Daily Archives: 11 July 2012

Fleeting: Weathering the Storms

Earlier this summer, I was conversing with an old friend of mine (old for me meaning close to seven years now), about my current emotional situation… She proposed a scenario that immediately reminded me of two other instances where friends intervened to mediate.

Before I go on, here is a bit of what my friend said:

[…] I’m starting to think he doesn’t have the balls to talk to you or pursue you whether it be in terms of a friendship or relationship. And the fact that you spoke your mind to him is a good thing. If he can’t handle a little fire, he needs to get out of the kitchen. Cause anyone in a relationship knows that if there aren’t a few fires or conflicts to overcome, I’m not so sure it’s worth being in that relationship. If anything, [overcoming conflicts] shows just how strong the bond is between friends or lovers.

Now, normally I would agree… but I can’t help but think about his past, or mine… and how difficult it can be to open and trust someone in such a way that you know you are doing nothing but leaving your heart open for someone to simply stab through with a sword. Especially knowing that it has been stabbed, repeatedly before.

Though he’s been burned, it’s up to him to muster up his courage and take the chance of getting burned again for that one chance to find something real with a person who he can open up to. He’s got to try.

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Review: Theatre-on-the-Hill’s Back to the 80s

Show: BACK TO THE 80s
Music and Lyrics: Neil Gooding
Original Musical Adaption: Scott Copeman 		Location: Theatre-on-the-Hill
Director: Michael Fudala
Vocal Director: Sharon Hand

Theatre-on-the-Hill‘s latest summer foray is the family friendly musical Back to the 80s. At first glance one would say that Back to the 80s is Grease set to the 80s and using popular 80s music. With a storyline revolving around various cliques that would be familiar to any audience member:

Set in the USA, Back To The 80’s tells the story of the senior class of William Ocean High School that graduated in the 1980’s, as remembered and seen through the eyes of middle-aged Corey Palmer (Scott Bovaird).

The then 17-year-old Corey (Caleb Hand) is madly in love with his next-door neighbour, Tiffany Houston (Kristina Parro), one of the coolest girls in the school. However, she barely notices this, as she is too busy mooning over Michael Feldman (Victor Rachal), the hottest guy around. Michael and his friends (Jon Worlton, Jonathan O’Brien, Kayaun Pierce) are athletic and good-looking – the kind of guys that Corey and his two best friends (Jon Slowik and Troy Schaeflein) dream of being. However, while they may not be the coolest guys in school, they are still one up on Feargal McFerrin III (Kevin Nepomuceno), whose best friend is his computer, and who believes the crazy notion that one day CD’s will replace cassette tapes.

Several new students arrive at the school – Mel and Kim Easton (the all-singing, all-dancing twin cheerleaders played by Rachel Slowik and Teri Karl respectively) and Eileen Reagan (Deana Vazquez), who tries desperately to fit in.

Meanwhile the teachers are having issues of their own: Mr Cocker (Scott Boland), after being in a relationship for a year with the apparently conservative English teacher, Miss Sheena Brannigan (Guinevere McGahan), confiscates an old edition of Penthouse from a student, only to discover a wedge that could drive them apart.

Throw in a Star Wars dream sequence complete with Yoda (Joseph Bovaird), high-energy dance routines, the obligatory 80’s party scene, copious amounts of blue eye-shadow, twenty cans of hairspray, as well as some of the most popular songs ever written, and the result is a musical that will not only delight and amuse an audience of any age, but will also inspire any young cast.

Scott Bovaird, the narrator going through his memories of his senior year probably had the one of, if not the most, difficult part in the whole show. Being a narrator is one thing, the fact that what he says or does pretty much cues everyone else in the cast, well that’s a different thing entirely. Scott has been strong and consistent through every viewing of the production. Though he didn’t have much to do as an actor, he does some measure of singing that was not just respectable, but well-done. Singing songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” made famous by Wham!, “Shot Through the Heart” aka “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, and “Love Stinks” from the J Geils Band.
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UPDATES!: Blogging in General and Beyond

So… I haven’t blogged on my personal site as much as I would have liked… and I have been busy… very very busy.

For the most part I just comment on what I see, where I went and what I do… I purposely avoid anything extremely personal mainly because that’s something that should remain close to my heart… In time that might change, I just haven’t decided how or when quite yet.

Until then this is what I have been up to and what to expect from me down the road.

PureTVNetwork: PureDWTS, PureSYTYCD and PureAmericasGotTalent
Blogging… probably one of the major things that is really keeping me busy during my current sabbatical from the theatre world. Since the summer is where two of the more popular shows: So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Got Talent are on and as thus I’ve been focusing the majority of my free time in creating new pages so there are references for the readers to follow… the majority of that work is almost complete so I could go back and focus on a few projects that I have had planned for the past couple of months for Pure Dancing With the Stars… hopefully that will wrap up within a few weeks.

In the Fall when NBC’s The Voice returns I will be adding that to my blogging dance card over at Pure TV Network. There are rumors of another blogging opening within the network… but I can’t reveal the exact nature until a later date. But I can say that it is SYTYCD related.

Working behind the Scenes:
Granted I jump away from the stage to be working on adapting a short story for the stage and learning about the technical side of the theatre… but as for actually being on stage… let’s just say there are quite a few shows I’m looking into possibly auditioning.

In the meantime I am learning about sound design/engineering from a technically advanced guy in the field and am learning alot… hopefully, overtime, I’ll learn a bit about lighting design as well as stage management from that group in the upcoming months.

Writing, Writing, Writing:
Well… I submitted a movie proposal earlier in the summer and was gently rejected due to other plum projects… which is ok, I didn’t expect anything to happen. In the mean time I am working on adapting a work from Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man for the stage… as for when that is going to be put onto the stage is anyone’s guess.

There are a few other writing projects that are on hold or in the editing stages, time permitting. But considering my six week sabbatical from theatre is almost up… who knows if I’ll ever get to them in time.

Outings and Reviews:
There have been quite a few audiobooks that I recently listened to and will be re-listening to soon. So expect a long list of Literary Reviews to be posted in the coming months. Also I have seen a few shows in the community theatre world so I will be posting my impressions on those productions in due time as well.

I think that’s it… Yes, I’ve been busy. Yes I am planning on traveling… Yes, I am now working two jobs. But you don’t see me complaining do you?