plenty of smiles on the faces of all the children. For more photos of Playhouse’s Halloween Party, view the Developmental Disabilities Association’s flickr site.

Playhouse (East Vancouver) – Children 6 months – 3 years old
4107 Brant Street, Vancouver 604-873-6448
Hours of Operation: 7:45am – 5:30pm
playhouse@develop.bc.ca

Golden Flute

25th – 27th October 2009, at the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall.

Presented by the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

BeWILDerwood is a wild and imaginative adventure park with magical treehouses and hints of intriguing characters, bringing a curious difference to the Norfolk Broads. The setting for the book ‘A Boggle at BeWILDerwood’, by local children’s author Tom Blofeld, it’s a wonderful, mystical place. Parents are encouraged to play alongside their children, which makes for a fabulous and brilliantly exciting time for the whole family. www.bewilderwood.com

Halloween is nearly upon us, and party plans are in full swing. You’ve got games planned, candy purchased and maybe even a few scary surprises up your sleeve.

As we all know, kids need lots of activities to keep them occupied. Hello, short attention span! Why not add a Color Me House playhouse to your Halloween repertoire and watch as your little goblins get crazy creative.

Pop up a playhouse and have all the little ghosts and ghouls at your party decorate it with their favorite Halloween trimmings.

Here’s what you need:

* Color Me House playhouse

* Markers

* Black, white and orange streamers

* Black, white and orange construction paper

* Scissors

* Glue and/or tape

* Pre-cut bats, spiders, cats, witches hats, pumpkins

* String (for making spider webs)

* Other fiendish accouterments

If you’re feeling ambitious, put the house up a day or two ahead of time and paint it black with spray paint or latex paint. Spray paint will dry faster than latex paint. Just be sure to give it enough time to dry before decorating it.

A Color Me House playhouse is a “ghoul-ed” way to liven up a “dead” party!