2006-01-31
MUSIC: All-County Band Performance (Volusia County)
What a treat it is to get to see some of the best players from around Volusia County play at the Peabody Auditorium. None of the Malena Family decided to try out for All-County this year (at least, that's what I'm told..) so we all got to watch from the audience this time (though I was pretty busy taking pictures as usual for the band).
THEATER: Beauty And The Beast (Seaside Music Theater)
My children and I last saw Beauty And The Beast performed by the same theater group a couple years ago, and it was fantastic. At that time, they were performing their plays at their own center (small stage on Beach Street in Daytona Beach) and at the Daytona Beach Community College.
Now, they are performing at the brand new News-Journal Center on Beach Street.
Let's just hope they work out the technical glitches before my summer subscription kicks in for five more plays, because we saw BATB on the second night it opened at the new NJ-Center, and it was... so-so.
Curtains catching on each other, fireworks going off and smoke billowing around the upper atmosphere for 20 minutes, air conditioning that turned on and off sporadically during the performance, and worst of all, the music-to-singing volume ratio was horribly out of balance. At first, I thought my own hearing was to blame, but then I noted two different couples within seats of my position commenting on that very problem during the intermission! The orchestra drowned out the verbal portion of the play at every turn. One slightly laughable situation (which the actor, James Haase playing Gaston, handled quite well) was when Gaston's armband got caught on Le Fou's (played by Mark Catlett) shirt button after Gaston lifted him up and then brought him down. James very quickly tried to get the armband removed from his partner's shirt, then immediately gave up and slid his arm OUT of the trapped costume piece... the result being that Le Fou sang for the next two minutes with an armband hanging from his chest (which eventually fell off and disappeared during the next scene via a set change).
We "enjoyed" the play, but in truth, it was very troubled -- and I'm sure they'll work these things out. Well, I hope they work these things out.
Now, they are performing at the brand new News-Journal Center on Beach Street.
Let's just hope they work out the technical glitches before my summer subscription kicks in for five more plays, because we saw BATB on the second night it opened at the new NJ-Center, and it was... so-so.
Curtains catching on each other, fireworks going off and smoke billowing around the upper atmosphere for 20 minutes, air conditioning that turned on and off sporadically during the performance, and worst of all, the music-to-singing volume ratio was horribly out of balance. At first, I thought my own hearing was to blame, but then I noted two different couples within seats of my position commenting on that very problem during the intermission! The orchestra drowned out the verbal portion of the play at every turn. One slightly laughable situation (which the actor, James Haase playing Gaston, handled quite well) was when Gaston's armband got caught on Le Fou's (played by Mark Catlett) shirt button after Gaston lifted him up and then brought him down. James very quickly tried to get the armband removed from his partner's shirt, then immediately gave up and slid his arm OUT of the trapped costume piece... the result being that Le Fou sang for the next two minutes with an armband hanging from his chest (which eventually fell off and disappeared during the next scene via a set change).
We "enjoyed" the play, but in truth, it was very troubled -- and I'm sure they'll work these things out. Well, I hope they work these things out.
MOVIE: Underworld Evolution
I thought the first Underworld movie was pretty good. It had an interesting storyline with fairly good (not the highest quality, but good..) special effects.
This movie was about on par with the first. There was more "background story" (or should I say, a more convenient background story) told, and better effects. It balanced out in the end. There was a lot more "flesh" than I would have dreamed (based on the first one), which was a little unnerving with my sons there to see it with me, but life goes on. It had some Blade-esque moments (especially the ending outcome) but that was fine. Speaking of fine... Kate Beckinsale. Wow. :-)
This movie was about on par with the first. There was more "background story" (or should I say, a more convenient background story) told, and better effects. It balanced out in the end. There was a lot more "flesh" than I would have dreamed (based on the first one), which was a little unnerving with my sons there to see it with me, but life goes on. It had some Blade-esque moments (especially the ending outcome) but that was fine. Speaking of fine... Kate Beckinsale. Wow. :-)
MOVIE: Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
(apparently I'm very late posting a review about this)
This movie was a very dazzling special effects effort, with the daylight-based CGI and near-flawless integration of live and computerized characters (plus characters which were half-each).
It's definitely a kids' story, but was worth seeing at full movie price, in my book. I liked it better than King Kong, that's for sure.
This movie was a very dazzling special effects effort, with the daylight-based CGI and near-flawless integration of live and computerized characters (plus characters which were half-each).
It's definitely a kids' story, but was worth seeing at full movie price, in my book. I liked it better than King Kong, that's for sure.
2006-01-24
New Website To Take Care Of
Apparently being the "official high school band photographer" was not enough. Now I'm taking care of one of their websites (nothing done yet other than a "stay tuned" text, but www.LakesideJazz.Org should see some new content soon...
2006-01-21
Why Can't I Be Special?
I am appalled that my chosen lifestyle is NOT represented on the web! How is it that there are sites out there for the socially accepted, the individuals who have been given special privilidges for who they are, not what they can do? Why can't I have legislation made to help me and my kind?
I speak, of course, of the Straight White Average Man (or SWAM, for short). (1/24/06 - updated this since I had the words as "SAWM" instead - Tony=dumb)
With so many special programs made for every other specialty group (sexuality-based, race- and ethnicity-based, gender-based and more), why am *I* being overlooked? Perhaps I need to design a "Masculinist" website.. or better yet, the official "SWAM" site! (rofl)
(before anyone gets into a tizzy, I am making light of the fact that there are so many programs aimed at so many specifically-targeted groups in the United States, it makes the average white Joe like me feel... inconsequential, sometimes -- effectively making us a minority in our own sense) (I am not a racist, or similarly derogatory group-name for the others mentioned herein, by ANY stretch of the imagination)
I speak, of course, of the Straight White Average Man (or SWAM, for short). (1/24/06 - updated this since I had the words as "SAWM" instead - Tony=dumb)
With so many special programs made for every other specialty group (sexuality-based, race- and ethnicity-based, gender-based and more), why am *I* being overlooked? Perhaps I need to design a "Masculinist" website.. or better yet, the official "SWAM" site! (rofl)
(before anyone gets into a tizzy, I am making light of the fact that there are so many programs aimed at so many specifically-targeted groups in the United States, it makes the average white Joe like me feel... inconsequential, sometimes -- effectively making us a minority in our own sense) (I am not a racist, or similarly derogatory group-name for the others mentioned herein, by ANY stretch of the imagination)
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