Jensen Ackles and “Eye of the Tiger”

Supernatural is one of my favorite sci-fi television shows, and one of the lead actors, Jensen Ackles, shows a lighter side to his stage performance, here:

Too cute not to share

Off and Running

Becoming pensive about life always puts me in a classical mood…musically, I mean. As a closet artist, I see most of my moods mirrored in art; in particular, in my choice of music and in my appreciation of others’ art.

Being in this sort of “mood” also means getting out and hitting the pavement. I’ve never been an avid runner, but something about it soothes my unfocused mind.

And so, this morning, I ran.

What goes through my mind in those moments of deep breath, achy calves and crisp, gorgeous air is befuddled. During that time I feel alone, and somewhat free, I guess, to absorb the air, the music, and my thoughts. I can’t really say in words, but it feels something like the latest SongSpot I’ve added (Allison Lovejoy’s RAVEL: Jeux d’eau). The way the time signatures dance around each other – it’s quite intriguing and very fitting.

Bird song

I was awakened this morning by a most-spirited bird song outside my bedroom window; there were two swallows, and if I didn’t know better I’d think they were having an argument! It made me think of “The Littlest Birds” by The Be Good Tanyas, which I’ve added to my Songspot play list. Happy Saturday!

New, Like a Shiny Penny.

New is good, so go to the sidebar and check out these new buttons on my page…

Reading List On this page, I’ll periodically write mini-reviews of books I’ve really enjoyed reading. Click on the link (under Pages) and check a couple out for yourself!

MORE music! Check out Sonific Songspot’s latest groove in the top right corner…just hit play.

Coffee Shop Reader Under here you’ll find random links of interest to me, and maybe to you too. A little funny here, a little political there…

Think About It. Okay, I’m an activist. So how can I not have a have a little somethin’ that challenges people to think about how they live their lives? That just wouldn’t be normal.

West Side Story

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of seeing the University of Colorado at Boulder’s production of West Side Story: The Opera (written by composer Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, directed by William Gustafson and Nicholas Carthy). It was so much fun! I have to admit, this production took me by surprise, as it did not follow the more traditional operatic style of voice–we left feeling more like we’d just watched a musical for three hours, instead of an opera–but it was very enjoyable, nonetheless. Hey, different is good!

I do actually believe that this production is the first opera I’ve seen that wasn’t written originally as an opera–WSS was composed by Mr. Bernstein for Broadway in 1957. The “light opera” style was great, as the background to WSS is very animated and passionate and is based on Shakespeare’s timeless story of Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Bernstein brought current the often told themes of love, family, feuds and youthful passion with scenes of gang life in the streets of 1950′s New York. The story begins with a brawl between two local gangs: The Sharks (a Puerto Rican gang) and The Jets (a polish gang). Likened to Tybalt and Mercurio, the gang leaders, Bernardo and Riff, want nothing but respect and are so blinded by their rage and hatred for each other they are willing to murder to get it. Of course, a romance ensues between Maria (Bernardo’s sister) and Tony (Riff’s right-hand man and most-trusted friend). Their love is forbidden from the beginning, but it only serves to fuel their passion. Ultimately, each must face a decision–loyalty to their families or to each other.

I was especially delighted to see and hear the performance of Katherine Miller (Maria), whose talented acting and girlish, soprano voice stole the show. In the last act, as she sang an extremely heavy lament over her murdered lover, I looked around and was unable to find a single dry eye near to me. Such regret and sorrow came through in her singing–such love and such remorse! Another delightful performance was that of Meg Marino (Anita) whose sultry alto voice and stern words made an ideal street-wise and protective companion for Maria. The well-balanced synergy between the two was intriguing to watch.

Between the acting and singing talent, the stage production (awesome lighting and props!) and the well-known musical score (“I Feel Pretty”, “Tonight”, and “One Hand, One Heart”, just to name a few…), WSS will go down in history as one of my favorites!

And, to make a fun evening even more fun, there was dinner at the Mountain Sun afterwards…

My Mountain Sun Take-Away Dragon

Why playing the cello ROCKS…literally.

The following video, titled A Cello Rondo, was performed and produced by Ethan Winer, a wonderful cellist. There are 37 cello parts–from the main melody to the percussion–and each is performed using only the cello. The video is fun to watch, but even better is Mr. Winer’s creativity and style. Hats off to him and his crew for an enjoyable performance!

Groovera

I’m bobbin’ my head. I’m swirlin’ my hips to a little somethin’ soft and slow. And the beat is real funky too. What am I listening to? The latest track to grace the internet stream, courtesy of Groovera’s Low Mercury. Check it out…you’ll be groovin’ too. Be sure to click on “Listen Now” at the top.

It Goes Steadily.

I spent a few hours in the garage last night dancing, singing and cleaning to old school Janet Jackson and Rob Base hits (remember “It Takes Two”?!?!—and yes, I still remember all the rhymes in that song)—what a stress reliever! I’m steadily getting through my pile of miscellaneous “junk”, much of which I should’ve thrown away years ago, I’m realizing. It’s amazing the amount of space one can save by storing documents electronically.

I go to meet my new landlord to pick up the keys tomorrow. The fact that I’m moving again will feel real then. Those of you in my address book will receive an email with my new contact information in the near future.

My Wonderful Cello…

I have fallen in love with my cello. My very first cello. It’s been mine for about 4 hours now (I brought it home from the luthier’s shop today) and I can’t stop looking at it. And picking it up. And wiping away the dust that accumulates on it every few minutes. It’s a Knilling 4/4 solid wood, with a beautiful, deep walnut-brown finish. The sound is amazing and I love playing on it, which totally makes up for the fact that I can’t grow long fingernails anymore. Ha ha!

L’Incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea)

Last night, I saw Central City Opera‘s production of The Coronation of Poppea (written by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi in 1642, directed by Ken Cazan). It was very good! This was my first visit to the House, and I was really pleased by the size and sound of the place. It’s small, and therefore intimate and fun. The company players were fantastic, as the production was presented more as a play than a standard opera. The acting (facial expressions, body language) was good, and the voices even better. The leading male voices (Amore, Nerone, Ottone) were written in the castrati style, and it was really interesting to hear. The political and social dynamics of power, usually associated with masculinity and deep, thunderous voices, are turned upside down by the high, feminine sound of the castrati voice. The irony goes deeper, even, when one considers that all the power of Rome was handed to one woman, Poppea, because of Nero’s unyielding lust for her. It is very clear that Love (Amore) is ruler of the day. Ultimately, to make room for Poppea as his new bride, Nero exiles his wife, Octavia (Ottavia), who in an especially powerful scene sings farewell to her family, her friends, and her country. “A-A-A-Addio…” she laments from a broken and defeated heart.

During opera notes before the show, I learned that this opera is one of the earliest written in the Italian Baroque era, within about 50 years of opera’s first appearance in Italy. The orchestra (conducted by Nicholas Kraemer) featured period instruments, such as the lute and, of particular interest to me, the viola de gamba, or “viol of the leg”, which looks like the cello. The name “viol of the leg” was given to distinguish these instruments from the aesthetically similar, but distantly related, viola da braccia family, or “viol of the arm”, which we know today as the violin group of instruments (violin, viola, cello and double bass). The gamba instruments come in various sizes, just like members of the violin family, but are all played while being held upright and typically have six or seven strings.

Overall this performance experience was a delight (two thumbs up)! Cheers to Central City Opera for putting on a great show.