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Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
ACT Presents: Guys & Dolls At The Capitol Theatre
My husband Bill will be joining the wonderful cast in this year's musical production of Guys & Dolls here in Windsor, Ontario!
He'll be singing, dancing and so much more.
Listen With Your Heart: Coda Movie Review
I'll love you forever.
Image from IMBD
Coda is a remake of the 2014 film, La Famille Bélier. It is a heart-warming coming-of-age story about a girl named Ruby, played by the impressive, Emilia Jones, who is part of a deaf family (CODA - child of deaf adults/ also a musical term) yet was born with the ability to hear.
Like most families, there is a certain level of chaos to expect, but for Ruby, she is the glue that is holding her family together. School, working the family fishing business to keep it afloat, and being readily available as the family translator is exhausting. Emotions are hanging by a thread trying to juggle it all.
Ruby's one salvation is taking a leap and joining the choir at school and finding her voice with help of choirmaster, Eugenio Derbez. Her beautiful hidden voice wants to be heard, but she's afraid - afraid of not being good enough. Not only that, but add on dealing with some new unexpected feelings being paired for a duet with classmate Miles, played by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (I literally screamed out SING STREET! when I saw him on screen). Ruby's love of music and the possibility to soar to new heights going to a prestigious music school comes at a cost though that she's unsure she can sacrifice.
Fair warning, Coda is surprisingly vulgar at times with its comedic flare which I think some may appreciate and others might be taken aback by. The whole idea of knowing your parents are hot for each other and are still getting it on is kind of an uncomfortable feeling, but there is a hilarity in how it's presented in the film. The acting is terrific and although the predictability factor of the outcome of the movie is obvious, there is a deep empathy felt and a beauty of how the dynamics evolve with the characters, especially Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur, who play Ruby's parents, as well as brother, Leo, played by Daniel Durant.
When you add in the soundtrack with songs by Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, David Bowie and The Clash, it's a beautiful film that deserves applause that has paved the way for more films to be produced and represented in authentic ways that help us learn, grow and embrace who we are.
Some cool facts about Coda:
👉The director, Siân Heder intended on having the roles casted by those in the deaf community, which is pretty awesome and such a huge stride, and getting help with translating 40% of the script into ASL (American Sign Language).
👉Emilia trained for 8 months with a deaf coach who taught her ASL but also about deaf culture and the nuances. Eventually she was able to improvise on-set with her cast members.
Overall, I loved the movie and the message that shone through so brightly that I think we can all agree upon is that there is nothing more powerful than to listen with your heart.
Have you seen Coda yet? Leave me your comments or connect with me through my contact form! I'd love to hear from you.
💜Watch the trailer here: Coda Trailer
💜 Available on Apple Tv
That's a Wrap: A Virtual Holiday Celebration
A special thank you to Windsor Local (written by Laryssa Brooks) for mentioning Nuvo Entertainment in this article and spreading the word on our show!
So this was me, Melfy the Elf, last night getting dressed, as I would be performing in our Virtual Santa Magic Show! I am usually behind the camera, but on Christmas Eve, Santa calls the shots!
This was one of the letters we received from a few sweet kids who watched the show.
Million Dollar Quartet at Caesars Windsor
Friday night, I took Bill's mom to see Million Dollar Quartet! We had a fun night out together, so thank you Caesars Windsor!
My thoughts on the show: Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash were top notch in my view. Carl Perkins was decent. Elvis though....while he had the moves, his voice was odd. Really high-pitched and not very "Elvisy" if you know what I mean. I realize this was back in the starting days of his career, but I didn't feel it at all. All I could keep thinking was "damn, my friend Norm Ackland Jr. (he is an ETA - Elvis Tribute Artist) should have been in this role!" Elvis' girlfriend Dyanne was quite the head-turner with her seductive charm and her sultry vocals during Fever was a nice touch, but I didn't particularly like her voice overall. Lastly, Sam Phillips (the man who initially discovered and launched the early careers of the guys, as well as the founder of Sun Records), he was alright. Definitely had that sleazy record producer vibe down. ;)
Anyhow, still entertaining performance to hear a lot of classic songs to bop along to like Walk The Line, Great Balls of Fire, That's Alright, Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, See You Later Alligator and more!
You can check out all the photos on the Caesars Windsor Facebook page, as there was absolutely no photography/videos allowed!
My thoughts on the show: Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash were top notch in my view. Carl Perkins was decent. Elvis though....while he had the moves, his voice was odd. Really high-pitched and not very "Elvisy" if you know what I mean. I realize this was back in the starting days of his career, but I didn't feel it at all. All I could keep thinking was "damn, my friend Norm Ackland Jr. (he is an ETA - Elvis Tribute Artist) should have been in this role!" Elvis' girlfriend Dyanne was quite the head-turner with her seductive charm and her sultry vocals during Fever was a nice touch, but I didn't particularly like her voice overall. Lastly, Sam Phillips (the man who initially discovered and launched the early careers of the guys, as well as the founder of Sun Records), he was alright. Definitely had that sleazy record producer vibe down. ;)
Anyhow, still entertaining performance to hear a lot of classic songs to bop along to like Walk The Line, Great Balls of Fire, That's Alright, Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, See You Later Alligator and more!
You can check out all the photos on the Caesars Windsor Facebook page, as there was absolutely no photography/videos allowed!
Caesars Windsor Presents: Tony Orlando
I love being able to see live shows and although I am pretty eclectic with my tastes in music (I can go from Abba to Apoptygma Berzerk in a heart beat), I won't deny though that there is something so comforting and romantic about the doo-wop era and all those golden oldies.
Being a Total Rewards Member has its perks (did I mention it's FREE to join up to reap the benefits?) because one of the best parts of being a member is the concert invites! Sometimes it will be one show, and other times I get lucky and get multiple offers! I was tickled pink when I was notified about tickets for Tony Orlando! This would be my second time seeing him at Caesars Windsor (first for Bill!), and so what a great week-night date idea. I like the fact that we don't know until we get to the box office what seats we're getting, although this time I was asked about my preference for either balcony or floor seats.
Even if you've never really heard much of Tony's music, it doesn't matter because the show is full of surprises! He is such a natural story-teller and has a way to engage his audience that you immediately feel connected. The couple he brought up on stage celebrating 60 years of marriage was so beautiful and inspiring, as he sang to them, his version of "You Are So Beautiful To Me." #marriagegoals
He also brought up this burly former wrestler who was just a character in himself, but the guy was a huge fan and they were having some fun banter back in forth on stage. "I tweeted you on Twitter and you never tweeted me back!" Hahaha...hilarious.
Tony is such a genuine soul, going through some extremely difficult times in his life and coming back stronger than ever. He really cares about his entire band, showcasing each member and their abundance of talents. The show lasted approximately 2 hours, which was really impressive. He was panting and sweating, plus losing his voice a little, but carried on like a true performer.
A great night with my babe and I hope Tony comes back again because he is worth seeing time and time again!
Stay connected on Facebook: Caesars Windsor
Find Tony on Facebook: Tony Orlando
Being a Total Rewards Member has its perks (did I mention it's FREE to join up to reap the benefits?) because one of the best parts of being a member is the concert invites! Sometimes it will be one show, and other times I get lucky and get multiple offers! I was tickled pink when I was notified about tickets for Tony Orlando! This would be my second time seeing him at Caesars Windsor (first for Bill!), and so what a great week-night date idea. I like the fact that we don't know until we get to the box office what seats we're getting, although this time I was asked about my preference for either balcony or floor seats.
Even if you've never really heard much of Tony's music, it doesn't matter because the show is full of surprises! He is such a natural story-teller and has a way to engage his audience that you immediately feel connected. The couple he brought up on stage celebrating 60 years of marriage was so beautiful and inspiring, as he sang to them, his version of "You Are So Beautiful To Me." #marriagegoals
He also brought up this burly former wrestler who was just a character in himself, but the guy was a huge fan and they were having some fun banter back in forth on stage. "I tweeted you on Twitter and you never tweeted me back!" Hahaha...hilarious.
Tony is such a genuine soul, going through some extremely difficult times in his life and coming back stronger than ever. He really cares about his entire band, showcasing each member and their abundance of talents. The show lasted approximately 2 hours, which was really impressive. He was panting and sweating, plus losing his voice a little, but carried on like a true performer.
A great night with my babe and I hope Tony comes back again because he is worth seeing time and time again!
Stay connected on Facebook: Caesars Windsor
Find Tony on Facebook: Tony Orlando
Father's Day 2017
Well we had a really special Father's Day this year. Bill suggested that we take my Dad to see Elvis perform! Of course, not the real Elvis (he is deceased) although some people claim to have seen him in their toast, their morning coffee and various other places in the world.
Anyhow, Elvis impersonators are in abundance, but not all make the cut for engaging a crowd or even having the vocal chops. Our friend Norm Ackland Jr. is multi-talented and pretty top notch in our books. We gathered up Dad, my Mom and brother, Michael, and all of us went to Lakeside Park to support Norm and spent the afternoon tapping away our blue suede shoes!
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| A great shot captured by my Dad of Elvis (aka Norm) performing |
Hilarious video footage I took of Bill and another audience member shakin' it! :)
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