Inconceivable!... Rob Reiner's Fan Favorite Fairy Tale Celebrates Silver Anniversary & Makes Orpheum Summer Movie Premiere this Friday

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Scale the cliffs ofinsanity, battle rodents of unusual size, face torture in the pit of despair,and join Princess Buttercup and Westley on their spell-binding journey to findtrue love when The Princess Bride makes its Orpheum Theatre summer moviedebut this Friday, July 20^th. A classic fairy tale complete with heroes, villains,trickery, mockery and death-defying miracles,  The Princess Bride captures audiences young and old with its brilliant, memorable dialogue,enchanting story line and bewitching characters. This year marks the film's 25^th anniversary of its debut in 1987.
From celebrated directorRob Reiner (The Bucket List) and Oscar®-winning screenwriter WilliamGoldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) comes "an enchantingfantasy" (Time) filled with adventure, romance and plenty of"good-hearted fun" (Roger Ebert).  Featuring a spectacular castthat includes Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Cary Elwes (No StringsAttached), Mandy Patinkin ("Homeland") and Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally). Click through to see the cast then and now!

Billy Crystal

Carol Kane

Wallace Shawn

Christopher Guest

Cary Elwes and Robin Wright

Mandy Patinkin

Chris Sarandon

Fred Savage

In celebration of theanniversary event, all who wear their best pirate or princess costume willreceive $2 off admission.
Rated PG for Adventure Violence, Brief Language, and MildSexual Themes1987 - Family AdventureComedy - 98 Minutes
Doors open at 6:00 PM forpre-movie fun.

How 'bout some more beans, Mr. Taggart?

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 This Friday, July 27^th, The Orpheum Theatrewill host a “bean” drive for the Mid-South Food Bank in conjunction with thescreening of hilarious  Mel Brooks’western classic, Blazing Saddles.
Those familiar with the moviewill understand the bean reference. Yet, did you know that there are so manypositive nutrition facts when it comes to beans? Let’s start with the amazinglyhigh fiber count. One cup of black beans (2 servings) has more than 115% ofyour daily value of fiber, which gives beans the ability to satisfy yourappetite while seriously burning fat! Beans are also high in protein, which iswhy vegetarians aren’t the only ones eating beans in lieu of meat. With morethan 40 grams of protein in 1 cup of beans, you can see why they top the listof fat burning foods.
When it comes to nutritionfacts, beans are where it’s at.  Withlarge amounts of thiamin, folate, vitamin B6 and niacin, beans can provide youand your fat burning efforts with plenty of health benefits to promotewellness. You also get lots of nutrients when you add beans to your diet,including; calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and manganese.
Beans have also  proven to provide many health benefits thatinclude lowering cholesterol and preventing spikes in blood sugar. This makesbeans even more appealing for diabetics, those suffering from hypoglycemia anda resistance to insulin. Furthermore, the soluble fiber in beans helps reduceyour risk of coronary disease and heart attacks.
If you can set aside thesometimes embarrassing side effects of eating beans, you’ll find that thehealth benefits far outweigh that small problem. Yet it’s the side effects thathave made beans the subject matter of countless jokes, children’s songs, and amemorable campfire scene in the Mel Brooks movie, Blazing Saddles. AlthoughWarner Brothers executives asked Mel Brooks to remove the famous campfirescene, he ignored the request and the film became a international success.
Can you imagine the BlazingSaddles without the beans?  Can youimagine your pantry without beans? Sadly, many Mid-South families can.
But you can do something to help.  ThisFriday night, bring a can of beans to The Orpheum’s showing of BlazingSaddles and you’ll save $2 off the price of admission while also helping The Mid-SouthFood Bank stock thepantries of needy families in our community. Donations are often slow inthe summer, and every can helps fight hunger in the Mid-South. 

The Mid-South Food Bank fights hunger through the efficient collection and distribution of wholesome food and through education and advocacy. It serves a network of partner agencies that includes food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth programs, senior programs, rehabilitation centers and other charitable feeding programs. The Mid-South Food Bank has distributed 10.3 million pounds of food and other groceries in its 31-county service area in 2011. For more information, please visit www.midsouthfoodbank.org.

Blazing Saddles @The Orpheum this Friday, July 27^th. Doors open at 6:15 PM forpre-movie fun.

Let's Dance: A Conversation with 'Billy Elliot' Choreographer Peter Darling

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Billy Elliot the Musical is a glorious celebration of dance – all kinds of dance.

Yes, it’s the story of a young boy who aspires to a career in ballet, which is why people are often surprised to discover the broad movement palette utilized by choreographer Peter Darling. The choreography encompasses tap, hip hop, jazz, acrobatics, and folk dancing; even a pedestrian activity such as walking – no pun intended – is used as a form of expression.

Kylend Hetherington (Billy) in “Billy Elliot the Musical.” Photo by Kyle Froman

That diversity was very deliberate. “I didn’t want to convey the notion that only one form of movement is of value,” says Darling. “I wanted to use as many different forms of movement as possible. We’re celebrating dance; dance is worthy of celebration and all forms of dance can tell a narrative. Ballet can tell a narrative. Tap can tell a narrative.”

Tap fuels the show at least as much as, if not more than, ballet. “Tap is rhythmically exciting and such an expressive kind of dance,” says Darling. “At the same time, it’s synonymous with show business and musicals. And Billy Elliot is very much a musical; it’s not a ballet.”

In most musicals, tap is a rapturous articulation of joy. Often, its raison d’etre is nothing more – or less – than to entertain the audience. That kind of tap exists in Billy Elliot, most notably in the exuberant finale. But Darling also uses tap in a dark and powerful way in the “Angry Dance,” Billy’s response when his father orders him to give up ballet.

“Tap actually lends itself extremely well to anger,” says Darling. “The ‘Angry Dance,’ in a way, is about Billy wanting to stop dancing. But the rhythm in his head keeps on going. If you want to stop your feet from moving, you slam them to the floor. So that’s where the idea came from: Billy would slam his feet to the floor, and there would be a rhythmic element to it. And it went from there.”

The dances in Billy Elliot either advance the narrative or reveal something about the characters. “Born to Boogie” takes place after Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy’s teacher, reads a letter from the boy’s dead mother. Rather than launch into a ballet, Darling upends expectations with a jazzy number. “When you study ballet, it’s non-stop classes,” he says. “It almost feels like wearing a straitjacket. When Billy gets upset by the letter, Mrs. Wilkinson decides to give him a present, to cheer him up. Instead of saying, ‘We’re going to do 24,000 tendus again,’ she says, ‘OK, let’s have some fun. Let me find out how you move.’ So Billy starts to do Michael Jackson moonwalking, and she starts to do a few old steps. It’s a conversation, a fun dance, which is what jazz is.”

Darling infused the ballet choreography with contemporary movement, steps that would be anathema to traditional classical dance. When Billy auditions for The Royal Ballet in the number “Electricity,” the ballet he performs includes street dance, hip hop and acrobatics. “The idea is that The Royal Ballet is looking for young dancers with potential, who are phenomenal movers,” says Darling. “And Billy shows that he’s a phenomenal mover who can also turn three pirouettes.”

That number, more than any other in the show, underscores the beauty and vitality of ballet. “Ballet can be one of the most thrilling things you’ll ever see, because of the amount of training, technique, and strength required to do it. The training enables the body to do things that are phenomenally difficult. You’re able to travel through the air. It’s got a great freedom to it.”

Billy Elliot the Musical @ The Orpheum Theatre September 18-23.

Memphian Jacob Zelonky talks about his role in Billy Elliot

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At just 11 years old, Memphian Jacob Zelonky began his whirlwind journey on the Billy Elliot The Musical national tour. Two years later, Jacob looks back on his time playing Billy's best friend, the challenges he faced to get his first big break (including learning to tap dance and ride a bike!), and leaving the show this past July.
Click here to learn more about Billy Elliot The Musical, playing at The Orpheum Theatre September 18-23!

What A Glorious Feeling! The Orpheum Commemorates 60 Years of "Singin' In The Rain" This Friday

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In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of its release, Singin’ in the Rain has been added to The Orpheum's 2012 Classic Movie Series, and it will be dancing its way back into the theatre for a one-night-only event this Friday at 7:15pm. (Doors open at 6:15 for trivia and prizes!)

Dubbed "The Greatest Musical of Ever" by Time Magazine, Singin' In The Rain is a joyful piece of cinema set during the transitional period between silent films and "talkies" in the 1920s  a la The Artist (winner of the Oscar for Best Picture this year).

Here are a few things you might not know about this classic film:

1. The movie was mostly an excuse for Arthur Freed, the producer who made so many of the classic MGM musicals, to recycle songs that he'd written as a lyricist with composer Nacio Herb Brown two decades earlier for some of the studio's earliest musicals. As Betty Comden recalled, she and co-screenwriter Adolph Green were told by Freed, "‘Kids, you’re going to write a movie called “Singin' in the Rain”. Just put all of my songs in it.’ All we knew was there would be some scene where someone would be singing, and it would be raining."

2. The title number took seven days to film, with six hours of fake rain each day. The water was mixed with milk to make it show better on camera. The constantly drenched Kelly had a bad cold and fever the whole time, which makes his sunny demeanor during the piece all the more impressive.

3.  In an ironic case of double dubbing, when Debbie Reynolds (Kathy) was dubbing Jean Hagen (Lina)'s voice during the movie, the voice you hear is actually not Debbie Reynolds but Betty Noyes.

4. Debbie Reynolds (Kathy) was quoted as saying "The two hardest things I ever did in my life are childbirth and “Singin' in the Rain'." Although she praised Gene Kelly for his directing skills, he was a notoriously hard taskmaster when it came to the dancing routines. At one point she was so exhausted she curled up under a piano to cry, where Fred Astaire found her and offered to give her some pointers. She was only 19 when she was given the role.

5. O'Connor also worked himself to exhaustion on the "Make 'Em Laugh" number, which used bits of acrobatic comedy he'd done in vaudeville (including running up a wall and flipping into a somersault). O'Connor was a four-pack-a-day smoker, and after filming the number, he was bedridden for several days, only to learn that the footage had been accidentally destroyed. So he did it all again.
(Moviefone)

"Lucky Stiff" is light-hearted musical comedy fun

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Dan Hartley (left) of Dearborn plays Harry Witherspoon, Clif Levin of Detroit plays the dead body and Jackie Gubow (right) of Huntington Woods plays Annabel Glick in the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical comedy “Lucky Stiff.” The show runs for one more weekend, March 23 to 25 at the Village Players in Birmingham, 34660 Woodward Avenue.  Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Call (248) 644-2075 for ticket information.


By SUE SUCHYTA


            “Lucky Stiff,” a funny musical comedy farce, runs for one more weekend at the Village Players of Birmingham.
            Directed and costumed by local creative force Michael Gravame, the show was created by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the talented team who brought us “Ragtime,” “Seussical” and many other musical theatre treats.


CLOSING WEEKEND
            Final show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, March 25 at the Village Players of Birmingham, 34660 Woodward Avenue. Call (248) 644-2075 to order tickets by phone.


COLORFUL COMEDY
            The show is colorful, irreverent and funny. What’s surprising is that it isn’t performed more often. From Gravame’s bright, amusing costumes to the door slamming, in-and-out confusion and silly chase scenes, it’s a fun show that has a premise improbable enough that it never takes itself too seriously – it’s meant to be fun and it is.


FROM SHOE SALESMAN TO POSSIBLE MILLIONAIRE
            A mild-mannered shoe salesman, Harry Witherspoon, who is harassed by his neighbor’s out-of-control dogs, suddenly finds himself in the middle of a massive mission that – if properly carried out – will net him a multi-million dollar inheritance and the chance to change his life.


THE “LUCKY” STIFF
            An uncle he never met has died, and if he takes the deceased carefully preserved body to Monte Carlo for the dream vacation he never had, Harry inherits the fortune.


GOING TO THE DOGS?
            If not, the money goes to a stray dog charity, which Harry refuses to let happen. However, the beautiful, determined and earnest female emissary for the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn is following him every step of the way, hoping to grab the brass ring if Harry doesn’t fulfill the will’s wishes.


DOGGED DETERMINATION
            Dan Hartley of Dearborn is fun and entertaining in the role of Harry. If his belting voice sounded a bit hoarse by the second weekend of the run, he more than made up for it in energy and comic earnestness.


HOUNDING HARRY
            Jackie Gubow of Huntington Woods is delightful and amusing as the intrepid heroine who would rather see the money go to her homeless canines, so she hounds Harry hoping to catch him breaking the provisions of the will’s wild weekend. Having seen her perform as a talented teen, it’s satisfying to see her successfully take on adult roles with confidence and flair.


MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES
            The entire cast of characters is funny and very entertaining. All have multiple costume changes, and even Clif Levin’s “dead body” has to get up and dance during a nightmare sequence.


NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE GLOWS
            The nightmare sequence itself merits special mention.  Done under black lights, with clever glow-in-the-dark dog-head placard masks, it is very cleverly done, and reminds one of the equally entertaining dream sequence in “Fiddler on the Roof.”


UNDERDOGS CONNECT
            Hartley and Gubow make a great pair, and you find yourself rooting for the two underdogs to connect early on.


VELINSKY STEALS SCENES
            Tania Velinsky is delightful as Rita LaPorta, the colorful, criminal and visually challenged ditz who is too vain to wear her glasses, which results in an unintended murder. She created an over-the-top character who entertains every time she steps on stage.


BATTLE BRINGS IT
            Tony Battle is funny as Vinnie Di Ruzzio, the henpecked brother and husband who is dragged into the middle of this mayhem and comedy chase. 
           
COLORFUL CAST
            The cast’s colorful clothing makes their clownish personalities even more eye-catching and amusing. The eye chart tie is a nice touch with the bright blue of Vinnie’s suit.


CLIF’S CORPSE
            Clif Levin is remarkable in his ability to stay still as a stiff in a wheel chair as people move him around, rearrange his arms, and hold one-sided conversations with him.  I never saw him twitch or sneeze while in “dead mode.”


ENSEMBLE ENERGY
            The balance of the cast, which includes Gary Mach as Luigi, and the ensemble of Tom Arwady, Earl Bain, Janie Minchella and Liz Schultz rise to the challenge of playing multiple roles in many costumes in a never-ending parade of successful scenes.


CAMPY COMEDY
            The set design itself is very versatile, and continues the theme of colorful campiness.
            The feigned skydiving and scuba diving is laugh-out-loud funny and entertaining. The cast popping in and out of doors and windows will remind you of the some of the funnier moments of television’s comedy classic “Laugh In.”

Players Guild of Dearborn prepares for Mel Brooks' "The Producers"

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By SUE SUCHYTA

            Dearborn residents Dan Hartley and Brian Townsend will play Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock respectively in the Players Guild of Dearborn production of the Mel Brooks and Thomas Mehan musical comedy, “The Producers.”
HARTLEY AND TOWNSEND TEAM UP
            When Leo, a mild-mannered accountant shows Max, a down-on-his-luck producer that a quickly closing flop could potentially make more money that a hit, the two set out to find the worst script, director and cast to ensure a profitable flop.
                        Musical director Ken Pletzer of Northville said the cast includes some serious talent and that audiences will be laughing non-stop throughout the show.
            “If auditions are any sign of what the show is going to be like, it’s going to be an awesome show,” Pletzer said. “We have some very talented folks… if you’re a fan of Brian Townsend you might want to come see the show.”
            He added that Dan Hartley, who plays Leo to Townsend’s Max was hilarious at auditions.
HAAS SEES HUMOR

            Director Valerie Haas of Inkster said that the show is continuously funny.
            “It is non-stop joke after joke after joke,” Haas said. “It is a look at the biggest loser of all producers, named Max Bialystock, who keeps trying to do great theatre, a great show, and it always turns out to be a disaster. And he’s just produced another one: “Funny Boy, the musical Hamlet.”
SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER?!

            She said Max and Leo find the worst possible script, “Springtime for Hitler,” the worst director in town – an over-the-top gay guy and his equally untalented live-in entourage of set designers and costumers, and      the worst singers, dancers and actors they can find.

LEADING MAN "BREAKS A LEG"

            However, when the leading man literally breaks a leg, the director must step into the role, and it changes the entire perspective.
            “It turns Hitler into this over-the-top gay man, the reviews come out that it’s this wonderful satiric masterpiece, and it’s a hit,” Haas said.          
            She said the casting committee saw some really good auditions, and she ended up getting almost the exact number of people that she needed.
            “We needed some very specific types,” Haas said. “We needed somebody that could pull off a lot of comedy with a lot of singing and some dancing and everything so we were very fortunate to get the people that we got.”
MOULD MAGIC

            She added that choreographer Valerie Mould used her contacts to pull in some very good dancers who have worked with her before.
BOOTH AS DEBRIS

            She said one of the funniest scenes is the number “Keep it Gay,” set in the townhouse of Roger DeBris (played by Phillip Booth of Dearborn) the director.
GOJKOV AS GHIA
            “He and his common-law assistant Carmen Ghia (played by Alex Gojkov of Redford) also live with the entire production team. It’s this huge over-the-top number where Max and Leo are trying to talk Roger into directing their show, ‘Springtime for Hitler,’ and how he (Roger) is trying to say ‘no’ and then he has these brilliant ideas and things like that.”
A PLAY-WITHIN-A-PLAY

            Haas said the other funniest scene is “Springtime for Hitler’ itself, the play-within-the-play.
TAP DANCING STORM TROOPERS

            “It’s this god-awful yet brilliant depiction of Franz Leibkin’s play… a wonderful homage to his Fuhrer,” Haas said. “It’s got tap-dancing storm troopers and canons and people with cardboard U-boats and tanks and all this going on. It’s supposed to be hideous… the fact that the critics like it is beyond understanding.”
            She said the actors in the ensemble are very busy, playing anywhere from five to nine roles each.
            “They are kept on stage constantly coming and going as different characters,” Haas said.
HOT MAMAS WITH MONEY

            She said Max’s financial backers – little old ladies whom he has affairs with to fund his plays – some played by the male ensemble – come out and do an hysterical tap dance number using walkers instead of tap shoes.
AUDITION AUDACITY

            “There is so much going on,” Haas said. “The audition scene where they’re auditioning actors is a scream because they have some of the worst people ever coming out… and every one of them is awful… which is what Max and Leo want.”
            Brian Townsend, who plays Max, agreed that it is one of the funniest shows around.        
MEL BROOKS' RHYTHM AND WORDS

            “It’s written by a true master of comedy and comedic writing, Mel Brooks who just has an ear for the rhythm of comedy,” Townsend said. “Single words alone are funny when they’re in his hands.”
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSULTS

            He added that the show has something for everyone, and everyone gets equally skewered at the same time.
VAUDEVILLIAN

            “There’s a physical humor to everything, there’s wit to stuff – it’s very vaudevillian in its nature,” Townsend said. “So you have to be paying attention and listening all the time.”  
SID CAESAR LEGACY

            Phil Booth, who plays Roger, added that it helps if you remember that Mel Brooks was a writer for Sid Caesar.
GOJKOV GETS IT

            “Part of Roger’s magic is that he has Carmen Ghia to play off of, which is played by Alex Gojhov and you couldn’t ask for anything better than that,” Booth said. “The back and forth between Alex and I would be fun to do, even if there were no audience – it would be worth six week of rehearsal to do it because it is so fun.”
            Booth added that the comedic style is tried and true.
COMIC CHEMISTRY

            “The timing is there, the funny words are there, all the embellishments are there, and if you click into that chemistry, it works,” Booth said.
FAST AS FORUM
            Booth added that the show has the same fast pace as “A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum.”
CHALLENGES

            Townsend said that it is a show that is full of challenges for the Guild.
            “It is great that we’re attempting it,” Townsend said. “We will give it our all and it will be just an evening full of laughter for whoever come see it… and we’ve got the right people in place to help pull it off.”
 END OF APRIL OPENING
            The show launches its four-weekend run April 27 at the Players Guild of Dearborn, 21730 Madison in Dearborn.
            For tickets, call (313) 561-TKTS or go to www.playersguildofdearborn.org.

Good Grief: Dearborn Heights to present "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"

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Photos by Sue Suchyta





Ron Williams (left) of Redford Township as Charlie Brown and Emily Gedert of Dearborn as Lucy rehearse a scene from the musical “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre will present the show for two weekends, April 13 to 21, at the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights. For more information go to the DHCT Facebook page or go to www.dhctstage.org.




Sara Mayne (left) of Redford Township as Sally, Emily Gedert of Dearborn as Lucy and Brian Welch of Dearborn as Snoopy rehearse “The Book Report” from the musical “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre will present the show for two weekends, April 13 to 21, at the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights. For more information go to the DHCT Facebook page or go to www.dhctstage.org.

AKT Theatre Project presents "Spring Awakening"

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 By SUE SUCHYTA         
            The AKT Theatre Project will present the musical “Spring Awakening” for three weekends, April 13 to 28 at the Wyandotte Art Center, 81 Chestnut St. in Wyandotte. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees.
            The rock musical takes its inspiration from a controversial literature masterpiece. Set in Germany in 1891, it is the story of Wendla and Melchior who meet by chance in the woods and discover a desire unlike anything they’ve ever know. The show contains adult themes.
            Angie Kane Ferrante is directing and choreographing the show, with musical direction by Adriane Galea.
            The cast features Jon Pigott, Jason Glenn, Hope Morawa, Peter Giessl, Shaylyn Kiely, Sarah Mikota, Jack Hundley, Lisa Youngs, Sebastian Adams, Mindy Padlo, David Pilon, Morgan Neubacher, Alice Geniac, Jordan Fritz, Gerald Hymer, Jean Pilon and Lindel Salow.
            For more information call (734) 258-8370 or go to www.AKTtheatre.com.

Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre presents one more performance of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"

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Photos and review by Sue Suchyta

The Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre presents one more performance of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at 8 p.m. April 27 in the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights.

For move information, go to www.dhctstage.org.

Children and adults will enjoy the the Peanuts characters in the musical based on Charle's Schulz's much-love characters.

From the excellent opening number, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" to the closing number "Happiness" you'll find yourself reliving memories from your youth as you see a favorite comic strip come to life on the DHCT stage.

Director Marc Walentowicz has brought together a strong cast.

Ron Williams brings out the kid in all of us with his trusting, optimistic Charlie Brown, who manages to stay hopeful despite the curveballs life throws his way.

Emily Gedert is entertaining as Lucy, the bossy big sister who does a very good job of getting her way most of the time.  Her song "Little Known Facts" is very funny.

Brian Welch shines as Snoopy, whether he's waiting for supper or stalking the Red Baron as he flies his dog house.

Sara Mayne is funny and full of childish joy as Sally.  Resplendent in a pink dress any little girl would love, she  hunts rabbits with Snoopy, expresses righteous indignation about her "C" grade on a coat hanger sculpture, and practices her "new philosophy" -- "Why are you telling me?!"  -- to the amusement of all.

James Mayne has fun with Linus, Lucy's little brother who survives her bossiness with his clever comebacks. He has fun with his blanket dance, with Clara Albright (who also plays Peppermint Patti) bringing the dancing comfort object skillfully and enthusiastically to life.

Others in the strong supporting cast include Cory Chambless as Schroeder, Marissa Campitelle as Marcie, Dustin Hanson as Roy, Sean Randolph as Pig-Pen, and Sophia Tyler in a delightful cameo role as Woodstock. 

Laura Tyler's choreography is fun and whimsical, and works well with the theatre-in-the-round seating.

For fun for all ages, take a trip down memory lane and spend some time with Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang.

For more information, go to www.dhctstaage.org.


Marissa Campitelle (left) as Marcie, Sara Mayne as Sally and Emily Gedert as Lucy.



Ron Williams (left) as Charlie Brown and Emily Gedert as Lucy.



James Mayne (left) as Linus and Ron Williams as Charlie Brown.


James Mayne (left) as Linus, Sean Randolph as Pig-Pen, Marissa Campitelle as Marcie and Ron Williams as Charlie Brown.

Review of Birth Pattern Psychology by Tamise Van Pelt

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"Snazzy is as Snazzy Does!"Gwen Joy is an artist who specializes in colorful folk art paintings. Life experience is her subject matter which is translated in a lyrical/mythical fashion.                                                               Follow Gwen's snazzy street reviews weekly here on Motorcityblog                        
                                                                                  Reach her directly at www.GwenJoy.com



     This book uses insight from examining your birth chart and your horoscope. It is very important to know exactly when you are born to get a personalized birth chart. A great goal easily gained from reading this book is to understand yourself and others better. If the goal is even remotely achieved then the venture is worthwhile. I found this book to be extremely insightful. The personalized birth charts of well known scientists, doctors, actors, and writer' such as Carl Jung, Barbra Streisand, Anais Nin, and Scott Fitzgerald are included in this volume.

     Human behaviors and desires define this book.  Concepts of Jung and Freud and viewpoints from  Perls and Sartre help illustrate the importance of how people communicate.  For some individuals stability is the most important aspect in life. For others it is love. Early in the book concepts and measurement techniques help to determine everyone's distinctive and unique birth pattern psychology.  Later in the book analysis is used to convey strengths and weaknesses of specific patterns. It is easy to complete a self-analysis by the time you finish this book.

I will be reviewing books by Schiffer Publishing every month. For more information please visit http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/.


 

Review of Classic Beauty The History of Makeup by Gabriela Hernandez

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"Snazzy is as Snazzy Does!"Gwen Joy is an artist who specializes in colorful folk art paintings. Life experience is her subject matter which is translated in a lyrical/mythical fashion.                                                               Follow Gwen's snazzy street reviews weekly here on Motorcityblog                        
                                                                                  Reach her directly at www.GwenJoy.com



    Classical Beauty The History of Makeup is a wonderful volume of various trends in history of prettying oneself up. The social, economic, and political climate of the time of various trends discussed played heavily into this timeline of beauty. Over 430 colorful images reference each period of history adeptly. It is informative, fun, and visually pleasurable to take this journey. Trends in BC Egypt and early makeup pigments are discussed.

   Makeup trends from the 1920s to today are at length discussed.  Legendary beauties like Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Kate Moss, Christie Brinkley, Twiggy, and Audrey Hepburn appear in this book. Their influence on culture is detailed. Profiles of cosmetic and toiletry designers, vintage and contemporary ads, makeup application guides, and makeup color palettes pertaining to each decade are concise and eye catching. I highly recommend this volume to any makeup artist, cosmetologist, teacher, student, and makeup consumers. To understand the present well it is important to examine the past. And there are plenty of looks that would be fun to borrow from the past. What goes around comes around right...

I will be reviewing books by Schiffer Publishing every month. For more information please visit http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/.





Review of Zombie Cat The Tale of a Decomposing Kitty

To contact us Click HERE
 
"Snazzy is as Snazzy Does!"Gwen Joy is an artist who specializes in colorful folk art paintings. Life experience is her subject matter which is translated in a lyrical/mythical fashion.                                                               Follow Gwen's snazzy street reviews weekly here on Motorcityblog                        
                                                                                  Reach her directly at www.GwenJoy.com



    Zombie Cat The Tale of a Decomposing Kitty is a book written by Isabel Atherton, illustrated by Bethany Straker, and published by Skyhorse Publishing. Atherton and Straker compliment each other splendidly. This book is a humorous tale about a typical lazy cat named Tiddles who becomes a zombie due to being attacked by a gnarly radioactive mouse after a toxic spill occurs outside of town. When he wakes up he is among zombies. Tiddles yearns to live with his owner Jake and does not want to devour brains.  However upon encountering him Jake is horrified by kitty's gruesome new appearance but still connects with his former pet. 

    Will it be enough? Will Jake let him back in his home?  I won't spoil the ending for you. This is a must read. I adored the illustrations and all the fun cultural references. Michael Jackson references and converse high tops in a few shades are a few of many details that are delightful. This would be perfect for a zombie and horror film fan. Actually October is a few days away. Snap this one up.

Please visit www.skyhorsepublishing.com for more info.

Show Review: Dinosaur Jr. at St. Andrews Hall 9/27

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What? What's that? Sorry, I can't hear you, I saw Dinosaur Jr. at St. Andrew's last night. Known for loud, no-frills, straight-ahead pop rock, Dino Jr. roared into Detroit in support of their new album I Bet On Sky. Reunited in 2005, the original lineup of Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph blasted through an hour set of both old and new material in front of packed house.

No exageration, J Mascis is the loudest guitarist I've ever heard outside of Angus Young. Stoically posed in front of a wall of Marshall stacks, Mascis ripped through nearly 30 years of material with ease and comfort, seemingly ambivalent to the jet engine roar eminating from his guitar. The crowd was enthusiastic yet reserved, letting loose only for classic hits like 90s MTV anthem "Feel The Pain.' The new material including current single, "Watch the Corners" holds up just as well as the classics, giving little indication of a band that was non-existent for almost a decade. The guys still have the chops that made them an underground favorite in the late 80s and seem to have transcended into the mainstream, finally gaining the attention they deserve.

Show Review: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Royal Oak Music Theatre

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We arrived at the ROMT around 8pm. The show was sold out and there were a few people looking for extra tickets hanging outside the theatre. There was a short line but it moved quickly. I had never been to the ROMT before but the setup was not dissimilar from other theatres I’d been to. We got our tickets, got the tickets scanned, walked into the receiving room and took a peek at the merch table, then continued straight back to the bar.

There was already a decent crowd forming by the front of the stage but the rear of the room was very navigable and there was no line for the bar. Drinks in hand we made our way down to the stage without much bumping or spilling. The majority of the the audience was in their 20s-30s but at one point I did observe a cute couple in their 60s taking out their ear plugs and whispering to one another. We stopped next to a guy in a cowboy hat and I noticed the girl in front of me had on moccasins. As we were waiting for the show to begin Rodriguez’s Sugar Man came on over the speakers and there was an enthusiastic cheer.



A few minutes later CYHSY hit the stage. They opened with Satan said Dance and the crowd sang along shouting “SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!” As much as I tried to make out the lyrics in the following songs to look up later “SATAN” was probably the only word I clearly made out for the rest of the set. I’m not sure if it was the style of the singer or if the vocal mic was low, or a combination of both... but my hearing is also not great so it could be just me.


This was my first exposure to CYHSY so I attempted to write down random words with the intention of looking up the song names later so my review would be more informative but my notes go something like this:


1. Satan
2. ?
3. (Everyone starts clapping along)
4. i know, i know (is this love?)...
5. ahhhhhhhhhhhh oooooooooooh...6. 

CYHSY played 8 or 9 songs/about an hour long set. I eventually stopped trying to make out what songs were being played and bobbed my head along as well enjoying the melodies. The beats were hard hitting and even as we made our way back through the crowd and I could still feel the pounding in my chest from 30 ft away.


Photos by Gomar2