Skripper Time

Hugh Jackman's One Man Show: Wolverine, I Love You.

Colin Firth, we have a problem.  I've just returned from Hugh Jackman's one man show at The Princess of Wales Theatre, and I think he has just ousted you from my #1 slot in my Fave Five. 

Honestly, I can't say that I have enjoyed a show more in the last few years.  That man has more talent in his pinky (especially when said pinky is being wagged in very enthusiastic 'jazz hands') than most people in Hollywood have in their entire botoxed and buffed bodies.  The show was spectacular - he charmed the audience with stories, interspersed with show tunes, singing, dancing and gushes of handsomeness.

The songs ranged from pop songs to a whole medley from "The Man From Oz"  - completely in Peter Allen fabulousness, sequined shirt tied neatly around Wolverine abs (Hugh won a Tony for that role), to a whole tribute to musicals (Singing in the Rain, Sing Sing Sing. etc).  He also did a lovely tribute at the end to the Aboriginal people of Australia, narrated by Olive Knight, a leader in Aboriginal politics and causes in Australia. Complete with a backup orchestra and two foxy female singers, he owned the stage - prowling around it with energy, joy and absolute abandon.

And that's really what I love about Hugh Jackman - whether hosting the Oscars, the Tonys, or slicing and dicing as Wolverine, you really, truly get the sense that he loves what he does.  And he does everything with gusto and heart and pours himself into it.  He told a story about how his main philosophy is to "have a go" at things.  So far so good Hugh!

Did I mention that I was in the 4th row?  And that meant when he came into the audience, I could basically have flung myself into his arms?  It was only for the sake of the show that I remained in my seat - it was so entertaining, even my passion for him couldn't stop it.  I seriously considered chucking my bra at him, but as most breast feeding mothers know, spontaneously removing your bra in public is never a good idea.

There was a moment, yes a MOMENT, that Hugh was singing right to me.  Stared right in my eyes, grinned and belted it out.  Swoon.

My friend Oprah told me that Hugh Jackman is one of the nicest celebrities that she ever met, and I don't doubt it for a second.  Rock on Wolverine!  Have you seen the number he did with Neil Patrick Harris at this year's Tony Awards?  See below - fantastic!

 

How to start a Monday morning right...Thanks Michael Buble!

Many thanks to @judy_sims for sending this through on Monday morning to make my day.  I have had a mild crush on Michael Buble since he kissed me (TWICE - how could he resist, really?) and this just made me smile.  Well done Mr. Buble - and props to you Sam!

 

How to be Alone - Tanya Davis

I stumbled across this lovely artist through a Facebook link - and after watching I thought sharing was in order.  Having learned over the years exactly what it is to be alone, and how to be comfortable with it, I found that Tanya hits all the right notes.  I highly recommend going to the movies by yourself - even though when you tell your friends about it they'll look at you with a mix of incredulity and pity.

"How to be Alone" is a video by filmaker, Andrea Dorfman, and poet/singer/songwriter, Tanya Davis.

Davis wrote the beautiful poem and performed in the video which Dorfman directed, shot, animated by hand and edited. For more information on Tanya, go to http://www.tanyadavis.ca For more information on Andrea Dorfman, visit her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Dorfman-Films/110789... (Background info cut and paste liberally from their Youtube page)

 

 

10 Great Things About Summer

Okay.  It's been a while since I have posted - time has been flying by...weeks turned into months and suddenly I'm rounding August.  I sat on the couch today and started thinking about all the great things that I've done, seen, experienced and had enter the realm of Skripper during the past summer weeks.  So, here goes with my summery top 10 list:

1. Sugarland: Yeah, I'm a little bit country. I went to see Sugarland at the Molson Amphitheatre.  It was a raucous, joyful, belt-it-out kinda show that left me wanting more.  Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush so clearly, openly and obviously love their job and their music that they nailed the entire show.  Didn't hurt that they had a kick-ass set.  Rock on country singers!
   
   
    
   
2. Emilie Jane:  My sweet little god daughter arrived in the world and jumped in my heart.  I will enjoy spending as much time as I can with her before she travels back to Sri Lanka.  Doesn't hurt that her mother and cutest of big brothers are also around for me to enjoy.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Muskoka: Let's hear it for cottage country, docks, warm summer days, ice-cold drinks and reading books lying with one hand shading the sun from your eyes.  Oh, and don't forget encountering deer and wild turkeys on your morning run.
   
   
4. Eclipse: Vampires and werewolves.  I hate to love 'em, I love to hate 'em.  Seriously though, is there any better entertainment than sitting, eating buttery popcorn while watching the Velveeta cheesy teen angst that is Twilight drip across the theatre screen?  Ok, maybe a Sugarland concert - but there's a time and place for everything.



5. TMN and HBO Canada:  Thank-you for saving my summer television viewing.  Thank-you for Nurse Jackie and that great build to the season finale, and thanks for bringing the Entourage boys back. ARI - how I've missed you.
   
   
   
6. My Garden:  I love my garden.  This year it's a bit jungle-ish, but it brightens my day every morning and every evening.  Worth the effort every year.
   
   
   
7. Mitsubishi City Chase:  Team "The Sally Drapers" chased and were victorious.  Oddly enough, we finished far ahead of many of the teams who were running through the city.  We chose to meander and use our very intelligent brains to shave time off our events.  Highlights from this year - watching Sarah pour a shot into a glass that was balanced on her head, and doing an obstacle course in the 30 degree sunshine, only to learn that we had to do it TWICE.  Le merde. 
   
   
   
8. Air conditioning: Sorry David Suzuki...it had to be done.



9. My guy:  He likes me, I like him.  'Nuff said.



10. Everything that's yet to come:  Hey - there's still bits of July, all of August and some of September to go.  Sky's the limit:  a cottage rental with friends and family, couple of pool parties, ice-cream cones, front porch conversations, and some biking to work, along with some running for good measure.

Here's to you Summer of 2010 - so far so good.  Looking forward to seeing what you've got in store for the rest. 

Wow: Matt Andersen's Big Voice - Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe Christmas

One of my favourite holiday traditions is the Stuart McLean & the Vinyl Cafe Christmas concert.  For those who don't know Stuart McLean, he's a CBC radio personality and host of the Vinyl Cafe radio show, which is a weekly hour of storytelling, essays, and music.  The Vinyl Cafe concert is held every December at Convocation Hall (with the exception of a brief stint at Massey Hall last year) and it's one of my favourite parts of the holiday season. 

I go with friends and family, bring cookies and munch along to some heart-warming stories, great Christmas music and really Stuart's stories which are both heartwarming and hilarious. The other part of the show is music:  Stuart does a marvelous job of finding relatively unknown Canadian musical talent from across the country and then brings them on the road with the show.  In previous years I've been privy to some great performances and always look forward hearing the new talent.

This year the featured musicians were Jill Barber and Matt Andersen.  Jill Barber sang first, and was lovely - a blend of jazzy with a bit of Betty Boop.  Next up was Matt Andersen.  He's from the East Coast and has won a couple of East Coast music awards.  Guess why?  Because he is amazing.

He came out on stage and sang "So Gone Now" (one of his own songs) and BLEW ME AWAY.  And when I say me, I mean everyone.  When he started singing, you could sense a shift in the audience, a pinpointing of attention and alertness as everyone became captivated.  I'm talking serious talent.  His voice is a blend of raw blues and sheer power -and he's not too shabby on the guitar either.

In the second half of the show, he sang "O Holy Night" and literally blew the roof off.  Everyone was transfixed and I had shivers and a tear or two in my eye.  He was magnificent. One curtain call and a standing ovation later and the audience was still in love with him. 

His gig is blues & rock - and his style is very raw.  The rawness combined with the sheer power of his voice is astounding.  I'm going to be keeping an eye out for him - and suggest you do the same.  My heartfelt thanks to Stuart McLean for one of my favourite musical moments of the year. 

Here's Matt performing "So Gone Now" at a Vinyl Cafe performance from earlier this year.

Review: This Is It - Michael Jackson's Last Show

I loved Michael Jackson when I was younger - and I shared my passion for all things MJ with my cousin.  When we were in grade 8 we traveled (alone!) to see Michael and the Brothers Jackson's Victory tour at the CNE.  We screamed our heads off for 3 hours straight, then dreamed of how we would marry Michael (and his brother Randy - we took turns with who got MJ) when we got older. She was the first person I called when I found out that MJ had died. 

So it was perfect that today, she and I went to see "This Is It",  the movie that chronicles the last few months of MJ's life as he was preparing for his "This Is It" tour in London. From the casting of the dancers (all of whom expressed ardent fervour for the man with the sequined glove) to the fine-tuning of the band arrangements, MJ had (appeared to have?) say in all decisions. Some say that it's evidence of his perfectionism and his artistry - and I don't necessarily disagree.

Watching him work, there's no denying he was talented.  And the sheer magnitude of the spectacle he and his team were building was amazing - the sets, the special effects, the dancing and the music were astounding.  Early in the movie, there's a scene from a press conference where MJ announces to a throng of screaming fans that he'll be playing "all the songs that my fans want to hear".  And from the rehearsal footage - which is in spots grainy and cobbled together - he would have delivered on that promise and then some.

I did walk away wondering how much of the real MJ had been edited out - given the man was not eating, most likely on drugs and emotionally unstable - there must have been moments captured that were unflattering.  I can't blame the filmmakers for the scrub - it's a homage to him, not a reminder of his flaws.  Long time collaborator, Kenny Ortega (who was the tour's director, as well as the director of the movie) clearly knew how to handle MJ - through out the movie he talks to MJ in very measured, deliberate calming tones - almost as if he were speaking to a child.  It was just one of the hints that Michael needed special handling.

And then there's the man himself.  Granted, he's not giving it his all during the rehearsals -  - and nor should he have been.  His appearance remained a distraction through out the movie - his elfin nose, pale white skin and variety of wigs were hard to get past.  Yet when he gets going in the film - you see glimpses of what the concert might have been.  MJ had brilliant dance moves, an incredible sense of timing and presence and a true performer's instinct. Throughout the movie, he tosses out a number of one-liners to the people around him, never really engaging in conversation, but still providing feedback.  "You have to let it simmer" he tells one of his band members, followed up by a stern "I want it to sound like what people heard on the album"  Often he was sub-titled because you couldn't hear or understand what he was saying.  And there were a lot of "It's all for the love" when talking about his music and the performance overall.

Probably the most poignant point in the movie for me was when the Jackson 5 set appeared and the music for "I Want You Back" filled the stage.  Images of the young Michael Jackson - bright eyed, healthy, full of energy and big smiles contrasted with the thin, slightly freakish, yet still enormously talented man on the stage.  How he went from there to here is a million stories long.  At the end of the day - the music speaks for itself.  The man is silent now - and while this movie captures his last days, it doesn't give much insight into MJ himself.  It does however showcase his musical brilliance and his artistry, which is after all, his legacy.

The Wii (and Rock Band2) is in the house!

It's time to RAWK, nerds!

 I love Rock Band.  Last summer I borrowed it from a friend and brought it up to a cottage in case we had some time to play.  It ended up raining all week, and Rock Band saved me from certain insanity.  While we could have been outside slopping through puddles and braving biting rain, we chose instead to form a band and go on a world tour.  It was fantastic!  My friend Kelli (who is NOT the gaming kind) was so obsessed that she went home and downloaded all the songs to her Zune (yes, there are people who actually have Zunes) so she could learn them better.  She now has Rock Band. Our band STD2 lives on through her.

This whole "I'm unemployed and can't spend money" thing sucks, however my desire for Rock Band was not to go unrequited.  I saved up 75,000 Shoppers Optimum points which I redeemed for $200 off the Wii this week.  Then the gods aligned and I walked straight into a flat of Wii Fits when I entered Costco.  I took this as a sign from the gods that I should buy it, so I did.  Yesterday, I secured my Rock Band 2 Special Edition, bought an extra guitar...and I am now ready to RAWK.

Through the glory of social media, I found out that a friend works for EA (who makes Nintendo Wii games) and he's hooking me up with a sweet mother of a deal on some Wii games including Sims Castaway (which is essentially my own private LOST - I wonder if Matthew Fox comes with it?) and some other really cool stuff. 

Now all I need is some band mates to come and shred some riffs with me.  Snacks and drinks included.  Any takers?

Billy Bob Thornton Blows Up on CBC Radio Q in Toronto

The online universe is all abuzz about Billy Bob Thornton's antics on CBC Radio's Q in Toronto yesterday.  Billy Bob was in studio with his band The Boxmasters to promote their show at Massey Hall and their new album.   I've watched the video and am astonished at his petulant, child-like, sulking behaviour.    

At the beginning of the show, the host, Jian Ghomeshi, mentions in the intro that Billy Bob has had an impressive acting/directing career.  Apparently Billy Bob didn't like that (evidenced by the eye-rolling head toss you can see in the background) and then proceeds to answer (if you can call them answers) in mono-syllables to Jian's questions, pretends not to understand what he is being asked and generally is a total prick for the entire interview.  He then tears into Jian for mentioning his acting (which was for intro context only - Jian actually didn't mention it at all from that point on) which apparently the producer had been instructed was completely off limits. 

Kudos to Jian for not losing his cool and punting him from the studio, but instead, actually confronting him with the reality that if it wasn't for Billy Bob's fame and fortune from the acting side, it would be pretty unlikely that the band would be getting the press that it is. Or any press at all. Classic case of a celebrity who is a) most likely on some serious drugs and b) way too full of himself.  Idiot.

Watch the video below to see Billy Bob if full court action - and also watch his band mates squirm, look incredibly uncomfortable and basically try to save the interview.  Unfortunately, I don't think it could be saved...but it makes for great entertainment.  My favourite moment is when Billy Bob compares Canadians to "mashed potatos without the gravy" and Jian responds "Oh...we've got some gravy up here".  Fantastic.

YouTube Symphony Orchestra Winners announced!

Another really cool use of social media.  Nicely done YouTube!  And nicely done Yunior Lopez,  a 20 year old from Toronto who made the cut.  Check out his story on thestar.com

Basically the premise is this:  YouTube created a contest where professionals and amateur musicians of all ages, locations and instruments could audition for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by submitting a video performance of a new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun.  People downloaded the sheet music and practiced until they were ready for the BIG SHOW.

Finalists were selected by a judging panel comprised of the world's most renowned orchestras, along with some help from the YouTube community

Winners are now travelling to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra summit, and play at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

All the Tan Dun submissions will be compiled into a mashup video which will be premiered at Carnegie Hall on April 15th and then hosted on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra channel http://www.youtube.com/symphony on April 16th.

Here's a video performance of one of the winner - Lang Lang - during one of his encore performances with the Berlin Philharmonic.