Category Archives: Arts and Entertainment

Post-Benefit Musings

benefit_flyer.jpgToday, we held the annual benefit fundraiser for the Park Avenue Dance Company.  This was my second year coordinating the fundraiser, which is a fancy way of saying I kept emailing everyone else and making sure they did the tasks assigned to them.  The benefit itself was fun and highly enjoyable.  I’m looking forward to it next year.  For now, i just want to make a few random observations, both personal and professional:

  • The way we handled the door worked out quite well this year.  Thing went smoother, and having greeters work in shifts proved effective.  There are a few areas where we can do some more fine tuning for next year, though.
  • We have the best bartender in the world for this event.  It’s great to have someone who is quite knowledgeable about wines and can offer recommendations.  And he’s a funny guy.
  • The new shoes were perfect.  While my feet are still a bit sore, they’re nothing like last year.
  • It’s the rare day when I get not one, but two opportunities to demonstrate a bit of machismo.  Fun!
  • A musician who is that cute and that talented should not be straight.  It’s just wrong!  </tantrum>
  • I’m glad I asked for the extra tables this year.  We were still close to full capacity.

A Capella Music and Star Wars! Who can beat that?

My brother-in-law sent me a message on Facebook this morning of this great a capella tribute to Star Wars. The tribute was made by a young man named Corey Vidal.

Corey originally put his tribute up on YouTube, but it was taken down due to copyright issues. He’s trying to get it reinstated. In the meantime, I thought I’d embed another a capella piece he’s done that is still available on YouTube.

Thoughts on Eragon

I just got done watching Eragon on DVD. Overall, it was an excellent movie with a pretty good, if predictable plot. The development of that plot and the characters themselves were pretty good for the 100 minutes or so that everyone had to work with.

I should admit right up front that a few of the issues I had with this movie are the result of a misconception I had going into it. When I saw previews for this movie, I heard the word “dragonrider” and immediately thought of Anne McCaffrey and her series of books about Pern and its dragonriders. Because of this, I noticed some glaring discrepancies, that made me wonder how closely the movie followed the books. However, a bit more research on my part revealed that this movie was not based upon McCaffrey’s works, but on the first book in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy. Apparently, Paolini’s writing was heavily influenced by Ms. McCaffrey’s books. However, this certainly explains some of the discrepancies, such as the fact that the dragons in Paolini’s world actually choose their riders before they hatch. (Come to think of it, that’s a nice touch.)

I think that my favorite part of the movie was the oft repeated phrase, “one part brave, three parts fool.” It seems to sum up the nature of many heroes, both in this story and in general. I also like the addition of the fact that Brom (played by the venerable Jeremy Irons, no less) reveals that his quest for vengeance results in the death of the last dragon, save for the evil Galbatorix’s own dragon.

The one part I will note as being underdeveloped was the part of the other boy (his name escaped my notice) whose father turned out to be a dragonrider who joined forces with Galbatorix. They ntroduced this information and the boy’s desire to follow a better path than his father did rather late in the plot. As such, it seemed underdeveloped to the point of being extraneous.

One thing I particularly liked, however, was the fact that they didn’t play heavily on the romantic aspects of the movie. Certainly, they hinted at some underlying romantic tensions between Eragon and Arya, especially at the end. However, most Hollywood movies would have brought that far more to the forefront, even turning it into a major plot element. Those in charge of this movie made a different choice, and I think it was to the benefit of the movie’s overall integrity.

On a loose tangent, when looking for Anne McCaffrey’s website to link to it, I discovered that she actually has posted guidelines for fan fiction and fan art based on her works. I find it a rather interesting approach to the topic, and I wonder if many other authors have done similar things. Of course, I also wonder if the fan fiction authors and fan art creators actually bother following them. But it’s nice to see an author trying to find a peaceful compromise with those who would emulate her.

The Human Canvas in Review

The Human Canvas, an art show directed by Rochester resident Rebecca Coleman and sponsored by Naturist Rochester, took the stage at the Visual Studies Workshop on Sunday, January 21, at 2:00 pm. The show derived its name from the fact that the artwork was painted onto the bodies of seven models by Coleman and a fellow artist who wishes to remain anonymous. The designs ranged from the amorphous and swirling patterns that were painted on the models representing Fire (Cinnamea Sweet) and Water (Joe Piazza), to the intricately detailed patterns that were painted onto Mother Earth (Ginger Wilbert) and Death (Grace Kellie).

The painting was performed in stages, and each model traversed the length of the catwalk after each stage was painted, allowing audience members to view the work as it progressed. Performance art was also incorporated into the show, as each model not only worked to portray the life event or elemental force they represented, but also interacted with the Man (David Burmingham) as the show progressed.

Unlike all other models, the artwork for Man was not painted in stages. This artwork had been completed prior to the beginning of the show, allowing it to be far more detailed and complex. Instead, Man entered into the show clothed and the underlying patterns were revealed in parts as the other models removed parts of his attire throughout the show.

The show moved at a smooth and captivating pace, a tribute to the artist?s talent, as they worked hard to paint each new stage of artistic development quickly enough to keep the show moving. The length of time each model spent traversing the catwalk gave the audience plenty of time to appreciate the patterns while keeping the show moving along. Music, mostly dominated by powerful rhythms and percussion instruments, added to the primal nature the show was designed to convey and helped draw those watching into the experience.

When the final stage of the progression had been completed, the house lights were brought up and Coleman announced each model?s name and presented them with a bouquet. As each model accepted their bouquet, they then made one final traversal of the catwalk, giving everyone an opportunity to see the artwork more clearly under bright lighting conditions.

Models not already mentioned were Birth (Rhoda Brown) and Metal (Micha Callan).