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Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

• Costume and Anachronism

  Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

  Anyone who’s ever wondered about the appeal of Renaissance Festivals can usually get their curiosity satisfied by one good costume party. It doesn’t take much more than a few hours in a great costume to discover why people like to pretend they are someone else. For the really good Halloween costumes , there is often a sense of time and place as well as identity, and the costume will reflect something about this someplace else. For a little while, one can be transported into that other world.

  Some of this sense is reinforced with the usual games of social play. When one dresses up as Death, for example, people usually have strong responses. It might begin with a bit of shock, but then it soon evolves into a playful kind of repartee, where the conversations can become quite funny. And also quite pleasurable. So when someone decides to wear the costume of a Midnight Fairy, they consciously or unconsciously adopt an attitude toward the world that is much more flirtatious, and mysterious, than their normal every day masks.

  As the night wears on, the games become more elaborate, and there are also moments of slippage. It’s an interesting moment at any costume party when all the guests are talking about an important issue, and they forget how they look for a brief time. Then comes a moment of recognition, and the roles kick in again, and that’s when the appeal of dressing up becomes more profoundly understood.

• At the Drive In and El Paso Legacies

  Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

  El Paso is a quintessential border town, where the cultures of two countries influence each other in uncountable ways. The course of history has run through both sides of the border, and it continues to influence the city in hidden and obvious ways. It’s apparent in the food as well as the music, and some of the most exciting things here are found in the little nuances.

  There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of nuance, however, in one of its most famous bands, At the Drive In . Their hard playing and very distinctive sound are very much on the surface, and if there’s any nuance here, it’s in the lyrics. It’s also here and there is the band’s famous changes, where the rhythms can shift suddenly and dynamically. It’s one of the trademarks that made them so infectious during their glory days.

  Their time in the sun lasted longer than most post-hardcore punk bands, with a run that lasted from 1993 to 2001. In that time, they played a number of shows, and the best of these were in basements or clubs where they only played for very small crowds. They did have their share of big shows, too, but these would eventually contain the seeds that lead to the end of the music. They had a solid relationship with Fearless Records , the outfit that produced most of their albums, and they’re still a main feature in their line-up of great acts in their archives.

  One of their most profound contributions to the music scene was their fearless and determined DIY attitude. Driving their own car thousands of miles, they played all over the country, pleasing the crowds with their eclectic mix. They did become frustrated with the same crowds, who just got more and more rowdy as time went on, until there eventually was a tragedy that haunted the band members. A bad car crash was also a contributing factor to the break-up.

  There is talk of a reunion, as there usually is with interesting musicians. Although their long-term fans may not find them here while they’re staying in the city’s best hotels, El Paso continues to make great music, demonstrating remarkable contributions of its talented population.

• The Grand Theatre of Geneva

  Monday, May 10th, 2010

  The Grand Theatre de Geneve is both a performance venue and a city institution. It is one of the prestigious cultural establishments of this great Swiss city and is extremely popular with tourists and residents alike. The building itself, which houses the famous company, is an amazing visual spectacle and alone inspires a sense of awe and greatness in those who approach. The majestic building first opened to the public in 1876 and is located along Place Neuve. Unfortunately, though not uncommon to many great buildings throughout Europe, it was partially, well significantly destroyed by fire in 1951 and was not reopened until 1962. This is not only one of the favorite visual landmarks for many of the guests in the Geneva Hotels , it is also popular place to visit as an audience member.

  Throughout much of the years, even centuries that followed the Reformation, the city of Geneva was heavily influenced by Calvinist thought and belief practice. And while this is still evident in the culture and tradition of the city today, it has become much more progressive and open to various arts and performance genres. In the case of opera, the city saw its first opera house build and open in the 1760s. Voltaire was the most famous and influence artist operating at the theatre during this time and under his influence the performances achieved great audience approval and interest. A new theatre soon emerged and they flourished early in their existence. Both of these early theatres existed outside of the official city walls. It was the second of these early theatres, the Teatre Neuve, that was eventually brought down so that a new building to could be built to better suit its needs and productions. This also coincided with the growing population of the city itself and the interest of additional audience members.

• Franklin Square in Philadelphia

  Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

  So, I was sitting in Steve’s Prince of Steaks in Philadelphia, yeah that’s what it was called but really they were great sandwiches, and was waiting for my mother and brother to get back from visiting whatever history store they had just wandered into. I mean yeah, Philadelphia is full of historic places and the buildings all look old and everything but I’d like to do more than think about old stuff, you know? I had wanted to stay at our Philadelphia hotel room and sleep in, but obviously that wasn’t going to happen. So, I’m sitting there eating my sandwich, and feeling a little bit cool that my mom actually left me there on my own, when I hear the door open and look up to see if they were back. And to my great relief my mother and brother were nowhere in sight but some beautiful boy was looking right at me.

  I must have blushed and hurried and took a sip of soda and then looked back. By that time he was standing to order his sandwich. I tried to watch him while keeping my face in another direction, which was difficult but a skill I was beginning to master. While he was casually watching his sandwich getting made I noticed he was glancing over in my direction. So, my other skill was to secretly make sure that he couldn’t be looking at anything else near me. Suddenly I heard my name and was startled as I and cute boy looked at the door at the same time.

  Of course it was my brother and mom who came right over and started talking about the cool history they had seen. Then they told me to hurry up because they wanted to go to Franklin Square and I started to feel sick. Just then cute boy walked over with his sandwich and said he overheard us mention Franklin Square. I immediately mentioned that I had always wanted to go there and then kicked my brother under the table as he started to give me a double take. Cute boy introduced himself as Adam and told us how to get there and all the attractions. He mentioned the miniature golf and the carousel and then offered to give us a tour. I accepted for the whole family, my brother was onto me by this point, and ended up having the greatest afternoon of my life while looking at a miniature golf course that was full of icons and decorations I couldn’t name.

• Backwards in Wichita, Kansas

  Friday, February 26th, 2010

  What can I say about Wichita, Kansas? It feels like I’ve stepped back in High School, even the radio station that plays classic rock for the 50’s and 60’s have local commercials selling used cars and carpet. Wichita, kind of struck me as somewhat charming, but at the same time made me realize just how far I’ve come in the past 15 years.

  I’m here on business, so I don’t have much time to really scope out the city like I want to, but at least Kansas hotels have at least come into the 21st century. The one I’m staying at has all the modern conveniences, which I thought it just might not have, been that Wichita is stuck in the mid 90’s. I’m meeting with a very good client of ours at supposedly a great restaurant for dinner and to seal a deal. I found the restaurant online at a site that listed the top 10 restaurants. Number one is Chelsea’s Bar and Grill, it’s a steakhouse offering premier cuts of beef, fresh seafood, wood-roasted chicken and there will be live jazz music. Now, that seems so much better than listening to country music, which seems to be prevalent here.

  But, I did have a little time before I met my client tonight, so I checked out the Wichita Art Museum. The first thing I saw when I drove there was this large sculpture of a person with one arm holding a sickle. Later, I found out that the sculpture was a large female and that there’s a dismembered male figure on the ground next to her clutching a hammer. Apparently, one figure is a bank robber and the other a banker. The piece was done in the 50’s by a member of a group of artists interested in raising social awareness and social justice. As I entered, I looked up a saw this enormous arch over the entry that was filled with hundreds of pieces of blown glass art. If I wanted to, I could walk out on that arch, shoeless, and take a closer look at the blown glass pieces.

  I only spent about an hour at the museum before heading back to my hotel to get ready for tonight’s dinner, but, I must admit, the Wichita Museum was quite impressive for a backwards city.

• Mary Poppins on Broadway

  Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

  One of the more recent Broadway trends has been to base musicals on individual performers or bands, such as the Billy Joel revue Movin’ Out or ABBA’s Momma Mia, as well as adapting hit movies to the stage or basing a musical on an already existing film, such as Billy Elliot. Meanwhile one of the latest and greatest film turned musical offerings opened in October of 2006 and continues its popular run at the New Amsterdam Theatre. This of course is the family oriented Marry Poppins and features all of the favorite songs from the movie. Some of these include Spoon Full of Sugar, Chim Chim Cher-ee and many others. This is a great offering for families who are looking for a fabulous stay and great theatre while they’re visiting New York.

  This is the fourth year of straight running for the popular musical, which has also been successful in its national touring agenda. To this date nearly two million people have attended this uplifting and entertaining production. Mary Poppins is definitely a show that lets both the imagination and your own personal dreams run free while you’re able to forget your problems and just enjoy the songs and spectacle for a couple of hours.

  The basic story of the musical deals with the Banks family who lives on Cherry Lane in London, England. The slightly comical chaos that the family experiences early in the play leads to the search for a new nanny. Of course there is also some disagreement about what type of person would make a suitable nanny for the family when the somewhat mysterious Mary Poppins suddenly appears at their door. Through some unexpected magical encounters the new nanny soon begins to teach the household some important life lessons and as unexpectedly as she arrived she proves to exactly what the troubled family needs. All of this unfolds in great style and fabulous effects that delight and entertain audience members of all ages along the way. Marry Poppins is definitely a show for the entire family and is exceptionally appropriate and a good choice for the kids.

• New York Set

  Friday, February 12th, 2010

  When you check into the best New York Hotel click here long one of the biggest city parks in the country your going to take a step back into motion picture history. Stand in the middle of central park were you can see the tops of tall buildings. What pops into your mind? Take one of the most unique buildings in the skyline The Eldorado apartment building. When I look at that building I think of the Giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man that comes sloshing into the scene over these huge buildings.

  Yup! The Ghostbusters movie is what came to my mind first. It is such a classic with stars like Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis who also wrote the movie together, and Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Rich Moranis and Annie Potts.The apartment of the demonic spirit was actually the Shandor Building, 55 Central Park West. And the firehouse that was the lab for the ghostbusters business is a the home of the Hook and Ladder Company #8. If you stop by you can see some movie artifacts that were left behind.

  The building that was in the movies Arthur and Working Girl is actually the National Design Museum on 91st Street. You can see the Playground on Madison Avenue building that was a set drop for the Fisher King with Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams. Actually, that movie has its memories left all over the lawn of Central Park. The hit movies When Harry Met Sally and Hitch use the Metropolitan Museum of Art. How about some of the hotels that have been in movies like The Plaza with Crocodile Dundee, Barefoot in the Park with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford and Arthur.